The age-herald., 1901-05-28
TWENTY.ONE MEN MEET HORRIBLE DEATH IN A MINE Goal Dust Ignited by Dynamite Stick Exploding FLAME SHOT OUT 300 FEET Burning and Blistering the Trees in the Vicinity
  BLAcKENED, DISFIGURED BODIES Of Twenty-one Men Taken From the Mine and Hauled to Their Homes Amidst the Cries and Lamen-
 tatons of Relatives.
Burning and BIistering the
 Trees in the Vicinity
BLAcKENED, DIsFIGuRED BODIES

Chattanooga, Tenn, May H.-A special from Dayton to the Times says that an explosion of mine dust occurred in the New Richand coal mine of the Dayton Coal and Iron Company at o'clock this afternoon and that the dead bodies of twenty white miners have already been taken from the outer drift, and that five more are known to be dead. It Is said that thirty-five men were at work in the mine, all white, and fears are entertained that all have perished. Relief gangs are at work, but owing to the immense de- bris in the shaft, the work has been slow and tedious. The mine is a new one and extends about 2000 feet. The explosion is thought to have been caused by an open lamp carried by one of the miners.
 The mine is remote several miles from Dayton and details are difficult to obtain. An explosion similar to this occurred at the old Richland mine of the same com pany by which twenty-eight miners lost their lives.
 The only theory advanced for the cata- strophe is that dynamite cartridge was placed in position in one of the rooms for blast. The miners had just started for the mouth of the mine. The blast did not explode as intended but instead a long flame shot out of the blast hole and ignited this accumulation of dust. In- stantly a terrific explosion occurred and a seethlng mass of flame shot to the mouth of the mine and extended three hundred feet into the open air scorching the leaves from the nearby trees. There were thirty-fve men in the mine at the time Four of these escaped with slight injury. Twenty-one were killed and nine were terribly buned, most of them fatal ly. The force of the explosion caused great masses of coal and slate to cave in from the roof of the mine and many of the ill-fated miners were completely buried.
 Blackened and Disfigured Bodies.
 Word quickly reached Dayton and res- cue forces were at once organized and proceeded to the mine. One by one the blackened and horribly disfigured bodies were taken from the debris and carried to the mouth of the mine where they were loaded into locomotive and car ried to Dayton. Scores of relatives and IT1eHuS BdtneTeu dL IuOutn OI LHe mine and the shrieks of anguish as the forms of loved ones were removed were heartrending in the extreme.
 The two undertaking establishments at Dayton were turned into improvised morgues where the mangled bodies were dressed and prepared for delivery to their families. All of the men employed in this mine were residents of Dayton.
 The Richland mine is the property of the Dayton Coal and Iron Company com posed of Glasgow capitalists. The com pany operates an iron furnace at Dayton and operates coal mines in connection herewith.
 December g. 1895, similar explosion occurred in the Nelson mine, situated few hundred feet from where todays ex- plosion occurred, in which twenty-eight miners were istantly killed. These mines are considered especially danger ous because of the accumulation of mine dust.
 The dead: Tom Wright Dock Smith, Will Matthews, Sam Smith, Baily Smith, Tom Walker, George Holmes, J. F. Goth ard, Terry Smith, Abe Gothard. Sam Burwick, Jim Pickle, Wash Trasley, Oscar Rodgers, Lowry Hawkins. J. W. Walker, Perry. Jope, Lige Pool. Andy Medly Will Rose.
 Injured: William Burchen, ST.; William Burchen, Jr, Bob Walker, Rev. F. Mc- Cook, Rev. William Hale; Bart Hale, Arthur Decker, Ed Craig, J. F. Bur wick.