The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1901-03-06
ONLY ONE ESCAPED.
ThIty.fivs Men Dis in a Coal
Mine Fire.
HORRIBLE - HOLOCAUST.
Men Suddenly Found Them
selves shuti off from Life
by a Wall of Raging
Flames.

The worst disaster in the history OF
coal mining in Wyoming since the Al
my horror eight years ago, occurred at
piamondsville Wednesday night. Thir.
ty five men are believed to have perish.
ed In fire which started in mine No l
OF the Dismondsville Coal and Coke
company.
The blaze was first disc ,vered shortly
after the night shift commenced work.
1t is though; to have originated from q
careless miners lamp In the oil room.
The flames made such progress that
only one man escaped from the two
entries In which it was confined. His
name is John Anderson and he was
frightfully burned in running the
gauntlet OF the flames, He was sud
denly confronted by q wall of FIRE and
smoke and wrapping his head in an
overcoat he ran in the direction of the
main entrance. He fell uncon scious
and was carried to the mouth Of the
mine. The alarm was sounded and
hundreds Of miners at work in the
mines and on the outside ru shed to the
rescue Of their imprisoned comrades.
The fire had by this time made such
progress that it was impo 5sible to en-
ter the rooms of flames.
The en- Tire night was spent In confn.
ing the fire to the two entries and this
morhing it was necessary to seal them
up to prevent the flames from spread
ing to other parts of the mine. This
step was only decided upon after all
hope of saving the lives of the men had
been abandoned. Nothing could live
FIVE minutes in the nre, which was in
cressing In 6erceness every mipute.
The plul ging of the two entries will
smother the fire, but it may be several
days before the baIricades can be re-
moved and the chambers explored. The
exact total Of men entombed is not ye.
known as . number are missing, some
on sick leave and others in the hospital
suffering from burns received while
fighting the flames so that an accurate
count is atpresent impossible.
The scenes at the mouth of the mine
during the night and today were heart
rending. Relatives and friends of the
entombed miners rushed into the mine,
frantically waving their hands and
crying to the mine ofiei,is and miners
to savs.thhseiiff dear oncs: May Of nc
'HIUfnea End children were slightly in.
jured IN the crowd and by falling over
obstacles in the darkness.
Diamondville has been the scene of
= number Of disastrous fires since the
coal mines were opened there ten years
| ago, but the oonfisgrations were never
attended with serious loss of life
The mine is owned by the Oregon
Short Line railroad. Its output is
about 175, 600 tons of coal per year and
| upwards Of 700 miners are employed.
The fire was discovered by a boy
named James Hetson who bravely ran
and told many men who were inside.
Richarn Fern, Is years old. also Iau
through levels Nos. 6, Z, and 8 and noti-
fed the men, and many were saved
through his courageous action. Seven
men, headed by Mine foreman Griffin,
made several desperate attempts to
reach the men through the lower level,
but their efforts were in vain, four of
the seven being knock ed down by fire
damp, the others being compelled to
carry them to fresh air. +
1t is given out by Superintedent
Thomas Sheldon and confirmed by
others familiar with the conditions
that the lives of all the men were GER
tainly extinguished within three min.
utes after the fire gained aseendancy.
|. The fire is fully under control to,
night, and Superintendent Sneddon an
Enounces that he will open the mine to.
morrow for the recovery. of the bodies,
and resume work before the week
closes. r..-
:. Superintendent Simpson, with his
young son, who are among the victims,
came to Diamondsville from Alabama,
about six weeks ago, bringing his wife,
in the hope that the change of climate
would benefit her health. The shook o!
last nights tragedy resulted in Mrs
Simpsons death today,