The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-07-13

are: 80
MARTIN WEBJAR, thirty-three years,
laborer. Slavok.
PAUL CVENA, thirty seven years, la
torer. wife and three children.
GEORGE BABULA, forty years, fam
lily in old country.
ANDREW BABULA, forty years, mar
ried.
The last named was identified by his
wife by shoe. All were badly burned.
William Malcolm, one OF the resculns
rarty, said one man was found In NO
1 room of the sixth right entry and three
in No. room. They might easily have
passed unnoticed for days. as all were
SO biackened as to resemble DouleS OIL
broken coal. Malcolm was subpoena ed
tonight to appear at the inquest. 1t Is
s2ld ne had important testimony Coro-
oner Miller said tonight he has no
thought of opening the inquest until late
next week He wants to give the State
Officials abundant time to make the prop
er investigation.
John Relallck. fire boss of the sew
enth district and Mine Foreman Harry
Rodgers. both of whom were in the klon-
dixie Mine when the explosion occur red,
we're so far recovered this evening from
the effects of the after damp as to be
able to tell CT their terrible experience,
Both men are in the Memorial Hospital,
but will soon be able to return to their
homes and families
Relallick story in part follows:
when went to work Thursday morn
Ing there were about 200 miners at work
in the mine. From the very latest infer
| nation that can gather. there are yet
about Twelve dead miners entombed.1n the
| nIre These men are in the headings
Which, are still impossible to reach on
account OF the gas.
THE AFTER DAMP.
Il was In No. 6 right about two hours
before the explosion occurred. I left
that part of the mine and went out
to the other headings to attend to my
work. When the accident happened
there were five of us on the cars ready
to go out of the mine on trip.
we did not hear or feel the explosion
to any great extent. hu, knew some
thing had occurred. Our belief was
| confirmed IN Il minute. when we heard
men scramblfns in all directions for a
place OF safety. Quickly I realized there
was no avenue of escape only to get to
the air somewhere but / thought I had
plenty Of time, and could save all the
men.
I'VE Immediately went down the main
entrance in the klondil1e. There were
with me at that time William Robinson.
who has charge of the mining ma
chinery; Henry Rodgers, foreman of the
mine; William Blanche, John Whitney,
Joseph Torllinson, the other boss. and a
hungarian miner. whom I did not know.
THE after damp was then surround
Ing us strong, and while we were go
Ing to No l Right, Whitney fell. We
tried to assist him. but he was gone.
and then for the first time we thought
of our own safev
GASP1NG FOR BREATH.
''Tominson was the second man to fall
and / felt my knees giving way, but
made another strenuous effort to stand
and started to run. Rodgers and Rob-
inson We're keeping in close touch to
me, and neither was saying a word
We knew of split of air at No. Right,
and if we had been able to reach that
point we could have thrown that down
in the mine and probably have saved
the lives of scores of miners
while walking AROUND or rather
cropping our way in the darkness. never
heard such sounds arise from huma n
beings as the breathing of those miners.
It was all that could be heard except
for an occasional Shrek or groan. Men
We're walking and crawling everywhere.
Many were crying, some were praying.
others expressing wishes to see their
wives and families before dying. Only
half conscious as I was. only my death
will blot that time from my memory.
Then the after-damp swooped In
around US strong, and the miners began
dropping as beeves at a slaughter. At
ter they fell they would make one or
two final gasps and then die"