The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-03-24
RESCuINc PARTY BLOWN up.
e1 NOW DEAD IN A WEST VIR.
GINA NINE.
A Second Explosion Causes Death OF
Party Who Were Trying to Rescoyer
the Remains of Those Who Perished
Saturday Night-Naked Flame jn
Contact With Gas Cause OF the
Tragedy.

Charleston, w. Va, March 19.-As the
result of horrible explosions in the
Rush Run and Red Ashe mines. near
Thurnond, last night, "a men now lie
stark in death il the two mines. Ten
of these were killed in the explosion
Saturday night; the other IA were a
rescuing party who went into the
mine this morning to the
blackened remains of their fellow
workmen, and were killed by a second
explosion. The first explosion seemed
to shake the foundations of the moun
tains, and the angry twin flash from
the two neighboring drift mouths light
ed up the heavens for miles around.
, Sooa, from the mining villages Cor
several miles UP and down the river,
hundreds of people rushed to the scene
Of the dreadful disaster.
The first explosion was caused by a
naked" flame coming in contact with
the gas. The flames leaQed from the
drift mouth n set fire to everything
in reach that was not blown from
harms way by the force of the expo
sion. The great drum by which the
loaded car are run from the drift
mouth down the incline to the tlpple
and h emptieS drawn UP, was blown
from It's moorings and down the noun
tain tide 600 feet, while the drum
caught fire n was totally consumed.
The cars that stood at the mouth OF
the mine were blown far down towards
the Jipple, and much Of the track OF
the incline was destroyed. The rats
were twisted and the cross-ties whip
ped from their beds in the ballast and
sent scorched and charred many yards
ayVaU The big fan that furnished air
in the mine was so damaged that it
was several hours before it could he
started again.
After considerable time the great fan
was repaired and the power turned on,
and it began drawing 100,00 0 feet Of
air through the charnal house each
minute. A rescue party was formed
and about twenty men entered the mine
in search of the bodies of those who
had persisted at the first explosion, the
men explored the mines for three hours
putting up bratticeS so that pure ar
should follow them wherever they
went. Finally some of them came out
n reported that the others were roo
careless in going forward faster than
the good air was being supplied and
carrying at the same time naked"
light. At $40 another awful explosion
occurred, caused by the gas coming in
contact with the naked flame Of a
miners lamp IN fourteen more souls
were launched into eternity.
Mine Inspector Edward Pinckney ar
rived on the ground today and Toe
charge Of the rescue work.
The names of the band who lost
their lives in the attempt to get pos
session of the bodies of those who per-
ished IN the first explosion are:
Crockett Hutchinson, Boyd county,
m~aPhinlSt Defer H1ItrbinSNn minor
Boyd county, KY; Norman Hutchinson.
miner, Boyd county, KY; Thomas Ban
mister, fire boss and an officer of the
National Mine Workers Union, Fayette
county, ". Va; Chas. Winn, miner,
F'ayette county, w. Va; Bratt jack
SON., mine boss, Louisa, KY; George
Hopkins, rack boss, Maiden, w. Va;
Henderson Mabry, Amerherst, Va; E.
w Binsman, trackman. Amerherst,