The midland journal., 1905-03-24
THE REScUERS DEAD
'ourteen Sacrificed Themselves for
FellOw-MinerS.
WAS SECOND DEADLY EXPLOSION.
Twenty.four Men Killed at Rush Run and
Red Ash Mines-Flames Shot from the
Mouth Of the Drift-Cars. Thrown Down
the Side of the Mountain-Rescue Party
Lost Their Lives Through carelessuess.

Thurmond, w. Va (SpeciaD The
explosion in the Rush Run and Red Ash
Mine at 10 o'clock Saturday night, by
which 10 miners were killed, was toll
lowed by second explosion in the Rush
Kun opening at 3:45 Sunday morning,
by which II more lives were lost. These
were members of party who had volun-
| teered to get into the mine and discover
If perchance any of those who had pre-
viously been entombed were still alive.
When the first explosion occurred it
was found that its initial point was the
Rush Run opening, and that there 1t had
expended most of its force. The drum
| by which loaded cars are lowered down
| the incline and empties drawn UP was
blown from its fastenings and sent some
600 feet down the mountain side, while
the flames that shot from the drift mouth
set fire to the drumhouse and consumed
| it.
| In very few minutes the head of the
incline was destroyed, the rails twisted
and bent, the crossties were torn from
their beds and hurled down the hillside.
The fan which carries the air through
the mine was found out of commission,
though not permanently damaged, and
all hands went to work to get it in
working order as soon as possible. By
midnight this was done, and it was set
going. AS it began to suck the air
through the wire the work of organizing
a rescue party was begun.
There vuara 01erfv of vo1,1pteerc and
soon a body of brave, determined men,
led by Thomas Bannister, the fire boss,
and Crockett Hutchinson, the machine
boss, entered the drift mouth and began
working their way toward where they
knew the dead bodies were With the
recklessness that characterized men who
daily face death there were those in the
party who carried naked" lamps. They
could not be held back to wait for the
brattices to be repaired, SO that the air
supply would keep up with their advance.
After two or three hours some of the
more cautious began to return to the
outside, saying there were those inside
who were taking too desperate chances
with their uncovered lamps. Their fears
were well founded, for two or three OF
them had scarcely reached the outside
and stepped away from the mouth of the
mine when the second explosion came.
District Mine Inspector Pinckney is
now in charge and will lead the next
rescue party He will be careful that no
one enters without safety lamp.
The fan was again wrecked by the
second explosion, but has been again re-
paired, and the fan is now pumping 100
feet of air through the mine every min
ute. At Red Ash the force of the eX-
plosion was not SO great, and the flames
issuing from the drift mouth did not
ignite anything. A number of cars were
blown down the r,ountainside, but be-
yond that there is no outside evidence of
damage.
The mines are mile and a half apart
at the entrances, but are connected by
so many side entrances that they are
practically one mine They belong to the
New River Smokeless Coal Company
and have daily capacity of 1000 tons
each.
The cause of the first explosion is un-
known.