The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-05
SCORE KILLED
IN COAL Mine
Great Fire Damp Explo-
sion in the Very Bowels
of the Mountain.
.POCAHONTAS FATE
is DUPLICATED
Last Night Out Of Twenty-one
Killed, Only One Body Was
Recovered, and That
Was Terribly Man
gled and Torn
to Pieces.

Especial to The Times-Dispatch0
BTEF1ELD, w. VA, January Again
the earth trembled and tho substance Is
which there is more energy and destruc-
ton to the atom than Is in dynamite to
the pound-fire-damp or mine gas-let go
Its awful engines of disaster and In
an instant twenty-one toiling miners had
passed across from time to eternity.
Never before In the history Of this field
las there been such fearful disaster,
save one, and from thnt the victims
sleep about tho crest OF Cemetery 'Hili
at Pocahontas, the wounded above them
side by side marshalled in orderly
array. a mute, but lasting monument to
the great explosion whic hmen remem-
ber with fear and pray that Its like may
never be known again.
The Explosion.
To-day about half hour before noon,
while Coaldale mines were crowded with
those who delve into the earth, there
was a heavy rumbling u mile or more
In tn ebowcls OF the mountain, and
through the miles of passages and air
courses of that immense mine the awful
shock was felt and ere its detonations
had entirely died out. Bank Boss Thomas
Williams, himself some distance from the
explosion, staggered to his feet and feel
ing his way to telephone called to
those on the outside that there had been
an explosion, and asked for help.
He was long ways from the scene
of the great disaster. Those on the sur
face had felt the earth as it trembled.
and great dread fell upon the in
T. -l,,,A e,t,< -
distance from the main entrance of the
mine, for In the mountain depths, father,
husband. brother and sweetheart were at
work.
Forests Trernbled.
Above the many millions of tone OF
earth and stone that lay between the
workings and the mountains crown the
sturdy oaks of the forest trembled and
shook from the mighty force of the
titanic concussion, signal that death
and destruction were wrought within.
Gathering about the entries were hast
ening crowds, urged by cool heads and
anxious hearts hurredy to prepare for the
rescue of the missing ones and an explo-
ration OF the wrecked workings
At about o'clock one man was brought
out. He was Fl. q. Conrad. and his body
was literally torn to pieces. His clothing
was hanging in shreds.
At late hour Tonight no other bodies
had been recovered. There was consid-
erable smoke and gas in the entries, which
retarded rescue parties and notwithstand-
ing the fact that the big fans We're In
good order and were woring with full
capacity, the gas and smoke were not
being driven out rapidly.
The Dead.
The following are dead, and their bodies
are still. with the exception of Conrad.
| buried In the mine:
]. w. Larne, w. l.. Larne, Jim Sluss.
Larass Aldar, Hungarian; Anthony Bruce.
Pole; II. c. Conrad, Silas White John
Patterson, Gus Harris, W. T. Sullivan,
William Price, William Ward. Walter G.
Vim. Sip Gray. Sterling Williams, Albert
Barnum. Nathan Hairston, Lee price.
Silas Harris. Juno Kelly.
The Explosion.
The explosion took place in that section
of the mine known as cracker neck, be-
tween the Smoky and big Jim" work.
ings, and 1t is thought, in room No. II.
1t Isl of course, not known what was the
immediate cause OF the blow, hut the gem
eral opinion seems to be that 1t was gas,
although several expressed an opinion
that the cause may have been powder
explosion. which flashed to the dangerous
gases.
The truth may never be nowll. for all
of those who could shed light on the sub
ject are dead. Mine Boss Williams. who
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