The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-01-23

Charleston, w. Va, January Is
Eighteen men are believed 10 have
been killed in Il terrific explosion to-
day in one of the mines of the De-
trOit and Kanawha Coal Company,
at Detroit, on Paint Greek. this
ty. - miles from here. The men who
were in the mine at the time Of the
explosion and who are believed TO
have persisted are:
Isaac Pancake, benjamin Snyder,
Charles Snyder. Isaac Snyder, James
McCardle, Patrick McCardle, Stephen
McCardle, q. L. Mc\eal. Peter
Bridgeman, Edward Bridgeman, Phil
ip Bridgeman. Melvin Bridgeman,
John Nickel, Edwin Nickel, Claude
Sanders, Patrick McLaughlint John
Mclaughlin.
The four Bridgemans were broth
ers, as were the three Snyders, the
three McCardles and the w Mickeis.
The McLausalins We're father and
son. That more men We're not in the
mine at the time of the accident was
due to the fact that almost all of the
udN DlCAs SoilolotIh- VI hiiiiSASs fo~A
| ers and drivers were eating their din
ners ON the outside, and thus escaped
the fate of their comrades. The eX-
plOsiOn occurred at 1870 O'Clock. Had
!, it been either before or after the noon
hour, the death list would have been
still more appalling, as hundreds OF
men would have been killed. The
force of the explosion was so great
that the hills trembied- Tons OF
wreckage and debris were hurled
; from the mouth of the mine, blocking
the entrance and making the work OF
rescue difficult. News of the awful
disaster quickly spread to nearby
mines, and hundreds of men were sOoI
at the scene, eager to join in the eff
i fort to rescue the entOmbed miners, il
alive, or their bodies If dead
, The ventilating fan was blown u o.
position by the explosion n it wa!
not until four o'clock this Afternoon
that it had been repaired and put bacl
in it's place. AS soon as it was set IL
motion a fairly good current of al
was sent circulating through the Ell
tries. The first rescue party consist
ing of II men. entered the mine a
go O'Clock. The work of replacing
the fallen brattices, and removing th
debris which INSTRUCTED their progress
was slow. The first body reached wa
that of G.. 2. Neal, which was discov
cred 100 yards from the entrance
The mine superintendent says that tn
other men were working much furth
: er back than Neal, and he has no hop
I of reaching them until tomorrow
: morning. Even though the men SUI
: tain that they will fall victims to til
deadly after damp.
Mothers, wives. children and friend
of the entOmbed miners crowd abor
\ the mouth of the pit and declare the
will not leave until they know IL
! fate of their loved ones The caus
Of the explosion is not yet fully d.
= termined. but it is believed that
y blast ignited the dust which accum1
Iates in the mines.
The Detroit and Napawha Co
a Company sold its holdings a few da.
ago to n syndicate consisting of Il
= Mucklow Brothers, Of this city: '
ID. Berry of Scranton. Pa, and 9th
q Pennsylvania capitalists, who pu
i chased ten mines on Paint Creek nj
l, Incorporated the Paint Greek Collie
n Company to operate them. The tran
n fer Of the properties was made la
Monday and a few days before {
transfer, the mines was examined
the mine inspector. who reported tn
:, it WAS in good condition.