The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-12-10
AWFUL MINE DISASTER
Dreadful Black Damp Kills Nearly
Four Hundred Coal Min
ers.

OU1 OOo4 4AA4A
erS.
Mononeah. W. v, Dec. 6.-Slx
charred and blackened bodies lying
in the improvised morgue prepared
near the entrance to the mine, five
men lowering between life and death
from the awful bruises sustained and
the deadly gases inhaled in a tenn
porary hospital into which one OF
the company buildings has been
transformed, and 369 men imprison-
ed by tons of coal, rock and mine de-
bris in the depths Of the hills sur
rounding this mining town, with the
chances all against single one OF
them being alive, is the most accur-
ate summary obtainable tonight OF
the result of a mine explosion today,
which in all probability was attend
;; ed by greater loss Of life than any
former disaster in the history of the
bitumincus coal mining industry OF
America.
The explosion occurred shortly af-
ter 10 O'Clock today, after the full
force Of $50 men had gone to work
in the two mines affected. The
mines are Nos. 6 and s Of the Con-
solidation Coal company, located on
, opposite sides of the West Fork riv-
er, at this place, but merged in their
underground workings by heading
, and on the surface by a great steel
tipple and bridge.
Six Bodies Found.
The finding of the six eorpses and
the five badly injured men is the on
| ly reward for strenuous and uninter-
rupted work on the part Of the large
rescuine forces that Immediately set
to work at every possible point.
The five living men are unable to
give any detailed report Of the disas-
Eter- or to even explain how they
reached the surface. They. state that
back Of them when they beganstheir
frantic struggle for liberty there was
large number of men engaged in a
similar struggle, while still further
! back in. the workings there was a
large number, cf whom they know
nothing
It is the opinion of the mine off
cials and others familiar with mining
that these II men had not penetrated
the mine as far as had the majority
of the day shift when the explosion
occurred and that they headed tor
aad reached the main entrance be-
fore the heavy eave-in that now
blockades the entrance not more
than a few hundred feet beyond the
main opening Of mine No. 6.
All Caught in Cave-in.
AS to the miners referred to by
the rescued men as having been alive
when last seen, it is believed that
they were caught back Of a heavy
eave-in of coal and mine roof and
that they could not have survived
more than a few minutes in tae dead
ly gases with which the entry filled
as soon as the ventilating system
was interrupted. There is more hope
for those in more remote sections OF
the mine, as they may have reached
workings where fresh air is supplied
by other openings. But at best only
the most slender hope is entertained
for the survival Of any one Of the
men in the mine until the debris can
be cleared away and communication
with the outside reestablished.
There is much speculation as to
the cause of the explosion, but the
most generally accepted theory is
that it resulted from black damp. 1t
is believed that miner attempted
to set off a blast which blew out and
ieinited an accumulation Of this
deadly Gas and that this irr~ turn
ignited the coal dust. highly IN
flammable substance found in great
er or less quantities il all West V1r-
ginia mines. However, all eSplana-
tions of the cause up to this time are
necessarily speculative.
Big Price for Bull Dog.
/ ~