The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-12-12
EIGHTY CORpSES
FOUND; 500 MAY
HAVE Persisted
Heroic Rescuers Now With
1900 Feet of End of One
Oh the Mines.

Mononaah, ". Va, Dec. 1o-Up to ~
toda", sixteen bodies had been removed
from mines No. 6 and 8, OF n taIr-
mont Coal company. Four americans:
About eighty bodies have been found
altogether, but only sixteen brought 10
the surface. -oo
The rescuer are now within 1,5OO
feet of the end Of the mine, n they
are workina IN two pa rites OF about
oiqhty each, with reliefs every hour.
President Watson, Of the mining
stated this morning that ev-
cry possible investigation will be made
Of the disaster to ascertain the cause
and fix the responsibility.
Mononpah w. Va, Dec.
were brought to the surface during the
night, were washed and made as pre-
sentable as possible by a dozen under
takers from his and surrounding
towns, and placed in one of h mine
buildings which was converted into a
temporary morgue. With the dawn OF
day there began a heart rendering
march up and down the aisles along
which the bodies laid, by sobbing wives,
mothers, s~weethearts, orphaned chill
dren and strong men, each seeking q
near relative on beloved friend.
The people of the town are stunned
by the catastrophe. They had long re-
garded these mines as practically inn
mune from dangers go common to the
coal mining industry. The plant of the
company is provided with every device
for the protection of life and the equip
ment is considered the most modern,
complete outfit used in the production
of bituminous coal.
Strong Men in Tears.
Last night hundreds of men stood
about thu opfronnn nf tho Turn pot0no
They said nothing, but when ap-
preached and asked questions they
would give a to their emotions, often
to tears. During the night few wom-
en- were to be seen, but all day yes
terday the women were the chief actors
In the most pathetic, heart rending
scenes. They crowded the sides Of the
hills overlooking the i'll fated mine. n
cried ALOUD in their agony Of grief.
AS the day advanced they became al
most craZed through grief and Sus-
pense. One woman pulled out her hair
by the handsful, another tore all the
skin from both cheeks with her finger
nails. Some lay down on the frozen
ground and cried themselves to sleep.
In this condition many were carried
to their homes nearby without awak-
ening.
Full Extent Of the Horror.
It is thought by tonight the full
extent OF the horror will be known,
and 1t Is feared the knowledge will pre-
cipitate even more pitiful scenes than
those Of today, with hysteria in all
Its devious forms rampant among he
populace. Precautions have been taken
to prevent these narrowing manifesto
tons Of grief.
Rescuing parties penetrated mine No.
8 about $500 feet before they came upon
the first of the dead. The majority Of
corpses will, It is believed, be found
about one mile further back. 1t is
hardly possible all the bodies will be
recovered for several days. Four hum
dred men are working in a territory one
mile square. 1t will be days before a.
thorough search of all the square can
be made. AS the searching parties ad-
vance they must clear away the debris.
The explosion wrecked over 600 mine
cars and these block the entrance on
all sides. A particularly remarkable
feature is that Notwithstanding the
force Of the explosion very little Of the
nine roof is wrecked.
The Fairmont and C~larksburg Trac-
ton company's cars pass within ten
yards Of the min entrance. A large
car crowded with passengers mirac-
ulously escaped being blown into the
West Fork river. All the passengers
were stunned by the terrific concus-
sion.
Monongah. W. Va, Dec. 10.-Many
charred bodies lying in an improvised
morgue, four badly injured and nearly
300 men imprisoned by tor of coal,
rock and mine debris in the depths OF
the hills surrounding this mining town,
with the chances all against a single
one Of them being alive, is the most
accurate summary obtainable of the
mine explosion told of in yesterday af-
ternoon's dispatches. which in all prob
ability was attended by greater loss OF
life than any former disaster In the his
tory of the bituminous coal mining in
dustry Of America.
The explosion occurred shortly after
10 a. M. after the full force of 500 had
one to work in the two mines affected.
Che mines are Nos. 8 and 8, Of the Con-
solidated Coal company. located on OPP
posite sides Of the west fork of the river
at this place, but merged in their un-
foreground workings by a heading and
on the surface by a great steel tipple
and bridge.
lkpAN Vail kU