The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-12-25
anime HORROR.
Over Two Hundred Men Sent to
Their Doom.
ONLY ONE ESCAPED.

UNLY UNI ESGApED.
e Terrible Explosion in Darr Coal Min
at Jacobs Creek Near Pittsbure
: A Celebration in the Greek Churc
J. Saved Scores Who Would Hav
Been in the Mine If They Had No
: Been at Church.
;, An explosion of gas in the Dar
T mine of the Pittsburg Coal Company
. lo lted at Jacobs Creek, Va, Thurs
. day entombed between 200 and 25t
: miners, and there is scarcely ra,
OF hope that single one Of then
will be taken from the mines alive
Partially wrecked buildings in thu
vicinity Of the mine and the condi
ticn OF the few bodies found early
III the rescue work indicate an explo
sion Of such terrific force that Il
seems impossible that any one coulo
have survived 1t.
y This Is the third mine disaster
since the first Of the month in the
viens Of the bituminous coal under.
lying Western Pennsylvania and
West Virginia for the Naomi mine
near Fayette City, and the two mines
at Monongah, West Virginia, in
which the earlier explosion happen.
ed, are in the same belt as the local
workings. Thursdays catastrophe
sTeels the number Of victims of
deadly mine gas for the nineteen
days of December to between $50 to
500.
That this disaster does not equal
or even surpass in loss of life and
attendant horrors the one in West
Virginia is due to the devotion to
church duties Of considerable num-
ber Of the miners. In observance Of
the church festival many Of the four
hundred or more men regularly en-
ployed at the mine did not go to
work that morning. Those who es-
capped through this reason are men,
bers Of the Greek church and they
suspended work to celebrate St.
Nicholas Day.
AS was the case at Monongah, the
explosion followed brief shut down
the Darr mine having been closed
Tuesday and Wednesday before the
explosion. It was 11.30 o'clock when
the tenth trip Of loaded cars had
been brought out to the tipple and
there came an awful rum mbling sound
followed Immediately by a loud re-
port and a conclusion that shook
nearby buildings and was felt with
in radius of several miles. At the
same time there came out of the
mouth Of the mine an immense
cloud Of dense smoke and dust that
1oated across the Youghiogheny
River.
1ntutiVely every ore in the yicin-
ity knew what had happened and all
sharted for the one place the mouth
| Of the mine. The river separates
the mine and the homes of many Of
the miners, so that only a portion
| of those viii started for the scene
were able to reach it, there being
scant facilities for crossing the
stream. To those who could not
cross the water the smoke and dust
pouring in from the mines mouth
told story Of seething flames back
in the workings and from this source
came reports that were persistent
until late in the day that the mine
was burning.
The ventilating fans were kept in
operating almost without Interrupt
ton, however, the power plant hav-
ing withstood the force Of the ex-
plosion, and the rescu-ers have
found nc fire at any place in the
mine. AS far as is known only one
man who went to work Thursday
morning escaped. Joseph Mapleton,
a pumper, emerged from one of the
side entries shortly after the explo-
;on. He had left the part Of the
mine where most of the men were
working and was on his way to the
engine room for oil
II was near entry 2l," said he,
when I heard an awful rumbling. /
started towards the entry, but the
next instant I was blinded and for
little time I did rot know anything.
Then I got to the side entry and
worked my way OUT Maple ton
was somewhat cut and bruised, but
later returned to the mine and joined
the reseuing parties.
William Kelvingston, superinten-
dent of the mine was not in the mine
when the accident occurred and he
quickly organized rescuing parties,
starting one force Of twenty-five men
with reliefs at short intervals in the
main entry and a similar force at
side entry. 1t is hoped to reach the
greater part of the victims through
the latter.
So far little trouble has been en-
countered on account of the gas Or
lack of air by the rescuers. While
the officials and the rescuers have
only the faintest hope that any of the
men may be living, all work is be-
ing carried on upon the theory that
some may have found places of safe
ty and every point of the workings
will be explored.
The main Office of the company is
in Pittsburg and Immediately upon
the receipt Of news Of the explosion
the officials hurried to the mine and
are leading and directing the rescue
work.
About 1900 feet from the mouth
of the mine heavy fall Of roof was