The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-07
Explosion in Monongah
Shaft Catches Working
Force; Men Doomed.
FIVE MEN ESCAPE
ALIVE FROM PIT
Six Mutilated Corpses Taken Out
and Many Others Visible in
Debris-so OF Those Inn
prisoned May BE Alive.
There is Small
Hope.

G.-it midnight six dead bodies Il
hnd been tnken from mine No. q.
and sixty-flyc others were pilcd
| In the entry awaiting the compile
ton OF fRcilttics for bringing the nj,
| to the sursnce. a
From mine No. 8 mt the same
hour, fourteen bodies had bccn re-
moved anil n nuiber of nthcrs ure
rcndS to be brought out Ms soon
as ARRANGEMENTS can hc completed.
Five rcscuing pnrtses, with ten
men tn cnci pnrtS, nrc working
like ,rrojnns at different parts OF
the two mines. NO that every no0k
ana corner OF the workings may
hc rcuchcd In the shortest possible
time.
MoNoNGAH, w. VA, December c.
SIX charred and blackened bodies lying
In the tmproviscd morgue prepared
near tile entrance of The mine: five
men lowering between life and death
from the awful bruises sustained and
the deadly gases inhaled now in ~
temporary hospital into which one of
the company buildings has been trans
formed. and $50 men Imprisoned ;,v
tons OF coal. rock and mine debris In
the depth of the hills surrounding tilis
mining town with the chances all
against Il single one of then, being
alive. Is the most accurate, summary
obtainable tonight of the result of q
mine explosion to-day, which In ull
probability was attended by greater
loss of life than any former disaster
in the history OF the hituminous coal
mining industry in America.
The explosion occurred shortly after
10 o'clock to-day after the full forla
OF men had gone TO work In the two
mines affected These mines are Nos.
and OF the Consolidation Coal Coan-
! panS. located ion opposite sides of the
West Fork River, ut this place but
merged IN their underground Workings
by holding and on tho surface by. 4 4
great steel tipple and bridge. The
finding OF the siy corpses and the five.
badly injured men Is tho only reward
for the strenuous and uninterrupted
work on the part OF large resctIing
force that Immediately set to work at
every possible point.
No DctnIIs Of DJsnster.
The five survivors are unable to give
any detailed report OF the disaster or
to even explain how they reached tHe
surface They state that Immediately
back of them when they began their
frantic struggle for liberty large
number of men We're engaged in a 4
similar atruggle. while still further
back In the workings was a large
number, of whom they knew nothing.
IT Is the opinion of the mine officials
and others familiar with mining that
these seven men had not penetrated 4
tile mine as far as had Che ma iurisv
OF the day shift wien the explosion CO.
CURED. ana THAT they headed for lsI
reached the main entry before tho
heavy In that now bloekades til3
entrance, more than 200 feet beyond
the main opening OF mine No. g.
AS to the miners referred to by Tire
-f.,.s. IA n
last seen. 1t is believed that they vera
caught back of heavy cave-in oS 4
coal and mine roof. and that they
could not have survived more than a
few minutes In the deadly gases with
which the entry filled as soon as tlsa
ventilating system, Was inter!uptesd Y. fa
Hope for some of sIeu.
There is more hope for those N
moro remote sections Of the ni1ie, az
where fresh airs SUPPLIED BY .otllet
gut at hest only the most slender
hope Is entertained tor the survlval sot
any one of the men In the mine anti
the debris can be cleared away and
communication with the outside rs-
cstablished. The two mines regularly L
shifts, and the best information Oh.
tainuble at this time is that the entire
day force had gone to work this nlorn1
ing and that all We're cafyht. was
shortly afters.10 O O'Clock when the eS-
plosi occurred. and at that lioui even
the latest Of the straggltng foreeg$l
custpmarIly at work, according 10 m. no
officials Beyond these figures the;
company. officials do not attempt to
give estimates.
Terrific Force of. Explosion.
AS evdence6 OF 8thes terrific force of u
the concussion. props In the entry OF az
No. mine. supporting the roof, wers
not only shattered and torn from their u
but were blown out OF tho
entry and to the opposite side of the
river. Other evidence Sof the awful 8
force is shown in every section OF
the mine that has been reached by the
rescuers. Huge quantities OF coal and
rocle have been loosenad md hurled
into every opening, and I'll of the un-
strucsurc Is wrecked hey ond
senblance OF it's original shape.
The entry of No. . nllne. 800 feet
of Two strings Of ears AMI
two electric motors, Some OF tlio
reseuers have climbed over this and ".
found dead bodies beyond. hut have
made no attcmpy to remove them co i5
tha surface partly because would
be almost impossible to- carry the
bodies over the debris. but more par-
ticularly because they do not want Il
TO lose any time illtreaehing other sec
tions OF the mine where IL ~ possi-
BILE men still living may be in,nris-B8
oaed. 2. as
The cars are being riahted as fast u
rs possible and removed from tho esiy Y.
try. together viii, all ssoslel, obst true
tions. Ali OF The hsadinss, lead ii1is
orr fromttha man entry urss being csit
OFT rs canvas and bilrrtras "a as fass M
~ they are s,esschesl ny the tglisf work !.