Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-12-07

charred and blackened bodies living in
an lmproVised morgue, four rlen in a
temporary hospital, lowering between
life and death from the fearful injuries
they sustained and the deadly gases
they inhaled, and 493 other men i'm
prisoned by tons of coal. rock and mine
debris in the depth OF the mills sur
rounding this mining town with the
chances all against single one of them
being alive, is the most accurate sum-
mary obtainable tonight of the results
of Il mine explosion today which in all
probabilities was attended by greater
loss of life than any former disaster
in the history of the bituminus coal
mining industry of America.
The explosion occurred shortly after
10 o'clock today, after the full force of
500 men had gone to work in the two
mines affected. These mines are Mo-;
6 and Of the Consolidated Coal Co.
located on opposite sides of the West
Fork river at this place, but merged
in their underground workings by Il
heading and on the surface by great
steel tipple and bridge.
The finding Of the three corpseS and
the four dying men is the only reward
of the strenuous and uninterrupted
work by large rescuing forces which
Immediately set to work at every pos
Sible point. The living men cannot
give any details of the disaster or even
explain how they reached the surface
They say that Immediately back Of
them when they began their frantic
struggle for life were Il large numbor
Of men engaged in Il similar struggle,
while still further back in the workings
We're Il Yet larger number Of whom
they knew nothing.
1t is the opinion of the mine officials
and others familiar with mining that
these seven men had not penetrated
the mine as far as had the majority of
the day shift when the explosion oc
CURED and that they headed FOR ami
reached the main entry before the
heavy cive-iu that now bloCkadeS the
entrance not more than q few hundred
feet beyond the main opening of mine
No. g.
AS to the miners referred Ia by the
rescued men as having been alive when
last seen, it is believed that they We're
caught back Of q heavy cavc-in Of coal
and mine roof and they could not have
survived more than a few minutes In
the deadly gases with which the entry
filled as soon as the Ventilating system
was interrupted
There is more hope for those i'll more
remote sections Of the mine, for they
may have reached workings where
fresh air is supplied by other openings.
But at bt st only the most slender hopt
is entertained for the survival of any
of the men in the mine unless the debris
can be cleared away and communica-
ton with the outside can be established
The two mines regularly employ 1000
men working in two shifts, 800 during
the day and 800 during the night and
the best information now obtainablc is
that the entire day force had gone TO
work this morning and that all were
caught 1t was shortly after ~ o'clock
when the explosion occurred and at that
hour even the latest OF the struggling
forces is customarily at work accord
ing to mine officials. Beyond these fS-
lrCs the company officials do not at
tempt to give estimates.
The general opinion is that tn" NUM-
Der Of dead and imprisoned will reach
500. A few persons believe that TINS
number will be exceeded, insisting thal
more than half of the total force work
Cd during the day, While some tnlhk tlt
number will be smaller. The most con-
scrvativc estimate places the number
Of victims at 500 or more.
There is much speculation as to the
cause of the explosion, but the most
generally accepted theory is that 1t re-
suited from black damp, scIent.flcaHE
known as methane. 1t is believed thal
a miner attempted to set of 4 plas'
which blew out and ignited an &C
emulation Of this deadly gas ana that
this in turn ignited the coal dust Il
highly infammable substance found IN
greater or less quantities iii all West
Virginia mines. However, all cNplana-
lions are necessarily speculative. Only
= thorough investigation after the mine
is recpened will disclose the cause, ii It
is ever aScertained.
The explosion affected both mines
and 50 far as is known appears 10 nave
done about As much damage in one as
in the other. 1t has not been cstab-
lished in which mine it originated. EVIL
dencing the terrific force OF the con-
cussion props in the entry OF NO b
mine supporting the roof were hot only
shattered and torn from their poSluoIs'
Int were blown out of the entrV anu
TO the opposite side of the river. Otner
evidence Of the awful force IS seen ~
every section of the mines that mas
heen reached by the rescuers. huge
quantities of coal and rock have pech
| IooseneG and hurled into every open
ing ard all of the underground struc-
ture is wrecked beyond semblance OIL
| its original shape.
The entry Of No. mine 300 feet from
the mouth. IS piled high with the