The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-12-07
BODIES TORN
AND CRUSHED
Fearful Scenes Encountered
BY Explorers
OF WRECKED COAL MINES
They Are Bringing Bodies Of severa
Hundred Victims Of Yesterdays
Catastrophe 10 the Surface Of
the Ground.


Twenty.six bodies had been taken from
tho AIononeah coal mines where the
great explosion occurred yesterday. At
q. m. Rescue parties have thus far
ocme upon between rs and 100 oospses
Ia the two mines Most of them we're
crushed under such weight of tlmbers
and coal and earth that u uu. impos
sible to eStrieate them without loas Of
time. II Is established that az least
f2s men were In the mines at the time
oi the explosisn. Thev Is little doubt
that fully 400 men Lost their lises Al.
though the Gre has been out sinee mid.
night the shafts are filled with smoke
and gas
Up 10 ten o'clock i25 bodies had been
taken from the mines and the rescuing
parties report many others in sight.
which thcy win get, inside Of few hours
IN No. 0shaft In No. mine. the rec.
cuers are just getting fairly started. a.
the poisonous gases there are worse than
In No. q.
There Is much speculation as 70 the
cause Of the explosion. but the most gen
orally accepted theory Is that Il resulted
from black damp. scientifically known
a. methane. Il 4 believed that a miner
attempted 20 set OF blast. which blew
out aud ignited the coal dust. n highly
innamnable substance found in greater
o. less quantities in all West Virginia
mines.
However, all explanations Of the cause
up 70 this time are necessarily spccnla-
tive. Only thorough investigation after
the mine i reopened will disclose the
cause, II i is ever asccrtained.
The explosion affected both mines. and
50 far As is known, appears to have done
about a. much damage in one as In the
other. Il has not been established in
which mine II originated Evidencing
the terrific force Of the concussion, props
In the entry Of No. 9 mine, supporting
the roof were not only shattered and
torn from their positions. but were blown
out Of the entry and 10 the opposite
side Of the river Other evidence of the
awful force Is seen IN every section af
the mines that has been reached bv the
rescuers. Huge quantities Of coal and
rock have been loosencd and hurled into
every opening. and all the underground
structure j. wrecked beyond semblanec
Of It's original shape.
The entry Of No 9 mine. 400 feet from
the mouth, is piled high with the wreck
age Of two strings Of ears and two elee-
trio motors. Some Of the reseuers have
climbed over this and found dead bodies
beyond, but have made no attempt to
remove these to the surface, partly be-
cause it would be almost impossible to
carry the bodies over the debris. but
more because they do not want 10 lose
any time in reaching other sections Of
the mine. where Il is possible men still
living may be imprisoned. The cars are
being righted rapidly. and removed
from the entry, together with all other
obstructions.
All Of the headings leading of from
tie main entry are being cut off by can
vas and barrieaded as fast as they are
reached by the relief workers, 50 that
the innermost workings OF the mine may
be given the benefit Of the ventilating
system to sustain any that may be yet |
living and make possible an carly ex
pioration of enose workings.
The American miners OF the town have
been placed in charge of the relief work, /
but the Italians and other foreigners are /
under them most faithfully. 1t /
Is impossible for man to remain long |
in the depths OF the mine and the rescue
parties are SO divided as to work in re-
lays with frequent reliefs. Many in the /
relief parties have already become ex-
hansted and have been sent TO the sur
face
The mines are owned and operated By /
the Consolidation Coal company Of Balti- /
more. Its general offices are in Balti
more and its operating offices IN Fair
w. Va.
The scenes around about The entries to
The mines and throughout the town are
even more pathetic and heartrending
shan those which usually attend mine
disaster, because Of d larger proportion
If American and Americanized foreign
srs than are usually found in a purely
mining settlement.
Wives, mothers, sweethearts and chill
lren and men move from place to place,
yainlv seeking information and making
40 attempt to conceal their grief that
,verwhelms them But little news can
De given them, and such as they do get
i bad None is encouraged to hope that
my other iii the mine has survived the
explosion and the suifocating gas. From
.ime to time there comes word frehl the
;earchers in the mine that bodies have
,een found at one place or another. and
n nearly every instance, it is added,
hat the bodies are either terribly man
He'd or burned and blackened,
CIT APPLE pPIcES