Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-12-20
MO hope ENTERTAINED FOR THE MEN
From Two Hundred TO Two Hundred and Fifty Are Eoombed and
1t is Believed That They Are All Dead-ose OF Life Would
Have Been Much Greater But Greek Miners Were
Taking Hohday-Work of Rescue
Being Pushed with Vqor.

ehc NiCbllIS tHiO ugn the latter.
So far little trouble has been on
countered on account of gas or lack of
air by the rescuers.
While the officials and rescuers
have only the faintest hope that any
of the men may be living. all work Is
being carried out upon the the theory
that SOME may have found places of
safety and every point of the work
ings will be explored.
The manager of the company Il in
Pittsburg and when he learned of the
explosion, he, with other officers.
hurrid to the mine and are leading
and directing the rescue work.
Alont 1900 feet from the mouth
rf the mine heavy fall OF roof was
encountered by the rescuers. 1t is be-
lilefed that most of the men will be
found nearly mile and n half beyond
this point.
How long 1t will require to remove
enough of the fallen rock To open a
passage TO these remote workings
can only be conjectured, as IL de.
ponds on how frequently these falls
are met with. 1t Is hoped by the pro-
eress made up to this time, however.
that the first section will be reached
early tomorrow
There are several side entries
through which 1t is said some of the
men will be reached
Women and Children Kept Away.
One remarkable feature of this dis
aster Is the almost complete absence
of narrowing scenes usually enacted
by women friends aud relatives of the
victims. Conditions preventing easy
access to the mouth of the mine are
partly responsible for this, those in
charge of the work doing everything
possible to keep the women and
children away.
All who approach are turned bacl,
to their homes after being assure
they can do absolutely nothing to ne
nefit their loved ones and tina, the
company will do everything possible
to bring out the men dead or alive.
The blacksmith shop has been fitted
up as temporary morgue and a mum.
per OF physicians are In waiting.
Woman's Story of the Explosion.
Mrs. John Campbell, wife of the
mine foreman, whose home is located
about so yards from the mouth of the
mine, graphically described the OK.
plosion. She said: about 11:30
o'clock there was n loud explosion
and the dishes In my cupboard and
on the table were ratified and knocked
out of place. while the glass in the
windows was shattered. Ins.inctiveIy
! knew what had happened. I havo
ior long time feared an explosion in
me NINE for knew II was gaseous.
MY husband and | had talked of 1t
ana ne often referred TO the gas In the
NINE. My husband was just about due
ior MS dinner when this loud report
came, and looked out of the back
door towards manway from the
nine through which he always came
10 his meals. Instead of my husband
saw q great cloud of dust and smoke
pouring out of the mouth of the mine
and through the manway. 1t floated
upward and disappeared across the
liver. am sure Mr.. Campbell will
lie found in the entry not far from the
mouth, for know he was on his way
to dinner"
a considerable number of the min
ers were Americans, the officer, to-
night estimating that probably more
than half of the victims are Amerl.
cans, as many of the foreigners did not
work today.
Where Darr Mine is Located.
me Darr mine is located on the
west side of the Youhiogheny river In
Westmoreland county, along the line
~ the Pittsburg and Lake Erie Rail-
road, forty miles southeast of Pitts
burg and eighteen miles northwest of
Connellsville.
The main line of the Baltimore and
Ohio runs along the east bank of the
river. 1t is one iof group of five
mines within a radius of one mile and
half and Is part OF the original
connellsville coke fields, Its product
being used for coking. 1t rs a slope
mine. opened in 1899. very similar to
the Naomi mine of the United Coal
Company at Fayette City where an
explosion on December / occurred.
m IN