The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1907-12-13
MANY MEN die:
IN IN. Fearful Disaster III a West
Vlrglnian Coal Mine.
-FOUR HUNDRED DEAD

The Catastrophe Was the Result Of
Fearful Gas Explosion, wh.c
Buiied the Unfortunate Men BE
neatl, Tons Of Coal, Rock an,
Other Debris Only -Four Of III,
Day Workers Alive.
Ihree charred and blaokened bod
les lying in the Simproyised morgut
prepared near the entrance 10 tbt
NINE, four men towering between
life and death from the awful bruise,
sustained and the deadly gases inhal.
gu IN temporary hospital into one
OF the companies buildings has been
transformed, and 800 men imnrison-
ed by tons Of coal, rock and debris in
the depths Of the hills surrounding
the mining town OF Monogah, w. Va,
with the chances all against a single
one OF them being alive, is the most
accurate summary obtainable OF tho
result OF a mine explosino Friday.
which In all probability was attend
ed by greater loss OF life than anv
disaster in the history of the bitumi- :
nous coal mining industry Of Amer
lea.
The explosion occurred shortly af-
ter ten o'clock Friday. The full force
OF $50 men had gone to work in the
mines affected. These mines are
Nos. 6 and s, Of the Consolidated
Coal Company, located on opposite
sides Of the West Fork Riverat Mono
gal, but merged in their underground
workings by heading, and on the
surface by great steel tipple and
bridge. The finding Of the three
corpses and the four badly injured
men 1t the only reward for siren
uOus and interrupted work on the part
OF the large rescuing forces that i'm
mediately set to work at every pos.
sible point.
The four living men are unable to
give any details in regard to the
disaster or even explain how they
reached the surface They state that
back of them when they
began the frantics trugglef or liber-
ty there was large number of men
engaged in n similar struggle, while
stih further back in the workings
therel WAS q, large number OF whom
they knew nothing.
1t is the opinion Of the mine Off
cials and others familiar with min
Ing that the seven men had not pen
etrated as far as had the majority OF
the day shift when the explosion oc-
cured, and that they headed for and
reached the main entry before the
heavy caye-in that now blocks the
entrance more than a hundred feet
beyond tho main opening Of the mine
No. G.
AS to the miners referred to by
the rescued men as having been alive
when last seen, it is believed that
thy were caught back of a heavy
cave-m of coal and mine roof, and
that they could not have survived
more than a few minutes in the
ieadly gases with which the entry
hlled as soon as the ventllating sys-
tenn was interrupted. There is more
hope for those in more remote sec
tons OF the mine as they may have
reachedw orkings where fresh air is
supplied by other openings.
Evidencing the terrific force OF the
explosion, props in the entry Of No.
q mine supporting the roof were not
only shattered and torn from their
position. but were blown out Of the
entry andt the opposite side Of
the river.
Other evidence of the force is
shown in every section OF the mines
that has been reached by the res.
cuers. Huge quantities of coal and
rock have been loosened and hurled
into evet. opening, and all the un-
derground structure is wrecked be-
yond semblance of it's original shape
The entry OF No. mine, 800 feet
from the mouth, is piled high with
the wreckage Of two strings OF cars
and two electric motors. Some OF the
rescuers have climbed over this and
found dead bodies beyond, but have
made no attempt to remove them to
the surface, partly because 1t would
be almost impossible to carry the
bodies over the debris, but more par
ticularly because they do not want
to lose any time in reaching other
sections of the mine, where it Is
possible men still living may be i'm
prisoned.
The cars are being righted as fast
as possible and removed from the
entry together with all other OBJ
structons. All of the heading lead
ing off from the main entry are be-
ing cut off by canvass and barricaded
as fast as they are removed by the
relief workers, so 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 early eXplora-
ton OF these workings.
Wives and mothers and sweet
hearts, together with children and
members OF the stronger sex, move
from place to place, vainly seeking
information and making no attempt
to conceal the grief that overwhelms
them. But little news can be given