Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-06
MORE BODIES FOUND
THOMAS MINE DISASTER VIC
TINS NUMBER THIRTY-SEvEN.

CUMBERLAND, Md, February 6.-Six
more bodies have been recovered from mine
No. % of the Davis Coal and Coke Com
pany, at Thomas, W. Va. This makes six
teen bodies recovered so far. 1t is definitely
known that thirty-seven men were in the
mine at the time of the explosion, and it
is expected to find twenty-one more bodies.
Ten rough boxes, each containing coffin,
were piled on trucks at the Western Mary
land station here yesterday, and were sent
to Thomas, w. Va, to j. w. Duncan, I'M
dertaker, on the afternoon train. The dis
aster caused the stock the undertaken had
on hand to be speedily exhausted, and it
was necessary to telegraph to Pittsburg for
more collins. Among those who lost their
lives in the accident were Joseph Allen, an
American, and D. r. Jones, the superin-
tendent of the mine.
Mr.. Jones was once mayor of Thomas
He had been engaged in mining all his life
and had reached the age of sixty-six years
He was native of South Wales and began
mining when eight years of age. He emil
grated to America in 1857, and he worked
consecutively in the coal fields of Ohio, IL
Hnois. PENNSYLVANIA and West Virginia.
He had been either mine foreman or super
intendent for the last twenty-five years. In
1884 he was made assistant superintendent
OF the colliery of the Davis Coal and Coke
Company at Thomas and on July 1, 1905,
he was promoted to superintendent.
HAD Narrow Escape.
d. NJ. Boyd, superintendent Of the Henry
mine; Jack Jenkins, Arthur Stewart and
William Woods were with Jones, and they
nearly lost their lives in attempting to res
cue Jones, who was dead in an instant.
Woods and Stewart revived under the treat
ment of physicians. Boyd was caught just
as he was falling.
The bodies of seven miners were found
within 100 feet from the entrance. A num-
Der of miners who were entering by way
of an unused opening at Coalition were ter
rorfzed by the explosion, but made their
escape.
1t was necessary to abandon the work of
rescue for some time because the motor
which operated the fan was burned out and
a new one was required.
1t is extremely dangerous to enter the
mine for any considerable distance because
of foul gases. Compressed air is being used
to ventilate the shaft. the drift is mile
IN extent, and 1t may take a day or two
before the drift is clear enough of gas to
allow the rescuers to recover the rest of
the bodies. Not unity then can the real
cause of the explosion be known.
Fan Was Not Working.
Those who are familiar with the drift say
that the ventilating fan had not been In
operation since Friday. 1t is believed that
when the men had gone into the drift some
distance with their open lamps the accu-
mulated gas exploded, burning many of
them to death, and the after-damp suffo-
Gated the others.
No inquest has yet been held, but an in
Testigation is being made by the mine in
spector. The work of rescue is being done
by the American miners. rope has been
stretched to keep the crowd back from the
mine. Many of the rescuers We're overcome
and were brought out more dead than alive
The bodies yet to be recovered are sup
posed to be in the fifth heading to the
right General Manager John c. Brydon is
on the scene, and will remain in personal
charge until all the bodies are found and
the mine made safe. The bodies SO far
found are hard to identify, being burned
beyond recognition, but it is likely the
names of the victims will be known by the
number checks. The foreigners were paid
by number.
The theory now is that the explosion was,
caused by dynamite. The fire boss inspect
ed the mine half an hour before the ex-
plosion, and, it is said, found everything all
right.