Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1907-12-12
MANY men DIE
In Fearful Disaster In a West
virginian Coal Mine.
FOUR HUNDRED DEAD

| uaS ESpIOsfOn, Which
Buried the Unfortunate Men Re
meath Tons of Coal, Rock and
Other Debris.--Only Four of the
Day Workers Alive.
Three charred and blackened bod.
les lying in the improvised morgue
prepared near the entrance to the
NINE four men towering between
lie and death from the awful bruises
sustained and the deadly gases inhal-
ed In temporary hospital into one
OF the companies buildings has been
transformed, and 800 men imprison-
ed by tons OF coal, rock and debris I'm
the depths of the hills surrounding
the mining town of Monogah. W. Va
with the chances all against single
one OF them being alive is the most
accurate summary obtainable of the
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 OH opposite
sides of the West Fork River at Mono
gal, but merged in their underground
workings by a heading. and on the
surface by a great steel tipple and
bridge. The finding of the three
corpses and the four badly injured
men it. 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
Immediately back of them when they
began the frantics trugglef or liber-
ty there was large number of men
engaged In a similar struggle, while
still further back In the workings
there was large number OF whom
they knew nothing
1t is the opinion of the mine Off
cials ard others FAM lhaf WITH min
ing that the seven mh had not PEN
etrated as far as had he majority OF
the day shift when the explosion oc
cured, and that they headed for and
reached the main entry before the
heavy cavern that now blocks the
entrance more than a hundred feet
beyond the main op-hihg OF the mine
No. 6.
AS to the minessA eferred to by
the rescued men as having been alive
when last seen, it is believed that
thy were caught back of heavy
cave-in of coal and mine roof. and
that they could not have survived
more than a few minutes in the
deadly gases with which the entry
filled as soon as the ventilating sys-
tenn was interrupted. There is more
hope for those in more remote sec
tions of the l0jne as they may have
reachedw ork .Egs Where fresh air is
supplied by other openings.
Evidencing the terrific force of the
explosion. props in the entry of No.
mine supporting the roof were not
only shattered ind torn from their
position. but wire blown out of the
teptry. andt o the opposite side of
the river.
Other exidS keaat the force is
shown In ZION of the mines
that has he'd by the res
cuers. feSz ties of coal and
rock have beeI sened and hurled
into every ops !, and all the un-
derground str& Ire is wrecked be-
yond semblanq ~ its original shape.
The entry b. mine, 800 feet
from the mol bis piled high with
the wreckage wo strings of cars
and two elect ptors. Some of the
rescuers hay bed over this and
found dead beyond. but have
made no att remove them to
the surface, because 1t would
be almost bile to carry the
bodies over is, but more par
ticularly be Bhey do not want
to lose any in reaching other
sections OF mine, where IL is
possible rn< ii living may be i'm
prisoned.
The q being righted as fast
as posse h removed from the
ENTRY g with all other OBJ
structions of the heading lead
ling off fr .e main entry are be-
ing cut o anvass and barricaded
as fast y are removed by the
lreIief so that the innermost
worki1 he mine may be given
the bs the ventilating system
70 SUE that may be yet living
and >Lhle an early explora.
tion kings.
5 " thers and sweet.
! ihea with children and
me- ronger sex, move
fra 80 2, vainly seeking
king no attempt
that oyerwhelms