Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1908-12-03
EXPLOSION MADE
EARTH TREMBLE
Deadly Gases Let Go In Pennsylvania
Hines With Awful Results,

Flttsburg, Pa, November %. The
last ray Of hope for the rescue of anv of
the 125 or more miners who were en-
tombed by an explosion in the Mariana
mines Of the Pittsburg- Buffalo Coal
Company shortly before noon today was
dispelled tonight, when the first res
cuing party reached the workings and
found the dead bodies scattered about
the floor mine.
No effort has been made to remove
the bodies from the mine. Instead the
rescuers and the mining experts are
making complete exploration of all of
the workings to see if they are now
safe. The work is expected to occupv
several hours.
Ihe uncertainty as to the exact num-
Der that prevailed thrsughout the after
noon continued when darkness envel-
oped the new mining town, from which
the owners had expected so much in the
way of safety and comfort of the men
through the extraordinary study and
expense that had been devoted to this
feature of the development of the new
coal field. President John H. Jones. of
the company, said tonight that the
number of entombed men would not ex-
ceed l23, but neither he nor any other
othcer OF the company has been able to
locate the books which contain the
names or numbers of employees and
show those in the workings at the time
of the explosion.
Deputy State Mine Inspector Henry
Louttit a few minutes before the ex-
plosion had completed a two davs' in
spection of the mine and reported no
cause for apprehension. Louttit and
General Manager Kerr came to the sur
face In the cage operated in one of the
shafts few minutes before IL O'Clock
Mine Foreman Henry Thompson and
two miners entered the cage and it was
started towards the bottom of the 500
foot shaft. There was an ominous roar
ing round about the mouth Of the shaft.
as from an earthquake, and an instant
later there was a terrible report and
the cage was hurled up the shaft and
through the roof of the shaft house
the mine foreman aud the two men still
in It. The bodies of the men were hurl-
ed through the top of the building and
lar beyond it. Thompson was dead
when picked up, while the others. al
though mortally injured, were hurried
to a hospital.
Shattered portions of the woodwork
about the mouth of the shaft were
blown into Ten-Mile Creek, 1000 feet
from the shaft. Portions of at least
two othersbodies were blown from the
shaft and were found in the field near
by. Immediately following the explo-
sion dense volume of smoke issued
from the shafts, but ceased q short
time afterwards. Rescue work was i'm
medlately started, but it was imuossi-
bic to gain entrance to the mine for a
long time. When this was finally done.
several experienced miners descended
the steps inside the shaft and succeeded
In reaching the bottom. Here thew
found further progress barred because
the lateral heading from the bottom of
the shaft into the mine proper was
choked with muck and debris, and the
largest possible force was at once mn
to work to push an opening, although
there was no hope of finding any of the
men alive.
The noise of the explosion was an
omlnous sound to all the people of the
little town, and they hurried to the
scene, each seeking a loved one and
most Of them learning that that loved
one was down in the workings and in
all probability dead or diving. The
scenes were pitiful. Many of the women
were hysterical and their shrieks and
cries were heart-rending. Others we're
silent in their grief, but in their drawn
faces could be read the awful aeonv
they were enduring.
Mariana, the scene of today's dis
aster, Is a new mining town in Wash
lngton county, Pa, forty miles south of
this city. 1t was laid out and built up
by the Pittsburg- Buffalo Coal Companv.
With view to making it a model town |
IN every respect; and every modern de-
vice and feature that could be found in |
the mines of foreign countries to pro-
vide for the safety and comfort of the
miners were adopted.
All OF the men killed in the explosion
were foreigners with the exception of
two who were Americans.