Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1908-09-03

MINERS QUIT WORK
Employees Of Herbeften Mine See ExplO.
sion Picture on Window Pans.
RAPIDLY LEAVING FOR OTHER MINES
Despite State Mine Inspectors Report As To
The Safety Of the Mine, The Men Refuse
To Return to Their Work.

| ~ "Oeuhh " luclT WOrk.
Bluefeld, W. Va, Aug. 31.-Super
stitious miners, who believe thew bave
had an omen of bad luck in the form OF
mysterious phenomena appearing on 2
window pane, have refused to work
longer at the Herberton mine, nea,
Deepwater, w. Va, and MANY are hur.
rledly leaving the mine, fearing a ter.
rlble death they believe to be waiting
them in the recesses of the mine.
The mine is a new one, with a capac-
ity Of about 600 tons a day. Since Sat
urday before last the mine has been idle.
Tor Sunday on window pane in the
house occupied by the mine foreman an
peared picture, which the miners be-
lleve an omen of a terrible fate should
they enter the mine. The Herberton
mine is drift operation, and the coal is
conveyed to the railroad by means of
buckets attached to overhead ropes
The foreman's home is located on the
mountain side, alongside this convey
ance.
Last Sunday night, while several men
were sitting on the front porch Of the
foreman's home, a picture is said to
have appeared in the pane of the upper
sash OF the window. To some of the
men it seemed a mass of smoke and
flames, while portions of the inside of
the mines were visible to the men. or at
least to their imagination. Others could
see reflected in the window pane the
ropes by which the coal was convened
to the bottom of the mountain. while
Others contended they could see women
standing at the drift-mouth peering into
the mine.
The word rapidly passed through the
little mining camp that the men had
been warned not to enter the mine, and
consequently nobody appeared for work
on Monday morning. Although the su
perintendent and bookkeeper had cour-
age enough to enter and make an exam
nation of the mine, and discovered
everything in good condition, the men.
however, were wrought up to such an
extent that they called for an inspection
by the state mining department.
Deputy Mine Inspector William War
ner went to Herberton on Wednesday
where he met the mine officials, who
told him why the men were not at work.
MIR. Warner went to the foreman g home
and found that the original pane of glass
In the window had been removed, but
was informed by the miners that the
new pane of glass showed the mysteri-
GUS omen as clear as the old one. The
inspector made minute examination of
the window pane, and said it looked as
If it might be defective glass, but he
was unable to make anything of the
colors appearing in the glass.
While Warner was making an exami-
nation of the window pane many of the
miners approached him and asked if he
could not see certain objects. One rough
mountaineer could plainly detect a wo-
man in the picture peering into the
mine, with her hand shading her eyes,
while others could see an explosion.
One OF the miners told the Inspector
that his companions had refused to work
because such picture had been reflect
ed in the home of an employe at the
Stuart mine before the explosion at that
place,
After making an examination of the
window, Warner entered the mine and
made a thorough inspection, and found
it in the best possible condition, and
made out such a report to the state
mining department. Many of the men,
however, refuse to take cognizance of
the inspection and report, but believe
the picture reflected in the window pane
warning of a disastrous explosion or
accident, refuse to work and are leaving
for other mines.