Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1908-12-03
DEATHS in A Mine
frightfuI Explosion Leaves a
Mass of Mangled Bodies
THE WORK OF RESCUE DIFFICULT
Mine Inspected by State Official
Shortly Before Catastrophe and
pronounced Safe-Modern Devices
Ueed for Protection.


of hope for the rescue OF any one of
the 125 or more miners who were en-
tombed by an explosion at the Mar
lanna mines of the Pittsburg-Buffalo
Coal company shortly before noon
Saturday was dispclled when the first
resculng party reached the workings
and fonnd the dead bodies scattered
about the floor of the mine.
Few If any of the bodies are mutt
lated and the men were undoubtedly
smothered by the deadly vapors which
followed the explosion. The bodies
nave not yet been counted, but it is
known that there are at least l25
and the number may be larger. All
but two of the bodies in the mine.
1t is said, are those II foreigners.
No effort has yet been made to re-
move the bodies from the mine. In
stead the rescurers and the mining
experts are making complete explo-
ration of all Of the workings to see il
they are now safe. This work is ex
peeted to occupy several hours.
Plttsburg, Pa, Special-On the
eve of the convention of the Ameri
can congress, which assemblies here
next week To consider mining prob
icns IL the various States in general
and PARTICULARS to discuss mine dis
astcrs and provide means for their
prevention, there occurred shortly be-
fore neon Saturday an explosion in
| lie Mariana mine Of the Pittsburr-
buffalo Coal company which entomb-
ed and almost beyond doubt killed all
of the men employed in the mine at
The time, the number being variously
estimated at from 125 TO 300. The
uncertlnty as to the exact number
that prevailed throughout the after
neon coninued when darkness envel-
oped the new mining town from
winch The owners had expected so
much in the way of safety and COM
fort CT the men through the extra
ordinary study and expense that had
been devoted to this feature of the
development of the new coal field.
President John II. Jones of the com
pany said that the number of en-
tombed men would not exceed l25.
but neither he nor any other officer
of the company has been able ND TO
TINS time 10 locate the books which
contain the enes OF numbers of en-
ployes and THw those in the work
ings at the of the explosion.
The workings in which Saturday $
catastrophe happened are known os
the Rachel and Agnes mines. il real
ity double mine with underground
connections. Construction work was
practically finished, and Deputy State
Mine Inspector Henry Louttit a few
minutes before the explosion had
completed q two days inspection
which had revealed no cause for ap-
prehension. He and General Man
ager Kerr of the company came TO
the surface III the cage operated in
one OF the shafts few minutes be-
fore II O'Clock. Mine Foreman Hen
ry Thompson and two miners entered
the cage, and it was started towards
the bottom of the 500-foot shaft.
There was an ominous rumblinS.
then a trembling of the ground round
about the mouth of the shaft as from
an earthquake and an instant later
there was terrible report and the
cage was hurled mp the shaft and
through the roof of the shaft house
the mine formean and the two men
still in it. The bodies of the men
were hurled through the top Of the
building and far beyond it. Thomp-
son was dead when picked up, while
the others, although mortally Injured.
were hurried TO q hospital.
Shattered portions of the woodwork
about the month Of the shaft were
blown into Ten Mile Creek, 1000 feet
from the shaft. Portions of at least,
two other bodies were blown from
the shaft and were found in the field
nearby. The ventilating fans were
put out OF commission by the explo-
sion. and for several hours no air
could be forced INTO the mine. I'M
mediately following the explosion n
dense volume OF smoke issued from
the shafts but ceased a short time af-
forwards.
Rescue work was Immediately start
ed but it was impossible to gain en-
trance to the mine for a long time.
The opening up of the shaft was the
only solution and for this task there
were volunteers in numbers.
Relief parties on special trains
from the city including the chief of
ficers Of the company and minig ex-
perts from the United States labora-
tory and testing station, recently es-
tablished here. who took with them
all of the latest appliances and de-
vices for rescue work.
Several experienced miners de-
scended the steps inside the shaft and
succeeded in reaching the bottom
Here they found further progress
barred because the lateral heading
| from the hottom OF the shaft into
the mine proper was choked with
muck end debris. The largest pos.
siblo force was at once put to work
to open this passage.
| There was practically no hope from
the hrst OF any OF the entombed mer
being taken out alive but this did not
deter the most strenuous efforts tC
hurry the opening Cf the mine.