The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-01-16
50 DEAD FROM M|NE|
Rescue Crews Working Hard
at Scene Of Disaster.
FROM 80 TO 100 ARE KILLED
OF This Number so Bodies Have
Been Recovered - PitifuI Scenes
About Wrecked Mine-But One
Man Escaped Alive.

About Wrecked Mine-But One
Man Escaped Alive.
Bluefield, w. Va, Jan. 14.-Rescue
Tuesdays fearful explosion, and al
Lick Branch coal mine, the scene OF
yesterdays fearful explosion, and at
two o'clock so bodies had been recov.
cred.
There is little change in the esti'
mate of the dead, the number ranging
from 80 to 100.
Identifications Are Slow.
Identifcations proceeded slowly
throughout the night as but few were
present at the morgue on account OF
the cold.
1t is not likely that any more bodies
will be brought to the surface until late
although brattice and rescue crews
worked all day, and toiled into
the night. e..
The rescuers relayed every few
hours with fresh forces of men, who
have volunteered from all over the
coal field. 1t was learned that the
company had ordered 80 caskets and
robes.
One of the most remarkable fea.
lures Of the accident is the miracu.
lous escape of Cleve Bowers, a mine
foreman, who crawled on hands and
knees from the mine, while fire, smoke
and deadly gases belched forth over
him. Bowers Is the only man who
reached the surface alive, and al.
though he lies in hospital with two
broken ribs and other injuries, 1t is
asserted to-day he will probably re.
cover.
Explosion Was Terrific.
In the quiet of the early morning
there came like the sound Of thunder
a mighty rumbling in the bowels OF
the earth which reverberated along
the miles of corridors and air pas
sages crowded with those who work
there. Above the tons of earth and
stone that lay between the workings
and the mountains crown giant trees
quivered from the force of the
conclusion, and from the mine
mouth the forces of the earth,
set free, belched forth cloud OF
flame, SCOT, dust and debris, heavy
tlmbers, broken mine cars and even
a massive motor used to haul the
heavy-laden cars from the depths.
Terrified; They Rush to Scene.
Scarcely had the detonation died
away before a throng Of terrorized
women and childrenVrushed to the
mine mouth and implored those there
to allow them to aid in the effort tc
save some Of their loved ones who
might still be alive within. Mine
Foreman Bowers. who was near the
entrance, was blown from his feet
but managed to crawl out safely, as
did also Robert Smith, miner. with
the foreman was miner named Hol
iiday. and he, too; twas blown over
A rescue party, organized on the mo-
ment, rushed In and tried to rescue
him. They were driven back by the
deadly fumes of the after gases and
were compelled to leave him to his
fate.
Train Carries Rescue Material.
A train was rushed from this city
to the scene of the. disaster, some
twenty-five miles away, carrying brat,
ticing and other material to be used
in the work Of exploration and rescue
There were supposed to be more
than 100 men In the section Of the
mine affected. The debris from the
explosion of two weeks ago had not
been cleared away and 20 men were
engaged in this work. Nineteen con,
tract miners with their crews were
at work in a new entry and It is
feared that all of these men were lost.
The explosion was in a different
part of the mine from that Of two
weeks ago. Since that catastrophe the
mine has been inspected by govern.
ment officials, and by the most ex.
perienced mine men in the region,
and ALL 1t is said, expressed the opin.
ion that 1t was safe.
Most Disastrous Since 1884.
On the Tug river side, four miles
from the main entrance, the smoke
and flames gushed from the entry,
burning the twigs and small limbs
from trees that grew near. The dam.
age to the mine cannot be estimated.
The explosion was the most ter
rife that has ever occurred in this
region. In 1884 at the Southwest
Virginia, improvement Company's
mine, $50 were killed In an explosion.
Yesterdays horror siss the most disas.
trous that has occntEed since. The
mine drowned by thesBocahontas Con.
so1idated Collieries Company.