Norwich bulletin., 1909-01-13
Second Disaster
 In Two Weeks
EXPLOSION IN MINES OF LICK
 BRANCH coLLlERY.
ONE HUNDRED LIVES WERE LOST
Terrorized Women and Children at Mine Mouth-cloud of Flame, Dust and Debris Thrown to Surface.

Bluefield, w. Va, Jan. 12.-Again today there was a terrific explosion in the mines of the Lick Branch colliery and at least one hundred lives were lost. It was in these same mines two weeks ago to day that fifty miners were killed by a similar ex- plosion.
 Came a Sound of Thunder. In the quiet of the early morning there came, like the sound of thunder, mighty rumbling from the mines, which reverberated along the miles of corridors and air passages crowded with those who work there, while from the mine mouth there came a cloud of flame. soot, dust and debris. heavy timbers, broken mine cars and even a massive motor used to haul the heavily laden cars from the depths.
 Women and Children in Terror.
 Scarcely had the detonation died away before a throng of terrorized women and children rushed to the mine mouth and implored those there to all low them to aid in the effort to save some of their loved ones who might still be alive within.
 Rescue Party Driven Back.
 Mine Foreman Bowers, who was near the entrance. was blown from his feet, but managed to crawl away safe ly, as also did Robert Smith, a miner. miner named Holliday,who was with Bowers, was blown over. A rescue par ty, organized on the moment, rushed in the jaws of the smoking mines and tried to rescue him, but was driven back by the deadly fumes of the after gases and was compelled to leave him to his fate.
 Relief Train Rushed to Scene.
 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.
 60 to 30 Men in the Mine.
 It is supposed there were from sixty to eighty men in the section of the mine affected. The debris from the explosion Of two weeks ago had not been cleared away. and twenty men were engaged in this work. Nineteen contract miners with their crews were at work in new entry and it is feared that all of these men were lost.
 Mine Recently Pronounced Safe.
 The explosion was in different part of the mine from that of two weeks ago. Since that catastrophe the mine had been inspected by government of ficials and by the most experienced mine men in the region and all, It IS ssid5 expressed the opinion that it was safe.
 None of the bodies has been recov- cred, but it is expected that a portion of the mine where eight men were at work will be reached before morning.
 One rescue party came in sight of six bodies today but was forced back. A late estimate of the number of men entombed Is more than 100. That all of them are dead there can be no doubt. The force of the explosion the fire in the mine and the deadly gases preclude any chance that any of the men are alive.
 Ten Bodies Recovered.
 At ten o'clock ten bodies had been taken from Lick Branch mine None of them has been identified. An old carpenter shop has been turned into a morgue and the bodies have been placed there with the expectation that identification can be accomplished.