New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-01-13
OVER ONE HUNDRED
DIE IN SAFE" NINE
cECOND BIG EXPLOSION
IN TWO UEEkS.
rfffy Here Killed in Lick Branch
Gallery Fortnight 4go-No Hope
for Any an WOrLings.

p,reTed. ". Va, Jan 12.-Another explosion
- to-day in the mines Of the Lick Branch
,le-- caused the loss Of over one hundred
Is II was in these same mines where two
srs ago TO day fifty miners were killed by
s;rrflar explosion. One hundred coff1ns were
Ned from Columbus, Ohio. on train to-
ient 20 the scene Of the accident.
!, the quiet of the early morning there was
mighty runbling in the earth and from the
In. mouth issued a cloud Of flame. SCOT, dust
and debris. heavy timbers. broken mine cars
mn even a massive motor used TO haul the heav-
~ laden cars from the mine. a mine foreman
-.,ned Bowers and Robert Smith a miner, who
usre near the entrance of the mine, in a side
sbsn. were hurled TO the floor by the shock but
-,,uaged to crawl out unaided- a miner named
Halliday. whG, was near the entrance was
troossd down and stunned and men who pushed
-,o the shaft 20 rescue him were driven out by
,b4 5sadly fumes of the after gases, leaving him
.bs fate The shaft was almost Immediately
grounded by frantic women and children
There were supposed to be over one hundred
men in the section of the mine affected. The
fstris from the explosion of two weeks ago had
not been cleared away. and twenty men we're
engaged in this work Nineteen contract miners
zf-h their crews we're at work in new entry.
sn6 il = feared that all of these men were
killed
The explosion was in a different part Of the
rine than that Of two weeks ago. Since That
disaster the mine had been inspected by gov
scnmeut officials and by the most experienced
n7ine mon in the region. ana all it is said, eN-
pressed the opinion that it was safe
Ten bodies were taken from the mine late to-
night Meme Of them could be identified. An
old carpenter shop has been turned into a
r,ors11e and the bodies have been placed there,
with the hope that Identification may be ac-
compllshed. That all the men entombed are
dead there is no doubt. The fire and deadly
gases. 10 say nothing Of the awful force of the
.xrlas;on preclude any chance Of rescuing any
Of the men alive
The main entry of the mine ie four miles long,
mining from one side Of the mountain to the
other. Debris vas blown from both entries.
which gives some idea Of the tremendous force
Of the explosion
Il is reasonably certain that all Of the bodies
will never be recovered Some OF them were
doubtless blown TO pieces and others incnerated.
The fans which furnish the fresh air for the
Workings as in the former explosion. were not
disabled and are forcing fresh air into the mines.
Tao brsthers named Surratt, of Speedwell.
Va vho went TO the mine at the time OF the
Hhsz sxpesion through curios''ss5 accepted en-
pcymen; and both are among the victims IN
the nine
State Nine Inspectors Phillips and Nicholson
al the mine and are directing the work of
rescue. Crews have been formed and are Nentur
ing in as far the air is pure enough 10 breathe
in their efforts to reach those entombed.
Brstanders a. the time of the explosion say
thai the immense clouds Of SCOT and smoke
which gushed from the mine almost simultane-
eusly with the detonation were Immediately
sucked back in enormous volumes into the mine
On the Tug River side, four miles from the
main entrance. the smoke and flame gushed
ron the entry, burning the tw;gs and small
anbs from trees that grew near. The damage
!" me mine cannot be estimated.
The explosion vas the most terrific that has
ever occurred IN this region. In 1884 at the
eouth West Virginia Improvement Company )
nine $50 men were killed in an explosion. To-
Jays horror is the most disastrous that has oc-
tirred since The mine is owned by the Poca-
hontas Consolidated Collieries Company