The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-21

Five men dead one unaccoun+ad tor
and eight seriously. some of them per.
maps Fatally, injured, are the results
Q. an explosion which occurred at
o'clock yesterday morning in Carbon
I'M SHAFT of the Old Dominion DeyeI&,
opmeht Company's coal mines, near
layton, Henrico county The cause NJ
the accident is not definitely settled
ana VIII not be accurately determined
until the coroncr's Inquest at IL o'clock
this morning.
Tho explosion occurred at the bot.
tom OF an incline running 1900 fee,
INTO the earth. The men had lust ron.
10 work. when q number OF them all
more or less injured, staggered TO the
mouth OF the shaft and gave warning
or the devastation and death behin1
them. Foreman Louis Wilson who
half an hour before had laid off he
work for the miners. Immediately
formed rescue gang, and the injured
We're taken out in the coal cars run.
ning to the surface All were gotten
out without difficulty
Coroner Is Summoned
Ihe dead were left until the arrival
OF Deputy Coroner j. Fulmer Bright.
who was notified soon after tho acct
dent Dr.. Hugh Taylor was asked to
go to the aid OF DR.. r. D. Dunn. the
company's physician, and he helped to
attend the manned and injured
= w VI tiO iiliHeTS were so DadlN hurt
that they We're brought by DR.. Dunn
last night to the Virginia Hospital,
"here they were operated upon Both
were suircring severe scalp wounds and
oody burns but 1t Is believed they will
recover Dr. Dunn returned to the
mines in taXicab last night
Tho physicians were followed by
Commonwealth's Attorney Gum, Oh
ienrico county. and Lewis c. Williams.
attorney for the coal company a pre-
liminary investigation was conducted.
but the full details as to the cause of
the death dealing accident cannot be
known until after the Inquest. for
which jurors were summoned yesterdav
by Officer Garrett They arc as fol-
lows: r. G. Ellis. Wilbur Pierce, Lynn
Conway. l.. y, Snead. IT, w Henley and
f. j. Browning.
Possible Causes. s
TWO theories as to the cause of tho
explosion are advanced. One is that
the miners entered a pocket" of gas
with naked" head lamps the flames
from which isnitcd the gas at the mo-
ment Of contact The second theory is
that the general explosion was due to
the premature Ignition of stick of
low grade dynamite, the sort usually
used in mines. A
The men must have been killed in
stantly. There were no signs of a
struggle. All were found within a.
few feet OF each other. showing that
they were together when the accident
happened Louis and Stanley Cywinski,
father and son. were lying side by side
The bodies We're badly dishgured and
Scared, but easily recognizable. One
of the mules used Tor drawing loaded
cars was also killed.
The men who were only injured owo
thoir lives TO the fact that they were
not near enough TO receive the full
effect of tho shock Had all gotten into
tie gas pocket" the toll Of life would
have been many times greater.
Families in Distress.
Distressing scenes were enacted
news OF the accident went through the
camp. Mothers. wives and children or +
the dead and injured Hooked about the
shaft. weeping and wringing their
hands. But there was no disorder, nc
hysterical outburst. and the work OF
rescuins the injured went quietly on,
under the supervision OF Foreman WILL E
son.
AS the wounded men were brought to
the surface they were carried into the
homes or into the coinpany's Office.
which Is only a hundred or so yards
away from the opening OF the mine,
Ono wife helped carry her husband
romc. Others became auie;er as their
loved ones wtA brought up from the
bowels OF the Garth. bGt there was no
consolation for those whose h,isbands +