The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-01-20
Premature Blast Thought to
Have Been Caused By
Negroes Carelessness
ONE KILLED OUTRIGHT:
FOUR OTHERS SUCCUMB
TO INJURIES LATER
Three More Miners at Old
Dominion Development
Company's Plant at Car
bon Hill May Die

Five men were killed, three probs
ably fatally injured and six others
hurt by premature explosion of dy-
Mantle, believed to have been due
to the carelessness of a negro while
mining coal 700 feet below the SUR
face OF mine No. i of the Old Do.
minion Development Company at Car-
bon Hill. Henrico county, about four
teen miles from Richmond, shortly
after o'clock Friday morning.
The three miners. who are believed
to have sustained fatal injuries. will
be removed to Richmond late Friday
afternoon and placed in the Virginia
hospital while the six whose injuries
are not so serious will be treated in
an improvised hospital at the mines.
OF the dead, one man was killed all
most instantly, the others succumb~
Ing to burns and wounds within a
short time. A number OF miners were
overcome by black damp, but they
We're revived in a short time.
Frank Berger was among those
killed. He was Pole. The names OF
the others Were not given out. Three
were white men. all foreigners and
one a negro.
Mild Dynamite.
Three sticks OF mild grade OF
dynamite. known as carbonite, and
recommended by the Federal govern
ment for use in coal mines, were ex-
ploded. throwing the group Of miners
from their feet, burning exposed parts
of their bodies. and cutting and bruis-
Ing them with flying debris. Had the
dynamite been OF q stronger grade.
such az Is In general use. 1t Ia prob
able that few OF the men would have
escaped with their lives
With the exception Of one man,
who 10 a negro, c.. OF the miners ara
foreigners. Poles and Hungarians, req
istered on the company-s books ~
numerals instead Of names. For this
reason the names OF the injured could
not be ascertained. The first man kill
ed was commonly known as Frank
Berger He was about forty years old,
Pole. and had worked In the mines
several years. living In the miners
quarters with his wife and a brother.
An inquest will probably be held
over the body Friday afternoon by the
acting coroner. DR.. Bright, and re.
sponsibility for the accident estab>
ished. Until the inquest the details
OF the accident will not be known. ~
none of the foreigners can speak Eng
hsh. They all agreed In laying the
fault to the negro. but their union In
this particular may have been caused
by racial prejudice.
Had just Begun Work.
The explosion occurred a few minS
utes after the day shift began work.
Foreman g. A. Stoves was below with
his assistant. Mr.. Lewis. making an In
spection, when the roar Of q blast
was heard. followed by the cries az
men. Stoves and Lewis ran to tho
scene Of the explosion and found
Berger lying on the ground. dying.
The company's surgeon. DIR. r. a.
Gum, was summoned at once, but
Berger succumbed to his injuries be-
fore the arrival Of the physician.
Stoves telephoned up TO the office ok
the company and notified Vice-Presl-
cident. As II was not known how
seriously he miners had been injured,
Mr.. Voolfolk telephoned to this city
and requested DR.. Hugh M. Taylor 70
come TO the mines as soon as possible.
DIR. Taylor left for the scene Of me
accident In his automob bile. after max.
ing arrangements at the Virginia Hos
pitaL Eleventh and Clay streets, for
the reception Of he injured miners II
their injuries necessitated their ro~
moval to this city.
Fifty men were at work In the neC-
ton where the explosion occurred. but
only twenty were near enough to auf.
fer the effects OF the blast. The come
pany employs two hundred men. and
uses up-to-date methods in safeguards
ing the lives of the miners. Rules
CONTINUED on Fourth Page.)