Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-14
COAL MINE BLAST,
FO[[OWEDB BY FIRE,
TAKES 400 LIVES
Officials of Welsh coIliery Say
There Is No Hope for I'm
prisoned Men.
COMRADES RESCUE 500
BEFORE DRIVEN FROM PIT
Deafening Explosion Alarms Village
and Brings Women Flocking
to the Scene.
MACHINERY LEFT A WRECK
Destruction of Ventilating and
Hosting Apparatus Probably
Added Largely to the Total of
the Death Roll

CARDIFF. Wales. October IA.
More than 400 Welsh coal min
ers perished, it is believed, from
fire and afterdamp in the Univer
sal colliery near here today. A
terrific explosion shattered the
works shortly after 93I men had
descended into the pit
1t was at first stated that the
day shift was composed OF 74o
men, but later the larger figure
was given out by the. officials.
About 500 were brought to the
surface alive by rescue parties up
to noon. and the managers of the
mine then expressed the opinion
that there was no further hope
for those remaining below.
Blast Wrecks Machinery.
The day shift descended the shafts in
the cages at 3 O'Clock. An hour after
ward dsafening report brought the in
habitants in the vicinity of the mine rum
ming to the pit head. where they found
the ventilating and hoisting machinery at
the top OF the shafts mad been blown to
atoms by an explosion of great violence
a man who had heen working sixty feet
away had t,een decapitated by the force
Of the blast.
Rescue parues of miners belonging to
the night tfiift were soon on the scene
making pre.oafations to enter the mine in
M eRdeayoa. to save their comrades. The
fery reputation Of the mine, however.
gave little hope that any Of those below
could be rescued alive.
Five Hundred Rescued.
An entrance was found by way OF an
adjacent shaft. On descending the res-
cuing parties came across several groups
Of men huddled together in portions OF
the mine where the air was still good.
BY noon they had picked up and brought
TO the surface altogether 500.
The rescued miners, the members of the
life-saving gangs and the officials Of the
mine declared this afternoon that they.
could hold out no hope for those of the
miners still below.
The men brought to the surface were
found on the east side of the mine, where
the ventilation remained fairly good On
the west SIDE. Wlere tne explosion Oc-
Cured. fire soon added its terrors. and
the rescue parties were unable to make
any progress.
FLOCK to Pit Mouth.
The officials OF the mine found it neces-
sary to call a detachment OF police to
keep back the women and children who
crowded round the entrance In hopes OF
obtaining some news of their relatives.
Most of the rescued men presented
pitiable appearance. Nearly all were suf-
ferins from burns, shocks or the effects
of poisonous gases.
The same pit was the scene of an ex
plosion thirteen years ago when 12O
nIiners lost their lives. Only one of those
below at that time was rescued alive.
Men on East Side Reach Surface.
Al the men in the east side of the mine
had reached the surface by 4 o'clock.
but tls were still in the workings in the
west side, which we're ON fire.
Col Pearson, chief Inspector of mines,
in giving this Information to the press
late this afternoon added
THE fire is in the intake airway and
everything IL being done to cope with It.
We are hoping to the last"