The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-04-30
EXPLOSION BURIES 200
LITTLE HOPE FOR VICTIMS OF
NINE HORROR.
Fifty-nine Rescued Through Shaft
Which Explosion Failed to
Close.

Eccles. w. Va, April 2S.-Four
miners are known to be dead, fifty
nine were rescued, many of them
| severely burned, and two hundred
| and three others are entombed in
| two burning mines and are believed
| to have but a small chance for their
| lives, as the result of an explosion
of gas in Mines Nos. 5 and of the
New River Collieries Company here
| late to-day.
The dead and rescued men we're
taken from Mine No. 6, and it is
said all but thirteen who entered
this shaft early to-day have been
accounted for. One hundred and
ninety of the entombed men are in
Shaft No. 5, not a man having es-
caped from this mine since the ex-
pIosion.
The mine tonight was burning
fercely, with government, State and
volunteer rescuers working desper-
ately to subdue the flames.
The depth of the two main shafts
is 600 feet and the mines are con-
nected underground. There are two
other shafts leading into the mines,
but the explosion totally wrecked
three out of the four. The lone
entrance leads into Mine No. 6, and
bv means of it the rescuers were
made. No. 5 mine apparently is
completely shut off from the sur
face and rescuers hold little hope
of reaching the large number of
men in time to save them.
Open Shaft Saves Fifty-nine.
The explosion occurred in Mine
No. 5. The two shafts of this mine
were demolished. 1t is believed the
explosion travelled through this
mine into No. 6. One shaft of the
latter mine was wrecked, but the
other remains intact and was the
salvation of at least fifty-nine of the
workmen.
This little mining community OF
fifteen hundred persons was shaken
by the muffled rumbling of the ex-
plosion. At first there was no
smoke, but men of the tipples knew
that far underground the toll of
death was being taken.
Superintendent Thomas Donald
son, of Mine No. 3, another opera
ton of the company, and other COM
pany officials were at the scene of the
disaster within a short time. Super
intendent Donaldson and an expert
rescue crew were lowered down the
shaft of No. 6 mine.
Brings Gruesome Load.
For a time the crowd of frighten-
ed women and children at the tip
pies waited in suspense, but soon
the signal came to hoist away and
the cage appeared. 1t bore two men
badly hurt, a few of the rescue party
and two bodies. Other trips were
made as rapidly as possible and each
time blackened and burned miners
were brought to the surface until
SO living and four dead had been
brought up. The injured were as
sisted to nearby houses, where ply
sicians worked to care for them.
The rescued men expressed doubt
that any of the 13 miners still in NO.
6 shaft would be taken out alive.
Some of the men said portions of No..
5 mine were badly wrecked and they
believed that the entrance connect
ing No. 6 mine with No. 5 had been
destroyed.
Of the bodies recovered two are
Americans. one a foreigner and the
fourth a negro. A large portion OF
the miners employed here are Amerl-
cans.
Rescue Car On Way.
A United States government res
che car attached to mines from Blue
field, w. Va, at o'clock and anoth-
er will arrive here from Pittsburg'
Pa, at noon tomorrow.
The New River Colleries Company
=: ,oooootod with fho Gupppnholm
interests.
The rescue parties worked
throughout the evening. Their COM
bined efforts were directed to Mine
No. ), where the 100 men are en-
tombed. Notwithstanding the fever
ish haste of the rescuers they made
little progress from Shaft 6 into
c1,,f+ = hooauca of the intense heat