Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-04-30
RESCUED NUMBER 50
Main Shaft Is 600 Feet Deep
Federal, State and Volunteer
Life Savers Fight Flames
with Slight Hopes.

mines and are believed to have but
small chance for their lives as the re-
salt of an explosion of gas in mines
numbcr five and six of the Now River
Galleries company here this afternoon.
The dead and rescued mon We're taken
from mine No 6 and 1t is said all but
thirteen of the miners who entered this
shaft early to-day have been accounted
for.
One hundred and ninety OF the en-
tombed men are in shaft No ), not
man having escaped from this operation
since the explosion at 2;30 D. IN. The
mine is burning fercely, with govern
ment. State and volunteer rescuers work.
ing desperately tonight to subdue the
flames.
The depth Of the two main shafts is six
hundred feet and the mines are connected
underground. There are two other
shafts into the mines, but the explosion
totally wrecked three out of the four.
The lone entrance leads into mine NO. G
aad by means of it the rescues were
made No. 3 mine apparently is com
pletely shut off from the surface and
rescuers hold little hope of reaching the
large number of men there in time.
PANIC AMONG WOMEN.
This little mining community of 800
persons was shaken by the muffled
rumbling Of the explosion which brought
women and children from their cottages
in panic. At first there was no smoke
but men on the tipples knew that far
aground the toll of death was being
taken.
~ .
mine No. 3, another operation OF the
company; and an expert rescue crew,
were lowered down the shaft of No
mine. When the cage reappeared 1t bore
two men badly hurt. a few OF the rescue
party and two bodies.
Other trips were made and each time
blackencd and burned miners were
brought to the surface until sixty-three
men had been brought up, four of whom
were dead.
NINE BADLY WRECKED.
The rescued men express doubt that any
Of the 10 miners still in No. shaft would
be taken out alive. Some of the men
stated that portions Of No mine were
badly wrecked and they believed that the
entrance connecting with No mine had
been completely destroyed.
OF the bodies recovered two are Amer
leans, one a foreigner and the fourth a
negro. large portion of the miners en-
ployed are Americans.
A United States government rescue car
reached the mines from Bluefeld, w. Va,
at five o'clock and another will arrive
here from Pittsburg, Pa, at noon to-
morrow.
The New River Galleries company is
connected with the Guggenheim interests.
The rescue parties worked desperately
during the evening to make an entrance
to mine No. ;, where 100 men are entombed,
but they We're able to make but little prog
rcss because of the intense heat and gases.
Many of the women were induced to
go home tonight and there Is not much
excitement at the mines. The resCuers
are making little progress and have
virtually given up hope of getting the
entombed men in No. mine out alive.
The New River collieries tonight or
dered two carloads of collins and they
are expected here early tomorrow from
Cincinnati.
The present mine disaster is the first
of considerable extent in West Nir-
ginia in several years. 1t is, probably,
second only in fatalities TO the Mon
ongah horror in December 1907. when
$3.50 miners lost their lives
GOVERNOR COMING.
The new workmens compensation act
provides $50 a month for the widows
of the dead and each of the surviving
| children, not to exceed three, Is en-
tilted to S. Il month.
! Governor Henry d. Hatfield, accom-
anied by Earl Henry, chief inspector of
the states department of mines, and
! DR.. J. H. Mccullough, chief medical eX-
| aminer under the workmen's compen-
saton act, are expected here at mid
night
The four bodies taken from Mine No,
6 indicated that death was due to suf-
| location.
a thorough search of this mine has
failed to disclose the thirteen mon
known to be in that operation 1t is
believed their bodies will be found un-
der debris.
General Manager S. a. Scott, of the
New River Galleries company, is eX-
pected here tomorrow to give assist
ance.
All hope for the rescue alive Of the 2O3
! Illlll'TS tllOInDeu Dy an tNIl'ElNH w.
day in mines No. and of the New
J River Galleries company here was
abandoned late tonight. Rescuers were
unable to force their way into the burn
ing shafts.
iifty-nine men, all burned severely
were rescued alive from No. 6 mine and
are receiving medical treatment in inn
provised hospitals. Four bodies We're re-
covered from the same shaft.
The disaster the second largest in the
mining history of West Virginia, was
caused by a gas explosion in the 600 foot
level of mine No. ., 1t was followed five
minutes later by "A second explosion
which completely wrecked this mine and
partly demolished mine No G. "A con-
Meeting operation.
! one hundred and ninety men Were
at work in mine No. 3 and not one of
them reached the surface The mine
Immediately caught fire and attempts al
rescue work We're futile.
Thirteen mon are still In No. G.
; Governor Hatfield of West Virginia
and officials of the company, together
with government and State mine Ok
perts, are at the mines rendering all the
| assistance In their power.
i There a