The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-08-07
He Was Three Quarters of
a Mile From the Ex-
plosione
COUNTRYSIDE ALARMED
People Feared Big Mine Dis
aster Had &C.
Cured.

When car load OF powder belong.
ing to the Four States Coal company
at Annabelle let go at ten minutes to
three o'clock this morning. Artie
Woods was painfully injured, several
others cut by flying glass and doors
and windows in every house in Anna
belle torn out, besides hole being
gmade in the ground into which would
nit six room house. ...
The powder was in the Four States
scompany's magazine which had just
been filled two days before. The
powder was carefully put away at the
time and no detail left undonc which
Is necessary to make explosives safe.
The cause Of the detonation which
was felt all over the county is un-
known. As soon as the village was
awakened fears were felt tor the
! mine, as the motor which runs the
4 fan had been in the process OF repair
for the past five days aud all figured
the mine had been wrecked by gas cx-
plosion.
The detonation was felt In Fair
mont, having rocked the city hall and
awakening many from their slumber.
: Many who heard the noise at first
thought 1t was thunder but when told
of the explosion this morning were
4 certain that It was the Annabelle
racket which had awakened them.
The terrific report was heard at Man
: nlngton, Shinnston and out OF the way
places in Warrington district us well
as small hamlets along the Marion
county border In Harrison county.
Farmers for miles around hearing
the noise hitched up their horses and
those who have autos boarded them
and went Immediately to the appar-
ent source Of the explosion thinking
repetition Of the Monongah disaster
of 1908 was at hand. But the mine
was found In perfect shape, even the
violence Of 6le powder magazine ex.
plosion falling to injure the machln.
cry.
The nearest house to the magazine,
the compressor building which is
nearly three quarters OF mile away,
had the roof blown off and the doors
and windows sent flying through the
sSair.
Behind one Of the doors was Artie
Woods, who was oiling the compress.
or. The door struck him. knocking him
down and breaking two ribs OH the
right side. He was brought to Fair.
mont Hospital No. on the 5 o'clock
Clarksburg car this morning and is
reported at that institution as being
hut oil fnt Rf hnr hn
fractured ribs. He will live, being
Z conscious at all times.
Others at Annabelle were the vic.
Tins Of pieces of glass which had for
merly been the lights in the windows
Of their houses. Several houses were
crac:ied and many OF them shaken SO
badly that china and glassware and
other breakable objects were smashed.
The amount of damage has not yet
been estimated by the officials Of the
company. An investigation Is in
progress concerning the manner In
: which the powder was packed away,
but 1t is thought there will be nothing
develop as those who were in charge
of laying up the powder when 1t was
taken from the railway car have al.
ready claimed that there could have
been no accident from the manner in
which is was packed. This statement
has not however been given out OF.
ficially. Some nSurH that lighting
may have set the place afire and that
the explosion resulted.
Hundreds of people from the reg.
ions surrounding Annabelle made the
trip on "The Goat this morning to
the mine to get glimpse OF the dam
age done. They looked in awe at the
hole made in the ground, at the hun.
dreds of windowless and doorless
houses which are the abodes of the
miners and other employees OF the
-Four Stats company. The auxiliary
powder magazine. the house In which
Is stored the powder brought daily
from the main magazine for the use
OF miners was unframed. This house
is considerable distance from the
larger magazine.
The Annabelle operators are con.
signing their coal to points on the
Great Lakes.
- A..