The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-10-20
Workings Continue Full of Gas ana
Further Work Has Been Abandon
ed Until Late This Afternoon
TOTAL NUMBER OF VICTIMS IS ELEVEN
Only Two Bodies Have Been Brought Out-the Explosion
lis Thought to Have Taken Place in Main a
Heading A.

Abandoning the hope that any Of
the nine men inside are yet alive the
officials in charge OF the rescue work
at Jamison Mine No. are endeavoring
to repair the cage at Shaft B, which
was the least damaged by the ex.
plosion.
The body OF A. W. Vance, machine
boss. was found near the bottom of
this shat last night by the rescue
party, which explored a portion of
the workings. and was brought out.
side.
L. NJ. Jones. chief Of the mine res.
cue car, ventured too far and was
killed by the poisonous monoxide gas.
1t Is thought that Jones' helmet
must have leaked as his oxygen tank
contained sufficient for two hours. He
was in advance Of the party of rescue
men and was searching for four of
the men who were thought to have
been working near the bottom of the
shaft.
When he was overcome his compan.
ions carried him to the bottom where
the air was breathable. They were
compelled to ascend two or three
times and make the long trip with tina
body in relays.
When he was brought to the bottom
he had been dead perhaps forty min.
utes and the efforts of the men to re.
store life by means Of the lungmotor
from the Fairmont Fire department
were unavailing.
The rescue party that first entered
about midnight contained eight men,
these were L. NJ. Jones, chief in charge
from the rescue. car, L. w. Cooper q.
sistant chief engineer Of the Jami.
son company, J. w. Roster, A. J.
strain. E. H. Seip, ]. B. Berry, G. s.
McCaa and Superintendent Beerbower.
All Of these men are from Pittsburgh
except Cooper and Beerbower who live
in Fairmont.
This party descended on a temper.
airy platform that was lowered down
Shaft B.
All Of the workings near the bottom
of the shaft and as far as the sta.
bles, which are about half mile from
the bottom, were explored.
Canary birds that were taken inside
by the party dropped dead almost in.
stantly from the poisonous monoxide
gas that filled the mine. Although one
Of the fans beside this shaft had been
repaired early in the evening and had
been blowing fresh air in the mine
for several hours, the damage to the
brattice work inside prevented it from
penetrating more than a hundred feet
from the entrance.
The explosion is thought to have
originated In Main heading A, which
runs southwest from the opening and
nearly all Of the entombed men are
thought to be in the south section near
this heading. The rescue party was
in the mine all night and did not aban.
don the search for bodies until 7:4Q
this morning when they all came to
the surface. The bodies Of Jones and
Vance had been brought out about one
o'clock a. m.
Members of the rescue party came
outside at intervals to renew the sun.
ply Of oxygen in their tanks. Four dis.
trtct mine inspectors are In charge
OF the work at the mine today these
being Frank Parsons, Clarksburg: w.
B. Higgleman. Fairmont; G. r. Cook,
Thomas. L. G. Vaughn, Grafton. A.
ter consultation of these men and
Manager R. A. Jamison and Superin.
tendent E. B. Beerbower, of the Jami.
son Coal company with the partv who
mad been In the mine It was decided
tnat further search for bodies would
be useless, as all Of the men would
nave been dead by that time and fear.
ing more deaths should the rescue
party attempt to further explore the
workings. this work was abandoned.
Today the work Of repairing the
cage at shaft B is being rapidly push.
ed and by tonight 1t is expected to be
IN working order. No one entered the
mine today but a party Of machinists
were working downshaft B repairing
the guides and the passageway so that
the cage can be lowered when It ia re-.
placed. None Of the officials on the
ground think that It will be possible tn
bring out the remaining bodies until
Saturday or Sunday.
The other fan at shaft B is being
repaired so that 1t can assist in clear.
Ing the mine Of the poisonous gases.
From shaft A which Is the one In
which the hoisting cage works. the
foul noxious vapors pour out and az.
cend as noisome pestilence from the
tomb below. All Of the remaining
openings to the mine are closed with
brattice cloth. There are but three
entrances to the mine and one Of
these, shaft c. has never been used
being designed for an additional hoist.
Ing cage when the mine has grown
30 large as to need It.
The machinery and outside eouip.
ment is damaged far less than was at
first thought and today the dynamos
In the power house and all OF the en-.
gines are in operation. The fan is be.
ing run with motor and the hoistinz
engine at shaft B was not damaged.