Norwich bulletin., 1922-11-23

miners were killed and sixty injured, |, some of them seriously, in a dust ex- plosion in Dolomite mine No. of the Woodward Iron company nine mics from this city this afternoon, which trapped 475 workers beneath the sur face, according to an official statement issued here tonight by D. E. Wilson treasurer of the company. Daniel Harrington, U. $. mine rescue official stationed here, had previously sent a message to the Pittsburgh st2- tion. estimating the dead at 50 with at least that number injured. . -..- State militia is gradually assdming charge of policing the districts sur rounding the mouth of the pit tonight and 1t was stated that martial law night be called to avoid congestion about the mine owing to the influx of he curious. According to Treasurer Wilson many of the injured were already at their homes after receiving first aid trea.- ment at the mouth of the mine, their homes after receiving first aid treat nent at the mouth of the mine, their hurts only being Of a minor nature. Company physicians worked at top speed in emergency hospitals establish ed on the ground at the. mouth of the mine.
 Mr Wilson stated that the miners believed to be fatally injured had been removed to the Elizabeth Duncan hos pital at Bessemer, near the scene of the accident
 According to one of the first miners to be taken out alive the explosion came with little warning to the men working deep in the entries. This miner stated that the first warning he had was Hwh Nta rrF t1.A At k1 half turned bis body about He started 10 make his way toward the mouth of the mine and was joined by other min ITS. he said. '...- After they had proceeded a short dis tance, he stated, shouts of other miners were heard ahead of them and holding heir breath as best they could -muft1inE .heiy faces in coats and clothing, the little band of men struggled onward 3nally winning their way to fresh air and thus gaining the entry way.
 lThese men were among the first :o each the outside with actual news of the terrible scenes inside the mine. They told Of passing over bodies in the main entry and of seeing other miners, badly injured and moaning for help as 'he fatal after-dump snuffed out their lives.
 A.. D. Jones, miner who was work. ng in the forty-ntnth west entry of the mine at the time of the blast, proved a hero. When the explosion occurred Jones gathered five white miners and Ia negroes who were working near hin and started to lead this party toward he mouth of the mine. g l. The after-damp became so dense Jones said, that he felt the journey tc the outside was impossible aud togethe; he band began to make preparations tc die. Gathering about Jones. they sal town, huddlins together to awai; Heath.
 Suddenly they heard a mans voice 4sking if there were any men stil alive within range of the voice. Severa sf the men answered. >, ..,5 ',. a.., \,.,
 Pull down your. braticesr yelled tn voice. its all right here and if yol can. break through. we will ail swh put"
 Jones led his men in the work aui soon the little band was safely outside having passed through the manways | mine, No. 2, and thus reaching safety. About thirty men saved their lives b blocking paasageway. into the min trip and thereby shutting. off effec: ially the poisonous gases and ,afte. damp until the fans were started aga; and cleared the way for them to reac he outside alive. z
 As the night wore on, fresh crows rG placed tired workers. Maneled form were borne tenderIy but with $ Eres speed from the pit Caravans of aTnb1 lsnees wended their way along the ma. row crooked road that led from mine hospital At 10 o'clock it was a; nounced that it would take until earl morning to remove the injured ar then the task of removing the dss would bo undertaken. Dolomite' mine No is operated on se-inch Pratt coal seam and has .or slope opening. According to the IA report to the state mine inspector Il nine generates gas but sufficient ia ventilation and other safeguards ve . usantained to cause 1t to bs regarded safe. t.
 The disaster attracted a, lsrEeE crow rom .surrounding. communities and at ate hour tonight more than 1000 a tomohiles were parked near the mi
 According to- company officials, | explosion occurfed simultaneously wi nhe crash of three 'Askipp cars sy1hi, ran wild" down the stop to the mi yards" approximately l1,1oO feet fro the entrance -,
 These cars, breaking cable. wh. tney were being hauled up the slope the entrance. crashed downward. seVe Ing an electric circuit. This caused 2 spark and as the cars crashed into f yards" in the interior of the rnine, f explosion occurred.
 So great was the blast that the fan Selched upward all the way to the mi entrance, approxtuztely HOO feet. d then continued on 900 feet farther to mine tippie, setting this afre. .---
 Approximately 50 men were yworki in the yards at the time and all these men were tieher killed or injur,
 At a late hour tonight the main ( trance to mine No. was cleared a rescue workers were using this trance to enter the mine and contiu their work.
 s45 Men Rescued.
 At midnight tonight officials of { woodward Iron company, owners of [ lonite Mine No. 8, where 475 coal mi sra were entombed this afternoon by dust explosion, summed up the result he disaster as follows: Dead 70S; injui % men rescued uninjured 345.
 Fire HiAdered Rescue Work.
 Fire which followed the explosi hindered the work of rescue and was lieved to have been responsible for ma aeaths. The injured among the q men rescued were removed to Bessen tospftals.
 Half of the men are white,
 As the work Of rescue progressed