Evening star., 1927-05-01
Rescue Crews Seek Entomb :
ed Men in Smoke-FiIIed
Workings.
SMOKE AND GAS DRIVE
RELIEF PARTIES BACK
First Miner to Reach Safety Leads
Workers in Search for Mates
in Wrecked Pits.
BY the Associated Press.

BY tne AssOCidleu tTeSS+
FAIRMONT, w Va. April So
Ninety-one men are believed TO have
lost their lives in a terrific eXplo-
sion late today in the Everettville
mine Of the New England Fuel and
Transportation Co. The known dead
had reached II late tonight. Eight
bodies were removed from the mine.
two men were killed at the tipple
outside, while another died in local
hospital shortly before midnight.
While the fate of 80 men still en-
trapped in the workings remained
unknown, rescue crews which have
penetrated the debris-strewn mine
said conditions were such that none
of them could have survived.
OF the Is known injured. several
were reported by hospital authorities
to be in a critical condition.
Mine rescue crews from all sections
of northern West Virginia were push
ing their way into the mine in the
hope of saving some, at least, of the
so men still entombed.
OF the dead, two were killed while
at work on the tipple outside the
main entry, while eight of the injured
also were at work outside the mine.
One rescue party penetrated the
smoke filled workings and brought
out FIVE dead and seven men seriously
injured.
Survivor Leads Rescue Party.
Manuel Porpo was the first man to
come from the blast-torn workings.
He said he had come through the
dense smoke with difficulty, but he
was unharmed. Shortly afterward ne
led n party of rescue workers back
into the mine.
The blast set fire to the tipple, but
the Morgantown fire department
quickly eXtinguished the blaze.
The mouth of the mine and the main
passageway apparently were not badly
damaged. The ventilation system was
operating and a good current OF fresh
air was being circulated late tonight,
company officials said.
Federal Mine Inspector Mckay, ac-
companied by five other attaches of
the United States Bureau of Mines at
Pittsburgh, were reported en- route TO
the scene of the disaster to aid in res
cue work.
Blast Origin Undetermined.
Company officials said the origin of
the blast was undetermined. Fire
Boss William Cannon said he had in
spected the mine early today and
found nothing unusual.
Harvey Mckay, brother of J. W.
Mckay, superintendent of the mine,
Is among the men entombed.
Shortly after the blast came shoot
ing from the shaft mouth a rescue
crew, equipped with helmets, went
into the smoke-filled pit. They went
but a short distance and were forced
to retreat to the surface by the heavy
smoke and gas. They were unable
to determine the fate of any of the
men trapped in the workings.
Mine rescue cars operated by the
State Of West Virginia were rushed
in from Clarksburg and Morgantown.
Volunteer rescue teams were organ
ized, reinforcing the trained rescue
men from mines at Grant Town and
other nearby settlements.
Small Force on Holiday.
According to company officials the
mine, known as Federal, No. 3, and
one of the largest of the northern
West Virginia coal fields, was entirely
rock busted.
The usual half holiday Saturday
caused only about 100 Of the normal
force of 400 miners to report for
work this morning. Early in the
afternoon some Of these men came to
the surface.
The injured men were brought to
a Fairmont hospital on a special
train.
Reports from the mine were that
after several hours of hard work res
cuers penetrated part of the work
ings and recovered four bodies.
Additional rescue crews from all
parts of the region were arriving
hourly. The fresh helmet crews We're
pushing their way back into the
workings, where they hoped to find
the missing men.