Evening star., 1938-04-24
RESCUE WORKERS
FIND 45 BODIES IN
RED DJACKETSHAFT
Two Are Overcome by Foul
Air Before Last Group of
Victims Is Found.
WITNESS DESCRIBES
TRAGIC MINE BLAST
Two Funeral Homes in Nearby
Richlands Forced to Call
for Assistance.
picture On Page A-5.)
By the Associated Press.

(Ptcture On Page A-5J
By the Asso ciated Press.
GRUNDY, Va. April 23.-Forty- five
charred and broken bodies of miners
were taken from the scared depths of
the Keen Mountain Mine of the Red
Jacket Coal Co today, victims of the
volcanolike explosions which greeted
the night shift as it entered the mine
yesterday.
The United States Bureau of Mines
officials said no further bodies were
in the drifts which extend far under
the mountain.
Sweating. sooty-faced members of
mine rescue squads worked in 30
minute relays in the furnacelike at
mosphere until they had explored
every avenue of the big mine. Two
members were overcome by bad air
which had to be blown out before the
final group of bodies could be removed
For many hours the crews worked
grimly, without hope of finding life
among the victims trapped by the
blast, but unwilling to cease their ef-
forts until every miner had been &C
counted for.
Witness Tells Story.
No word of cheer came for sorrow
ing wives, children, sweethearts. Only
bodies came up from the mine. Four
hundred men were working to bring
them out.
A miner. Bill Smith, Who had been
riding with bodies down the 4-mile
narroW-gau2e railroad for many hours,
paused long enough to tell his eye
witness account of the disaster. He
was standing SO feet from the mouth
OF the mine when he heard the roar
and saw flame belched from the noun
tain.
The blast was away from me. and
that's why I didn't get hurt" he said.
I saw coal-carrying cars, motors,
slate and timber spouted Is if from a
cannon"
Bill didn't finish his story. An
other load of bodies was ready to 20
down the incline to await identif1ca-
ton by persons with tear-dimmed eyes.
Relatives Stay Away.
Automobiles filled with people
Jammed the highways as the rescue
work went on and State police erected
ropes in front Of the tipple so that
those carrying food to the tired workers
could go and come to the cable car
that carried them under the noun
tain. Automobiles lined for miles on
both sides of the highway.
Most of the relatives of the victims
remained away, but some weeping
widows. fathers and mothers refused
to be comforted and stayed close in
search OF ray of hope.
The pay roll Office was beseiged for
names of the dead and the missing.
ToWnspeople at Grundy. II miles from
the scene, gathered with grim faces
and bowed heads as the Salvation
Army held prayer service for the
victims.
Crew Died Instantly,
~ o&o a oOSS dSCSlll W Illo Inlne
entrance, but many persons went up
to offer their services and to encour-
age workers.
All the evidence indicates the un-
derground crew died instantly" said
c. P. Kelly. chief mine inspector of
the State Department of Labor.
Mlngo Keadle, vice president of the
Red Jacket Co., announced earlv in
the day that air had been circulated
through all passages, but workers
found progress slower in the main
smart than in the "B" shaft, where II
bodies were found before it was fully
explored. Three of the first o bodies
came from the mine entrance and two
were found badly burned in the "a"
or main shaft.
Inspector Kelly expressed convic-
tlon the explosion was caused bv dust
1t happened only a few minutes after
mine cars carrying the night shift
had gone into the mine-not deep.
but extending well back under the
mountain.
Mike Lilly was one of the few men
IN the area who could claim cause
Tor happiness. His miners lamp re-
iused to burn and he missed death
by two minutes when he went back
Tor another. He said he saw two men
hurled so feet.
I turned and ran like hell" he
said.
Motor Decapitated Man.
Relatives were kept away from the
mine entrance during the night by
State police. Only Mrs. j. L. Bleyins
definitely knew the fate of her hus-
band until after daylight, and there
was some difficulty in identifying his
body. decapitated by heavy mine
motor hurled down the mountain
side.
The two funeral homes in the little
town Of Richlands had to call for as
sistance from neighboring towns.
State Police Sergt. P. F. Sprenger,
an eyewitness. who said the whole
top of the mountain looked as if it
was coming of, told of seeing an
automobile containing three boys
almost blown of the highway. The
youths followed him up the noun
tain