Inter-Mountain Republican | 1909-01-13 | Page 1 | One Hundred Miners Killed in West Virgia Collery

ONE HUNDRED MINERS KILLED IN WEST COLLIERY Richmond Va J Jan an 12 Over Over miners are believed to have bave lost their lives live today as the result of an explosion inthe in inthe inthe the Lick Branch mine of the Pocahontas Consolidated Coal company at Switchback about 20 miles from Bluefield West Vest Virginia The explosion which is the second that has occurred inthe in inthe the mine inside of a month took place at about 0 o'clock clock this morning b but t owing to the inaccessibility of the mine it has been impossible up to a late hour to obtain accurate information information in in- formation as to the cause of the explosion or the number of casualties t. t A All II badly Ten bodies were Vere recovered tonight were mutilated and it is not believed that any of the men meu who were in the mine at the time o of the explosion have haye escaped Tile Tie terrific of ot tho the explosion ma may be judged from tho the fact that fragments of ot human bo bodies les mine cars timbers Umbers rock slate and other debris were blown from both exits of ot the tho mine which are four miles apart on either cither side of ot a mountain From one entry there were out a massive electric motor Great quantities of or the debris debris' was Immediately Immedi lately l- l sucked back into th the mine On the Tug river rivel mine the flames destroyed de de- de- de the small limbs of ot trees grow y Cro i ing ng g near near the mouth The Tue mountain I trembled from th the tremendous detonation detonation detonation deto deto- nation and anti swayed the tho forest trees Robert Smith miner was blown to toward toward toward to- to ward the entrance and escaped by crawling A miner named Halliday was blown from Crom his feet not far tar from froni froman an entry A rescue party larty rushed rushe 1 In Into Into into to save ave him but were driven cn back backby backby backby by deadly gas fumes and wore compelled com corn to leave 1 to his fate fato Among the men who perished were twenty laborers engaged In clearing away tho the debris from tho the other dis Several men not disabled kept at work pumping fresh air Into tho the mine but jut the experts say that there i is no chance chanco of ot saving a n single man The only cause assigned for the explosion explosion ex ex- ex- ex is IB that some of tho the foreign miners may havo have entered the tho mine min with an open lamp At tho time of ot tho the explosion It is said the greater part of at the day shift shUt of or men had entered the workings It Is cd that many who escaped the direct effect ef et- et- et oct of the thc explosion have been imprisoned Im Imprisoned Im- Im 1 in the mine by falling walls walla an and the work of ot rel releasing the these c men will wUl be pushed along at Ut top speed