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united states mine rescue association
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The explosion which killed nine men outright and critically injured two others, added another casualty when Lawrence Vincent, 23, died in a Charleston hospital where he had been rushed shortly after his rescue last night from the blast-rocked mine. By 2 a.m. seven hours after the explosion, which occurred two days after work was resumed following the general shutdown because of wage negotiation differences, rescue workers had removed the victims from the captive mine operated by the American Rolling Mill Company. Company officials made preparations today to repair the damage, confined to one section, and to restore the mine to immediate operation. They said the explosion apparently had been caused by a spark from a coal-cutting machine which ignited a pocket of gas in the section where the 11 men were working. Seventeen others were in the mine at the time, but were digging in other sections and were not affected by the explosion. General Manager C. W. Connor reported that the accident would not prevent continued operation of the mine, but explained that the damaged area will not be worked until repairs are completed. He asserted that there "was no great damage done to the mine." The dead:
William C. Barker, 59, shot firer, one of the two injured miners rushed to McMillan Hospital at Charleston, was in a critical condition, suffering from shock and severe body burns. Shortly after the explosion, which was so severe it ripped clothing from the miners' bodies, a crowd of about 350 persons, including families and friends of those at work, gathered at the mine mouth and maintained a vigil until early this morning when the last bodies were removed. Today, this little Boone County mining town was quiet as mourning widows and children prepared for burial services. Most of the miners will be buried at Madison, although Connor said the body of Turkovich would be taken to Niles, Ohio, for interment. |
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