NEWS TRIBUNEAPRIL 28,

JOHN ANDREW PRITCHARD August 8, 1862 - April 24, 1911
my great grandfather

ARTHUR PRITCHARD, June 1893 - April 24, 1911
Son of John Andrew Pritchard

NEWS TRIBUNE
APRIL 28, 1911

ELK GARDEN MINE DISASTER
GAS EXPLOSION IN NO. 20 MINE
The Town in Deepest Mourning - Twenty-Three Dead
Heroic Work of Rescuers

For more than 30 years Elk Garden, Mineral County W Va, has been the center of one of the most noted mining districts in the eastern section of the United States. Thousands of miners have worked in the different openings in that section and many millions of tons of coal have been shipped from that point, and, as has been the history in all mining districts, there have been numerous accidents and sad fatalities, but never before has there been a mine disaster in that region that paralleled, or even approximated, the shocking calamity of last Mon. morning, when twenty-three men, all citizens of Elk Garden, except one, were suddenly ushered into eternity by an explosion in Mine No. 20, which is owned and operated by the Davis Coal and Coke Company. This mine is at the foot of the mountain about half a mile below Elk Garden, and on the main line of the Western Maryland Railway, between Chaffee and Blaine. Mr. Robert Grant is superintendent of that and all the other mines owned and operated by the same company in the Elk Garden region.
Work in all mining districts has been slack all winter and No 20 has been working regularly only two days in each week. Monday was not a regular work day for that mine, had it been many more men would have lost their lives in that awful disaster. the twenty three victims of that explosion were there cleaning up - sprinkling the mine and arranging for the next day's work.
The explosion occurred about 8:30 AM and soon the sad intelligence was carried to wives, mothers and children that their loved ones who had left them but two hours before for a day of toil by which to win bread, were entombed in that mine. Within a short time, hundreds of men, women and children had assembled at the mine opening and the lamentations of the bereaved were heart-rending. Superintendent Grant at once assembled all of the men available and began the work of rescue. Men were dispatched from other sections. A large number came from Thomas WV. The officials of the Davis Coal and Coke Co. immediately called the Dept of Mines at Washington and the Government hurried their rescue car to the scene of disaster from Wilkes-Barre Penn, where it was stationed. Regular and special trains brought crowds of sympathizers and rescue workers from different sections and the work was kept up day and night with frequent relays of forces of men. The parties could work in the mines only an hour at a time because of the poisonous gasses, and the work was necessarily slow. four of the rescuing party, Wm Willis, Geo. May, Martin Garvey, Mine Supt. of Thomas and Supt. J W Paul, of the Government Bureau of Mines, were overcome by gas Tues afternoon and were revived only after very heroic treatment by mine expert rescuers and physicians.
By Mon. night they had found but one body, that of Wilbur Shears; about midnight five more were taken out. During the day Tues nine other bodies were found and Tues evening they found five others. Not until Wed noon were all of the bodies found and brought out of the mine.
Some of the bodies were blackened, burned and mangled. In many instances they were buried under tons of slate; in other instances death came solely from inhaling the heat. A temporary morgue was made of a nearby building and inquests were held there.
The miners have been working on short time all winter and it is feared that the families of some of the victims may be in want. It is thought that some action looking to their relief will be taken by the directors of the Company.
It is thought that the explosion was due to the accumulation of gas and dust inn the mine. The fan had not been running for some time until it was started Monday morning.
the bodies of thirteen men were recovered Tues. morning.
They were:
John Pritchard, married, hair and moustache burned off, body burned, asphyxiated.
Arthur Pritchard, single, head burned and squeezed, death from fractured skull.
William Pearson, married, death from fractured skull.
John F White, Sr., widower, death from lacerated thorax.
William Hetzel, married, death from carbon monoxide.
James Brown, married, death from asphyxiation.
Hawthorne Patton, single, death caused by shock.
Leo Dempsy, single, suffocated.
James Dempsy, married, slightly burned, death from inhaling heat.
Harry Trainum, married, death from inhaling heat.
Charles Wilson, single, death from inhaling heat.
Edward Hershberger, married, death from inhaling heat, slightly burned.
Thomas Wilson, face lacerated and head fractured, death from inhaling heat.
The body of Wilbur Shears, who died from asphyxiation, was taken out Mon. night.
Five of the bodies were buried Wed and the rest were buried Thurs. In another part of this paper can bee seen a complete list of the 23 names.

FROM OUR ELK GARDEN CORRESPONDENT

Monday morning April 24, at 8:30 o'clock a violent gas explosion occurred in mine No 20 by which 23 men lost their lives. The force of the explosion seems to have been in Dean and Baldwin headings.
As soon as the report went out that a violent gas explosion had occurred in No 20 mine, a feeling of horror came over the people as the rushed to the scene of the accident. The fan, which had been started early that morning, was uninjured. Supt. Robert Grant, mine foreman, John Kenny, cashier, R M Dean, and mine foreman, B S Coleman of 14 mine were soon on the ground and had the situation in hand. A guard was placed at the different openings. Crowds of people collected but good order prevailed. Bolts of bed ticking and other goods were hurriedly brought to the mine to construct temporary brattishing to get air into the mine. All the brattice had been blown out by the force of the explosion.
During the day, Supt Orestes Tibbetts, with 6 or 8 picked men from the WV Junction; Supt Martin Garvey, of Thomas; Supt P J Branan of Coketon, arrived. They assisted in an pushed forward the work of braddishing the mine headings. Mine Inspector, Mr Plaster, arrived in the afternoon. Larger grew the crowd as the work progressed. Men, women and children made their way to the scene, but the women and children kept at a distance from the openings.
Wilbur Shears was found first, several hours before any of the others were reached. He was some distance from the others. No other bodies were rescued until Mon night. five special trains came to the scene on Mon. This mine is but a few hundred yards from the Western Md RR at the foot of the mountain below Elk Garden. Mon night a special train brought General Superintendent Lee Ott from Cumberland. He had been at Baltimore. C H Smith, Vice President, and Gen Manager Durham, Coal & Iron Co, Ky, former assistant of B F Bush, with others arrived Mon night on special train.
D C Hershiser, train dispatcher from Cumberland, arrived Tues morning and established telegraphic communication from the mines. The Government Rescue Car No 1, Wilkes-Barre, Pa, arrived early Tues morning. Conductor D A Moran was in charge of this train, which made the run in eleven hours and thirty minutes. The rescuers began at once to train miners in the use of oxygen helmet which would enable them to go ahead of the air in the work of the rescue. These helmets aided materially in the work. By eight o'clock, fourteen bodies had been rescued, one in the Atlantic and thirteen in the Dean heading. The other nine bodies are in the Baldwin heading. The work is beginning to tell on the men, though they work by section. The bodies of the fourteen miners were brought out in mine cars, two at a time, and taken to a building for identification. Wagons were provided and the bodies were conveyed to Elk Garden where undertakers, F C Rolman and Wm H Kight took charge of them jointly. Festival and Moody's halls were both converted into morgues. The undertakers from Blaine are assisting in embalming the bodies, and Gordon B Greer, of the Clarksburg casket Co, is assisting. By nine o'clock Tues night all the entombed men were rescued. Some are badly bruised by falling rocks and faces and hands are burned. The hair is entirely burned off the heads of several. The morgues were open to the public an hour or more late Tues afternoon. It was then that the full realization of the disaster came in full force. No funerals will be held until Thursday. Following is a list of the 23 dead:
James Dempsey, married
Leo Dempsey, single
Ed Hershbarger, married
Wm Buski, single
Thomas Yost, married
Harry Trainum, married
Wilbur Shears, married
John White, widower
Wm Pearson, married
Geet White, single
Hawthore Patton, single
Frank Pugh, single
Wm Pugh, single
James Brown, married
Temor Runion, single
John Prichard, married
Arthur Pritchard, single
Wm Hetzel, married
John R Wilson, married
Charles Wilson, single
Thomas Wilson, married
Lester Wilson, married
Roy Wilson, married
All the dead are Americans except Wm Buski. Some of our best citizens are numbered with the dead. Our town is in deepest mourning. Everyone feels the heavy stroke. People retired Mon night, but could not sleep. The suspense was awful. May we never witness such a scene again.
Tues afternoon afternoon several of the rescuers were overcome by the after-damp. Geo May was brought from the mine unconscious an the physicians worked with him for some time. Martin Garvey, superintendent from Thomas, was also in a critical condition for a time. Drs Keim, Copeland, and two other physicians were at the mines at the time.
coroner F C Rollman has begun an inquest, but it will not be concluded until after the funeral services.
A free commissary was established at the mine by the Company and lunches given to everybody that came to the scene of the disaster, which was open night and day.
Inspector L D Vaugh, formerly of this place, was on the ground today. Friends and relatives of the deceased are coming in on every train. The remains of Wm Pearsonn were taken to Lonaconing Wed. morning where the body will be interred on Thurs.
Roland

NEWS TRIBUNE
MAY 5, 1911

FUNERAL SERVICES
OVER 23 MINERS WHO PERISHED IN NO 20 MINE
ELK GARDEN WVA
APRIL 24TH

The dead are buried.
The ghastly scenes that will remain in our memories while life shall last are now in the past. The heart still aches, but submits to the awful stroke, and feels that some day we shall understand.
It was stated last week that Festival and Moody's Halls were diverted into morgues and undertakers F C Rollman and Wm H Kight were given charge of the dead jointly. These undertakers and their assistants worked faithfully at their gruesome task. Hundreds of persons, home people and strangers, visited the morgues when conditions were suitable and thus realized to some extent the force of the awful calamity. Some of the dead were burned about the face and hands, some were bruised and faces scarred, while others showed no external signs of violence, but seemed to be calmly sleeping.
Wm Pearson's remains were taken to Lonaconing Wed morning to the home of his sister, Mrs Wm Reiber, for interment. His age is 32 years and he leaves a wife and three small children.
On Wed afternoon at five o'clock four of the Wilson's were interred in Nethken Hill cemetery. Revs. J W Bedford and L C Messick conducted the church service. The remains in the four caskets which were in the church at the same time were, John Wilson, aged 57 years, 5 months and 16 days. He leaves a wife and a number of children, all adults. Lester Wilson, aged 18 years, 2 months and 26 days, leaves a young wife. George Roy Wilson, aged 23 years, 6 months, 16 days, leaves a wife and two small children. Frank (Thomer) Wilson, aged 23 years, leaves a wife and two small children. Lester and George Wilson were both sons of Jno R Wilson and Frank Wilson his son-in-law.
Thursday was funeral day. The undertakers did their parts exceedingly well, and worked almost exact schedule time. the congregations gathered quietly and quickly and while one interment was going on in the cemetery, another funeral was being held in the church. The M E Church South, was used for all church funerals on Wed. The large crowds of people at the cemeteries, on the streets, and in the church were noted for their quiet demeanor and orderly conduct.
At seven o'clock in the morning Father O'Hara conducted the funeral services in the Catholic Church of James Dempsey, aged 57 years, Leo Dempsey, aged 23 years, and James Brown, aged 38 years. James Dempsey leaves a wife, one married and four single daughters and a small boy. His remains and that of his son Leo were taken to Barton for burial. James Brown leaves a wife, and two small children. His remains and those of Wm Buski, aged about 25 years, were taken to Westernport for burial.
At nine o'clock Rev Geo W Yost preached the funeral sermon of Harry Trainum, aged 26 years, at his residence. He leaves a wife and one small child.
At ten o'clock the funeral services of John R Prichard, aged 48 years, 8 months and 16 days, and his son, Arthur Prichard, aged 17 years, 9 months, and 28 days, were conducted at the church by Rev L C Messick. Mr Prichard leaves a wife and seven children, some of whom are grown.
At eleven o'clock in the church the funeral rites of Charles Wilson, aged 21 years and unmarried, son of Floyd Wilson, was conducted by Rev W J Bernard.
At twelve o'clock Rev J W Bedford conducted the funeral services of John White Sr, aged 42 years, and John White Jr, aged 24 years in the church. John White Sr. is a widower and leaves two daughters, Mrs Maude Shriber and Miss Goldie. John White Jr was single and was known by the name of "Geet."
At one o'clock the funeral services of Ed Hershbarger were conducted at his late residence by Rev L C Messick. His age was 33 years, 2 months and 17 days. He was the son-in-law of Rev W S Rau, and leaves a wife and two small children.
At two o'clock the funeral services of Hawthorn Patton, aged 20 years, son of F C Patton, was conducted by Rev J F Leeper in the church. Red Men of Elk Garden and Modern Woodmen of Kitzmiller Md, attended this funeral.
At three o'clock, the funeral services of William Hetzel, aged 61 years, were conducted in the church by Rev L C Messick. He leaves a wife and two grown daughters, one a widow and one single. The Mystic Chain attended this funeral.
At four o'clock, Rev J F Leeper conducted the rites of William Pugh, aged 24 years and Frank Pugh, aged 29 years, at the residence of their father, John Pugh. Both were unmarried. Frank Pugh was a fireman on the B&O and had been home on a furlough several months.
At five o'clock the funeral services of Walter Runion, son of John Runion, aged 19 years, 11 months, and 14 days, and Wilbur Shears, aged 31 years, 1 month, and 23 days, were conducted by Rev L C Messick in the church. Walter Runion was unmarried, but Wilbur Shears leaves a wife and five small children.
At six-thirty, the funeral services of Thomas Yost, aged 29 years, 4 months and 9 days were conducted in the church by Rev L C Messick. He leaves a wife and three small children.
Thus, as the evening shades were falling, the last of the ill fated miners were laid to rest.
Rev L C Messick was assisted by Rev A B Mann of Bayard, Rev Geo Burgess of Laurel Dale, and Rev W S Ran of Virginia.
The choir was composed of Misses May Arnold, Lizzie Grant, Olie Clark, Lou Barrick, Mrs Maude Grant, Mrs Rosa Dean, Mr and Mrs D C Arnold, Messrs James Norman and David McKinley of Elk Garden, and Prof Groves, Mr Burns, and Mrs Richard Markwood of Kitzmiller.
But what will the Davis Coal & Coke Company do for the widows and friends of the unfortunate victims of the explosion? In the first place, $400 will be paid for each death, which is the amount of miners' insurance with the Company. In the second place, the Company pays the funeral expenses, which amounts to $2160.60, and further the widows are allowed to get goods at the B&L store to satisfy their immediate needs, and the prices of the goods is not deducted form the insurance.
In giving credit for heroism displayed in rescue work at the mine we do not wish to detract any credit due the many faithful mine officials, but we do wish to commend the miners of the Elk Garden region, including Wabash, Oakmont, Kitzmiller and from distant mines for their coolness, skill and daring. It was their brother miners entombed and they toiled, they braved the dangerous gases, they reeled under the influence of the poison, and when refreshed plunged into the mines again. The city dailies drew on their imagination in stating that women and children were at the mines uttering heart-rending cries. The women in nearly every case staid at home, and there patiently bore the awful suspense until their loved ones lifeless forms were brought to them by the undertaker.
It is difficult to tell which were the greater heroes, the women remaining at home in the deepest grief, watching, hoping, praying, or the miners braving the deadly gases to rescue the bodies of their unfortunate comrades.

NEWS TRIBUNE
MAY 12, 1911

THE MINE DISASTER

After his return from Elk Garden, Chief Laing of the State Dept of Mines, gave out a statement in which he relates in a detailed manner the apparent cause of the explosion in the No 20 maine which killed 23 men.
One notable fact, is shown in this statement, and that is that five men escaped from a wet entry of the mine where there was little coal dust, thus demonstrating that the explosion primarily caused by a blown out shot from the solid was made a catastrophe by dust not dampened. The evidence gathered, the chief states, seems to point to the breaking of the mining law by their miners, who are thought to have used black powder.
"After a thorough examination of the mine by these experts, it was very easily determined that had the mine been damp or had it been sufficiently watered, as it should have been, the disaster would not been as widespread as it was; and there is no doubt in the minds of any of the gentlemen who investigated the explosion but what dust was the main factor in the explosion.
But while the mine was known to liberate a small amount of gas, it was quite evident that gas was not the cause of the explosion as the men had been at work with naked lights at the face of their working places.
The only possible way that department can avoid accidents of this kind is to prohibit absolutely any shooting of any kind or character in such mines that are dry and dusty during the day or while men are at work and that expert shot-firers be employed for the purpose of doing all blasting after all men have left the mine.
A ruling of this kind will for a short time work more or less hardship on the miners and perhaps curtail the output of the mine, but is the only way that I see to prevent a repetition of the accident and I have issued a circular letter so each of the inspectors of the different districts to put such ruling into the force at once, as we cannot permit dangers of this kind to exist where every man's life is depending on the most reckless miner.
We expect to meet with some complaints and opposition against this order, but we propose to execute it regardless of how it may be approved of by either miners of operators."

Various Newspapers Articles regarding this Mine Explosion

"The Daily State Journal" Headlines: Mine Explosion ... Parkersburg, West Virginia. Tuesday, April 25, 1911
"Parkersburg Sentinel" 15 Bodies Recovered....Parkersburg, West Virginia, Tuesday evening, April 25, 1911
"Can't read the paper it is from" Article entitled Mine Horror in West Virginia; 10 Men Killed"
Weston Mail, April 26, 1911 Last of 23 Bodies Out; Overcharge of Explosive, Assigned
"The Fairmont (can't read the rest of it)" April 25, 1911 Fifteen Miners' Bodies Have Been Recovered
"?The Fairmont" Bodies are Recovered
"?The Fairmont" Inquest Being Held To-Day
"The Hinton Daily News and Leader" Hinton, WV, Tuesday Evening April 25, 1911
.....Elk Garden Scene of Big Mine Explosion and April 26, 1911 Fifteen Bodies Taken out of Ill Fated Mine
"Parkersburg Dispatch News," Parkersburg, West Virginia, Tuesday, April 25, 1911, Twenty Three Miners are Entombed by Explosion at Ott near Elk Garden on Western Maryland Road
"Parkersburg Dispatch News," Parkersburg, West Virginia, Wednesday morning, April 26, 1911 Fifteen Bodies are Recovered from Illfated Miine at Ott near Elk Garden
"Parkersburg Dispatch News," Parkersburg, West Virginia, Friday morning, April 28, 1911 A Day of Funerals at Elk Garden
"Parkersburg Dispatch News," Parkersburg, West Virginia, Saturday morning, April 29, 1911 Mine Officials Not Blamed

MINE OFFICIALS NOT BLAMED
Parkersburg Dispatch-News, Saturday Morning, April 29, 1911

Cumberland, MD April 28, (Special) After a session covering almost two days the coroner's jury, which probed the Ott mine disaster, near Elk Garden, in which 23 miners, all American except one,lost their lives Monday morning, rendered a verdict this afternoon that the men came to their deth by a blown out charge, fired by James Pugh, or his son, Arthur, int he Ken heading, causing the dust to ignite, the fatal explosion following, and that no blame attaches to the Davis Coal and Coke Company.

The jury was composed of six men, summoned by Coroner Rolman, and the witnesses were examined by Chief State Mine Inspector Laing. In all, there were about 12 witnesses including Chief State Mine Inspector O'Connor; District Inspectors Martin and Plaster; the two men who oeprated the fan that supplied the miine with air; superintendent Orestos Tibbetts of the mines of the Davis Coal and Coke Company at Beryl, and a number of miners.

Superintendent Tibbetts, who headed the rescuers, told of conditions found in the mine. The testimony all went to show that the company had not been derelict. The testimony showed that Mine Foreman Kenny had just completed an inspectin of the mine before the explosion occurred. The explosion was "local" in charater. Five men in the other portions of the mine escaped unhurt. Men had been at work the day before cleaning up the mine and it was then in good shape. The jury was about 10 minutes in reaching the verdict. The inquest was held in the Elk Garden school house.

Arthur Arnold, prosecuting attorney of Mineral County, W. Va. and Attorney Bowers, of the Davis Coal and Coke Company, were present at the hearing.

Explosion Was Due to Blow-Out Shot
Xerox copy does not include the name of the paper the article is located
The xerox copy is too poor to read the actal date of either April 28 or April 29

Elk Garden, W.Va., April 2?. That the death of 2? men was caused by a blown-out shote fired by James Pritchard or his son Arthur was the finding of the coroner's just last night at the inquest into Monday's explosion in Ott mine of the Davis Coal & coke Company. Both Pritchard and his son were amonth the victims. Coroner Rollman, who conducted the inquest, stated that no evidence was presented that would indicate (can't read) the part of the company.

Miner Blamed for Explosion
Xerox copy does not include the name of the paper the article is located
The xerox copy has not copied adequately the last two or three lines of the article which I shall show below.

Elk Garden, W.Va. april 27 -- John Pugh, one of the miners killed in the recent explosion int he Ott Mine No. 20, was blamed with causing the disaster in a statement issued by Gneral Manager Lee Ott of the Davis Coal & Coke Company, today. He said from conditions found where the bodies of Pugh and his son were discoered that Pugh evidently used an over-charge of an explosive intended to covercome an excessive resistance,which was weakened bya "slip." When the blast took place the explosion spread,igniting gas, which caused the disaaster. The last three bodies of the 23 victims were found today.

The funerals of a number of the victims was held today, and Elk Garden has practically recovered from (probably two lines missing) disaster.

They Died in the Darkness by Lacy A. Dillon
Chapter 15, pp. 105-108 "Elk Garden April 24, 1911

The accident happened 8:30 Monday morning.
"By nine o'clock Tuesday night the final body was brought outside."

"Thousands of spectators from all directions came into the town to see the results of the disaster and the people's reaction to such a gross tradegy. All funerals were set to be in Elk Garden on Thursday. A schedule was made for each funeral so that there would be no conflicts or overlapping at the various church denominations."

"All the miners were insured by the coal company for four thousand dollars payable to the proper beneficiary. The widows and dependents were given credit and charity at the company store. It was seen that none of them were in want. The company also paid all the funeral expenses. The total amounting to $2,160.60 for all twenty-three victims.

My calculation from the Inflation Calendar:
($4,000 in 1911 = $71,309.09 in 2000.)
$2,160.60 in 1911 = $38,506.91 in 2000.)

For further information regarding West Virgnia Coal Mines
http://www.rootsweb.com/~wvcoal/
Recently rootsweb linked this page to their site.

April 28, 2001