BELMONT COUNTY OHIO - William Payunk's death/obit, Jan 11, 1925 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00015.html#0003643 October 15, 1998 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ William Payunk's death/obit. From the Bellaire Daily Leader, Mon, Jan 11, 1925, pg 1, col 2&3: 4 Bodies Are Taken From Mine Interior Debris Is Removed ----------------- Cleveland & Western Officials Aid Hardesty In Investigation to Determine Explosions's Cause --------------------- On the grounds that it is against state mining laws for powder to be taken into a mine on a motor, Coroner Clyde Hardesty, at the conclusion of his investi- gation into the explosion which resulted in the death of four men at the Powhatan mine of the Cleveland & Western Coal company, gave a verdict today holding the company responsible for the tragedy. The blast, the coroner found, occured when a large quantity of powder, taken into the mine on a motor, ignited. The state mining laws, the coroner said today, re- quire powder to be hauled into a mine by a mule or horse. The explosion occured Saturday evening, and caused the death of the following men: Charles Luxbacher, 42, n ight foreman; William Payunk, 32; Andy Artor, 34, and Will- iam Bell, 26, all of Powhatan. The blast occured at 9:10 o'clock, several minutes after Luxbacher and Payunk had entered the mine on a motor with 57 kegs of powder, each containing 25 pounds. It was a usual Saturday night duty for the two men, and they were engaged at the task of distributing the powder among the various working places in the mine, when the explosive ignited. Both men on the motor, it is believed, were killed outright, as their bodies when removed from under a heap of debris, 1500 feet from the main entrance, were badly mangled. TWO SUFFOCATED The bodies of Artor and Bell were found more than 2,000 feet from the scene of the blast. They were pump- ing water in the mine when the ex- plosion occured. Both of them, it is believed, were suffocated. It is also thought that the two men made a desperate effort to escape from the mine before they were overcome with the fumes which spread throughout the mine's interior immediately after the explosion. Rescue crew got to work after the air passages had been cleared. The bodies of Luxbacher and Payunk were located shortly before midnight Saturday night and those of Artor and Bell at 6 o'clock Sunday morning. News of the explosion spread rapidly and a large percentage of the residents of Powhatan were soon as- sembled at the mine entrance. The rescue team of Buckeye Chapter, James a Holmes Safety Association, Bellaire, reached the scene bfor mid- night and aided in the work of re- covering the bodies. The four men who were killed were the only ones in the mine at the time of the explosion. An investigation of the mine's in- terior today revealed that Lux- bacher and Payunk were well along to the work of distributing the powder when the blast occured. Less than half of the explosive remained on the motor it is believed. Damage Slight. The interior of the mine was not badly damaged by the explosion and it could be operating today were it not customary for miners, after such a tragedy, to suspend work for a day or two out of respect to the memory of the mine accident victims. Some timbers were splintered and a small section of the passage way clogged with debris but most of the wreckage had been cleared away before noon to- day. The crine motor was completely demolished. The theory that the powder was touched off by a spark from the motor is given the most credence al- though officials of the Cleveland & Western Coal company declared to- day that there were several different ways in which the blast could have occured. Until the cause is definite- ly established, they will refrain from voicing their own thoughts. The bodies of the victims have been removed to the H.P. Gibson morgue at Powhatan. Arrangements for the funerals have not been completed but it is possible that joint services will be held, possibly tomorrow afternoon. Mine locals of Powhatan and vicinity will attend as a body. All of the blast victims were well known and liked in Powhatan and the tragedy cast a pall over the entire community. Luxbacher was married and is sur- vived by his wife and six children, all of whom are miners. Payuak is sur- vived by a widow and two children. Arter and Bell were single. Saturday night's tragedy at the Powhatan mine was the first fatal ac- cident there since the mine resumed operations after a long suspension early in the fall. Despite the fact that it is one of the largest mines in the county, the mine operated for months without having an accident of more than a minor nature. The em- ployees were drilled in safety and first aid methods and prided themselves on the record which they were making. --------------------------- Maggie ==== Maggie_Ohio Mailing List ====