Tazewell County, Virginia, Newspaper Articles: Clinch Valley News--November 29, 1901 Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Michelle Burress http://www.cvnotes.com ==================================================================== Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ==================================================================== Clinch Valley News November 29, 1901 A fatal shooting affray occurred in Abbs Valley last Sunday in which brothers were the participants. Thomas LAMBERT, son of Sam LAMBERT, shot and seriously wounded his brother, Harry. One ball entered his mouth and, we are informed, a large portion of his chin was shot off by another. The man who did the shooting is said to be a deserter from the United States army and his reputation in his community would not stand much investigation. Last reports say the wounded man is in a severe condition. ----- Mr. Editor - We have heard frequent inquiring as to our correspondent, "Cyclone," why he remains silent so long, etc. so to break the monotony we have decided to give you a few jottings. J.H. SUMMERS, W.C. HARMAN & son, Gratton A. ST. CLAIR, E.E. HALE and a number of others from here attended Court last Tuesday. W.W. MCCLANAHAN has quit the opossum business and is now trading in mules. He sole two fine ones court day. T.E. NASH who has been building a company road from Reynold's shop to Mrs. Mollie SHRADER orchard, was seen on the street court day inquiring for M.F. NEEL, said it was a very important matter pertaining to public, roads, but we imagine there's a "Woman in the case." Mrs. Mollie HICKS, wife of Rev. W.W. HICKS, who has been visiting in our midst for several weeks, has to the regret of her many friends, returned to her home at Chilhowie, Va. Mrs. S.J. SHRADER, daughter of Mrs. Martha BANE, who has been in Bluefield several weeks, for medical treatment has returned to her home in Giles County. Mrs. Julia A. WITTEN sister of William SUMMER, has just gotten back from Texas. Mrs. A. ST. CLAIR was visiting Miss Annie BROTHERTON and others in Pearisburg last week. C.A. BANE is having his house newly painted. Mrs. A.A. CARTER who has Scarlet fever, is quite convalescent now. -------------------- Pocahontas, Va., Nov. 21 - Resolutions adopted by Pocahontas Lodge No. 90 (Knights of Pythias) on the death of our brother J. Louis WOOLWINE. The griim reaper, Death has again entered our ranks and taken from among us, in the prime of his life, our dearly beloved brother J. Louis WOOLWINE, and while we bow in humble submission to the will of Him; who doeth all things well, we deeply deplore the sad and distressing manner in which our brother was ? from his family and friends. Be it therefore resolved, that we extend our sincere sympathy to the family of our departed brother in this hour of sorrow, and pray him who ruleth over all to comfort them in their affliction. And, as it resolved, that we deeply feel the loss of our late brother, who has at all times been a dutiful son, loyal husband, and true knight, and who proved his bravery in sacrificing his life in the effort to save the lives of others. Be it further resolved, that our Lodge be draped in the mourning for thirty days as a token of our respect for our departed brother and that a copy of these resolutions be spread on our record, a copy sent to the bereave family, to The Bluefield Telegraph, and to our County papers for publication. J.M. NEWTON, Max WEINBERGER, W.L. MUSTARD Bluestone ---------------------- Not seeing anything from Cyclone for sometime, we suppose he has took advantage of his name and flew away. Our section of the country in fixing to boom S.A. RUBLE and W.L. PARDUE, are preparing to build fine residence. D.H. BIRD is preparing to start to Florida, or at least, he says he is going. W.C. HARMAN has build a black smith shop. There is no necessity of any one's horse going bare footed, except the black smiths horses. T.E. NASH is building a new road in the mountain near here. We hear a big boon from that direction about once a day. An infant child of Mr. and Mrs. Chester STEPHENSON died last Friday and was taken to Wittens Mill and interred in the church yard at that place. Mrs. A.A. CARTER who has been quite sick with something like scarlet fever, has we are glad to say, entirely recovered. C.A. BANE is putting the finishing touches on his house and from what Charles says, he is going to obey the Holywrit where it says, "It is not good for men to live alone." J.H. SUMMER has got to be a trader. He traded knives once, dogs twice, horses three times during one week, and is ready for another trade. PISGAH -------------------------- Mr. Charley HARMAN of Sawyersville is boarding with his Uncle A.S. PEERY and going to school at Tazewell College. Miss G. BUCHANAN went to Tazewell last Friday. Mr. Walter WHITE of Paint Lick was visiting Reese YOUNG last Saturday night, and also called on his "best girl." Messrs. Peery FARMER, Arthur and Ornion DAILEY of Baptist Valley were visiting W.M. PEERY last Sunday. Mr. J.W. BUCHANAN gave a corn husking today. Mr. R.W. CECIL was visiting Mr. Reece HOWERY last Sunday. Mr. Sam PEERY was visiting relatives in Baptist Valley last Saturday night. Miss Rosa BAKER attended the Lecture at Tazewell Monday night. Mr. Charley BELEW of Tazewell was visiting Mr. Joe CECIL last Friday. Pocahontas, Va. Nov. 25 - The story of the mines in which the bodies of the eight men entombed in the West mine at Pocahontas since Friday was related to your correspondent to day by one of the rescue party. Repeated efforts put forth by forty experienced miners led by H.P. REES, Chief of the Fire Department had been defeated by the death - dealing fumes occasioned by the fire in the mine and time and again the party attempted to penetrate the innermost depths of the mine, by way of the main entrance, only to be so affected by the gasses that it was with difficulty they fought their way back to the pure air. Late Saturday night they had forced their way 3,500 feet in the bowels of the earth, when it became apparent that further progress in that direction could only result in the death of the entire party. After fighting their way back to safety a consultation was held with the officials of the company, among them Secretary and Treasurer Thorn, and President Campbell, who came there from Philadelphia, and it was not practicable to make any further attempt in this direction. It was then suggested that something might be accomplished from the Tug River entrance, eight miles distant, overland, and more than three miles through the mine. This suggestion was adopted and the heroic rescuers had gone in less than a thousand feet when they stumbled over the first body. It was that of A.S. HURS, chief coal inspector for Caster, Curran and Bullitt. In his hands were tightly clasped a scrap of paper and a pencil, indicating that he had been trying to write a last fond message to his loved wife and children. The next body found was that of Inspector William ODHAM, and a short distance further in all that was mortal of Frazier BELL, a mining engineer, was found. Probably fifty feet further brought the rescuers to the corpse of W.J. PREECE mine inspector for the Southern District of West Virginia. A short distance further the rescuers were startled to see Superintendent Walter O'MALLEY, of the Pocahontas Collieries Company sitting upright propped against the wall, as though still breathing the breath of life. The ends of his fingers had been gnawed away by rats. the next sight that greeted the eyes of the rescuer was pathetic one. Manager J.A. CARDWELL of the Shamokin Company, and Coal Inspector W. Morris ST. CLAIR lay breast to breast with their arms tightly twined around each other. CARDWELL had had a hemorrhage and his body and face were badly swollen. Some difficulty was experienced in unclasping the embrace of the men. The last victim was found some distance further in the mine. He was R.E.L. ST. CLAIR of Bluefield. By his side was an empty match box and the charred ends of the matches it had contained were scattered around his body. the death of these men is rendered all the more pathetic by the fact that they had struggled through more than three miles of poisonous vapors, only to succumb to dread white damp when almost in sight of safety. It ? that they blundered at the last critical moment. Had they turned to the left instead of the right, five hundred feet further it would have brought them to the pure air at the Tug River entrance as it was they wandered into a blind passage. That the poor fellows made a desperate struggle for life was evidenced by their appearance when found. They had taken their coats and handkerchiefs to wrap their heads in, and I am told that one had even torn up his shirt to make bandages with which to cover his mouth and nose. There were thousands of strangers in the city from all parts of the coal fields. Saturday was pay day and the miners from the Elkhorn region come in more to have a holiday than to help in the work of rescue. Many hearts were sad, but mingled with them were drunks of almost every nationality under the globe. Much disorder prevailed among this class, who did not seem to care for the solemnity of the occasion.