Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-06-21
MEN IN A BURNING MINE.
roun MEN suFFocarEp ny SMOKE
AND FLAMES.
An Incendiary Fire In the Mary Lee
Mines ut Lewisburg Comes Near
ISining rifty Miners-Aii hut
-Four Escape, However,.


BY Associated Press.
Birmingham, June 20.-I'ire was dis
covered In the coal mines OF the Mary
Lee Coal and Railway company at
Lewisburg, ten miles from Birmlng-
ham. at O'Clock this afternoon. The
FIRE broke out 400 feet from the open
ing OF the mine. one hundred men
were at work at the time. fifty of
tiiem being beyond the fire and their
only way Of e=cape bsing through the
flames and smoke. UP to late hour
tonight four dead bodies have been re-
covered and many Of those stlll alive
are Frustrated from suftoeation.
John Whalen, superintendent Of the
Mary Lee Coal ana Railway company's
mines. leaves wife and several chill
dreD.
q. w. Baskins, miner. aged about
40, leaves a family.
William mckenzie, aged is years ana
an unknown white man, whose DOuy
mas not yet been identned.
When It was known that the mine
was ON fire the iifty men VINO were I'M
prisoned began making enorts TO es-
cape. The greater part OF them We're
loaded into the tramcars. when were
drawn through the names ana snlJhe
by means oil Wire caples as rapiuiy as
possible. Others took their chances IN
maklng u dash through the smoke.
Some got out alive and others We're
less fortunate and fell victims to the
smoke and hre. Among the latter was
Superintendent Whalen, VINO was pros
trated and died just as he was brouBhl
out The work Of rescue went on tor
several hours,
xtsh alive
had been taken out OF the mines. Many
of them bfc ught Out IN tram cars Were
suffocated as the cars had Of necessity
to be drawn right through the smoke
that filled the mine
A number of physicians were at the
mouth Of the pit, as was also the en-
tire population OF the town OF LeWls-
burg, Mothers, wives and children
were Wild with grief and II was with
the, greatest difficulty that they We're
restrained from dashing into the burn
ing mine In an effort to rescue their
loved ones. As rapidly as The suiio-
Gated miners were brought out they
were taken In hand by physicians and
efforts made to revive them -Four died
| from suffocatiun. The others Who were
Frustrated VIII, II 10 thUuSht, recoN !,
| II is believed that all the men have
| been accounted for. though later IN
vestigation may show further fatal
| tiles.
The owners Of the mine are positive
| that II was set or FIRE. The mine has
| recently started up with new labor
| having been closed down previous 10
| that On account Of the strike There Is
no clue as to the inceudiaries. The fire
| H. the mills is still raging at furious
| rate The FIRE department II ON Blr-
| mlnghnm has been sent to play on II
and are now fighting the flome1
The fire began in a lot Of refuse coa
where no work was being done. II wa.
| directly In the mems way and had
not ono Of tho men working IN the min,
discovered II before II had gained great
Roadway. not one OF the atty miners
would have escaped alive. The early
discovery OF the flames enabled many
TO escape by running through ms
smoke. Those working far hack II
the mine We're notified as quickly al
possible But when they arrived NJ Tho
FIRE they could not pass and II wa
then that they werc loaded in tran
on.. and dr., wn throug the s'ar'e an,
flames.