The age-herald., 1898-03-20
DEATH CAME IN EARLY MORNING

Yesterday morning about o'clock a ter rife explosion occurred in slope at Pratt mines and as a result six negro convicts are dead. Their names are as follows: GEORGE JONES, Jefferson county. ALEX SHELTON, Jefferson county. WILL SCOTT, Chiffon county. HENRY JOHNSON, Jefferson county. TOM OLIVER, Jefferson county.
 ELI LANHORN, Shelby county All of the men were serving long terms and three of them had life sentences.
 The cause of the explosion is not deh nitely known, but the general impression is that 1t was from fire damp. There was some dynamite in the mine which was used for blasting purposes, out it is be- lieyed that this did not explode. The night shift was working in the mine when the explosion occurred. The SIX men killed re supposed to have been working at the face of the heading, about two miles from the mouth of the mine. Another gang of men was working about 1,G00 feet from the unfortunates. According to their story they heard a loud explosion and felt the earth tremble. A number of men and mules were knocked down by the concus- sion. Numerous boards and frattices were blown out of place and the air shaft was disaTanged Immediately following the explosion there was a great rush of after
  tily made their escape to the surface.
 Air Shafts Out of Place
 Superintendent P J. Rogers was notified and hurried to the scene. A number of men went down into the mine as far as possible but for a long time the dead miners could not be approached, as all the air shafts near them were torn out of place.
 A force of men was at once put to work repairing the air shaft and clearing the mine of the afterdamp which had accumu- lated.
 Superintendent Rogers remained in the mine until 11:30, and when he came to the surface to take breathing spell. he stated that at that time it was impossible to tell the cause of the disater. He said that all the missing men had undoubtedly perished, and after events proved that he was cor rect in his conclusions.
 About o'clock the bodies of four of the men were discovered All of them were recognizable, but two were slightly burned about the hands.
 At 8 o'clock the other two were discov- cred about 15O feet below the point where the first were found.
 Working on Air Shaft
 When the explosion occurred the six ne- groes were working on the air shaft. Fire Boss Turner was in chage or the gang which was woking nearest the six men, MT. Turner says he noticed no gas in the mine prior to the explosion. The men who were working under him bear him out -sn this statement.
 The mine has always been considered one of the best ventilated in the state and no gas has been found for many months, al- though it has been tested daily. In view of this fact it. seems peculiar that the ex- plosion was the result of fire-damp, put an official of the Tennessee Coal, Iron ana Railroad company tod an Age-iera.d re- porter that this was believed to have been the cause
 There was no powder in the mine at the time of the explosion. All the blasting was being done with dynamite, but 1t IS not now known whether or not this was ex- ploded. - ,,..,o
 The mine was damaged very little, an other evidence of fire damp. The day shift was put to work soon after the regular time. By Monday everything will be in working order again. State Mine Inspector J. D. Hillhouse ana his two assistants will make an of11ciad investigation on Monday, and the cause or the explosion will be definitely known
 The report that the mine caught on nre and was burning is untrue.