The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-05-20
Only One Man Survives Ex-
pIosIon in Mine al Coal
Greek, Tenn
SCENES OF GRIEF ARE
BEYOND DESCRIPTION
Rescuers Worked Like Demons out
the Worst Had Happened ana
They Walked Along Con-
tinuous Tomb of Death.

Coal Creek, Tenn, May 19.-rhe worst
disaster In the history Of Tennessee min
ing occurred at 7:so o'clock this morning
when between 175 and 225 men and boys
met instant death at the Braterville coal
mine, located two miles west Of town, as
the result Of gas explosion.
Out of the large number of men and
boys who went to work this morning, de-
velopments at 10 O'Clock tonight show
that only one Is alive and he is so badly
injured that he cannot live. This man
was William Morgan. an aged English
man. who was a roadnau In the mine ana
was blown out of the entrance by the
force of the explosion.
One hundred and seventy miners were
checked in for work this morning by
the mine boss. In addition to these there
were boys who acted as helpers drivers
roadmen and others to the number Oh
perhaps fifty.
Fraterville mine is the oldest in the
Coal Creek district. having been opened
In 1870 1t is fully three miles from the
mines opening to the point where the
men were at work. They had not been
at work long before the terrible explo-
sion occurred There was a fearful roar
and then flames shot from the entrance
and the air shaft
News of the disaster spread like wild
Il = but as soon as order could be
brought out of chaos two searching par
ties were started in, one at the main en-
trance the other through Thistle mine.
which adjoins but in which no men wero
at work The Thistle party was unable
to make any headway, the gas stifled
the workers.
Worked Like Demons.
The Fratervlle party went fully two
miles under the earth until a heavy fall
of slate was encountered At this barrier
men worked like demons hoping against
hope that those beyond might be safe.
The scenes at the mouth of the mine
while the workers were within Is beyond
description. Business was suspended In
Coal Creek and all its mines as soon
as the news of the disaster became
known. and men, women and children
gathered around he FraterVille entrance.
Women whose husbands and sons were
within were wild with grief.
All Qdy lOHB Tie ASSSuCio Shi 700 IN O.
the barrier and not until o'clock did
they force an entrance through 1t. Up
to that hour only five dead bodies had
been recovered, and hope was still high
that those in side were safe The hopes of
the living were doomed, however, for
when once the rescuersN could enter and
proceed they walked alongsone continuous
tomb of death. No sign of life Every
bad heIiaVed although
IT will be early in the morning before
the rooms can be entered.
Eight dead bodies were first recovered,
and these were sent to Coal Creek.
Twenty-six more were soon gathered to-
day They were not disflgured beyond
Identification, and each corpse as 1t was
borne from the mouth of the gigantic
tomb, was soon surrounded by eager
crowds of relatives of men who were en-
tom bed. The mine was not on fire except
in remote portions and all bodies will per-
haps be reached before daylight
Partial List of Victims.
A partial list of the victims. scarcely
one-third, is as follows:
George Adkins. mine foreman, head
blown off; James Hightower, Robert
Smith Robert Price, James Slower, Will
liam Price. Roscoe Bradley. Williams
bradley. Charles Vandergrift w. ].
Oscar Murray, William Murray, Marion
Robert Smith, Carl Discern etaoinnnn
Wilson, Bailey Wilson, Mandy Web
her. Robert Smith Carl Discern.
George Discern. Bannie Vowel and two
sons Richard Massengif. Scott Hudson.
Robert Smith, James Hightower, George
Adkins James Whitten and 10-year-oid
son. ed Sorrel and i5-year-old son, John
Aikcns and two sors. James Strickland.
pete- Chlldress William Childress, John
Childrces, James Childress. Joe Smittey.
Edward Sinittey. Charles Atkins Boyd
Atkins. Frank Sharp, Oscar Sharp, Rufus
webb. Leon Miller. Roscoe Miller, Ben
Shnrp Albert Goodman, Cit, Hightower
Thomas Disney
The Fratery1,le mine is owned by the
coal creel; Coal Company. C. which NAL
f r. Namp is president. He was in Gin
,innati tnd ls now hurrying to the scene
of tho disaster.
In lsc1. nftur inspecting Eratervile
mine state Commissioner of Labor, r. A
sbine.,. reported that the ventilation
uas not Up TO requir ements, that the
suroaco was Inadequate to ventilate the
min and thai aIrways were choked In
nIaees. He found that l64 were ut work
m the cay of his visit, requiring by
statute 1890 cubic scct OF air per min
ute Tho volume of air entering the mine,
hn says. was only 5000 cubic feet per
minute.
Mine Inspector Talks.
I-noxvillc, Tenn, May 19.-Mine Inspec-
tor Shifett who was at Nashville when
,be news Of the disaster reached him.
Is OF, his way to Coal Creek.
..It is awful" ne said, when told of the
disaster 81 know personally nearly
every r,a.s who worked in that mine.
am surprised that the accident occurred.
The company has recently installed a big
sixtc.n foot fan fer keeping the nine
yen.fiated md this was considered amply
saftcicnt for the purpose. My last in
cpection was made in January, 1902 The
defects | had pointed out In a previous
inspection had practically been rcmedied.
B@tIer ventilation was urged In that re-