The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-22
SCENE OF DISASTER.
Women and Children TearfuIIy Await Rescue Of Loved Ones.

- Women and Children TearRuIIy Await
 Rescue of Loved Ones.
 The first body to be taken from the mines at Virginia in which the awful explosion happened yesterday afternoon was that of John Brown. the boss driver.
 The body was brought to the surface by the rescuers at o'clock this morn ing. The remains were practically charred. but still were to be recog niZed. The rescuers who started to work short while after the explosion on yesterday worked hard. The men who volunteered to assist were divided into shifts, and they could take their turn in carrying fresh air into the mines, providing an air course and re- placing props so as to make the place safe for those whe were at work.
 There was no further find of bodies until after Ii o'clock. when the res cuers commenced sending out the bodies as they came across them in the mines. The indications pointed to the men dying from black damp" or the shock following the explosion. There is but little doubt that the explosion was one known as dry explosion" or dust ex- plosion.' The mines are badly dam aged, In addition to the serious loss of life.
 Thomas Tinney. the check weighman for the miners, gave out a list thls morning of ninety-six diggers who were in the mines at the time of the explosion There were twenty com pany men. such as drivers, track k-men etc, running the total up to 116 men.
 People Were Frantic.
 The scenes around the mines today hA -N.A the surface were narrowing. Women and children. weeping loudly, watched the men unload the dead bodies from the tram cars which came from the mines and as they saw features which resembled loved ones they became fran tic.
 It was necessary to put up boards around the entrance to the slope on account of the immense crowd which gathered. The women could not be re- strained and their sorrow made many hearts bleed. The rescue gang ia d. vided into shifts and now that the mines have been provided with free air it is expected that the bodies can be recovered with more ease. The work of rescuing bodies will probably continue until tomorrow. contract has been made with Kennedy Bros. undertakers of Bessemer. to handle the bodies and prepare them for interment.
 There Is but little doubt but that the explosion was that called dust" explo- sion. Ii took place at the regular shooting" hour in the mines. just as the miners were preparing to quit for the day. The men who were not kill ed by the shock, which was terrific all throug hthe entire mines, were sufrocat- ed by the black damp" which always follows dust explosion Three- fourths Of the victims are white men and more than half Of them are men ot families.
 List of Dead.
 Thomas Tinney, check weighman for the miners. this morning gave out the following list of men who were at work at the time Of the explosion Tussa Last. Italian; Will Meeks. Barney 'Kiker, w. A. Meeks. Luke Bailey Earn est Hopkins, Tom Griggsby, Robert Beale. James Brown Fred Smedley, NJ l.. Turner Sam Birchheld. John Gal lagher, Fred Morgan, A. Larrsi, Ital- ian; Charles McFalls. E. l.. Cargo, D. Truillias, James Meachim, J, H. Dan- ner. Pat Meachim, w. M. Dixon, S. T. Carter, Lee Hardeman. F.. H. Bryant Steve Crawley. Charles Crawley. J. C. Weaver. o. M. Parson. J. F.. Burden, H Meachim, w w. Shumaker J. H. Poole, Sandy Nelson, Harry Hughes, N. R Poole. w. NJ. Wright L. Antonio. ItaI- ian; Henry Stevens, Roda Rafael, Ital. ian: w, Fl. Donaldson. D. Tussle Ital, ian; John Penley. J. D. Wells, Richard Tidmore. John Coheela. Ben Chastine Peter Smith. G. M. Penley. NJ Lawrence Joe Scott, Dave Harris, Kirby Powell Roley Bennett, Lonzo Eiro. Italian: Ira Powell. Sam Sloggett. Bart SloEgett R D. HassleT Steve Hawkins, Jack