The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-23
81 BODIES
 RECOVERED Digging Out the Miners Who PerlShed.
$ MORE YET TO COME
Stench from Decomposing
 Corpses in Evidence.
Generous People of BirminshamI and Vicinity Raisang Keller Fund fer Families of AGsa who
 Lost Their Lives.

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 Birminghan, Feb. 22.-(speciai. )-- Bad air and the awful stench arising from decomposing bodies of victims has interfered considerably with the work of rescuers at Virginia Mines.
 With eighty-one bodies recovered to- night. there are indications that thirty five more are yet in the mines with nearly dozen head of mules
 A lafge amount of disinfectant was sent to the mines today. and efforts win be made to get the balance of the bodies by tomorrow afternoon.
 The coroner and his jury viii not be- gin actual work until all the victims have been taken out of the mines.
 Almost all the day was taken up at Virginia Mines in getting out bodies. and some time before night over sew enty-fve remains of miners and mine workers had been brought to the sur face. The scenes about the mines were stil heartrendins: Many women i. are still weeping. A report that one man was taken out with signs of life still in his body Is somewhat exaggerated. The man who was brought out with his body stiil a little warm was seen to make a gasp and then drop back limp.
 Mr. Flynn. of the United Mine work CTS of America. stated when he arrived dc the scene Monday evening that in. his palnion none of the victims could Dc ss9sd ana that whsn tho sesoasna party gSt into the mines the men would an be dead.
 The bodies of the victins all show that the dust explosion did take place. Priestly roulmin. the member of the State Mine Examining Board. today stated that there was fire flash at the same time that the dust exploded. the victims all being badly charred There was not much blood to be seen about the men who were caught in the mine. the blood being dried up by the awful experience
 Relief For suRerers.
 "A mass meeting was held today in the Birmingham Commercial Club and tonight meetings were held in Besse- mer and Pratt City for the purpose of starting funds for the relief of the widows and fatherless children of vic- tims of the mine horror. Several thou sand dollars will be in hand before the end of the week for distribution among the most needy ones.
 Four funerals win take place tomor- row morning from the Catholic Church in Pratt City. Pat Crowley and hts son and James Meachim and his son will be buried. Tomorrow afternoon Ira and Kirby Powell. two brothers will be buried from the residence of their parents in Pratt City. Several other funerals will take place tomor- row at Pratt City and Wylam.
 Several bodies will be shipped to Tennessee. A telegram was received this morning from whitwell Tenn. asking a friend about Fred smedley. The reply sent was, "Fred's body in Bessemer. Wire disposition.
 The rescuers will continue their work in the mines at Virginia until they are satisfied beyond doubt that all the unfortunate victims have been taken out.
 Up to o'clock this afternoon sixty one bodies had been brought to the surface and the rescuing party sent up word from the lower portions of the mines that they had entered am other lift and had found twenty more bodies. This made eighty-one &C., counted for at that hour.
 Coroner Paris Is holding a prelimi- nay ANNSSeASataOh anu "ith ms Jury will make an effort to discover wheth- CT gas. dust or after-damp caused the death Of the men. That windy shot happened is not denied. as the ex- plosiOn happened at the regular shoot ing" time in the mines.
 More than 25O children were made fatherless. Three-fourts of the dead men are white.