The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-04
It is Probable That More Than
Thirty Are Dead
FIFTY OTHERS ARE ENTOMBED
Explosion of Gas In Thomas Letters
Mine at ZeigIer, Hl.-Work
Of Rescue Is Co
Ing On. sasa

Benton. Iii, April 3.-Fifty miners were
entombed today in Thomas Letters mine
at zeigler by a terrific explosion of gas
and 1t is probable that thirty or more of
the buried men are dead.
Thus far four bodies have been recov-
cred. The explosion, it is supposed, was
due to the fact that the Letter mines are
not worked on Sunday. thus allowing gas
to accumulate in the lower workings.
After thirty-five or forty-five miners had
descended itno the mine today to resume
work, a loud explosion blew the ground
about the mouth of the mine high in the
air One of the steel cages was blown
to the surface from the bottom of a. 500
foot shaft The shock of the explosion
was felt at Benton, twelve miles north
east of zeigler. A teamster driving along
a road half a mile from the mine was
covered with falling cinders and debris
covered the floor of his wagon an inch
deep.
Work of Rescue.
One miner was killed and four severely
injured at the mouth of the shaft in which
the explosion occurred. The work of res
cue was begun at once by miners who
main shaft was demolished so that rescue
work has to be carried on through the air
shaft
This has hindered the work of aiding In
the rescue of the men to such an extent
that when darkness fell tonight only three
bodies and one injured man had been
brought to the surface. These bodies were
found forty feet from the bottom or the
airshaft and this is as far as the res
oh IN
shaft
Union to Aid.
A committee of union miners from Du-
auoin and other neighboring mining
towns headed by District President Nor
ris hastened to Zeigler soon after the ex-
pIosion occurred and offered their aid.
I ..e bodies of the dead men are so black
ened that they cannot at once. be fdenti-
fled RoIy Campbell is the injured miner
brought out of the shaft, and he cannot
live Campbell is conscious but he is I'M
able to give any explanation of the ex-
ploslon. C. e. Childers, striking zeig-
Ter miner, last October predicted in
printed article that an explosion was like
~ to occur on account of what he terms
Improper ventilation of the shafts.
There was much excitement among the
miners when the accident became known,
because there had been a strike. Of long
duration and many conflicts have occurred
between strikers and non-union miners.
All day investigation tends to show that
the catastrophe was due to the accidental
explosion of accumulated gas.
Recovering Bodies.
Up to 10 o'clock tonight ten bodies had
been secured from the Letter mn"s The
rescue party finds 1t difficult 10 work ow-
ing to the absence of a i'roper fan to
purify the mine air. All he bodies found
except two show no marks Of injury, in
dicating death to have been due to as
phyxiation. All but four men whose
bodies were found worked in the shaft
by numbers, and their names as yet have
not been secured. Late today an ordes
for twenty coffns was sent to St. Louis,
besides twenty ordered earlier today. A
coroner's jury has not yet been sum-
moned.
Later Report.
The number Of dead is estimated at "a;
injured. 5.
There were two explosions close to-
gether The first took place in the air
shafts. and was followed by one much
greater in the main shaft. There are en-
ployed In the mine only 180 men, i2O Of
whom worked in the day time Four
cages containing ten men each of the day
force had gone into the mine and were
supposedly at the bottom when the acci-
dent happened. The explosion wrecked
the shaft, blowing out the skids on which
the cages were hoisted. or the thrty-four
men thought to be dead, only fifteen had
been taken out at II o'clock tonight Three
men were removed alive, but fatally in
jured.