The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-21
GRAY EXPLAINS THE CATASTROPHE "Nindy ShoF' Probably Caused
 The Trouble MEN FEAR AFTER DAMP" Donaldson Says at Least One Hun dred Men Imprisoned In the Mine Are White and Are
 Expert Miners.
MEN FEAR AFTER DAMP"

beSSeHefs feDIudIy 1V.- NOpeCltisj - State Mine Inspector Gray tonight ex plained the probable, cause of the ex plosion. He stated that a windy shot' and a dust explosion were similar. A windy shot is when the force of the
 explosion blows outward and creates a great deal of dust and also raises all the dust in the room. In this dust there is more or less gas and this all explodes. The explosion spreads from room to room
 with awful rapidity overriding in few
 seconds any one who might attempt to escape
 Fear the After Damp. Owing to the after damp which is
 feared, only few lights can be, carried into the mines now. There were only a few safety lamps at the mines, and they are all in use but they are entirely inadequate for the needs. Safety lamps have been sent for but have not arr rived. As soon as they do the rescuing parties can be increased in size and the work hastened. Lack of safety lamps de- layed the work.
 Shortly after midnight it was rumored that eight bodies had been found and anxious men went down the slope in the
 hope of identifying their friends. The rumor, however, is unconfrmed, as no bodies have yet been brought to the top,
 and officials who are on the scene state that it may take eight or ten days to recover all the bodies. There Is no doubt but that many were caught on their way to the top who would have been saved if the explosion had taken place few minutes later.
 Ira and Kirk Powell of Pratt City are among the dead.
 The output of the mines is in the neigh
 borhood of 600 tons day, all of which is converted into coke before it leaves the camp for the furnaces at Gadsden- IL IS impossible to estimate the loss. The mine Is completely crippled and will take at least two months to repair. R. V. Donaldson. the fire boss of the mine and brother to William Donaldson. one of the entombed men. said at mid night:
 Fire Boss Talks. "I do not suppose there is living man in the mine The after damp Is fearful and man could not live in there five minutes
 "The explosion was evidently due to windy shot. This mine Is one of the best ventilated mines in the district and this very fact added to the intensity of the explosion I do not think the bodies will be brought to the top until nearly day light, although we may find some at any time. In my opinion there were at least 1s5 men in the mine at the time of the disaster, of this number at least 100 were white miners"
 The day shift of Virginia mine is com posed of between 150 and 175 men, but as it was the Monday following pay day and an unusually bad day the number was smaller than usual. No record Is made of the men as they go to their work, but they send their names and cheeks up with the car after quitting work in the evening. The explosion occurred Just be- fore the time for checks to be sent up, hence 1t is impossible to obtain an exact list of the miners at work yesterday. A canvass has been made of the camp but a complete list cannot be secured. In fact it will not be possible to know just who was in the mine at the time of the explosion until the rescuing party has completed it's labor.
 At present the number is estimated to be anywhere between 100 and 13o.