Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-23
THE EXPLOSION
In Birmingham Mines
Broke Waterpipes.
Large Number Of Bodies Un-
earthed, More in Sight.
No Doubt But What Entire 116 Men
Are Dead-Jury lmpanelIed.

birmingham. Ala. Feb. pat 8
clock, tonight - bodies had been re-
covered from the Inflated Virginia
mine in which an eplosion occurred.
Monday afternoon.
Tomorrow will be dav OF funerals
NJ BesSemcr. Virginia City. Pratt civ
and EnSley. The bodies have been tax
Ell to Bessemer as fast as identified and
buildings have been converted into
moreues. An extra sunply of collins
from neishboring cities arrived, today.
The rescuerS are still heroically at
work in the slope and as the diggers
advance, the bodies further IN the line
are found to be worse burned and more
nIutilatcd than those nearer The eXte-
rior. No hope is now held out that any
pf the men can be alive. Only three
men We're found, yesterday, whose
hearts were still beating and they ex-
;ired Immediately on eacfing the out
er air.
The birmingham district has come
forward in the matter of relieving the
destitute families OF the victims and
mass meetings have been held in this
city Besemer, E,nsley and Pratt City,
ttl1iN, lOF tIldt pu: poSe IIuiiuituS VI
dollars have been subscribed in the
suburbs and the Birmingham CONNER
cial Club has raised more than $4,000
for the sufferers.
Alabama district, No. 90, United Mine
Workers Of America, today, voted $4,000
10 be distributed among the families.
Among the contributions. today. was
one Of $50 from Jacob Kiss. warm
personal friend of President Roose-
Welt Mr.. Kiss lectured in this city, last
night.
IN addition to the fund raised among
the members Of the Commercial Club,
that organization has issued an appeal
to the citizens of Birmingham.
Birmingham, Ala. Feb. 22.-Two
staff correspondents Of the Birmingham
News. who have just returned from
Virginia mines. say that when they left
there this morning. AS bodies had been
taken out. A number of corpses. the
rescuers reported, We're still in sight
but could rot be reahed because Of the
water The explosion broke the water
pipes. flooding a large part of the mine
1t is therefore possible that some Of the
miners We're drowned. as some Of the
bodies have been seen floating around
in the Hooded rooms. Forty-four
corpSes have been taken to BeSsemer.
where a vacant storehouse is being
used as a :norgue.
In many Instances it is impossible to
identify the dead 50 badly are they
mangled. Absolutely no hope is held
.,rf i.,I i,,+ ~ nj
especially in view Of the discovery that
many OF the rooms have been flooded.
II is said that the report that several
men We're taken out alive but after
wards died. is untrue. 1t is now stat
Cd that the muscles of three bodies re-
Taxed when they We're brought out but
there was no life in the bodies. Cor
oEer Paris is inquiring into the dis
aster. having already empanelled 4
jury. NewSpa permen who have made
close estimate on the number Of men
in the mine. say there We're 116 ana
there is no doubt but every man Is
dead. From now on the work Of re-
covering the bodies will be slow owing
to the presence of water in the mine
Up to noon the bodies of "a miners
i''u peeii Ie'oNeieu. Ghiiie BOSS hart
ley, who had left the mine just before
the explosion occurred, says the total
number of men in the mines was d few
below 100. but the checkw eighman in
Sists that LOG men were checked off,
ana il is said that several went under
ground who did not check Off Rescu-
ers who came out of the mine today.
reported that the bodies which could
not be reached We're decomposing 1t is
hoDed now to get all the bodies out
before tomorrow morning.