The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-21
Every Home in Virginia City is House of Sorrow, and Everyone
 Mourns Loss of Relative.
Moaning Women and Children About Entrance of rline Reflect Poig-
 nant Grief Caused by Horror

Bessemer. February 2o.-(special)-The rescurers will not be able to reach the imprisoned men before ? or o'clock at the earliest, and it may be later than that before the first bodies are reached. In all probability 1t will be day light before the first bodies reach the surface.
 The scene around the mouth of the shaft is remarkable. In the seml-gloom the tense faces of hundred spectators and miners are only lit up by the dim light of the few mine lamps. Every face bears an anxious expression. None know whether their relatives and friends are alive or dead. Conversation Is limit ed and none spea,s except in hushed whispers as if they were standing at the bedside of deceased relative A note of anxiety and grief is in many voices. and there are tears in the voices of the few women who remain at the shaft. The only noise heard around the camp be- sides the weeping are the earnest calls for volunteers to go down In the mines. aud the pick and the shovel as the work CTS clear away the debris about the mouth.
 Women Go Sorrowfully Home.
 About dark all the women were sent home and the wives daughters or sweet hearts of the entombed men could bo heard wailing and sobbing as they went home, accompanied and eheered by their friends who were more fortunate fin that they had no loved one in the mine at the time of the explosion.
 There are few homes in the mining settlement of 3O0 homes where the grim reaper was not visitor yesterday after noon. In every house the lights burned all night for none slept tonight.
 Among the first to arrive at tho mines from Birmingham was Ed Flynn of the United Mine Workers. He discarded his coat and Is in the mouth of the mines working with might and main aiding in the work of cleaning the mouth of tho shaft from debris. He Is experimenting the work of passing plank pillars down Into the mine to close the openings of the rooms and to rebuild the props He said tonight
 "l do not know what the United Mine Workers will do, but you can state that we will do our share towards furnishing relief to the distressed We will do all possible. What that will be, 1 am not prepared to- say"
 Sorrow for Every Home.
 Every home in Virginia City has been turned into house of sorrow. The women and children, who are unable to render any assistance to the rescung party, are gathered around their firesides mourning the loss of their husbands, brothers and sweethearts.
 There was scarcely home In the en- .ll4. loss of one or two members of the household.
 The colored people. naturally more demonsthative, are gathered around the slope, wringng their hands and their cries can be heard above the din and noise made by tho rescuing party. The road between Virginia City and Bessemer is literally strewed with buggies and wagons conveying relatives and friends of the doomed. All travellers coming from the scene of the disaster are stop ped and anxiously asked for the latest news from the wrecked mine. Every vehicle In Bessemer was pressed into service, and many have walked to Vir- gina. The crowd at the opening of the mine Is rapidly increasing. All the neighboring miners in the district have been appealed to for experienced men and there is not mining camp in the district that has not responded to the appeal
 A large number of men from Johns, Sumter, Wylam and Pratt are already on the ground and others are en route from Blocton and other points.
 Superintendent A. W. Reed one of tho leasers of the mine. Is now in the thiclest of the fight which Is being waged for the life of the doomed. In addition to direct ing the work he is welding a pick. Deputy Sheriff Jerry Fountain is at the mouth of the mine and taking an active party in the work of rescung. Even the doctors who have gone from the sur rounding cities are lending a hand to the work which is being done to reach the entombed' miners.
 Has Troublous Times.
 Since the Virginia mine was opened, eighteen months ago, 1t has been the scene of trou6lous times The mine is the Blue Creek vein, one of the richest in the Alabama mineral district
 When the Schulers first opened the mine it was their intention to operate it on the open shop plan. Union men were em- ployed and in Q short time were in tho ascendency The Schuers refused ts treat with the miners and a strike ensued The fight was hard and bitter one. The company stood firm and the miners backed by the combined miners crganiza- ton who at that time had no strike on hand. proved a formidable foe. Tents were provided for the strikers and little headway was made towards breaking the strike.
 The Schulers finally decided to give ~~------------------~-- ~------~----~----~~------