The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-05
COMMITTEE WILL
 MEET ON MONDAY
May Put Names of Chief and
 Clerk on Ticket
NEW TURN IN POLITICS
Sumter Mine Fire Extlngulshed In a Novel Way-Payday at Virginia Mines Is a Sad
 Sight.

Bessemer, March 4.-(Special.) )-The City Democratic Executive committee has
 been called by Chairman Kennedy to meet at the council chamber Monday night to consider the advisability of printing the names of the candidates for city clerk and chief of police on the ticket to be voted for in the primary on March 20. The reg istration books closed tonight at o'clock, the total number registering were 524. The registration is much heavier than was first expected. During the last two or three days, since the report got out that the committee would probably put the names of the candidates for city clerk and chief of police on the ticket, the in- terest has been greatly increased. Yes terday and today. W. D. K. Lanier, the registrar, has been kept very busy.
 The announcement that the committee
 would meet this morning came somewhat
 as surprise. A few days ago five mem-
 bers signed a request to the chairman
 asking that the committee be called to
 consider placing the names of the can
 didates for city clerk and chief of police
 on the ballots. Later the request was withdrawn and the matter was, for the
 time, dismissed
 The call for the meeting was signed
 by W. T. Kennedy, chairman, and w. P. Goson, secretary.
 In case 1t is decided to allow the names of city clerk and chief of police to go on the ticket an interesting contest will be waged. Already the aldermanic con tests are lively, there being over twenty candidates for the eight aldermen to be
 pamed
 It is reported that an effort will be
 made to have the committee set a later date for the primary, which has already
 been fixed for March 20
 Fire Distinguished In Unique Way. The Tennessee company was forced to resort to scientific methods to extinguish | the fire which has been raging in Sum- ter mines of the Blue Creek division for the past three weeks. A chemical com pany was appealed to and fifteen men were sent to tn mine, who are now fight ing the fire with chloride of gas. They have been very successful and in the last few days the fire has been gotten
 under complete control.
 The process which was used to extin- guish the flames, was mixture of 60
 per cent of muriatic acid and 40 per cent of water. This was mixed with unslack- | ed lime, the gas from the mixture be- ing pumped into the mine. After this method had been used a short time the
 heat in the mine fell 40 degrees
 The gas Is still being pumped into the
 mine. and the flames have been almost | entirely smothered.
 | It has developed that the fire has not done as much damage as was first esti-
 mated, and that in a few weeks the mine | can be repaired and put in operation. | When the fire first broke out a large
 number of fire fighters and several hun
 dred feet of hose were sent to the mine
 to put out the flames. This method avaied nothing and no headway was
 made towards checking the fire At one
 time the situation was very grave. and
 1t was feared that the fire would spread | to the adjoining mines.
 | few years ago fire broke out in | Sumter mine. damaging 1t to such an-
 extent that it required several months to l repair it.
 Payday Witnesses Pathetic Scenes.
 This was payday at Virginia mines. the | ill-fated spot. where less than two weeks | ago an explosion occurred entombing Ill
 men and leaving not one to tell the tale. 1 The relatives of the dead were present | today to receive the wages earned by | those who were killed. Many who have
 removed away from Virginia gathered | around the commissary and numerous | were the scenes enacted around that | place that two weeks ago sounded with | the joyous voices of the strong and | hearty men who at tht time had received | their own pay.
 In the line were seventy-ive women in
 widows reeds, thirty children appeared in | mourning, and twenty men. all that were | spared by the grim reaper that visited | Virginia on February 20.
 | It is now estimated that 1t will be Mon- | day before the bottom of the mines will | be in condition for the bodies of the dead
 men still in the mines to be recovered. The
 number of bodies which have not been | found Is said to be six, three white men | and three negroes.
 The damage will not be as great as was | first estimated. With the exception of the | wrecking of the pumps, the slope the
 tracks and the various entrances, the
 mine Is in fairly good condition.