The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-21

With Pick and Shovel Dozens of Men Are Racing r1adly With the
 Grim Monster, Death. Parties from Pratt City, Ensley and Bessemer Rush to the Scene to
 Assist in GrueSOme Task.

D EssEMER, February 2o.-(special)- Tx By dust explosion in the Vir- D ginia mines, r miles southwest of Birmingham at 4 o'clock yesterday af- ternoon between no and 1S5 union miners, negroes and whites, are entombed 700 feet below the surface, and it Is probable that none of them will live to tell the story of the disaster.
 At midnight every available man Is being sent into the mine in relays as rescue parties but as yet the rescurers are at least 100 feet from the imprisoned miners and the fate of the latter is still a matter of doubt, with every chance in the world against them.
 Hundreds of anxious people are gath cred around the mouth of the shaft utter ing silent prayers for those below, and the rescue parties are straining every eff fort to reach the entombed men in time to give them a breath of the life giving air from above before 1t is too late.
 The only bope ct pow is :s.ts that few of the number who were in the mine when the explosion occurred may be alive and may be saved.
 bama Steel and Wire company, known as the schuler property.
 Made the Fatal Mistake.
 Yesterday afternoon the day shift pre- pared the last shot, which is at o'clock, the fatal mistake of overcharging or un- dercharging a shot. Either of these will cause the dust accumulated about the shot to ignite and result in the explosion. From the little beginning the explosion came, dealing death and destruction.
 All of the miners were below the second level, which is about 600 feet from the surface. The rescuers have succeeded in going a little below the second level, and they are rapidly going further and fur ther down.
 Unavoidable Delay.
 There has been considerable delay as the rescuers have had to rebuild the props which support the roof of the main slope The force of the explosion tore away these props. and they have to be rebuilt as the rescuers progress
 The rescuers are closing up the mouths of the various rooms as they reach them in order that the air may be controlled and turned down the main shaft Lower down in the mines the air circulates back upward into the rooms.
 Most of the miners are supposed to have just left the rooms and to have started up the shaft or to have been in the entries when the explosion occurred. All are supposed to leave the mines be- fore this last shot.
 psscuers late tonight had almost reach oa the third right entry and they expect to find some of the entombed miners when they reach this entry. It Is about oso feet to the next lowest entry and if will be several hours before they get into this entry. They expect to find the fret bodies shortly after midnight or o'clock.
 The Explosion Was Terrific.
 The force of the explosion was so great that rocks, rafters, sticks and other mis- siles were hurled $50 to 400 yards from +he mouth of the shaft. The tracks lead ,no into the mines were covered with dirt and rafters which formed the props
 I. ia stated by witnesses that the flames from the explosion leaped more than hundred feet into the air.
 Al freouent intervals members of the rescue party are brought to the mouth of the shaft overcome by the gases and fire damn at the place where the rescuers have reached.
 Was First Day In Mine.
 p N Stuckey of Johns, one of the en- tombed men went Into the mine today to work for the first time. MT. Stuckey Is an experienced miner, but for some years has been working for furniture men Of Bessemer and Blue Creek. His extended absence from the mines was due to the fact that 1t was impairing his health. Re- gently he felt well and able to go back
 
 fHnntfnuad m 4eventh Rao0l