The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-03-09
WINDY SHOT WAS
CAUSE OF DISASTER
Inspector Gray Reports on Ex-
pIoSiOn at Piper
HOLE WAS BADLY SHAPED
Funnel-shaped Hole In Heading Pro-
duced Wind Force and Flame
That Cost Lives of
the Miners.

Montgomery, March S.-(Special)-
Chief Mine Inspector J. NJ. Gray made
formal report to the Governor today on
the disaster at Pipe mine No. ., which oe-
CURED February p, and was the cause
of the death of eleven miners and injury
of many others. Mr.. Gray's report is
signed by himself and his assistant, James
Hillhouse, as well as a committee from
the miners organization. funnel-shaped
hole In the heading of the mine was, ac-
eording to Mr.. Gray the principal cause
of the explosion or produced the wini
force and flames that cost the lives of the
miners.
In his report Mr. Gray says that care
full examination of the Piper mine was
made by himself, Mr.. Hillhouse and NJ
NJ. Kuffncr on March 3. The chief mine
inspector and Mr.. Hlllhouse were detaine |
in Birmingham by the circuit court as
witnesses in the Virginia mine disaster
on the day of the explosion. Mr.. Kuff-
ner however was dispatched to the scene
of the tragedy on the first train and ar
rived at the mines the next morning. He
found that all of the wounded and dead
had been removed from the mine and
pair work to begin. He gave the conf
pany orders to restore the ventilation
and let everything stand in that part of
the opening in which the explosion oc-
Cured until the arrival of all the in
spectors. Nothing was disturbed but rub
bish blown from crosscuts and overcast.
Heading Carefully Scrutlnized.
The miners selected a committee of
three men to accompany the inspectors on
the examination, and every place in the
fifth west heading was carefully scruti-
nized The velocity at the mouth of the
slope was 720 feet per minute, but a sec
ond thermometer shows that the velocity
was $50 feet per minute. The fan was
running between seventy-five and eighty
revolutions minute. In the fifth west
heading the manway door was blown up
the manway through itself. Just above
this on the side track a set of double TIM
bers was down. Moisture was found on
some of the collars of timber the
sidetrack. and a little puddle of water
was found on the entry above this track
Inspector Gray then goes into tech
meal and elongated description Of each
one of tho ten rooms. He then declares
that the funnel-shaped hole found in the
heading was undoubtedly the principal
cause of the explosion or produced the
wind force and flame that killed the
eleven men and wounded eleven others
In room No. Q there were three holes
badly located, any of which would have
given off considerable wind, as none of
them pulled to the back of the hole, but
left perpendicular cracks in the face Of
the coal In room No. several props
were shot out indicating that the shots
in this room were overcharged. The en-
try floor was dry on the Bird of March.
notwithstanding the fact that the mine
boss, Sam Johns: the fire boss. Morgan
Johns. and the driver Sam Snow. who
sprinkled the entry, testified that 1t was
sprinkled on Sunday night, February %.
Windy Shot Is Only Conclusion.
What the condition Of the heading on
the afternoon of the disaster was MIR.
Gray is unable to state, but Mr.. Kuff-
ner says that on the morning after he
found the entry to be dry. Frank Brin-
skull, who was working In No. 3, and
escaped from the mine after the explo-
sion without having been hurt except be-
ing overcome by after damp, stated that
he heard a very loud shot, then came
a strong wind and fire into his room.
lie started out with his head up but the
atmosphere was so hot that he stopped
down, holding his face close to the bot
tom. He managed to go in this position
until he reached the end of the side track.
Here he got down on his stomach and
dragged himself out on the rail. The
testimony shows that there was no gas
standing in any of the rooms or other
places ON the fifth west. This, in con-
junction with Brinskulls statement
leaves no other conclusion but that the
explosion was caused by windy shot
In the heading being aided and increased
in force by the smoke and dust from
shots in Nos. and rooms, and the
dust gathered from the walls and floor
of the entry.
gomery today by his assistant. Mr.. j. NJ.
Hillhouse, and both We're with the gov
ernor for some time. They talked over
the entire situation and gave the governor
much information about the accident and
the mining conditions generally.