Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-12-17
Terrific Explosion Near Bir-
mingham Wipes Out Many
Lives; Twenty MutiIated
Bodies Taken From Ruins,
IRESCUERS DRIVEN FROM
PIT MOUTH BY GAS
Of Hundred Men Below Ground
When Explosion Occurred
Only Four Manage to Reach
Open Air.
IBy Morning Journal Special Leased wire.

IBy Morning Journal Special Leased Wire.
Yolando. Ala, Dee ia disas-
trous explosion took place in Mine No.
l OF the Yoiando Coal and Coke com ;
pany this morning. 1t is impossible
to tell at this hour how many are
dead as a result OF the explosion. the
estimates varying from all the way
has been extremely slow because OF
the debris i'm the mines and the large
crowd of women. children and sight
seers at the opening. The explosion
Is now known to have occurred in
either the fifth or sixth right entrance.
All of the bodies have been recovereo
from these entries and some of them
were so horribly mutilated that iden-
tification Is almost impossible.
The bodies of twelve white and
seven colored men have been .identi-
fed.
According to Superintendent Huck-
abee, the explosion was undoubtedly
due to windy" shots Mr. Huckabee
had Just made a tour of inspection
and congratulated some of the men
on the conditions of their rooms. 4
few minutes after reaching the top
he saddled his horse and was about
to go for a days hunt when the eN-
plosion occurred Parties of miners
from Alternate 81 rlps. Davis Creek
and Brookwood are here ready 70
help in the recovery of those who are
still entombed. II viii be noon to-
morrow before all OF the dead are re-
covered There Is little evidence of
the disaster to be seen from the out
side at a late hour tonight. Under
the supervision OF Chief Mine In
spector j. NJ. Gray and ms assistant,
James -iillnouse, forces are at work
clearing away the wreokage.
The mines go down something lik"
1900 feet There was a terrific eXplo-
sion, the force of which was seen out
side, dust and timber being blown
out in great quantities, destroying
many small buildings nearby ana
also landing on the station some dis
tance away. There were evidences or
terrific heat Immediately after the eN-
plosion Officials of the company I'M
mediately took steps to start rescus
party to get the men on the inside.
The fans were started and '6ther meth-
ods taken to eliminate the bad air.
Within an hour four men had crawled
ont of the mine and their description
of the inside was heartrending. sew
eral of these men were badly burned.
Two hours after the explosion IL WaS
still impossible to venture even near
the mouth OF the mime 80 HbA was tfi'
air that was rushing out
The Yolande mines are but lev
miles from Virginia City where a ST.
milar explosion occurred about Nv"
years ago. 122 men being killed. 1o~
lande Is 35 miles south of Birming-
ham on the Birmingham Mineral rail-
road. The Yolande Coal and Coke
company Is headed by DR. II. b. Craw
of Birmingham. Between 125 anG
$50 men are given employment In the
No. l mine. -,
This being Monday morning a run
force did not go into the mine. less
than 100 men going down.
The Yolande mines were among
and Moseley collieries of the Birming-
ham district Non-uniOn men were
worked exclusively, but everything
possible had been done to insure the
contentment of the employees with
their conditions. The village Is 10
Gated on a beautiful hill ana m"
houses are an painted white with
green trimmings. giving il an ar OF
picturesqueness and healthtulness uh
usual i'm mining quarters.
Ihirty-Tive bodies Recovered.
birmingham. Dee. IA meSsH g
from Yoiande al midnight says thlr-
ty-five bodies have been taken from
the mines. and that the rescuers ne
'lieve thirty-five or forty are still 10