The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-21
Lining Caves in and Escaping
Gas IgniteS and Burns
Bodies Horribly
MEN WERE REPAIRING
INTERIOR OF THE STACK
w. H. Russell Is Severely Injured BY
BEING Thrown From Bessemer Car
BY Conductor-other News
of Bessemer.

Bessemer, March 20-(Speclal) The
falling In of the lining Of No. fur
mace of the Woodward Iron company,
which occurred this morning at 80
o clock, was one of the worst accidents
that has happened in this vicinity since
the terrible disaster of the Virginia mines,
two years ago.
One white man and four negroes dead
and one negro in the hospital fatally
injured and the possibility of another
being in the ruins is the result of the
falling in of the furnace lining.
few days ago the furnace slipped its
lining, and a force of men was put to
work as soon as possible cleaning out the
stack at the bottom of the bosh. This
morning while at work, unconscious of
impending danger, the heavy brick work
slipped, and without moments warn
ing the entire crew with the exception of
one man. was buried beneath tons of
brick and mortar and the escaping gas
which ignited horribly bistered and
burned their bodies.
All the bodies are almost unrecognza-
BILE and present a horrible appearance
as they lie cold in death at the under
taking parlors of Kennedy Bros, in this
city.
List of Victims.
The white man is Demster Hayes of
Tuscumbia. The negroes dead are: Henry
Goodwin and Fred Jenkins of Eutens-
vile, S. c.: VIII Robinson and Fred
Lafayette of Possom Valley.
VIII Polk, better known as Pork
Chops" is the name of the negro who
escaped the horrible death. Polk made
his escape by holding to one of the
ropes to which the scaffold was fastened
on which the crew was working and
was pulled sto the top of the stack by
some men on the outside. He received
several severe burns, but nothing serious
is anticipated by the physicians.
1t is said that there Is possibly one
body consumed in the fire that broke
out as soon as the accident occurred, for
it was stated by IN employee at the fur
mace that a hand had been taken out,
and this must belong to some one not
hands. The flesh of the bodies was so
burned that the skin peeled off where
their clothing was removed.
Hays From Tuscumbia.
Demster Hayes, the white man, is
80 years OF age and came to Woodward
from Tuscumbia, where his wife and
child reside. He was reared in this city
and has the following relatives in the
Birmingham district An uncle, w. H.
Hayes of this city; brother, VIII Hayes
at Ensley, and sister, Mrs. Tom Harris.
at Ensley A letter was received this
morning from his wife. and on the back
of the envelope was a postscript, telling
her husband that she had forgotten to
mail the letter the day it was written. A
telegram was also received late this even
ing from her. stating that she and her
child would arrive in this city tonight to
accompany the body to Tuscumbia, where
it will be laid to rest.
Arrangements for Negro Funerals.
Henry Goodwin and Fred Jenkins will
be s>lt tonight to Eutensville, S. c., for
BURIAL VIII Robinson and Fred Lafayette
to Postum Valley.
Position of Goodwin.
very peculiar thing connected with
the accident was the position of the body
of Goodwin. His right arm was extended
upward and the forefinger on his left
hand was pointing straight out, as If in
the act of making a gesture when the
fall occurred, and the limbs remained in
this position when death came.
The falling in of the furnace seemed to
to awake the entire settlement, the mem
bers of which lost no time in getting to
the scene.
The men worked as fast as possible
in hope of giving relief to the unfor
Inmates, and the women, half dressed.
stood around weeping and praying and in
quring who was inside the furnace when
the catastrophe occurred. To reach the
men the debris had to be shovoled out
of twelve manholes at the bottom of the
furnace. which the men lost no time In
doing. The officials of the company and
all present did all that human aid could
do to recover the unfortunates.