Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1908-11-19
Benton, III.
Sbrciaio HE Nm,


on Thursday, Nov. 5. The four men
employed AS shot-frers lost their lives.
They started to shoot as soon as the
men were all out My brother and |
came out next to the last in cage. one
man came ont after we did. | would
feel safe in saying | was not out over
ten minutes at the most when the ex.
plosion occurred. | was washing nv
self to dress and was about one humid.
red yards from the shaft in wash
house, when IT occurred and anvona
that had never seen such sight
couldn't imagine how awful it was,
The shaft is 500 feet deep from the
top OF the tipple and has 3.ton cars.
IL blew one of these cars up from the
bottom and lodged it in the tipple. I
am sure some of the pieces of wood
and other things went 500 feet in the
air. A black cloud hung high above
the Triple for some time afterwards
There were relief squads organized
soon as possible. but it was 36 hours
before the first two men were gotten
out and AZ before we reached the two
last They We're bruised up badly and
the last two were burned considerably.
The mine is on fire now. There are
-FOUR sets of men working six-hour
shifts, at $500 per shift, trying to stop
the fire. The government inspectors
are here now. The horses were all
killed, fourteen of them. The men
who were killed were George Reed,
John Harness, married, and Perry
Stevens, and Pat Daley, single.
| some times think l am unlucky,
but | have run two close calls since I
was here My brother got his back
broken by coal falling on him about a
minute after | got out from under it.
Then l have been shooting extra, but
on the day of the explosion my furni-
ture came to Benton and I would not
shoot as | wanted to help straighten
up and man with five little children
took my place. l have about decided
that | am lucky man after all.
"Bonny Boy, my family is 0. K.
Sam Mitchell was here loading coal
and is on the fire gang now.
Arthur Jones and ! are on ma
chine. Shiloh works three days a
week. would write more but [ have
to start to work at o'clock to fight
the fire.
1t is Tuesday night now. l have
been working everyday fighting fire,
but it is SLOW work.
1t is Saturday now, Nov. 14th. The
fire Is cemented in and cleaning M is
all there is to do now. l worked last
night getting the cars out of the bot
tom of the shaft. They were wedged
in SO tight that it was all ten men
could do to pull them out with block
and tackle, but we got them out.
The wages were cut yesterday to
1904 scale. That was after the fire
was sealed up OF course we can't
kick as that is the scale. Get all over
the scale and never accept anything
under it, The most of the men are
celebrating for the first time since the
explosion. The water is bad here and
have few bottles of hop ale in the
cupboard for the baby.
There is no danger in Rend City
mine except when they are shooting, as
there is none down but the men en-
ployed to do the shooting. Lots of the
men are leaving now but there is nc
use after the mine is blown up.
think there will be less danger than
ever before as all hands and the com
pany will be more careful. 1t is well
known that it was windy shot that
caused the explosion by setting off the
dust. but the company won say what
caused it. The inspectors were here
and made no report-at least, not tC
U.S. | asked the boss what caused the
explosion. He said windy shot and
| finished what he left off and said
land dust. " He sail, dust, your
grandmother Of course we don
expect him to say it was dust, for il
was his duty to have had the mint
snrinkled so there would have been 1T
dust to explode, but every one of Us
knows it was a windy shot and thel
the dust exploded, and have an idea
that the company will find out that we
know little as we'll az they do. Il
they had kept the mine in the condit
ion it should be, according to the IL
linois mining laws, there would moi
have been any blow up, but to saw
80. So per day for man to sprinkle thu
roads, they let it blow up and xii
four men, and it will cost them to ge
it in running order probably S75, 900
and may be more.
Nv wife and | are we'll satisfied will
our new home. Arthur Jones live
here and seems to be satisfied with tn
work and town.
Sam Mitchell left last Friday 70
Birmingham, Ala He said he wa
going home to see his mother, but
think he is going to stay.
w. NJ. and G. B. Jones, come o.
ont, You can get work here any time
Bring your buddieS.
I am going to Herren in few week
to sea if | can see fellow | used t
know when l was little boy, bu
- ,,o,, Cos. O vears | belieye h