The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-11
Only One Man Escapes from Joseph Letters Mine
 At Zieg|eT
ELECTRIC SPARK SETS
 OFF JAS IN 4 POCKET
Mr. Letter and Wife Are on the Ground and Help In the Work of Rescue. Plant Had Just Passed
 Careful Inspection.

DuQuoin, H., January 10,--A disastrous gas explosion in which 25 men lost their lives occurred at an early hour this morn ing in Joseph Letters famous coIiiery at Zieger. A spark from a trolley pole with pocket of gas, is assigned as the cause of the explosion.
 The Americans killed include, Willis Warner and Albert Kerr, foremen; James Patterson, Joe Richardson, Fred Nor gan, J. O. Erans, Gilbert Jones. Joe Tate, James Phillips. John Casey. Aaron Jereoll. Thomas Hubbard, Cebe Pucket and Charles smothers
 Eight bodies yet remain in the mine but will be recovered before morning it is thought. Mir. Letter personally con ducted the fire relief party that descend- ed into the mine to recover the bodies. The lone survivor of the explosion was an Italian youth, who escaped unharmed
 An expert who had been experiment. ing with the gas in the mines at Ziegler left Wednesday. confident that he had placed the mine in safe condition to be operated.
 The men entombed were engaged in clearing away the debris caused by the recent fires in the mine, and it was ex pected that operations would be resumed this week after two months suspension. The bodies taken from the mine are badly burned and Identification is diff cult. Twenty-six men entered the mine on the night shift and the names of tha victims are taken from the payroll The explosion was naCuIfor or shock was heard or felt at the open
 hg or the shaft-only a puff of smoke.
 The engineer noticed the smoke and realizing that an accident had hapnened summoned aid
 Mrs. Letter was at Ziegler and today she was at the mouth of the mine with her husband, aiding in uuietinr tba widows and orphans who crowded about the mine. She furnished coffee and sand wiches to the men who were attempting to rescue the bodies. The day was bitter cold but Mrs. Letter was foremost i'm comforting the widows.
 coroner Dye of Christopher held an in- quest after the victims had been brought out from the mine and adjourned until tomorrow. MT. Letter said tonight that a1ter the bodies are removed he would have work started toward the reopeninr Of the workings. The mine was mi in operation in 1903 and soon after labor uoupIes began, In April 1905, an explo- sion in the mine killed 51 men, Joseph Husband, friend of Mrs Lei ter, who has been at the latter's desk at Zeigler for the past week, was overcome by the gas in attempting to recover the bodies and 1t was with considerable dif- ficulty that he was revived In sneak ing of the explosion tonight MT Illus band said the interior of the mine was not damaged, neither was any of the ton works, and there was scarcely any trace 1 of the explosion.
 For more than six weeks serious fire had been burning in the workings and for a time it was feared the valuable coal property was certain of destruction. All efforts of employees to quench the fire proved unsuccessful. Finally about two weeks ago MT. Letter, accompanied by his wife, went direct to the works at Zieger. Renewed vigor was put into the task of extinguishng the fire and inch by inch 1t was put down.
 The part of the mine still burning was cut off from the remainder and sealed up only two weeks ago and since that time preparations were completed to start dig ging coal at full capacity. Small quan- titles of coal were taken out Saturday and this was hailed with joy by the em- ployes who saw at hand an end to their idleness due to the fire