The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-07


appalling silence. the awe-inspring 81
lence of death, fell over the little party
OF three as they entered the mouth OF
the mine and began the long, silent and
burdensome descent to the depths be-
low, where a crew of 80 rescuers We're
already at work. fighting the fire-damp
and trying to locate their fellowmen, who
had fallen in the daily fight for the sus-
tenance of life to themselves and to their
little families, costly housed in the cot
tages on the hillside.
Everywhere were marks of the rage
and anger of the force of the explosion,
as 1t rushed up the slope to the open.
The walls were covered with black
SCOT, making the place the more in keep
ing with a vault of death, draped In
black by nature herself. Some of the
ties of the track were even blown from
their foundation and torn away. Every
short distance the party came to a brat
tice built in the passageway out of can
vas. AS they were approached in the
Stygian darkness of the underground
passage they first looked like ghosts,
threatening and fearful, of the dead men
lying deeper in the workings of the
mine.
The roar Of the air, where 1t leaked
mast the defective brattiees, sounded and
resounded through the passage like the
voice of the dead buried in the dark
ness ahead, and calling for mercy, help
and assistance. The air became more
impure and oppressive as the party pro-
crossed deeper and deeper into the bow
els of the mountain. Breathing became
more and more difficult and beads of
perspiration began to stand out on the
faces of the men. The passageway was
so low at places that one had to stoop
over until the head was on level with
the hips This made the going the more
difficult. AS the first entry was passed
a. great gust of air passed down 1t and
left the main passageway almost en-
tirely without fresh air.
The slope now started down sleeper
grade and the slope was tri1e higher,
SO that walking became slightly easier,
although suffering from the bad air was
intense. No one spoke a word and the
breathing of the other two could be
heard above the noise of their footsteps.
Again more of the white, staring pratt
tees were passed and finally light was
seen weakly glimmering in the distance.
II cast siekly glimmer over the sur
rounding space, but by its light could |
be seen a miner sitting at the death |
watch. for close about him were a half
dozen stretchers and beneath their white
canvas covering could be discerned the
forms Of dead men.
AS the covering was raised from the
stretchers a horrible sight met the eyes
OF the men. It revealed the torn and
battered faces of men, honest true ana
loval men. who had offered their lives
for the sake of their families, and who
hae. Afed in the most holy calling any
Nan can follow-that of earning bread
ana the necessaries of life for his fam
Nv White men could not be told from
the black. All of the faces were burned
and charred as black as the darkness
that surrounded them. Their tongues,
swollen and bleeding. lolled out OF their
mouths like those of painting dogs
This was the second entry, and the
partv stopped for rest After few
minutes they started on again and, 60
ing through the same scenes over again.
finally came to where the rescuers were
at work Blackened and bleeding, work.
ing like tigers and laughing in the very
laws of death, they could be seen fitting
about the NINE At frequent intervals
roaring. rolling thunder came vibrating
I'D the slope from the deeper parts of
the mire, which had not yet been en-
tered 1t was the roar of falling rocks
and told in rumbling tones of one more
Of the terrible dangers threatening the
rescue crews. These men were mostly
silent. Their every thought was occu-
MED with the one purpose of getting
70 the bodies of their now known to be
dead comrades. They thoroughly real
lied the danger from fire-damp, from
another explosion, from suffocation by
AFTERMATH and from falling rocks from
Tue mine roof, yet they never gave 1t
moments thought or consideration. They
knew nothing but work and work they
did.
Eagerly they came to the coffee buck
cts and drank in long, eager gulps or the
black coffee, made over pile of Goals
az the mouth of the mine. They did not
stop to talk, but hurried back to their