The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-22
SPECTATORS TELL STOR|ESOF NIGHTS
 AWFUL TRAGEDY Several Saw the Flames and Thought It Was the
 Comet
RUMBLING WARNING OF
 WHAT WAS COMING
One Four-Year-Old Boy Says That His sister Was Thrown Out of Bed. Says He Will Never He
 Miner

Many were the stories told Wednesday
 night and yesterday of the Mulga ex- plosion. There were only one or two actual eye witnesses to the catastrophe but hundreds of the citizens of the little mining village heard the report, felt the shock or saw the blaze and wreckage shoot into the air.
 Superintendent of the mines, Sam John, was the first to reach the mouth of shaft No 1 after the explosion. He said: T was in the engine room at the time. Sud- | denly. about 9:15 o'clock, the building | shook and trembled like an earthquake We were very much alarmed. but before we could realize that there had been an explosion down in the mine, we heard a low, rumbling report. I instantly suspect ed what was going on, and rushed to the window just in time to feel the quake and hear the report of the second and larger explosion and see the fire belch forth hundreds of feet into the air. l rushed 10 the mouth of the shaft; everything was destruction and an ominous silence settled over the shaft as workmen were directed to cover the hole to prevent draft for fire"
 Henry Broda, a Birmingham tailor, who hanpened to be at the hotel in Mulga last night when the explosion occurred, said: ..We were sitting playing a game of cards upstairs and were about ready to go to bed when the shock of the explosion made the Building tremble. and the report re- sounded up the valleys and through the hills of the mining camp. l did not Know what had happened. Jokingly remarked to sn imaginary person, who was try ing to break into the house, well, come in. but don't break the house down We then heard tie shouts of people in the village and. rushing outside, learned of the cxplosion and hurried to the mines
 Isaac Conrely, mechanical engineer for the mining company, saw the flames dart high into the air He said My first thought when l saw the fire was that i' was inc comet so much talked about now. and which is expected to appear soon. The flash was closely followed by Inc report which went laundering up the valleys. Then even did not know what had happened, and thought 1t mad been 4 boiler explosion. I hurried toward the mines and soon met many others, all go- ing the seme way. It was soon louno that it had been a mine explosion, the news spread fast and quickly, many peo- ple lad gathered to help in the rescue work if possible"
 I q. Short. the engineer in charge or the engine room Wednesday night, said; ..There were two reports closely follow inc each other. I was working at the throttle bringing up the cage In smart NO 1. Simultaneously with the flash or nre and the report the engine refused to worK' Glass was showering all around me ana knew what had happened. Timbers ana sticks and rocks came pellmeli, end over end through the windows. It IS a wonder that every one in the engine room was not killed instantly. I did not receive any in- juries except a cut on the hano rom flying piece of glass
 John Goht, miner, said: q was at home when the explosion occurred. saw the flash of fire leap up over the tree tops between my house and the mine. l did not know what it was until l heard the report I first thought il was the comet. Several others standing about me thought the same thing, and we were all frightened. for we thought the world had come to an end. Then some one said that the mine had blown up, and we hur- ried to the rescue. This is the third mine explosion have seen, and I think it will be my last
 |
 Little 4-year-old John McGinnity said: T was in bed. The shock shock my sis ter out of bed onto the floor. My papa had just come home from Birmingham. I .runned' out to see and was most scared to death. No, sir, ain't goin' to be no | miner''