Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1910-04-22
FORTY MINERS
ARE ENT0MBED
BY EXPLOSION.
NOT ONE OF WORKMEN IN ALA
BAMA SHAFT ARE FOUND ALIVE
BY THE RESCUERS.
SEAL MOUTH TO STOP FIRE.
Mine in Operation Two Years and Was
Considered Model of It's Kind
in South
RESCUERS HURRIED TO SCENE.

BIRMINGHA AM. Ala, April 2i.-Not
one of the forty-one men imprisoned Fri
day night in Mulga mine of the Bir-
mingham iron and coal company is alive
This was word brought to the surface
this morning to the waiting and weep
ing families of the victims when, uncon-
scious from the deadly gases of the shaft,
superintendent Johns of the mine and Il
man named Bonds, an unknown who
risked his life for those already periShed
were drawn up to fresh air. The cOndi-
ton of the rescuers told the story long
before the men had been revived. The
watchers knew that if the rescuers, he'll
melted and protected, had so narrowly
escaped death, there was no hope for the
workers who without seconds warning,
had been entombed by an explosion of
gas.
When Johns and Bonds. after heroic
treatment, finally regained consciousness,
they confirmed the graveSt anticipa tons
of the people who for hours had waited
at the mouth of the shaft to hear IL
word of their loved ones.
''Dead-all dead, was the statement
of the superintendent as he began to re-
cover from the effects Of the poisonous
gases. Before they had lost conscious
ness the rescuers had reached the first
gallery. Even near the shaft they saw
things that made them know that only
a miracle could save the men entOmbed.
Little hope was expressed this morn
ing that any of the men would be res
cued.
When it was learned that it was i'm
possible to gain entrance to the mine
through the shaft because the cages
were sprung in the passage, the entrance
l.NI II
spread of fire.
Try to Enter Shaft
Shortly after midnight the hospital
car of the Tennessee company was
rushed to the scene, equipped with he'll
NETS and all other necessary parapher-
MALTA for entering Il gaseous mine. Hos
pltal ambulanceS also We're sent from
Ensley and Birmingham to the scene,
which is about twelve miles northwest Of
Birmingham.
When the first crew of rescuers
reached the bottom of the shaft this
morning the cOrpSes of two miners were
found. The reScuerS upon returning to
the surface expressed the opinion that
all the imprisoned men were dead.
The only list Of names of the miners
at work at the time of the explosion
was held by the foreman of the gang at
work, who is among the entOmbed. 1t is
beliey ed however, there are about fifteen
white men and twenty to twenty-five
negroes.
The mine has been in operation about
two years and was considered a model of
its kind. The shaft is $50 feet deep and
the fact that flames shot from the mouth
of tie shaft to a height of 100 feet leads
to the belief that the explosion occurred
near the bottom of the main shaft cut
ting off any means of escape for the
miners.
Around the entrance to the mine in
the early morning hours in addition to
the families of the entombed men. hun
dreds from the surrounding mining dis
tricts swelled the crowds until it was
with great difficulty that the work of
rescue could be carried Oh.
An attempt was first made to enter
shaft No. ], but this was found imprac-
ticahle and it was sought to drive Il way
through from shaft No. ., which is about
800 feet from the first opening After
penetrating a short distance it was
found that this shaft also was wrecked
by the force of the explosion III No. l.
Nothing could be heard from the en-
tombed men.
Rescue Crew to Scene.
WASHINGTON. d. c., April 21.-
The United States geological survey has
ordered it's mine rescue crew from the
Knoxville CTenn) station to the Mulga
mine. Equipped with the oxygen he'll
NETS which enabled the rescuers TO pene-
trate the shafts at the Cherry Glll dis