Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-05-07

Paios, Alabama, May 6.-Eight
bodies were removed shortly att
er daylight today from the iIl-fated
mine where probably $50 miners
were entrapped by an explosion
yesterday afternoon. The condi-
tion Of the bodies Indicated that
| death was instantaneous and
doubt is expressed at finding any
Of tho others alive.
Birmingham. Ala, May 6.-Forty-
five white men and between 13e and
140 negroes are entombed in No. coal
mine at Palos as the result OF ter
rifle explosion yesterday. K
Palos is forty miles west Of Birm-
ingham and the mines are owned by
the Palos Coal and Coke company OF
this city. Two bodies were found early
last night, but it. Is expected that few
of them can be recovered today.
The flames resulting from explos-
ion shot into the air from the mouth
J of the slope for a distance Of 200 feet.
and the shock was felt for miles. Tim
bers from the slope were hurled sew
eral hundred feet from it's mouth and
rocks from the room Of the slope caved
l
difficult. The fan machinery was bad
ly damaged, but air is beins pumped
into the mine In hopes that some of
the men are still alive.
Special Train Sent.
Local residents began at once to do
what they could, but relief work was
not started in earnest until the special
train from Birmingham arrived IN
T,1 ~, 1,rt1 oPt A ~
train carried State Mine Inspector Jas:
Hillhouse, J. j. Rutledge, government
expert, in charge Of the geological sta
ton at Knoxville, Tenn who happen
ed to be in the district investigating
the recent disaster at Mulga, eight
physicians and surgeons, four under-
takers and a number OF special help
Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad COM
pany was also taken. This car con-
tained helmets and all other necessary
paraphernalia for entering gaseous
mines.
The first rescuers who went into
the mine after the explosion, were
overcome by fire damp and had to be
carried out. Mr.. Rutledge was among
the first to enter and after working
his way 1,4OO feet down the slope,
found the second right entry caved IN.
The two bodies recovered last night
were in the main slope.
James Gousbv, mail carrier. was
killed thirty feet from the mouth Of
the slope and his body was hurled
thirty feet into the Warrior river He
was walking along the railroad track
and was directly in front Of the slope
when the explosion occur ,ed. 1t was
Judged from this that the froce of the
explosion was such that none Of the
tn, %1a' fY1fo
alive.
There are number Of mining camps
within two or three miles Of the Palos
mine, and within short time after
the explosion great crowd had gath
cred about the i'll fated mine. Hun
dreds of women and children were
around the mine, wringing their hands
and crying piteously.
Small Hope for Men.
The PaIos mines have been worked
for a number of years, and the entries
were extensive. The only hope that
some of the men have escaped and are
still alive is the possibility that they
were far enough away from the ex-'
plosion to have missed it's force. 1t is
thought that the explosion was caused
by the accumulation Of gas in some of
the abandoned entries.
The diseaser. coming so soon after
the Mulga explosion, Thursday April
81 in which forty-one men lost their
lives, has plunged the mining settle
ments into great grief. The Red Cross
and other relief work for the widows
and orphans at Mulga has not yet
been completed E. P. Bicknell. gener-
al director Of the National Red Cross,
made a special trip from Washington
to investigate relief needs at Mulga
and yesterdays explosion bids fair to
cost more than four times as many
lives as did Mulga.
The government experts, j. J. Rut-
ledge and George F. Rice, have been in
the DISTRICT since the Mulga explosion
investigating It's cause and both Of
them hurried out to Palos.
H. A. Drennen, treasurer Of the Pa
los Coal and Coke company, said last
night that the company was fully in
sured against losses from explosions.
The company was one Of the first in
this section that employed union min
ers only.
IEGISI tArOR9 cAIlEn