The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-10
DEAD DROUGHT OUT
IN STEADY STREAM
Trained Corps Of Res
cuers at w Q rk in
Banner Mine.
LIST OF VICTIMS
HAS REACHED 1923
No Mourners at Scene of Dis
aster, as Men Were Convicts
and Had No Relatives Near.
Rescuing Party Has Har-
rowing Expert
ence.

Littleton. Ala. April with the
precision Of clockwork, a trained corps
of rescuers tonight is bringing O
steady stream Of bodies from tho Ban.
ner mine of the Pratt Consolidated
Coal Company. in which yesterdays
disastrous explosion occurred. 1t is
believed tonight that 12S is the exact
number of victims.
This figure was obtained after maxi
ing careful check Of all the men who
entered the mine yesterday morning.
There is no longer any hope of finding
men alive underground. or the l2S
dead, only fourteen were writes.
Ii was o'clock this afternoon when
working conditions in the mines and
at $40 o'clock the first three bodies
wcr. brought TO the surface. They
We're all negroes Within two hours
ten more had been brought up. includ-
ing Lee Jones and O. w. Spradling,
both white. State Mine Inspector
James Hilhouse expressed the belief
to might that the mine would be cleared
tomorrow.
Powder Caused Trouble
The general belief to might is that
powder caused the trouble. the opinion
being expressed that damage was heav-
lest near the point where the days
SdpPIy iol Explosives was Kept.
w hen the reScucrs asked for assist
ance this afternoon company officials
called for volunteers among the con-
Eicts. stating that no man need 90 IL
he were afraid. Sixteen OF the negroes
In stripes stepped forward in response
!! TO the call, and accompanied Inspector
liiilnouse and six white mon under
ground
There are practically no mourners at
Banner. the COnEicts had ral-
ativcs near, but a few curious negro
women stood around the opening and
would break into a low, mournful.
dirge like chant when the bodies were
brought up.
Twenty convicts this afternoon dug
long trench in the convict cemetery
for the burial OF those convicts whose
bodies are not claimed by relatives
one hundred collins were sent TO BAN
ner to-day from Nashville. Tenn. and
undertakers are preparing the bodies
Tor burial as fast as they are taken
from the mine.
DR.. j. A. Holmes. chief OF the Gov
eminent Bureau OF Mines is en- route
20 Banner 10 assist in the investigation
OF the disaster.
Narrow Escape
The first party OF ten government
| rescuers, headed BY DR.. j. j. Rutledgc,
! VINO entered the mine al 5 o'clock this
death. AN accident occurred TO the
boiler used for the fans. and the air
was stopped for a few minutes Within,
a Few seconds faint cry for help was
heard from below, and men with oxygen
helmets hurried down The entire
party was overcome by the after-damp,
and when they were brought Ia ina
surface physicians had 10 work over
them Tor nearly an hour before they
We're able to be moved TO the rescue
car. Members OF the first PARTY give
a narrowing account of the experience.
we We're going along all right until
we got to the first entry said Dr. II.
II. Hamilton. and in a few seconds
nearly every man in the party was
down. l attempted to carry one man
| over The lift. but failed. and fell my
self That is the last | remember until
| the surface was reached"
| Dr. Caraway managed to stagger to
the bottom Of the shaft and cried:
| Get US out: we are dying"
| 1t was when this cry was heard at
| the top that the second party, headed
| BY Dr. Wright, was sent down Those
in the first party who were overcome
We're Dr.. J. J Rutledge. Dr. w e.
kohntree. Or. Caraway. j. D. Weldon,
| j. w. Newly. =. r. Brown T. s.; j. ".
Key. L. c.; William Routenlusch. III
| II. Hamilton. George T. Ciambill and
Harry McCrory. Rutiedgc. Rountrco
and Cambill were at first thought 10
be dead. All returned TO work few
hours later.
Damage Is Slight.
| While the loss OF life at banner IL
! the most disastrous in the history Of
Alabama mining, the damage to the
! mine itself is slight. Mr.. Ramsey cs
Inmates that Sl.cUo Will cover il fuzzy.
The entire State Board of Convict
/ Inspectors is on the scene OF the
IS men in the mines. before the rescue
| work started. five were free, two
| whites and three neeroes;. l23 were
| convicts, twelve OF whom were white.
| Practically all of them were short
term men sent from Jefferson county. !.
| One OF the most pathetic incidents
| WAS the death of O.. w Spradling. one
| Of the mine foremen Following the
| explosion he escaped With others, and
! then returned 10 the mine TO render
| hid He was found sitting to-day on
| q rock with his head in his hands. lie
| was only short distance from the
| open air. Ho lived al Leeds. Ala, and
| leaves a widow and one child. He had
| been handling convict work for tho
| past twenty years
! s Day of Funerals
scranton. Pa ..hNpril Every nook
| Pancoast colliory, where the seventy
| three miners and United states Rcsciio
! Foreman Joseph NJ. Evans lost their
! lives Friday. have hecn searched since
noon yesterday. hut no other bodies
| Were found
The laying on, and buryIne OF the
bodies IS nov going on. .imons those
kcts were three brothers ana Il Cousin
| in one room Five funerals or IIun-