Omaha daily bee., 1911-12-12
MINERS DIE OF BLACK DAMP
No Hope for Men Entombed in Mine
at Brioeville, Tenn.
SEVENTEEN BODIES FOUND
Those Who Escaped Fury OF ExpIO-
sion Speedily Standardization
dred EiRhty-FOur Children
Made Orphans.

BRICEVlLLE. Tenn. Dec. 1l.--with
sixteen bodies recovered and Identified.
rescue parties today renewed their ef-
forts to force the Big Cross Mountain
NINE here to give up its dead. Having
forced their way three miles into the
mountain and bratticed most OF the cross
entries, members Of the rescue crew ex.
pect TO stumble upon corpses strewn about
the chambers at any hour.
Discovery Of the first body this morning
came at 10 o'clock when a dead miner was
found In a sitting posture in one OF the
Interior chambers. He was Andrew John
son. Indications were that he had been
a victim Of black damp. II is believed
now that any men who might have es-
capped the fury OF the explosion speedily
were suffocated by gases
a local Red Cross camp began work
for the relief OF the suffering this after.
noon. 1t Is estimated the explosion rem
dered fifty-slN widows and made 1884
children orphans.
That there are 100 or more dead men
remaining in the mine there is no doubt,
All hope OF rescuing any Of the scores
who went TO their toll Saturday morning
has been abandoned.
The discovery late last night OF eight
more bodies. prompted crowds To Ratbar
At the death cavern early this morning
weeping wives made widows by satur-
days dust blast In the Knoxville Iron
company's mine came to the shaft en-.
trance IN scores this morning. In
warehouse but short step from the
NINE entrance are great numbers OF
coffins waiting for the occupants.
or the eight corpses discovered last
hsht, three we're sitting bolt upright in
mine car, while the bodies OF five others
were lying on the ground Their deaths
came by an explosion OF dust
Black Damp stops Prorre.,
Black damp developed late Sunday and
stopped progress for a time, but soon.
the silent force pushed dauntisssly, o.. on
some or them TN they were carried out
overcome by the noxlous gases. ..4.'
There is hardly a family in the entire
Coal Creek valley that has not fe,t tbe
touch of death.
The problem Of caring for the widows
and orphans will be a grave one. Ger.
tainly Briceville win be unable 10 caro-
tor It's living with most of its wage earn
erS numbered among the dead.
At Least Hundred In Mine
IL has been impossible to get any
authentic figures on the exact number of
men In the mine when the explosion oc-
CURED. Mine officers have given out no
statement and II has been impossible to
get any check on the men who went IN
WORK on that morning. That It is more
than a hundred seems certain ana MAT
all dead
AZ least 1000 persons visited this bafnJ.,
Sunday and willing workers were many.
George p. Chanler, president OF the Ten.
hessee Coal company, is In charge of the
relief work. lie divided the men into
gangs OF nifty and sent each shirt into the
workings for two hours. Even when tho
ar IN the mine was at it's best they could
not work longer
No official or semi-offlciaI opinion had
oeen given out as to the cause of the
disaster. President TIL: Stephenson of
the Knoxville Iron company, and others
Interested had nothing to say In answer to |
this inquiry. 1t is generally believed, |
however. that the disaster was due TO a
dust explosion"
An undertaken who examined the
corpses found in the mine, stated that IN |
SNS'y hSldnCe the headS OF the victims |
were bruised, as IL they had been thrown |
against the ceiling Of the mine |
or the umbers on the side walls. This. II |
Is claimed. argues Ia favor Of the dust
explosion" theory, The mine had passed |
official inspection within the last few |
weeks and was thought to be perfectly |
safe. Investigations are now being made |
with a view to definitely determining the /
cause OF the accident, II such is possible. |
WASHINGTON. Dec. 1l.--At the request |
OF Representative Austin or tennessee |
President TAN today wrote 10 MIss Mabel |
Boardman of the Red Cross suggesting |
that organization do all possible TO aid |
the sufferers in the Briceville mine dis |
trlct.
NASHVILLE Tenn, Dec. 1t-Governor |
Hooper appealed to citizens of Tennessee
and such nonresldents as should feel |
disposed for aid for Brieevllle sufferers.
lie asks that contributions for families /
OF victims of the mine explosion be for |
warded TO the Knoxville Journal and |
Tribune and the Knoxville Sentinel. |
Alderman RuttOn