The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-09
Fatal A fterddn1p Caused By Explosion Yesterday Morning Suffocates Scores And Frustrdtes the
 ReScuerS In Work
ALL HOPE ABANDONED
 FOR MEN UNDERGROUND
Big Pile of Dead Seen Huddled Together Near Opening Sixty Men Escaped Alive Soon After Explosion Oc- curred-Large Percentage Of Mine Victims
 Were Negro Convicts

from various points about men who are | supposed to have been killed. The policy of the company was not to withhold any
 legitimate information.
 Erskine Ramsay, vice president of the company and one of the most kind
 hearted Scotchmen who ever lived, was
 almost overcome last night over the dreadful accident. He frequently visited
 the mine and was very popular among
 the men employed. Not only the con victs respected their employer but every one about there knew and liked him.
 The company officials stated that the mine was sprnkled very thoroughly yes terday before the accident. It is also stated that Chief Inspector Hillhonse be-
 lieves the explosion was purely local.
 Give Up All Hope
 After clinging to the belief that the | 11S imprisoned miners would be rescued alive, the officials of the Pratt Con- | solidated Coal company late last night abandoned hope.
 | It was given out by G. B. Mccormack
 president of the company in Birming ham, that he had hoped that the men would be found to have successfully combated the dreaded black damp, which followed the explosion, but that he now held little hope for their es- cape. He said. however, that he would not state positively that the men had perished but from indications if they escaped it would be by the intervention of some power more than human. l It was stated from Banner at mid night last night that the rescuers were slowly but successfully forcing their | way down the slope and into the black damp infested territory. The work was necessarily slow and perlous. The res cuers brattice each entry as it Is reached, thus saving fresh air to be forced into those places where tho black damp has penetrated and where | the men are supposed to be gathered. | It Is stated that by morning or per haps by noon at the latest the rescuers | will have made their way to the point | where the most men supposed to the deadly affects of the poisoned air.
 Oakley on Scene
 Last night James Oakley, president of l the state board of convict inspectors ar rived In Birmingham from Montgomery. He left here at 10:3O on special train Tor Banner. He was instructed by Governor O'Neal to make thorough and unceasing investigation into the cause of the ex- plosion.
 He did not have any statement 10 make last night in reference to the accident, but said he would be at Banner until he gathered the essential facts about the affair.
 He went to the office of the Pratt com pany late last night where he held a short talk with G. B. Mccormack. pres ident of the company. The officials did not have any information to give out but said every possible assistance would be given the state officials to arrive at the correct solution of the cause. Mir Oakley was accompanied by Dr. Burns, state physician, who will make an investigation also.
 Nearly 200 Had Entered
 The explosion occurred at 6S5 yes terday morning just after approx imately 200 men had entered the shaft and slope to begin their labors. The detonation did not spread sufficiently to give signal to all parts of the mine. This fact is attested by the convicts who escaped, who later declared that if they had not been summoned to the surface they would not have known the explosion occurred.
 The men aroultd the mine took mat ters in hand pending, the arrival of Chief Mine Inspector James Hillhouse. He left Birmingham as soon as advised by the local officials of the Pratt Con- solidated of what had occurred. He was accompanied by others interested. Mir. Hillhouse discounted the wild re- ports at the outset and believed that If immediate steps were taken the im- prisoned men could be liberated. How ever, when he reached the scene it was quite outside of the range of human endeavor to get into the mine. Rescue parties who tried to enter the mine came staggering to the surface almost overcome with the deadly black damp which follows a gas explosion. They reported the carcassesaof many mules and a quantity >f human beings not far from the shaft and also near the fan shaft hudled into heaps and evil dently killed outright.
 Air Bushes Into Mine The scene at the mines was changed almost immeditely when the recently completed new fan was started. It car ried a phenomenal volume of air into the mine and those men who had not sufficient ozone to enable theme to reach the surface. One or two con- victs who knew little of mining stag gered to the surface up the abandoned slope now used as a manway and hys- terically retold that scores were lying prostrate beyond the entries. The con vict who brought Those i'll tidings IS now almost Insane from the experl- ences undergone in the deadly trap. The first work to be performed was the rapid arrangement for Tore air. The explosion which was very slight, disabled the regular air fan. This was repaired, however. just as soon as pos sible and within a very short time T volume of air was being rushed into all quarters of the underground workings.
 Bratticcs Are Prepared This permitted the rescuers under the guidance of Inspector Hillhouse to prepare brattices for the various ex- its and entrances. While the rescuers were preparing to go down into the mine they could tell with unmis talk able accuracy that men were alive at tho bottom, for regularly the imprisoned convicts beat upon the iron pipes and the other fixtures indicating that not yet had they been overpoweree by the demon black damn At this juncturc and tefore any of the rescuers under took to enter the doomed prison slope word was sent through channel un- touched for other men to come out About 60 came trooping up the man way to fresh air and liberty. They re- lrorted that nothing had occurred in the mine so far as they knew. Subse- quentJy 1t was Ascertained that these men were in portion of the mine far
 
 tc0NTISUED oN PAoE sa