The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-09
Mine ON FIRE.
Dust Explosion Buries 200
Miners at BricevilIe.
Fire Follows and Rescue Work
Is Prevented.
ONLY THREE ESCAPE
OF All Those Who Went to Work
This Morning.
Disaster Occurs Two Miles From
the Entrance.
ONLY THREE ESCAPE

! Knoxville, Tenn, Dec. 9.-A dust
explosion in the main mine of the Cross
mountain system near Briceville, early
today entoInbed a large number of
workers who had just entered for the
days toll The mine is usually manned
by 200 miners, but whether all had en-
tered the shaft prior to the dust blast
has not been determined
Rescue preparations were immediate
ly put under way and at 10 o'clock
gangs of miners from other works" in
the district had gone into the main
Cross mountain mine by three en-
frances. At that hour none OF tho
rescuers had reported.
The mine is owned and operated bT
the Knoxville Iron company and is
about 35 miles from Knoxville.
AS news Of the explosion spread about
the Briceville district throngS OF wo-
men rushed to the mine entrance ana
clamored to be allowed to make thelr
way inside to aid in the rescue
Many of the women knew their hus-
bands had entered the mine before the
blast Most of these wives, however,
maintained brave hearts The n-a?orl-
ty of them had witnessed almost sl1llf-
lar scenes One woman who gathered
others about her attempted TO cheesI
her weeping sisters Now, L know my
old man amt dead she asserted II II
take more than dust explosion to Kill
Al II o'clock it had almost been
definitely settled that 100 men had eI'-
tered the mine before the explosion
Fire Checks Rescue Work.
Rescue work was checked before IL
o'clock Great pillows of flame DeSaIl
to belch from the mouth of the mine
Rescue parties were hurled back ny
the flames. Hope for the imprisoned
miners yielded to despair
Members of rescue squads who were
ba
smoke declared they had advanced
mile into the main shaft before tnfy
were forced to retire, and they hs'd
discovered no signs of the lmprlsoHsu
men. Just before these rescuers were
driven out they encountered a csAVs7lH
in each of the entries.
1t was of such character as to al
most positively confirm the early the
ory that dust had caused the explo-
sion.
Of all the men who went into the
mine three have escaped. They were
John Lang, Sam Farmer and Bert Hat
maker. They were in one of the lat
eral shafts Warned by the noise they
escaped before being overtaken by
flames.
They Saw Bad Signs.
These men observed bad signs" as
they entered the mine. They believe
the exact location of the blast is at
/ least two miles in the interior and
number of men entombed is now
variously estimated at 125 to 26S.
Because of the cavein and the
smoke and flames, it is impossible for
volunteer rescuers to proceed into the
mine They must await the coming OF
! the federal rescue apparatus, due mere
/ about O'Clock President Stephen
/ son said the casualties would not be so
/ large as at first reported from Brio e.
Vile. He did not believe there were
many men in the mine at the time OF
! the explosion.
He said the mine is usually manned
by about 200 workers but many were
! late in reporting for work today.
Early reports from the explosion
scene were vague. The first intimation
| of the explosion was a slight concus-
4 sion at the shaft, then smoke curled
/ out from the opening
Town Has Stormy History.
Brfcevil1e as a mining town has had
! a stormy history. 1t was the scene
| in the early nineties of rioting when
miners rebelled against working with
convicts leased by the state. Troops
were sent there to quen the trouble
| At Coal Creek, near there, on May ~,
1902, two hundred men were killed
/ in the FraternvilIe mine explosion
There are several big mines at Br1ce-
VI known as the cross mountain syS-
tenn. It was in one OF these tnat tne
/ EXPLOSION occurred today. Special trains
/ were sent from Knoxville to the scene
! of the disaster
/ President Stephenson, of the Knox
4 Vile Iron company, was in charge OF a
train over the Southern railway With
| him went officials of the local mine
rescue station They carried parapher-
/ MALTA of rescue
President Stephenson said he had no
| specific reports of the explosion and
knew nothing of the extent OF the hre
loss.