The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-10
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION KILLS MORE THAN HUNDRED MEN
 IN BRICEVILLE COAL MINE
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~~~~~~- though volunteers for the rescue wofh were plentiful, until they had worn thehl- selves completely out physically and had ro he aided to the pure air outdoors.
 one of the rescuing party who was among the first to arrive after the eX- nlosion was Earnest McDaniels, the sole survivor of the dreaful FraterXlile mine explosion of nearly 10 years ago ana which has been approached in destfuctloh and loss of life in Tennesse only by that of today which resembled it so closely MT McDaniels, a miner in the t'raterVille mine, and the sole one of the lSo em- ployes who lived to tell the tale worked as fast as possible throughout the morn ing and afternoon.
 Estimates Vary
 Estimates as to the number ot men imprisoned by the explosion are still vary ing but it is semi-officially stated that the total is POT, according to the mum Der of men who are said to have "ehecked Tn" this morning for the days work.
 The mine rescue crew of the federal government arrived late this afternoon and immediately undertook an entrance into the mine, using oxygen helmets, which enable the wearers to enter cham bers of the most deadly gases, and to operate effectively The rescuers pro- ceeded about one mile up the main shaft until Instructions of fallen slate, rock, earth and timbers and other debris were encountered. It is necessary to remove this before the inner chambers can be reached. Wearers of oxygen he.mets are able to penetrate these zones without i'll effect
 It was a party of helmet wearers who discovered the first body recovered .from the mine. He was Lee Polston, employed as operator of the fan ma chinery 1he fact that a fan was To- cated in close proximity to where the cave-in was encountered is accepted as explanation of this mans body being buried in the debris so near it's outer edge.
 It is impossible to determine just what thickness of deposits in the channel must be removed before the inner portion Of the mine is reached However. Presl- dent T. I. Stephenson of the knoXVilie Iron company thinks this can be done by midnight and the unfortunate men reach ed by that hour. This is problematical.
 Stephenson's Statement
 President Stephenson gave out state- ment late this afternoon in which he eX- pressed the hope that many, if not all, would be found alive. He said it is quite probable that any gases in the mine would collect in the main shaft, and the men are supposed to have been working In the chambers on either side of the shaft He believes that those who were in the chambers were in less danger of disaster than had they been in the main smart, and consequently that the loss of life will be materially lessened thereby.
 Rescue parties who entered the mine this afternoon encountered dense and compact deposits of slate. earth, rock and coal in the main shaft of the mine. anC also in an abandoned entry which has been used for an air shaft. and this must be about one mile from the mouth of the mine It is not yet possible to determine whether this blockading of the entry i' shallow, or whether it extends hundred: of feet or a mile or more., The greater this cave-in, the more difficult will be th, rescue. Wood posts and trusses in tn shaft have been blown outward, ant this miners state, is indicative of a SC rious explosion beyond Brattices are nov being constructed by means of which ali