The Ordway new era., 1911-12-15
TERRIBLE DISASTER VISITS VII
LACE OF BRIcEvlLLE,
TENNESSEE.
RESCUERS HAVEN0H0PE
BODIES OF VICTIMS CRUSHED AND
MANGLED; ARE BEING
REMOVED.
Western Newspaper Union News Service.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Briceville, Tenn.-In the depths OF
Cross Mountain coal mine pribably one
hundred men lie dead. while their
sorrow stricken families keep vigil at
the mouth of their tomb, hoping
against hope that their loved ones
may be alive when rescuers reach
them.
Eight mangled bodies have been
brought forth.
Outside of the immediate families
Of the entombed men, no one in this
little mountain village believes that
any living thing in the mine has sur
vived the terrific explosion Of coal
dust that wrecked the workings.
For more than thirty-six hours ev-
cry surviving miner in this region has
toiled, with no thought Of food. sleep
or pay, to remove the debris and to
force fresh air into the innermost re-
cesses Of the mine. They practically
have penetrated to the main entry
head, nearly three miles in.
Black damp developed and stopped
progress for time: but soon the ST.
lent force pushed dauntlessly on. some
OF them till they were carried out.
overcome by the noxious gases.
Thousands Of the morbidly curious
flocked into Briceville and crowded
about the main entry OF the mine.
They saw nothing but the pitiable
grief Of the stricken families.
There is hardly family in the en-
tire Coal Creek valley that has not
felt the touch OF death. The problem
OF caring for the widows and orphans
Is great. requiring immediate solution.
Food Is scarce. but plentiful supplies
are promised from Knoxville. So far
there has been little physical suffering
among the families Of those who lost
their lives.
1t has been impossible to get any au-
thentic figures on the exact number
OF men In the mine when the explo-
sion occurred. Mine officers have Civ.
en- out no statement and It has been
impossible to get any check on the
men who went to work. That It Is
more than 100 is certain. and that they
are all dead seems almost rs certain.
Thnt the black damp will be driven
from the passage is believed. With
the crew OF one rescue car on the
ground another hurrying here and REQ.
resentativcs OF the Red Cross on han ].
It Is expected that rescue work. SO far
badly retarded. will go forward rapidly.
Work OF rescue moves slowly. part.
ly because the entombed men are be.
lieved to be two miles from the open.
ing and partly because of black damp
Electrical devices for moving cars
in the workings were shattered by the
explosion and debris cleared away in
the tunnels Is being hauled by mule
cars to the surface.
a pail OF silent sorrow hovered
about the mouth OF the mine. as thou
sands congrcgated. some standing for
hours and others moving momentarily
from one point of vantage to another
The single disturbance OF this scene
Of silence was when the Rev. +. NJ
Richie. pastor of the Methodist Epis
copal church South at Coal Creek. cx
horted those within the hearing Of his
voice to accept the disaster as n warn
ing and prepare to meet death. The
minister appealed to his hearers In
behalf Of their souls. and declared
again and again that God has sent this
visitation of his providence upon the
community as n demonstration OF the
certainty of death and the ever uncer
tainty OF life.