The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-30
8 MEN INJURED |NANEXP[OS|ON AT MARVEL MINE Is One of the Most Modern Equipped Mines in
 District RECOVERY OF ALL
 INJURED EXPECTED Almost Certain That Explosion Was Caused by Careless Employe Entering 'Gassy Room With
 Lighted Lamp

fNNNNe VA Sdo tApiOSitii Cu in slope No. l. Marvel mine. of the Roden Coal company yesterday morn ing at 10 o'clock. Four white men and four negroes were injured. They were brought to Birmingham last night and taken to St Vincent's hospital Dr. Vance of Marvel and other officia S accompa the injured. Ambulances were on hand to dispatch the burned men to places of comfort in the hos- pitaL It Is stated that none of the men is seriously injured and that not the least apprehension is felt but what complete recovery will take place in every case.
 Those injured were
 Those Injured
 O. Alselmo white; has wife and three children. Injuries. leg broken, burns on head and arms
 R. H. Shaner, white; has wife and three children. Injuries, burns of face, back and arms.
 Tom Pullman, mine foreman bottom slope slight burns on hands.
 Dennis Boyd. white. single; burns on face and hands.
 Bob Jackson, negro; has wife and two children; burns on face. arms and back
 Gus Baldwin, negro. single; burns on face and arms.
 George Green. negro. has wife: burns on hands and face.
 Joe Burch. negro. has wife; burns on face, back and arms. Cause of Explosion That the explosion was caused by an employe entering the heading with a lighted lamp where men were fam nlng out a slight trace of gas, is pret- ty well settled. That Is the opinion of President E. F. Roden of the company made public last night It is stated that a very slight concussion was evident when the accident occurred. not even being felt in other rooms. It is stated that Tom Pullman. the mine foreman, was near and although injured by the flames reached a telephone and phoned to the surface
 President B. F. Roden and his su- perintendent headed a party that went directly to the affected portion of the mine after the men injured. The in- juries consisted only of burns except ing in the case of O. Alselmo, a white man, who was almost dead from suf- location and suffered a broken leg. He will recover, however.
 Concussion Light The injured men were working in a heading directly adjoining workable room and their friends next door failed to feel the concussion, 1t was so slight The party of reseuers carried the men to the surface as rapidly as pos sible where Dr. Vance administered medical aid to them. A decision was later reached to bring the men to Bir- mingham.
 In giving his official statement of the affair President Roden says:
 There was an explosion in the third right heading. bottom slope. of our Marvel mine at approximately 10 a. m today. This resulted Tn the injury of eight men.
 None of them is seriously burned although o. Alselmo was nearly dead when rescued from suffocation At every mine in the Cahaba coal field there is more or less gas. In our Marvel mine gas has only shown up on ccur out of 2S headings, and in very sriall quantities. In order to be safe fire boss is employed to make an ex- anination of every working place every right. A board is maintained on the outside at the mouth of each mariway: also one at the mouth of each heading on which the fire boss makes daily re- port of working places which showed gas On the neck of each room it is also marked The cause of 99 explo- sions out of 100 is caused by careless ness on someone's part, and in this ir-