The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-11-19
Officials Are Unable to
Tell How Many Men
Were at Work.
SYSTEMATIC WORK
OF RESCUE BEGINS
Five Taken Out Alive-Great
Mass of Rock and Coal Jared
Loose Probably Will Be Pen
etrated by This Morning.
Cause of Explosion Is
Not Known.

Acton, Ala, November 1s.-Ninc
miners arc known TO have been killed
and at least a dozen others were still
missing at late hour tonight. as the
result OF an explosion this afternoon in
the Alabama Fuel and Iron Company's
mine No. 2. near here
The exact number still entombcd Is
uncertain. as minc officials are unable
TO say how many men were at work
in the mine when the explosion oc-
Cured. Estimates OF miners employed
near tho scene of the disaster place the
total number who entered the mine to-
day nj from twenty-five to forty
Systematic rescue work has been In
progress since o'clock tonight. ana
those IN charge believe that the great
mass OF rock and coal Jared loose by
the explosion Will be penetrated be-
fore morning.
Up to shortly before midnight only
I'VE miners had been taken out alive.
They expressed the belief that many
OF those still cntombed had been killed
by the force of the explosion.
Bodies Recovered.
At that hour bodies OF the following
had been recovered:
l.. l.. Patterson.
r.. bright.
John Iangston.
Henry thildcrs.
BurnB hittrell.
Charles Cut.i.in.
Zen Thomas. cOiorcd.
Jesse Pate. colored.
At least thirty miners are believed
10 have been cntombed by the cxplo-
SION which occurred to-day H. the Ala
hama Fuel and Iron Coinpany's mine
No .. located near this place
The usual quota OF men crnoloved in
Mine No. is seventy, but the exact
number at work when the explosion
occurred is not certain
Mine officials said tonight that n
checking up of tile mine records would
be necessary before IL could b., learned
definitely how many arc still en-
tombed
The cause of the explosion has not
been learned. That many OF those en-
tombcd were Killed by It's force seems
surface at the time We're blown several
feet from the mine entrance.
Officials OF the mines, accompanied By
rescue workers and surgeons, have ar
rived here from birmingham and to-
night every effort was being made to
reach the rntonbcd men.
Equipment First-Clnss.
Mine No. =, which Is known as Acton
mine. is comparatively new, and is one
OF the most productive IN this district.
II has q daily output OF 400 tons. Of
ncials ot the company said that all
equipment VAS iirst-clasS.
Acton mine IS twcnty-four miles
south OF Birmingham. on the Acton
branch OF the Louisville and Nash
Vile Railroad. The mine has n single
track slope and used an ciGhtccnfoot
fan with tho split air system !. c..
steele is superintendent OF the Acton
branch.
While officials would make no esti-
mate OF The number OF men still in tho
mine. miners at work near the scene OF
the disaster, insisted that IT least
the explosion. Some estimates ran as
high as forty. 1t was said. however,
that the number certainly would not
exceed this feure. as yesterday was
pay day. and many of the seventy men
usually employed there did not go TO
work to-day.
Most OF the miners in No. were
white. although several negroes are
known 10 have been among those
caught by tho great mass OF coal and
rock that was Jared loose by tho eX-
ploson. Many Of the men, ii is known.
We're foreigners
Rescue work was carried on syste-
matically, and those in charge pre-
dicted that The work of clearing away
the debris and bringing the miners TO
the surface would he accomplished be-
fore morning.
Early efforts were devoted TO rcsto-
ration OF tho ventilation supply OF the
mine. The air fan was only slightly
damaged, The only attempted expia-
nation of the cause OF the explosion
was that quantity OF dust had been
sot on fire by q miners shot