The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-18
ONLY THREE KILLED BY EXPLOSION AT TENNESSEE PLANT Many Rumors Heard Re- garding Cause of By
 Product Accident TODAY WILL SEE
 NORMAL CAPACITY C. H. Cole, Who Was Severely Burned, Is Resting We'll and Tells His
 Experience at Time of
 Explosion

Hisht tndt .oniy three men iOSt the1r lives in the explosion at the by-product plant of the Tennessee Coal. Iron and
 Railroad company at Fairfield Saturday night Only two men were injured, one rather seriously and the other slightly. Master Mechanic Carter, who was blown through large hole in the wall which was caused by the big valve on a 42- inch main exploding, Is resting easily and will recover. C. H. Cole is confined at the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Rail- road hospital in Ensley and is resting we'll
 The damage to the plant Is estimated at approximately s5O.ooO. All the debris has been cleared away and work of re- pairing the damage was started early Sunday morning. The exact cause of the explosion is not known. One of the of- ficials of the company stated to an Age Herald reporter that the cause of the explosion was not known but that every effort would be made to find out defi- nitely how and why it occurred.
 Rumors Regarding Cause
 Persistent rumors are afioat that the explosion was the work of some sympa- thizer of the Austro-German forces No one in authority will confirm or deny these rumors. The police department of Birmingham is known to have deteo- tives working on the case in co-opera- tion with the special investigators of the Tennessee company. It is known that numerous agents of one of the belligerent countries have been visitors to Birmingham during the past few months 1t will be remembered that NJ C. McMahon of the International Ma chinists union was in Birmingham on September 17 for the purpose of "con- vincing manufacturers that our cause is right"
 We are getting results all along the line among the plants that are manu- featuring munitions of war for the all lies stated McMahon to an Age Her aid reporter at that time. He gave a list of manufacturers of war materials that had been affected by the sudden desire on the part of the organizers to help the machinists. The list at that time included more than 50 large man with their labor.
 In closing the interview with Mo- Mahon the reporter asked him what he thought of the plans of Ex-Ambassador Constantin Lumba to have all the Aus tro- Hungarians leave the plants manu- facturing munitions of war His answer was: Well. of course Dr. Dumba is working for Ambassador Won Berns- torff and l cannot see any harm in their plan. If there were as many Americans in Germany Austria Hungary as there are Germans and Austrians in the United States, I fancy that Germany would not manufacture many munitions of war if she had trouble with this country. It Is not pleasant to be work ing at manufacturing munitions to be used in killing fellow countrymen and I cannot very we'll blame the German or Austrian ambassadors for their ac- tivities"
 Plant Works Night and Day
 It Is known that the by-product plant at Fairfield has been working night and day for some months on orders for ma terial which is ultimately used to make | for the allies. Representatives of the federal government have been in l the Birmingham district for a number of months and special investigators of 1 the most skilled type have been ex- tremely active. It Is fact that com panies all over the country manufac- | turing war munitions have been con- stantly on the alert and have feared | explosions in the plants, during the | past few months. Threats have been re- | ceived by the concerns and in each in- l stance 1t is said they were turned over | to government agents to Investigate. | Upon each occasion of fresh threat greater precautions have been taken It | Is an utter impossibility for anyone to get permit to any of the plants.
 The damage to the by-products plant 1 night will not materially han dicap the company in the manufacturing l of the materials they have orders for. | One of the company officials stated that l the plant would resume normal ca- pacity this morning. Extra men will be | put on pitcket duty outside the plant and more precautions than ever will be | taken.
 C. H. Cole. who was very painfully | burned about the face and limbs, was | resting very well at the Tennessee com | pany's hospital yesterday afternoon, and | talked freely with an Age Herald re- porter about the accident
 At the time of the explosion" said | MT. Cole, T was doing little repair work |