Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-11-23
391 Reach SAFETY
BY CRAWL THRU
EMERGENCY EXITS
Birmingham, Ala Nov 23.-Work Of re-
moving from Dolomite mine number three of the
Woodward Iron company in which AIS men were

'liliC iluIIlOcI lllIeS OF lIlS
Y in which AIS men were
trapped by an explosion
yesterday was renewed
with vigor by rescue
crews aided by undertaker's as
sstants today after daylight. Com
pany officials estimated that the list
of dead would be increased to
eighty-four. Checking of injured
indicated that the list of sixty was
. parently correct. OF the dead
thirty.eight were white men, of the
injured eighty per cent are negroes,
according to company officials.
AT least fifty men were either kill
ed or injured when a train of trip
cars running wild from the tipple
crashed into the mine i'm the yard
at the main entrance. This accident
caused the swapping Of an electric
cable which set off the dust which
resulted in the explosion. The con-
custom rocked the earth for miles
around and occurred so nearly stimuli
taneously with the accident that pro-
duced it that the victims were not
aware what was happening. As the
first streaks OF dawn swept the sky
weary watchers about the pit appear
ed to renew hope that missing loved
ones might be found des s7ite an
,nouncement that "al the live per-
sons" had been removed. White and
black huddled in the biting cold
Al.
out the night watching with sad but
eager eyes.
Work All Night At Rescue.
Birmingham, Ala, Nov 2S-Atter
rescue work throughout the night, Of
| fcials of the Woodward iron company,
owners of Dolomite mine numer 3,
where a dust explosion trapped ATS
/ miners yesterday afternoon announced
today that 63 bodies had been taken
from the mine, and they feared the
total toll of dead might reach 100.
Nineteen of the recovered bodies have
been identified
Approximately sixty men were re-
ported injured by the blast. The other
men escaped unharmed. Scenes OF
pathos about the mine mouth contin-
ued as relatives and families of miners
WdAItU UtNS vi LilGiI lpFbAA OhD9s ~itttAT
men il was believed had reached
safety through the runway connect
ing the mine with Mine No. and had
Ire-entered the workings to help in res
cue work without communication with
company officials or relatives.
Anxious relatives, however, kept
watch all night refusing to cult their
post until they learned something def
| 0ito Of their loved ones.
Joyous reunions occasionally re-
leved the sOrrowfuI scenes, One
small girl gave a cry Of delight as
grimy miner emerged his smoke
blackened face, his clothing bearing
mute signs of his struggle to reach
| the surface in safety.
The girl threw herself into his arms
and they hurried off Another woman
collapsed as her son emerged. The
boys meeting rescuers In the mine on
their way out and learning the work
lngs were free from poisonous gases
had turned back to aid in the rescue
keeping their mother in suspense I'M
til they reached the surface exhaust
ed
Boss Orders Men To Stick.
One rescuer told Of an unidenti-
led mine foreman who after the blast
ordered thirty workers to remain
With him and work on fixing up brat
tices with stones and canvas to shut
off the dreaded, after fire damp eas.
! 'cCording to the rescue worker one
miner objected to remaining. The rest
stayed behind and completed the brat
tices of stones and canvas. When
the fans were started and the air
lCleared the foreman led his men out.
| The body of the man who refused to
stick was found only few feet away
from the temporary brattice Tales
of single miners who built walls
across hollows IN the workings stop
ping the chinks with parts Of their
own clothing and thus saving their
lives from the gasses were numerous.
1t will probably be late tonight be-
fore a complete official check of the
dead and injured will be available
according to company officials. Many
of the more seriously Injured may sue
cumb it was said at the hospital ii
Bessemer where they we're taken last
night.
Militia Forces Crowds Back,
I 1t was after midnight before tho
state militia could clear the district
about the mine entrance of the cars
and hundreds of curious watchers.
Fourteen men working in the mine
about one mile from the entrance felt
the force of the blast entered a pocket
in the walls and were rescued unin-
jured,
The force of the explosion was felt
in Birmingham, nine miles distant,
the concussion being distinctly heard
in the South Highlands residence dis
: trict,