The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-17
PREPARE TO REBUILD

Officials Attribute Fire To Defec-
 tive Wire or Careless Match
 While the charred bodies of four comrades were being prepared for burial and nearly half their number be- ing sent to other mines, 270 survivors of a conflagratoin that Friday night razed the prison barracks and build ings of the Flat Top mines, 32 miles from Birmingham, were Saturday night preparing to rebuild the destroyed structures.
 Frame buildings and equipment that flames devoured in 42 minutes, to- gether with equipment, was valued at $80,000 or more, according to officials of the company.
 With intensive work under the direc- ton of H. J. Thomas, of the Sloss-Shef- field Steel and Iron company, owners of the mines, work may be resumed Monday, it was declared According to the usual custom, no report was is- sued by the company.
 Cause Cnknown
 A defective wire, or a match in a trouser pocket lying over q radiator in the. bath house is supposed to have started the fire early Friday night. Heroic work of number of officials and convict miners failed to prevent the blaze from reaching every corner of the prison and buildings within less fthap, an hour.
 shroaded by four walls of flame. Ali Jones Bob AHdersar Will Thomas { ahq Andrew Afouiton. negro convict fininers asleep in the prison. were burn ed to death before tiie3 could escape. The remains were found later.
 Coroner J. D. Russum, one of the first investigators to reach the mines, said formal inquest into the death of the convicts would be held Monday. He said the deaths could not be at- tributed to the negligence of anyone
 Destroyed Property
 Everything except the hospital was destroyed. The cook house, supply house, bakery, office, water tank, boil CT room, stock room, barracks and oth- CT buildings were among the first swept by the flames.
 Miners, guarded by Warden Charles R. Davis and others, were herded into the mouth of the mine while trusties and others fought the blaze as best they could and sent for help and food.
 Food for the convicts was brought early Saturday morning from Banner and Flat Creek. Heroic work by Clar- ence Reeves, white, serving a total of 140 years, and John Wilcox, serving ten years. was commended by Warden Davis.
 Prisoners Loyal
 'The men behaved unusually well i; they are to be congratulated" he said. We did not have a single man to try to escape, and all stood by us to help"
 The buildings were constructed of in- flammable wood 20 years ago, accord ing to Coroner Russum, who made a thorough investigation of the case.
 The convicts will be sent to Banner, Flat Creek and Kilby prisons until the mine buildings are reconstructed Half the normal production is expected to be mined Monday, Mir. Davis said.
 Roy l.. Nolen, of the convict board at Montgomery. said he had received no details of the tragedy, but was distrib- uting the prisoners among the various other mines.
 H. J. Thomas, of the Sloss- Sheffield company, although supposed to have gone to the mines immediately after the fire and reported at his office to have been there Saturday, had no re- port to make on the fire. Officials of the company refused to comment on what would be done