Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-09
FIRE BARS RESCUERS
Searching Parties Driven Out
of Monongah Mines.
DEADLY AFTER-DAMP GAS
Volunteers Ready to Work at Risk
of Their Lives.
FEAR OF A SECOND EXPLOSION
Hundreds of Families Destitute.
Efforts Made to Relieve
the Suffering.
DEADLY AFTER-DAMP GAS
FEAR OF A SECOND EXPLOSION

MONONGAH, w. Va, December o.
Rescue work was resumed in the two
mines at Monongah today. The fire In
No mine, which started late yesterday
afternoon, was walled in this morning.
and following an examination by Govern
ment Expert Hall and Chief Mine Inspec-
tor Paul :he rescuing parties again be-
gan their quest for the dead No more
dead bodies had been recovered up to
noon. the total being fifty-three reached
yesterday. The rescue work is being
pushed today. under the rules formulated
by the board of health at a meeting last
night. Bodies in an advanced state of
decomposition will be buried direct from
the mines. The plan which was adopted
for the protection of the public health
has greatly increased the grief of the
relatives and friends of the victims.
The monetary loss caused by the ex-
plosion cannot be estimated at this time
but it will amount to hundreds of thou
sands of dollars. About 800 cars of COAL
worth $4,000, were demolished by the ex-
plosion. The mules were valued at 5000.
and the large fan and power house at
the mouth of mine No. at nearly $4,000
At dawn began the struggle of thou
sands of people to reach Monongah from
Fairmont. The transportation facilities
are meager. and it is a common sight to
see persons boarding the cars through
the windows. 1t is believed that the
crowd of yesterday, estimated at more
than $4,000, will be exceeded today. The
funeral services over several foreign min
ers took place during the day, and the
scenes were ptiful.
Few Dead Found.
Three days after a. terrific explosion Of
black damp wrecked mines Nos. 6 and
of the Fairmont Coal Company at this
place last Friday morning. fifty-three
bodies. or only about one-eighth of the
total number Of victims, have been brought
to the surface. while less than one-fourth
of the total number have been actually
located. The others, between 300 and 400
in number. lie in unknown sections of the
vast workings in the bowels of the great
hills that overlook the town and extend
two miles and more back from the main
entries to the mines. These INDICATED
bodies. to find which hundreds of these
men are constantly rsking their lives, are
seriously menaced by two destroying ele-
ments-by decay in the overheated, humid
and vapor-poisoned atmosphere of the
Mines and by fires that are smoldering
here and there in the workings, and from
time to time bursting into flame. Steadily.
the chance is ebbing that these bodies will
be brought to the surface, identified by
friends and relatives and given Christian
burial This is the situation this MORN
ing at the scene of the most frightful ca
tastrope in the history of the coal mining
industry in America.
All Would Brave Death.
A large force of skilled miners, volun.
teers for the hazardous task of rescue
work are on the scene, ready to re-enter
the mines and take up the work where
they were forced to leave 1t yesterday
when fire broke out in mine No. s. These
men await only the word from Clarence
Hall, the expert of the federal govern.
ment, and j. w. Paul, West Virginia's
chief mine inspector. These men are now
in charge. supersedng officers of the min.
ing company and others who directed the
rescue work.
New difficulties and complications have
confronted the reScuerS on every hand,
but with only brief interruptions the work
was continued until 3 o'clock yesterday
afternoon. when, owing to the fire. the
search had to be abandoned for the re-
mainder of the day.
The flames have been fought by every
possible means, including the laying of
water pipe driven far into the mine. This
was the second fire since the Xplosion. The
first fire started Saturday morning, but
caused only a short delay.
The bodies so far recovered are in hor-
rible condition. An undertaken is au-
thority for the statement that of the
fifty-three bodies handled only three were
intact Some were headless, arms were
nd Iayc of 1,ary
bers from others.
The condition of the bodies still in the
mine is such that in the interest of public
health the county health board at spe-
cial meeting adopted the following reso-
lutions:
Order of Health Board.
"All bodies in bad state of decompo-
sition in the opinion of the attending phy-
sicians must be prepared for burial at
the mine opening as speedily AS possible.
OF the same, such as are there iden-
titled shall be delivered to their friends
who shall remove and bury the same.
Such of said above described bodies
as are not identified, as well as bodies in
a fair state of preservation. shall be re-
moved to the First National Bank build
ing (the improvised morsue).
Such of them as are there identified
shall at once remove and bury them.
"All the unidentified bodies shall as
speedily as possible be removed to the
cemeteries and there have three hours
for identification. after which time If still
unidentified they shall be buried
The volume of after-damp is steadily in
creasing in the mine, and the danger of
another explosion is becoming grave. Sew
eral leaks have been found in the brat
tees which the rescuers put up as they
worked their way forward through which
gas is seeping in dangerous quantities.
These are being repaired as rapidly as
found and every other possible precaution
is being taken. A second explosion would
undoubtedly be attended with great loss
of life among the crowds that constantly
collect around the entrances. Forces on
hand are powerless to keep back these
crowds-only soldiers could do that. and
it may yet be ne cessary to call out the mi
lita for that purpose.
Many in Want.
Distress and want among women and
children dependent upon the men who