The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-12-10

damp the wrecked mines Nos q and y
OF the fairmont Coal Company at this
placc last Friday morning. 90 bodies or
only about one'eiehth Of the total mum
Dor OF victims have been brought 10 the
auriace, while less than ono.fourih Of
The total number have been actually
located. The Others. undoubtedly be-.
tween 800 and 400 In number, lie In
unknown sections Of the vast workings
In the bowels OF the great hills taat
overlook the town and extend two miles
and more back from the main entries
TO the mines, These Indicated bodies.
20 ilnil which hundreds OF brave men are
constantly risking their lives, are ser
iouSly menaced by two destroying cle'
incnts--by decay In the oyes'heated.
humid vapor poisoned mines and by ares
that are smodcring here aud there and
from time to time bursting into flames.
Steadily thc chance IL cbbing that these
bodies will he brought to the surface,
identified by friends and relatives and
given Christian burial, This Is the sitpa'
tion this morning at the scene Of the
most irightful catastrophe In the his
tory OF the coal mining industry in
America, A large force OF skilled miners,
volunteers for the hazardous task OF
rescue work. arr on the scene. ready to-
re.en,cr the mines and take up The work
mhsre they were forced 10 leave Il
yesterday when Are broke out In mine
No. 8. These men await only the word
from Clarence Hall. the expert Of the
federal government, and j. w. Paul.
West vIrginia's chief mine inspector
These two men are now In charge, super
scding officers Of tho mining company,
and many, believed, that the word will
be- giyen-that the mines win he safe
before the day IA far advanced
New difficulties and complications
have confronted the rcscuers on every
hand. but with only brief Interruptions
the work was continued until o'clock
yesterday afternoon. then the IRE drove
all from the uncxplorcd regions and the
search has TO be abandoned for the re
mainder OF the day and for the night,
The flames have been fought by every
possible means. including the laying OF
o waterpipe from the river far into the
mine. This was the second FIRE since
the explosion. The first fire started Sat
urlay morning but caused only short
delay, Many believe the first fire was
not entirely extngiished and that 1t
was smoldering cmbers that broke into
flames yesterday.
The bodies 40 far recovered are In
horrible condition. An undertaken Is
authority for the statement that OF the
'NS3 bodies handled, only three were in
tact. Some were headlcss. arms were
missing from some aud legs or other
members from others,
The condition Of the bodies still In
the mines IL such that In the interest
OF public health, the county health board
yesterday at special meeting adopted
the following resolutions;
"All bodies in bad state of decompo'
sition, in the opinion Of the attending
physicians, must be prepared for burial
at the mine opening as speedily as pos
sible. OF the same, such MS are there
identified, 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 fair state OF preservation, shall be
removed to the First national bank
building (the improvised morgue). Such
OF them as there identified shall be de-
liyered to their friends who shall at once
remove and bury them.
"All the unidentified bodies shall
speedily as possible be removed to the
cemeteries and there have three hours
for Identification after which time II
still unidentified they shall be buried" L
The volume Of after damp is steadily
increasing in tho mine and the danger
Of another explosion Is becoming omin- \
Gus. Several leaks have been found in
the brattices which the rescuers put
up as they worked their way forward
through (which gas Is sweeping in dang ]
erous quantities. These are being re-
paired 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 stand around 9
the entrances. Forces on hand are
powerless to keep back these crowds
only soldiers could do that and It may