Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-10
MONONGAH RESCUERS
Over One Hundred Bodies Al
ready Brought Out.
CONDITIONS GROW WORSE
Volunteer Workers Breaking Under
the Strain.
FUNERALS BY WHOLESALE
Funds Are Being Collected From
Many Points and Being Forward
ed to the Destitute.

MONONGAH. w. Va, December 10
With 112 bodies on the surface at 10
o'clock today, twenty-five more ready to
be brought out of Mine No. 6, and four
awaiting removal from mine No. 8, 1t was
expected that the total number Of bodies
recovered from the wrecked mines by
noon would be 141.
The rescuers are working the right side
of mine No. s, where, it is thought, ma
jority of the bodies yet in the mine will be
found.
The work Of rescue is being pushed
along rapidly, and by night it is expected
that most of the bodies will have been
taken out.
1t has been raining here steadily since
last evening and miserable conditions pre-
vail throughout this section today.
Bodies brought from mines and OF the
Fairmont Coal Company, where probably
more than 400 miners were killed by an
explosion last Friday. during last night
carried the list of victims beyond the
hundred mark, and others are being car
ried into the morgue at short intervals.
The bodies taken out last night, like
those recovered earlier, were for the most
part in bad condition, being MANNED and
blackened, and, besides, many Of them
were far advanced in decomposition. The
health officers fear an epidemic Of fever,
due to the decaying bodies of the men
and the animals caught in the mine, and
have prepared to enforce heroic measures
If it becomes necessary. Quicklime will
be taken into the mine and scattered over
the bodies II conditions become much
worse.
> Rescuers Break Down.
Many of the rescuers have been stricken
with illness and 1t was found necessary to
bring a number of recruits here from the
George Creek district. The coroner and
his deputies remain constantly upon the
scene, viewing the bodies as they come
out, but no date has been set or other ar
rangements made for taking testimony or
other features of the inquest. Lieut. Gov.
McDermott, who came here as the per-
sonal representative of Gov. Dawson.
competed MS lnFeStlSdtlOn last n1Snt ana
left for his home in Morgantown. There
he will prepare his report and mail 1t to
the executive.
Bishop P. ]. Donahue of the Wheeling
diocese of the Roman Catholic Church
has been here assisting local cergymen
in caring for the parishioners. and also
assisted in funerals. He visited many of
the homes of the miners and found SO
many children made orphans by the dis
aster that he Immediately took up the
work of providing homes for them. He
will arrange to have as many as can be
accommodated sent to the orphanages
maintained by the church at Huntington
and Wheeling.
Raising Funds.
A large number of funerals were held
yesterday. They were merely repetitions
of those of Sunday, the crowds being al
most as large and the scenes and Incl
dents just as distressing.
The relief work is we'll under way and
will soon be systematized There is now
plenty of food. but there is urgent need
of clothing in many families. Funds are
being raised in many places. and INSTALL
ments have already been forwarded from
many points. The coal companies of this
district have contributed $4,000 cash. and
the money has been placed in a bank at
the disposal of the committee as soon as
it is authorized to act.
Chief State Mine Inspector Paul Is
quoted as saying he believed the explo-
sion was started by an electric spark
from runaway cars in the main entry. A
string of these cars was piled up in the
entry at the bottom of slope.
Clarence Hall, government explosive ex-
pert, who has been placed in charge of the
mine at Monongah, a correspondent of
The Star says, Is "a Washington boy"
He was graduated from the Eastern High
School in the class of '93 and then took
course in high explosives at the Colum-
bian University under the tutorship and
direction of Prof. Munroe. Mr.. Hall is
the son of Powhatan Hall, a mechanic in
the Washington navy yard, where he has
been employed on special service about
thirty years.