The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-10
Rescuers Stricken by Illness
and Recruits Brought
-
From Other Places.
FEAR FEVER EPIDEMIC
Health Authorities Afraid Heroic
Measures May Be Necessary
and That Hundreds Of
COrpses Must Be Destroy
ed Under Ground.

MoNONGAH, w. va, Dec. 1o.-With
liz bodies on the surface. rs more ready
to be brought out of mine No. 6 and 1
awaiting removal from mine No. 8. the
total number of bodies recovered from
the wrecked mines is 141.
The rescuers are working h right
side of mine No. s. where the majority
of the bodies yet in the mine will be
found.
The work of rescue is being pushed
along rapidly, and by night 1t is ex-
pected that most of the. bodies will
have been taken out.
1t a been raining here steadily
since last evening, and miserable con-
ditions prevail throughout this section
today.
The terrible conditions that nave
prevailed here from the momen ths
community was paralyzed by the awful
catastrophe became more terrible last
night. Rain began falling early in the
evening and continued almost inces-
sanity throughout the hight. The heavy
rainfall further liquihed the soil until
there was a verltable mortar of moro
than shoe-top depth in many places
tAAlOhbt Mll1l III WOl liz tND
anxious watchers could make their
way only with the greatest difficulty.
Lieutenant Governor McDermott, who
came here as the personal representa-
tive of Governor Dawson, completed
his investigation last night and left for
his home in Morgantown.
Bishop p. j. Donahue, Of the Wheel
ing diocese of the Roman Catholic
Church, has been here assisting local
clergymen in caring for the parishion-
ers, and also assisted in a number of
funerals. He visited many of the homes
of miners and found so many children
made orphans by the disaster that he
Immediately took up the work of pro-
viding homes for them. He will ar
range to have as many as can be ac-
c~ommodated sent to the ~orphanago
maintained by the church at Hunting
ton and Wheeling.
The relief work is well under way
and will soon be systematized. There
is now plenty of food, but there is
urgent need of clothing in many fami-
lies. Cash funds are being raised in
many places and instalments have all
ready been forwarded from some 8
points. The coal companies of this
district have contributed S20,o 900 cash.
and the money has been placed in g.
bank at the disposal of the COMMITTEES.
The bodies just taken out, like those
recovered earlier. we're for the most
part in bad condition, being manned
and blackened, and, besides, many OF
them were far advanced in decom-
position. Some were so bad that in
terment could not be delayed even for
a short time, and hurried funerals
were held in the rain.
Health authorities 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 1t becomes neces-
sary. Quicklime will be taken into
the mine and scattered over the bodies
if conditions become much worse, and
thus the last chance of Identification
and restoration to relatives for Chris-
tan burial will have passed away
The report circulated that this prae-
tise a already been started when
fifteen barrels of lime were brought
to the mine, but company officials as
sured relatives hat the lime would
be used only to dispose of the car
cases of the mules for the present at
least. Many of the rescuers have been
stricken with Illness, and it was found
necessary to bring a number of re-
cruits here from the George Creek
mines.