Smyrna times., 1909-11-17
LITTLE HOPE FOR
BURIED MINERS
SS4 Men Trapped by Fire Are
Probably Dead.
RESCUERS ARE At WORK

Experts Ia Oxygen Helmets With
Oxygen Tanks Fought Their Way
Down Shaft, But Did Not Reach Any
Of the Miners-Company May Be
Blamed For Disaster.
Cherry, ILL.,, Nov. 15.-Three hun
dred and eighty-four men are prob
ably dead in the mine of the st. Paul
Coal company here, where they were
trapped by fire Saturday afternoon.
All efforts to rescue them have so far
failed. Not a sign of life has been re-
ceived from the imprisoned men.
Fire which gutted the two shafts
has been smothered, but it is feared
that the mems lives have been snufed
out by that effort to save them from
being roasted alive.
Mine experts in oxygen helmets
have made five trips down in the air
shaft. They reached the second vein
level but not one of the miners has
been reached.
The helmetted men, with electric
lanterns, and with oxygen tanks
strapped on their backs, fought their
way down the airshaft. Dense smoke
still poured from the shaft when they
entered. Projecting timbers had to be
passed, and a cave-in was feared by
the most hopeful. Until the mine div
ers enter the second vein level and
close trapdoors and the mine can be
cleared of smoke the deadly firedamp
and blackdamp, the experts say they
can only wait.
Hope for some of the entombed men
has not been abandoned. The more ex-
perienced, the old timers, it is hoped,
have made for the face" the ends Of
the galleries and winding rooms,
rooms, where the very coal walls may
shut out the heavy smoke and give
them one fighting chance in a thou
sand.
Blame for the disaster may be plac-
ed upon the company and its execu-
tives because of inactivity in the hour
that the airshaft cage was left at the
bottom of the lower level. Evidence
along that line was given before the
coroner'5 jury at the inquest over the
body of John Flood, one of the res
cuers. John Raisbeck, engineer of the
airshaft, admitted that he raised his
cage but once in the rescue work
Etrict obedience to the rules requiring
signals for every motion of the cage
was offered as his excuse.
His evidence and that of John Cow
ley, engineer of the main shaft, caused
the jury to decide upon thorough
probe of the matter of signals. Impa
thence at the two witnesses was shown
by the jurors at their absolutely lit
eral Interpretation of their instruc
tions on the signal code.
So serious, did the jury consider thu
inactivity of>the two engineers in thu
crisis that it was decided to hear onl.
testimony of the routine facts con
cerning the twelve dead officiall,
brought to their notice.
The catastrophe, one of the wors
in the history of the coal industry Il
America, come with the suddennes
and fury of a hurricane blast, and it
lCdIlul WOlh was dS QulChly HOuc.
Shortly after the explosion occurre
twelve bodies were taken out. Six c
these were heroes not employed in tn
mine, who gave their lives in futil
effort to save the imprisoned min
workers.
When these devoted men had give
up their lives it was realized ths
there was no more hope of rescue, an
though there waited many who wei
ready to make the hopeless attemI
to save their imprisoned comrade
they were restrained and, four houl
after the explosion occurred, the e.
trance of the mine was sealed in IL
hope Of checking the flames.