The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-11-18
LITTLE HOPE FOR
BURIED MINERS
304 Men Trapped by Fire Are
Probably Dead.
RESCUERS ARE At WORK
Experts In Oxygen Helmets With
Oxygen Tanks Fought Their Way
Down Shaft, But Did Not Roach 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 1t Is feared
that the mems lives have been snuned
out by that snort 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 airshnft 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
srs 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 walt
Hope for some OF the entombed men
has not been abandoned. The more ex
perlenced. the old timers. It Is hoped,
have made for the face" the ends oi
the galleries and winding rooms
rooms. where the very coal walls may
shut out the heavy smoke and give
them one fighting chance In 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's 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
Strict 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 a thorough
probe Of the matter OF signals. Impa
tience 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 the
inactivity OF the two engineers In the
crisis that II was decided TO hear only
testimony Of the routine facts con
cerning the twelve dead officially
brought to their notice.
The catastroLes, one OF the worst
in the history of the coal industry In
America. come with the suddenness
and fury OF a hurricane blast, and its
fearful work was as quickly done.
Shortly after the explosion occurred
twelve bodies were taken out Six oil
these we're heroes not employed in the
mine, who gave their lives in futile
effort to save the imprisoned mine
workers.
When these devoted men had given
up their lives 1t was realized that
there was no more hope Of rescue, and
though there waited many who were
ready to make the hopeless attempt
10 save their imprisoned comrades,
they we're restrained and, four hours
after the explosion occurred, the en-
trance Of the mine was sealed In the
hope of checking the flames.