Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-11-15

commission sealing the mine last night
was met today by the assertion by ex-
perienced miners that it was the only
way to smother the fire and afford any
hope of escape to the entombed men.
Ready to Handle Bodies.
The bodies of the miners will prob
ably be brought to the surface this
afternoon. Preparations have been
made, and searching parties provided
with oxygen helmets to guard against
smoke will carry stretchers on which
to bear the bodies to the shaft at the
bottom, From there they will be
hoisted to the top. The coal company
will provide for the burial of the vic
tins.
President Earling today appointed
committee to arrange relief for the des-
titute ones.
Thousands Come to Scene.
mine this morning. Special trains
bearing weeping relatives summoned
by telegraph arrived at the station and
heart-rending scenes were enacted as
they met other relatives and were told
the worst, which appears to be the
only possible outcome of the disaster
Death Benefits Large.
Representatives of the various chari-
ties are here preparing to extend
whatever assistance the survivors Of
the mine victims may need. The Mine
Workers union will contribute about
S55, ,OOO All but $4,000 of this is death
benefits provided by the rules of the
union.
Air Shaft SenIed.
Late last night the air shaft. the only
opening besides the hoisting shaft, was
dramatically sealed. This was done
to smother the fire and make it pos
sible for the rescuers to pierce the
lower levels David Ross. secretary
of the state labor commission, declar-
ed last night it was extremely improb-
able anyone would be found living.
Richard Newsam, president of the
state mining board, said it would be
miracle if one man had been spared.
No Signal Possible.
d
meath the surface and that rapping on
pipes had been used to indicate the en-
tombed miners were living were this
morning declared absurd. R. R. Reid,
a miner who lives 500 feet south of the
mine entran ces and above one of the
branches, Is said to have heard or felt
a shock resembling a revolver shot or
an explosion. J. P. Buck, chief clerk
of the ST. Paul Coal company, employ
ed about the mine for 80 years, assert
ed no revolver shot could have been
heard or felt on the surface. Other
officials declared the explosion of a
stick of dynamite would be unlikely
anyway, and that it would serve if it
occurred to lessen the chances of the
men surviving.
Smoke Comes From Shaft.
Though tests yesterday seemed to
indicate that the fire had burned out,
smoke continued last night to issue
from the air shaft until it was sealed,
and smoke poured out of the hoisting
shaft this morning as the covering was
removed.
The coroner's inquest will be resum-
ed today and it is expected something
will be learned concerning the cause
of the explosion and who is to blame.
The inquest at present is as to the
death of the rescuers.
Nurses Comfort Bereaved ones.
A party Of nurses from Chicago, who
arrived last night, today were turned
into comforters of the families proba-
bly, bereft Throughout the hamlet
were scattered cottages in various
stages of completion 1t seems likely
many cottages never will be finished.
Keep Air From Flames.
Cherry. H., Nov. 15.-The fire broke
out In the mine here at o'clock Satur-