Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-11-15
Possibility That Some of Four
Hundred Unfortunates Have
Survived Awful Experience
in Smoke Filled Depths.
GOVERNMENT EXPERTS
TO AID IN RESCUE WORK
Men With Oxygen Helmets
Descend Shaft in Buckets
But are Unable to Enter the
Ruined Workings.

lfy Morning Journal Special Leased Wire]
Cherry, ILL.,, Nov. 14.---Nearly four
hundred human beings, men and boys
It Is now believed, are dead or perish
ing in the ST. Paul mine, here, though
experts who succeeded in penetrating
the smoke filled air-shaft to the
depth of 800 feet late today returned
with a ray of hope for the grief
stricken relatives of the entombed
men.
That le fire is been extinguished
was the conclusion of mining experts
and inspectors sent here by Governor
Deneen to investigate the calamity.
For more than thirty hours the
prisoners have been cut off from
frcsh air. That lie could exist under
such conditions is doubted, but be-
cause no trace of high temperature
was found in the depth of the mine
tonight. officials of the company
hope that tho victims may have
found safety In remote recesses of
the mine.
a. j. Earling, president of the
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Rail
road company. who has not slept
since arriving on the scene of the
catastrophe. received an encouraging
report after heroic efforts had been
made today to open the mine for the
release of the entombed men or for
the discovery of the dead. From the
son of one Of the missing miners, a
young man named John Reid, the
railroad president heard that con-
cussion of the earth had been felt by
farmers half n mile south of the main
shaft The report was sent to Henry
Burke, an official of the mining COM
pany, who rushed to President Earl
ing.
i've heard signals from the men,"
he said excitedly.
What do you mean" asked the
president. what signals"
John Reid's boy says that he and
farmers whose land Is over the south
crn end of the mine felt several con
cuSsions of the earth this afternoon
There were several shocks and those
who felt them are convinced they
were shots fired by the imprisoned
miners and that they were meant for
an assurance that at least some of
them were alive"
oh, | hope so, said Earling
That is at least encouraging"
This glmmer of light to the dark
ened homes in Cherry. tonight. fol-
lowed other encouraging though
doubtful theories of experts that the
entombed hundreds NAY not have
been suffocatcd and that oxygen
enough remains in the mines to keep
them alive until the shafts may be
reopened.
After the third attempt to explore
conditions late today. r. Y. Williams.
OF urbana, ILL.,. of the United States
geological survey, who superintended
the work of volunteer explorers. tele-
sraphed to Urbana for more rescue
apparatus. This Is expected to ar
rive early tomorrow and a score of
men have volunteered to accompany
experts and mining inspectors into
the air shaft which was opened late
today. Three times Mr.. Williams and
Henry Smith, one of the volunteers.
were lowered into the mine in a buc-
ket. Each time they succeeded in
penetrating deeper into the shaft. and
each time they were assured that the
temperature was bearable. To open
the sealed main shaft and exit from
the main shaft was Impossible today !
YET the state inspectors here have
told Mine Superintendent Steel that
they felt certain definite results could
De obtained tomorrow. When explora- |
uons were abandoned tonight it was !
announced that the men fitted with |
the OXYGEN caps would resume opera
IONS as soon as possible.
The list of missing was compiled |
To-Day in the offices of the mining |
company and II reached the astound- |
ing total of SIS, including the dead |
~nose charred bodies were taken |
rom the burning cages Saturday af-
.ernoon- 1t was declared probable !
ehat this list might be increased. |
one hundred and seventy men who !,
entered the mine Saturday morning
nave been accounted for. The COM
psny had scores of tracers at work
.ouhdins up employees and tonight |
'ne OFFICIALS said that the number of