The San Francisco call., 1909-11-24
EntOmbed Man Writes of Battle
for Life in Depths of the
Great CoaIpit
Pens Story of Fight Against the
Deadly Black Damp Until
Yielding to Grim Reaper
Hope of Finding More Men Alive
in Cherry Mine Is Now
Practically Abandoned

- EkRA. III, \ NOV. "a Qlal
was found today in the clothin
OF one Of the bodies taken frol
The mine yesterday. 1t was begun c
he day of the disaster and was wri
-en by Samuel d. Howard, p yeal
Did. 1t described the slow death {
he men by encroaching blackdam
md refers TO SamueIs efforts to say
rs brother Alfred. 10 years old, WI
lied by his side. The diary follow
Alive at 1880 o'clock yet. By
Sam D. Howard. Brother Alfred is
with me yet A good many dead
mules and men. 1 tried to save
some, but came almost losing my
self If 1 am dead. give my dia-
mond ring to Mamie Robinson. The
ring is coming al the postoface.
Henry can have the ring ] have in
my good clothes. The only thing
I regret is that my brother could
not help my mother out after
am dead and gone.
i tried my best 10 get out. but
could not / saw Jim Jameson
and Steve Timke lying along the
road and could not stand il any
longer. It is minutes past II
o'clock and the air is fine, but
sometimes II is so bad it almost
puts fellows light out. 1t is
something fierce to see men and
mules lying down all over like
that.
To keep me from thinking. I
thought / would write these few
lines. There is rock falling all
over We have our buckets full Of
water-sump water-and we drink
il and bathe our heads with it
Ten 10 y o'clock. after I o'clock,
2 O'Clock, O'Clock and poor air
snd black damp; AIS o'clock
change of place. One man tried TO
get out and could not get back.
Seven-ffty O'Clock. tired. hungry
ond sleepy. but 1 could stand quite
q bit Of this if I could get out of
eais hole.
1Seven- fifty O'Clock in the morn
ing This is Sunday. There is no
air. We famed ourselves with the
lids of our buckets. Twenty-Five
after end black damp coming
t+A r-,,-..---- e. e. 1a
We gave up all hopes. We have
done all we could. The fan had
better start above soon. Twenty
FIVE after 10 a. m. Sunday. We are
still alive The only hope is the
fan.
i think ] won't have strength to
write pretty soon. Fifteen after
y p. m. Sunday. If they can't give
us air we will make fans ourselves.
We take our turn at the fan. We
have three Of them going
Twenty-seven to 3 p. m. and the
black damp is coming in on US
only for the fans we would be
t-Ne-N-- -~-~f~-- ~ y Ill., 11 luk lOI
the want Of air. We have six fans
moving. One fan after another Is
feet apart. Twenty-Five after 10
p. m. Sunday evening-we all had TO
come back. We can't move front
or backward. We can stand it
with our fans until Monday morn
ing.
Fifteen after a. m. Monday
morning-Am still alive. We are
cold. hungry, weak, sick and every
thing else. Alfred Howard is still
alive. Nine-hfteen a m. Sunday
morning-Still breathing Some
thing better turn up or we will
soon be gone Eleven-h fifteen a. m.
still alive at this time Sixteen
to / p. m. Monday-The lives are
going out I think this is our last.
We are getting weak Alfred
Howard is wei as all of US"
The diary was scribbled in lead Der
eli on loose leaves torn from an accour
book.