Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-11-24
DIARY KEPT BY ENToMBED
MINER TELLS WEIRD STORY.
Two Days Struggle for Life Until
Black Damp Ended the Tale.

Cherry, ILL.,. Nov. 23.-A diary was
found today in the clothing OF Samuel
D. Howard, 21 years old, whose body
was found in a pocket of the mine
yesterday. The diary was begun on
Nov. 13, the day the fire started, and
covers a period OF two days descrfb-
ing the struggle for life until black
with pencil on loose leaves of an sc-
count book.
The diary follows:
Alive at 1920 O'clock yet BY Sam
d. Howard. Brother Alfred Is with
me, yet. A good many dead mules and
men. / tried to save some. but came
almost losing myself. If l am dead
give my diamond ring to Mamie Robin
son. The ring is, coming at the post
office. Henry can have the ring l have
in my good clothes. The only thing ]
regret is that my brother (Alfred, 16
years old) could help my mother out
after am dead and gone.
Tried my best to get him out, but
could not. / saw Jim Davidson and
Steve Timke lying along the road and
could not stand it any longer.
1T is five minutes past IL O'Clock
and the air is fine, but sometimes 1t is
so bad 1t almost puts a fellows light
out 1t is something fierce to see men
and mules lying down all over like that.
To keep from thinking / thought
would write these few lines. There In
rock falling all over. We have our
buckets full of water. sump water, and
we drink it and bathe our heads with
1t.
"Ten to II o'clock, after 1, 2 o'clock.
8 o'clock, and poor air and black
damp.
AIS o'clock, change of place. Num-
Der Of men tried to get out and could
not get back. 7.50 o'clock tired, hun
cry and sleepy, but could stand quite
a bit Of this If l could get out OF this
hole.
"7.50 o'clock in the morning. This
is Sunday. There is no air. We fan
ned ourselves with the lids of our
buckets. 25 after Q, and black damp
coming both ways.
''25 after 10. We gave up all hope.
We have done all we could. The nan
had better start above soon. We are
still alive. The only hope Is the fan
pretty soon.
rs after IL p. m, Sunday. II they
can't give US air, we will make fans
ourselves. We take our turn at the
fan. We have three of them going.
"25 to 8, and the black damp 10
coming in on us. Only for the fans
we would be dead.
II " p' III. lying LOT Tue want Oh
air. We have six fans moving. One
fan after another, Is feet apart
"25 after 10 p. m. Sunday. We all
had to come back. We can't move
front or backwards. We can stand Il
with our fans until Monday morning.
Am still alive. We are cold hungry,
weak, sick and everything else. AL
fred Howard is still alive.
''9.15 a. m, Monday, still breathing.
Something better turn up or we win
soon be gone.
Ills a. m. still alive at this time.
''16 to l p. m. Monday. The lives are
going out. 1 think this is our last.
We are getting weak, Alfred Howard
as well as all of u.s."
The men evidently were all killed by
black damp late Monday afternoon.
Cherry, ILL.,, Nov. 23.-Fire in the
second gallery of the ST Paul mine
resulted today in heavy cavfngs OF
earth, blocking rescue work to the east,
In this section will be the best chance
Of finding survivors. The passage is
so badly blocked that it will be irnpos-
sible for several days to make an en-
trance. Meanwhile, men now alive
may starve. The news sperad gloom
throughout the village today. relieved
only by improvement in prospects OF
exploring the 500 foot, or bottom shaft.