Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-11-24

Cherry, Ill, Nov. 24.-Practically all
the bodies of victims Of the mine dis
lster were found this morning on the
staircase at the mouth of the third
or lower level. One hundred sixty
eight bodies, were there leaving about
a score to be accounted for.
The miners evidently had died in the
first rush for safety in the explosion
and fire of Nov. 13. The bodies were in
a great tangled mass, completely
blocking the stair case leading from
the third to the second vein and were
scattered along the vein where they
had dropped before reaching the stair
way. Black damp caused death, all
means of escape having been blocked
by debris falling and covering the top
of the staircase.
Made Fight for Life.
Death evidently did not come to
many for hours, if not days. Two rude
wooden ventilating fans had been af-
fixed to a shaft in the wall and STAIR
way. The men had turned these by
hand in a frantic struggle for air in a
hopeless effort to brush back the black
damp. One Of the dead miners hands
were found firmly gripped about the
fan as he had died. The fans were
made of pieces of wood, hastily nailed
together and whirled about by the
handles Of miners picks. The dinner
pals were found in a mass, many
partly filled, showing the men did not
suffer from hunger, and that death
must have come shortly after their es-
cape from the depths of the level. One
of the bodies was badly burned g
Found in Last Retreat.
The bodies were found 500 feet from
the main shaft, on an elevated surface
where the men had retreated before ad-
yancing water and fatal black damp
They had not been able to escape the
latter and had died after a struggle
that may have continued for two
days. Messages scrawled on wood and
natural slate cropping from the walls
placed the number of dead at 160 or
168.
Wade in Water Waist Deep.
Mine officials believe that less than
dozen bodies will be found in other
sections Of the mine The exploring
party were in the gallery more than an
u.
They had waded in water waist deep,
thru circular tunnel, making their
way toward an elevation of the shaft,
or fridge" where the bodies were
found. To take out the bodies today a
skiff will be lowered to the vein {, in
which the bodies were found. 1t will
be rowed across four feet of water in
the vein to spot where the bodies lie,
and they will be transported to the
main shaft for removal to the surface.
No Answering Signals.
Signals given by the rescuers and
the usual cry of anybody alive in
here?" are not answered. when we
had climbed upon the ridge" said
Lodiycieni, the leader, I'VE almost
stepped upon the bodies, piled upon top
of each other in heaps. Some had
their heads resting on folded arms as
If sleeping. Others were lying across
each other and some were sitting, as
If resting, against the wall. Nailed to
the wall were two fans. -lade of tim
bering tied about pick handles, and
under them were the biggest heaps of
bodies. One poor fellow had his hands
UP holding the fan. think he died as
he wa stunning. Another had a bucket
held in his hand. He was fiat on his
back and must have died as he climbed
upon the ridge The bucket was half
filled with black water that he must
have gone some distance to get
Black Damp Killed Them.
Black damp surely killed them long
before the water reached them. We
had been in the shaft more than an
hour then and though the air was fairly
good we knew It. was time for us to
get out We did not stop to examine
any Of the bodies or try to identity
them, aitho we probably could have if
we had had more time. Tom Mulligan,
one Of our party, picked up piece Of
natural slate on which was written:
we are mere together, 16S.' That must
have meant the number OF men, and /
think that was about the right num-
ber.
mo evidence that the men had at
tempted to barricade themselves from
the black damp was seens Many for
mer workers in the mine protested
angrily after they discovered the men
would have been safe from the deadly
gas had not the ventilating fan of the
mine been reversed shortly after lis
covery OF the fire.
Killed Thru Error in judgement.
They assert that the men had re-
treated tn the ridge, whcrc un1er ordi :
nary conditions the noxious gas would
not have reached them. a3d believing
themselves, In no danger had merely
fortified themselves against hunger,
thirst and the supposedly lesser danger
Of gas that naturally would be gener-
ated after few days Imprisonment.
With the reversal Of the fan. they as