New-York tribune., 1909-11-15
NO. BODIES FOUND
Continued from nrst pscs.


John Reefs boy says that he and farm
ers whose land is over the southern end
~ the mine felt several concussions Of
the earth this afternoon. There were
several shocks. and the men who felt
them are convinced that they we're shots
fired by the imprisoned miners 90 signal
10 the peopel above that they stin lived"
Would the shots mean that, or that
the miners had committed suicide 90 end
their sgonv?" asked the railroad presi-
dent
The men report" replied Burke. that
The signals We're distinct and that they
were meant fer an assurance that az
least some of them live"
This glinlmer OF hope in the darkened
homes IN Cherry tonight followed other
encouraging. though doubtful. theories
az some OF the experts. that the en-
tombed hundreds may not have been suf-
focst-o. because OF the extinguishment
cf the flames. started yesterday in the
hay in the lower mine stables. II the
fire went out soon. oxygen enough re-
mains in the veins 10 keep the men alive
until the shafts may be reopened.
The CoRoNER's INQUEST
Implicit obedience by Engineer John
Cow,ley 20 orders OF his superior may
have caused the death Of the rescuing
PARTY which went down into the -.
Paul mine yesterday afternoon
At the Coronsrs inquest. which began
to-day. CoWley. who is engineer OF the
main shaft, testified that he declined 10
socsee 70 tie demand of persons stand
ing AZ the top Of his shaft that he az
once lift the cage containing the res
cuers. The reason he declined, he said,
vas because he had been told by the
third vein boss, Alexander Nosherg. 20
,nove the cage only in answer 10 the
regular bell code.
When the rescue party hsd been al the
bottom Of the shaft some time without
getting in communication with the en-
sineer By the usual means. Martin Pow
ers. Or. Howe and Herbert Lewis. ths
latter a brother of one % the rescue
party rushed 10 Cowley. 50 the engineer
tsstihed- They demanded that the cage
b. raised Immediately,
Cowley refused. acting under orders
from Nosberg, the witness told the Cor
oners jury. For q space Of time, which
Cowley declares 10 have been perhaps
ten minutes. he would not listen 10 their
frantic appeals, but finally ne referred
the matter 10 John Quinby. of the top
cage. ouinby hesitated. and as Machin-
fst John Chsdsster entered Cowley asked
Chadester what should be done.
REsCUERS ALL DEAD.
Go ahead ana raise it, answered
Chadester, according TO Cowley's testi-
mony: nobody is slive down there"
CONVEY then brought the cage 10 the
TOP but every one Of the men i'm the
rescue party was either dead or dying
when they reached the top.
Cowley defended himself on the stand
by saving he had received Nosberg's or
Ger 80 await the bell sigma, before NOV
ing the ,sge, and that the three men
Who demanded that the cage be raised
Ase no authority to tell him what 10 do.
According TO Cowley. he feared in
raising the cage he would risk injuring
some OF the men below. and that he
might leave them without means Of es-
cape should ne lift the cage while they
were not in H.
Conley declared that after the final
oags with men in n had been raised the
cage Was let down and raised FIVE or six
umes. This was done I'm the hope that
some Of the miners might reach the
shaft lie testified he lowered ana
raised the cage sloT ly every time.
one Of the jurors asked why CoU-lev
could not have raised the cage slowly
when Pow ers. Howe and Lewis appealed
-NOsberg orders were again given as OK
Cuse.
Previous 20 the finai raising Of tTo car.
bearing the rescue party. Cowlev said
ihe bell signals had been unusual and
oiseoncerting fie received one signal Of
three bells 10 hoist away" which Was
followed almost Immediately by 2 four
bell signal. meaning hoist SLOWLY" Al
height cf eight or nine feet the cage
vas stopped ~ q one bell signal and
started Up az another. Then came = si,
heu signal. reverse the fan" ana then
tVo bells, lower"
FoVley lowered the cage in snsvrer 20
the signal, the last ever sent from the
doomed members Of the rescue party.
RELIEF WORK BEGUN.
The inquest was adjourned after Cow
lesi John Raisbeck. engineer in the air
shsff, and several relatives Of the dead
J" The rescue party had testified The
jury VIII meet again tomorrow. and
more testimony concerning Cowley's re-
fussl 70 lift fhe Gag viii be heard.
The inquest is being conducted by DR.
=. IL Malm, Of Princeton. the Coroner.
sno by L. NJ. Eckert, Of Princeton. the
Bureau County states Attorney
W. ". Taylor. general superintendent
~ mines Of tho St Paul company. to-
dsy watched the movements 10 open the
mine, ana st times he vas nearly over
come with smotion. He said.
L believe that the state inspectors
"hl cay that this was the safest coal
mine ever built in this country. have
hnilt many mines. and know that II
Tas safe.
A catastrophe could hsve happened
lere IN no other wsy than lust as il ala
The nre need not have been disastrous
The hay In the underground stable
caught fire. The men az work in the
stables were excited The burning bav
could ReFac baar, 1t,rrs -