New-York tribune., 1909-11-16
NINE SEALE AGAIN
FANS RETITE FLAMES.
Probably 500 Dead-Relief for
the Sur1iuors.

-iiAs Aiss wv 10 ftoke mas RTtttN6hf
been abandoned for the three hundred or
more miners who were entombed in the
St Paul coal mine by last Saturdays fire.
Some of the men are buried beneath thou
sands Of tons OF earth. which caved in
upon them. and II Is doubtful whether
many of the bodies can ever be recovered.
This was the opinion expressed tonight.
when rescue work temporarily aban-
doned. Fires I'm the mine which broke out
with renewed fierceness early to-day made
further descents by rescuers impossible.
Fans. employed in an effort to carry air
10 the imprisoned men, served only 10 en-
lven embers. which sprang into flames.
Soon the heat became so intense and the
smoke so dense that II was necessary again
to seal the mouth Of the hosting shaft and
tonight the entombed men are locked in as
effectively as in a dungeon.
Whether attempts to take out the bodies
will be made tomorrow depends on the
condition OF the fire. II is possible that
carbonic acid gas will be forced to the
bottom OF the mine to choke the flames.
Three hundred collins have been ordered
Half of them will arrive tomorrow and
half the following day. Meantime the sew
eral score of nurses who were rushed here
can see no prospect of work in revivins
injured men,
Hope swung frequently in the balance
to-day. Before the fire broke out again
rescuers descended four times into the
shaft. Then the rumor circulated quickly
through the crowds that the men below
ground had been reached and that the rea-
son they were not brought up Immediately
was that they were exhausted by lack OF
food and the smoke.
But the truth was far different. The res
cuers did on one occasion 20 down three
hundred feet 10 the bottom of the hoisting
shaft. Then. cropping their way with elec-
trlc lamps and kept alive by oxygen car
ried with them, they penetrated one hun
dred and nfty feet into the bottom gallery.
But none of the miners. either dead or
alive. was found.
II was conjectured the miners had eravlsd
for safety into the recesses remotest from
the fire. but to these parts the rescuers
were unable 10 go without rsascendfng.
Before they could redescend the Gre had
broken cut Gradually the crowd about the
mouth Of the shaft began 10 thin as hope
waned.
go WIDOWS. 1000 ORPHANS.
AS a result Of the disaster there ar. IN
this town Of only few hundred inhabitants
At least one thousand orphans and tSo hun
dred widows. These are the figures OF
Duncan Mcdonald. president Of District No.
T. United Mine Workers. who instituted a
rollcaI Of the families Of the entomeed
miners.
President Earring Of the Chicago. MIL
wsukee & 81. Paul Railroad declined 70 saw
more than that the men were Just as safe
as they were Yesterday II the men were
alive yesterday, every man might still be
alive. he thought
Mr.. Esrlins CAUSED a house 20 house can
vass Of the miners TO be made. This
showed 25s miners missing. but some Of the
families were not al home. and II is be-
lieved that when complete list is OBJ
tained the number OF buried miners will
exceed three hundred
Before o'clock this morning the crowd
assembled around the roped inclosure. and
workrnen broke the seal of the shaft. James
Taylor. mine examiner: r y. Williams,
President Nswsam of the State Mining
Beard and others. clad IN oxygen outfits
and helmets, made the several dssoents.
Automobile horns we're carried by the ex-
plorers 10 give signals
Several thousand persons leaned forward
eagerly as the experts emerged from the
shaft after the first trip. report that
bodies had been found was denied by the
investigators.
few minutes later the cage Was lowered
again. This time the horns footed signals
frequently 10 the men above. The cage
was raised and lowered alternately until
eventually ths bottom of the shaft was
reached for the second time. Fifteen min
utes passed. Then blast of the horn. sig
Mailing the ascent. echoed through the
shaft.
The explorers reported that they had
walked in vein OF the mine for one
hundred and fifty feet from the base of the
shaft and that they had found no one.
living or dead. The atmosphere in this
vein was considerably better than had been
expected With the aid ot their electric
lanterns the searchers had been able 10 see
plainly.
In other veins leading from the shaft
much smoke was encountered and nothing
could be seen. A consultation followed, and
il was determined 10 start the ventilating
fan at the opposite side Of the mine. This
was TO clear the galleries OF smoke.
Some believed that the draft might arouse
a sumbering fire. Others felt assured
that the fire had been smothered and that
ventilation would clear the galleries and
make them psssahle for the searchers.
In half an hour the tan was suddenly
ordered stopped. Smoke began TO pour
from the main shaft. The experts were
lowered again to investigate the cause OF
the increased smoke in the main shaft. as
the fumes naturally should have been
drawn down and out through the exhaust.
HURRIED ASCENT.
The armored Investigators descended
slowly toward the now uncertain bottom
a loud blast came from the
depths.
Raise herr shouted Newsom. Raise
her fast"
The experts were jsrked 20 the surface.
They reported the IRE had broken out
atresh. Firemen OF the mine were called
out and "A hose was taken down the shaft !
Water vas turned on. but a few minutes
later the experts came up again
They reported that a blaze Of which 1
there had been no evidence before the /
starting Of the fan had been discovered i'm i
the stable portion Of the mine. where the /
original fire occurred. They had been un /
able to eXtinguish II with hose. However. |
A second attempt TO drown the fire was
planned. But dense clouds of smoke be- !
gan TO pour out, and the temperature /
around the shaft began to rise The ex- /
pertS could not re-enter the mine