The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-14
THREE HUNDRED
 MINERS LOSE LIVES
CONTINUED FROM PAGE D

 the mules stationed in the mine. No at- tention was given the smouldering hay for a few minutes. Then two miners threw the burning mass on a cart and started toward the main shaft about 150 feet away. Before 1t was reached a small ex- plosion occurred and in but a few mo- ments the entrance to the vein from the shaf was filled. with smoke and flames. Those nearest the cages hurried to them and were hoisted to the surface.
 After about four trips the cage ceased moving, and no more miners came from the shaft What disaster occurred in the mine following the escape of the men nearest the shaft is unknown. After wait ing few minutes at the entrance of the shaft, Mine Superintendent Bundy leaped into the cage, calling the others with him.
 Eager Volunteers.
 Volunteers came who were eager to assist Bundy in the work of rescue. Flood, Lewis, Fontei and Rubinsxi en- tered the cage and descended. The next trip of the cage, operated from below, carried the bodies of six miners.
 Then few minutes elapsed. which seemed an hour to those waiting at the top. The cage. again ascended. this time bearing the unconscious bodies of three of the rescuing party Again 1t was low cred and the last of the six were brought up Dr. Howe gave prompt medical treat ment to them but the men were dead. Nerberg lived for few minutes after being taken from this cage. By this time the fan had collapsed and the fire was pouring up the shaft. Superintendent Steele then saw that the escape of the miners through the shaft was blocked. The sealing up of the shaft entrance as last resort then was ordered.
 Heavy timbers were soaked in water, placed across the shaft entrance and piled over with stand. Volunteers had been pouring water into the mine through the escape shaft located some yards away, but this was discontinued and the build ing above the shaft was wrecked and that shaft also sealed.
 No Hope For Miners.
 City Attorney Hallorick of Spring Val ley, who was at the scene, expressed the belief that not one of the miners would be taken out alive.
 He Is familiar with mines and with the construction of the St. Paul shafts, and believes that the fire caused the death of all the men before the opening had been sealed.
 About the little town of Cherry the widest scenes of its history followed. Stores and residences were vacated and almost every person of the population of 5000 gathered about the mine From all directions teams and pedestrians hurried into the city from districts which had been notified by telephone. The shrieks of the women could be heard through out the town.
 Every physician in the city and many from nearby towns were caring for hys- terical relatives of those imprisoned in the mine. The town officials had hastily improvised hospitals and provided nurses and physicians for those who might be taken from the mine, but the preparations were needless.
 The St. Paul provided employment for almost thousand men, It Is the prop erty of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, and Is on a spur of that railroad, about 15 miles from Spring Valley.
 Chief Superintendent W. W. Taylor of accident occurred.
 Over 300 in Mine.
 Later versions of the disaster given by miners who escaped placed the list Of those imprisoned in the mine at about 8SO
 It was declared that the fire had been burning more than an hour before it began to assume a dangerous nature.
 Before that time scores of the men had quietly, but hurriedly, left the mine and il was said that about 1S0 of the 565 men working in the mine had escaped This would place the number of those now in the mine at less than 400. Twelve bodies are in undertaking rooms and homes of Cherry. The men taken from the mine were:
 John Bundy, mine superintendent.
 Alexander Nerberg, pick manager.
 Thomas Flood, mine foreman.
 Isaac Lewis, liveryman.
 John Fermento.
 Joseph Yearly.
 Joseph Jamison.
 James Speer.
 Henry Stewart
 Robert Clark.
 Two unidentified men.
 Air Ia Shut Off.
 Practical miners who watched the work of rescue tonight asserted that 1t was almost impossible that any man could escape alive from the mine They de- clared that the ceiling of the shaft mouth, while the only method of checking the fire, effectually shut off all air from the men while the fire and smoke were form ing noxious gases which would fill every section of the excavation.
 It is said that none of the miners could survive more than two hours While the mine officials declare that air can reach the mine through the open es- cape shaft the volume of water pouring down the opening in the effort to quench the flame apparently blocked all passage of air.
 No accident of similar nature has been recorded in the possibility of mine disasters in Illinois. The greatest loss of life in any mine accident In this state occurred at Braidwood in 1879, when 80 men lost their lives. The accident was