The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-11-15

surrounded by groups OF the women
and their answers to the loudly Shrek
ed Inquiries ony added to the terror
of the women. Almost to a man they
declared that there was no hone for
| those lett behind in the mine. Almost
200 OF the men imprisoned, they de-
clared, were in third vein the
only entrance to which was from the
second vein, almost 500 feet from the
main shaft of the Dit.
The ST. Paul mine is the only one
In the town and provided employment
Tor almost 1000 men. Most of them
are foreigners. 1t is the property OF
the chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul
railway and is on a spur of that rail-
road about fifteen miles from Spring
Valley.
Unions Send Financial Aid.
Officers Of local miners unions to-
day notified Pres. T. L. Lewis of the
Mine Workers union, that s1O lives
had been lost in the st. Paul Coal Co.
mine disaster
President Lewis has advised the To-
cal union that $4,000 contribution az
the national body, will immediately be
placed at the disposal of widows and
orphans Of victims.
400 Are Dead.
A representative of the owners Of
the mine today declared that the loss
of life will be 800.
A resumption of the coroner's in
quest is an important event scheduled
for today States Attorney Eckert OF
Bureau county and David Ross. sec
rotary of state labor commission. ex-
pect to adduce further evidence re-
garding the alleged fatal disobedience
to orders OF shaft by Shaft Engineer
Cowley.
State officers here are taking a deem
interest in the inquest but through
their guarded statements IL is appar-
ent they do not expect a decision
which will blame any particular per-
son for the fire In the mine.
The inquest SO far concerns only
the men OF the rescuinE party who
died Saturday, the only persons. In
fact, known to be dead. Therefore the
primal cause OF the disaster mas not
been entered into and state officers
SO far ha- been more interested i'm
getting into the mine, rescuing the
miners or bringing out their bodies
and saving as much as possible of the
property. Governor Deneen at Spring.
field has kept in constant touch with
the situation.
This morning it was the plan OF
state mining officials, VINO have taken
charge OF the mine since the fire on
Saturday last, to raise the cover of
the hosting shaft and lower a cage OF
rescuers to third vein where. If alive
the men, now 400 feet beneath the
surface, are waiting. Late last night
the air shaft, the only opening besides
the hosting shaft was hermeticaIIv
sealed with layers of heavy planks and
sand, and now 1t is practically air
tight.
While 1t has been true that air
would be shut off, mining officials de-
clared that the men, IL alive would
not be affected by total sealing, ex-
cept That 1t would probably put an
end to fire still smoldering I'm the tim
bers and thus leave more necessary
oxygen for the men. David Ross, Sec
rotary Of the state labor commission.
who arrived here yesterday, declared
last night that II was extremely i'm
probable that any one would be found
living. Richard Newsam, president of
the state mining board, said that II
would be a miracle il one man had
been spared.
Yesterdays attempt to send men to
the bottom proved futile because they
could not reach the foothold at the en-
frances OF the galleries from the
buckets in which they were lowered.
Resolutions of Sympathy.
Toronto, Ont, Nov. 15.-By rising
vote the convention of the American
Federation of Labor today adopted a
presented by Vice President
John Mitchell, extending sympathy to
he families and dependents of the vic
inns of the mine disaster at Cherry, III.
-~~~~~-~-~~~~--~~---