The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-15
Horror of Disaster at Cherry, ILL.,, Grows
More Appalling as Time Passes,
and No Word Comes from the
EntOmbed Miners.
CONCESSIONS OF EARTH FELT BY MEN
ON SURFACE BRING GLINfMER OF HOPE
Possible That Some of Unfortunates May Have
Survived and Are Attempting to Send
Signals With Dynamite.

Scores of trains from Strcator. Men.
dota. Ladd, Spring Valley, a Sale.
ottawa and other towns were run.
Scene Is Dramatic.
When experts had drilled a hole
| through the concrete at the top Of the
! second vein airShaft and all prcpara
tlous made 10 lower Mr.. Williams aud
ms volunteer explorers, the scene at
the mine was dramatic Along the rail.
road tracks and in fields on the east
and west of the shaft was wall of hu-
manitr. Stout ropes and policemen
Kept back the throug
1t was q silent. but not uudcmoustra
tive assemblagc, Occasionally a WON
IN S wall broke the stiffness. Four men
appeared, oxygen bags on their shoul-
ders and steel and glass covered hoods
over their heads. They were. beside
Mr. Williams of Urbana, his assist
ant james II. Webb OF the University
OF Illinois: James Hand Of Spring Val
ley and Henry Smith of Peru Later,
Nine Inspector James Taylor of Peoria
donncd the reealia
y score of men were ready to assist
Them, \ system of signals had been
prepared. Two men were stationed at
the top of the shaft. Williams and
smith prepared To descend. Inspector
Tay lor drilled them in their signals.
ih' ui'H VINO were tp hndeGtaKc the
exploration nodded assent Engineer
Cowlev at the hoist that controlled the
IRON bucket IN which Williams and
smith were standing announced his
readiness, and the first men TO enter
the st. Paul mine since the explosion
were slowly lowered.
Into the Depths.
When sky feet down the signal to
ralse came and was at once obeyed
The helmct-covered explorers soon reap.
cared
The bucket is not hung right. - said
Williams. 1t strikes and bounds in
the shaft. II must be rcbalanced. -
This work required some time
Meanwhile Williams and Smith cx-
planned 10 the mining officials and the
company men that the shaft was filled
with smoke and that their powerful
electric lanterns would not penetrate
the gloom. When repairs had been
made an hour later and with Hand,
webb and TAYLOR at the wheel, the ex'
plorers descended again.
For 800 feet the bucket went down
Then came the signal for ascent. When
tho men reappeared. Williams said
''Wc found an obstruction at 300 feet.
We might have got by it. but if we
si0naled 10 come up we would undoubt.
edlv strike il coming mp. We wanted
TO notify the men above of the, coDdi,
tion so they would understand -
Williams and Smith this time se-
companied by Inspector TAYLOR, de.
scended for the third time They were
gone ten minutes,
''Wc got TO the base of the second |
vcin,' said Inspector Taylor, "aud, |
though we could see little, We found no
excessive temperatures. 1t was ap-
parent that the fire had not penetrated \
a,,1, into la min Il III
not sec signs of flames. If the tenn
pcrature throughout the second |
vein is no more excessive than there, |
In The deeper and further rocusscs of |
the mine it is probable that there may !
be oxygen to keen the men alive. We |
saw no trace Of man, cuhcr dead OF
alive Tomorrow. [ think, we can 90
farther with safety
Late tonight, atrcr conierense Of
mining inspectors, company officials and |
IT was decide 10 omen the main !
shaft in the morning and 10 send eX |
Iorcrs into the mine IN the regular 4
cage This plan WAS adoptcl because
the bucket scheme was found imprac-
ticablc in 50 far rs movements OF the |
men below were concerned. They could
not get out Of -he buckle So u
was dctermihed 10 seal up the air shaft
tonight. The seals ot the maiu shaft
will be opened. and experts believe con-
ditions will be safe fOT them Ia walk |
IN the veins before many hours.
Officials Are Overcome.
w. ". cayor, general superintendent
Of the mines Of the 81. PaIl company.
was. n pathetic figure todav. He stood
watching and suggesting movements 10
open the mine. AMI ri times, though he
ST rrpolcd 10 control his emotions, tears
dimmtd lis eyes and his voice cboKel
with scbs.
~ wish. " he said. "that ,he men Of
the press would interview these min
ing inspectors after rbey are relieved
from their duties OF TINS crdcai abou!
this mine. ] DO moi want 10 90 on
record alone, but ] boieyc that they
will tell Won that this was the safes!
coal mine in this country. ! have
operated many mines and | know that
il was safe.
"A catastrophe could have happened
here in no other way than Just as il
did. The fire need not have been dis
astrons. The men at work in the sta
5les were excited The burning hay
could have been shut of from the
rest OF the mine without the least
difficulty, and the fire cXtinguished With
little trouble.
'.This is an awful thing. Some of
he hest men who ever lived lost tboir
lives. all through carclcssncss. Bandy
and Nosbcrg died like heroes. They
were on The surface. They went down
TO savc their fellows
IS Superintendent TAYLOR spoke tears
Continued on Pare Two