Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-11-15

NiiNllS, lli 4NoN- it'-NNttl ~ 1Vp ''iN'i
ana boys, ii is believed tonight, are
dead or porishing in the st. Paul mine
as result Of yesterdays fire, though
experts who penetrated the smoke-till-
ed air shaft to a depth of 800 feet early
tonight, returned With a ray of hope
for the grief-stricken relatives of the
cntOmDcd miners.
That the fire is eXtinguishad is the
report of mining experts sent by Gov.
DenceH 20 investigate the calamity and
its cause. For mere than so hours the
entom bed men had been cut off from
fresh air before the shaft was entered
tonight and they undoubtedly have
been subject to smoke and gases.
That life could exist under such ter
rible conditions is doubted by many;
but because no trace of high temper
allure was found in the depths of the
mine tonight friends of the miners and
even officers of the company renewed
some Of their failing hopes.
A. ]. Earring, president of the Chi
cage, Milwaukee & st. Paul Railroad
Co. which owns the mine, received an
encouraging report after heroic efforts
had been made today to open the mine
for the recovery of the unfortunate
men.
From John Reid, son of one of the
missing miners, Mr.. Earring heard that
a concession of the earth had been
felt Ey farmers half a mile south of
the main shaft. This report was sent
to Henry Burke, an officer of the min
ing company. Burke rushed to Presi-
dent Earring and eXclaimed
'I'vc heard signals from the men.
John Reds boy says that he and
farmers whose land is over the south
ern end of tho mine, felt several con-
cussiOns of the earth this afternoon.
There were several shocks and the men
who felt them are convinced that they
were shots fired by the imprisoned
miners to signal to the people above
that they still live"
would the shots mean that or that
the mincrs had committed suicide to
end their agony?" asked the railroad
president.
THE men report" replied Burke,
that the signals We're distinct and
that they We're meant for an assurance
that at least some of them live"
Tnis glimmcr of hope in the dark
encd homes in Cherry tonight followed
other encouraging, though doubtful
theories OF some of the experts, that
the entombed hundreds may not have
been suffocated because of extinguish-
ment Of the flames started yesterday
in the hay in the lower mine stables.
If the FIRE went out soon, oxygen
enough remains in the veins to keep
the men alive until the shafts may be
re-Opened.
After the third attempt TO explore
the shaft today, r. Y. Williams of the
United states Geological Survey. who
is superintendent the work of volunteer
explorers, telegraphed for more oXy-
cen caps and other apparatus. rms
apparatrs is expected early tomorrow
and a score Of men will accompany the
eXperts into the air shaft, which was
opened late today.
Three times Mr.. Williams and Henry
Smith. a volunteer, We're lowered into
the mine in a bucket. Each time they
penetrated deeper The temperature
was bearable, but the atmosphere was
intolcrable.
When explorations We're abandoned
tonight il was announced that men
fitted with oxygen armor would prob
ably penetrate to the bottom of the
mine tomorrow. The list of the missing
miners was compiled today and il
reached the total of 3S5, including the
dead whose charred bodies We're taken
from the burning cages Saturday. 1t
was declared to be probable that this
list might be increased.
one hundred and seventy mon who
entered the mine Saturday morning,
have been accounted for. The COM
many had scores of tracCrS at work
today, rounding up the employees and
at nightfall the company officers said
that reasonably complete roster of
the mon had been obtained.
Among the missing are many Amer
leans who have lived for years in the
mining fields of Illinois. However, most
of those entombed are foreign born.
Nearly all the miners had homes in
Cherry or in the surrounding towns,
and most of the men had families.
Thousands of persons came hooking
to Cherry today Scores of wives whose
husbands are believed to have been
buried alive and hundreds CT children
who may be fatherless, remained
mourrfully about the mine.
Officers early in the Gay swore in
deputies to handle the crowds, Scores
of trains from other mining towns
were run into Cherry packed with mne
and women attracted by curiosity or
by craving of news from a loved
one
Work of the expert rescuers proceed
ed slowly. They first drilled a hole
through the concrete at the top of the
second level shaft and made prepara-