Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-11-16
Fire Has Reached Coal
Veins and Will Burn
for Days.
PREPARING TO FIGHT
Not the Slightest Hope Remains
That Any of the Men Have
Survived.

Cherry, ILL.,, Nov. 16.-The fire fight
Ing apparatus from Chicago arrived
here on a special train at noon. An
attempt to cool the mine was made at
once by lowering water spray and
turning the water Into it. Compare
lively few persons had called up to
noon for wages due the miners.
Is Intensely Hot
Cherry. Ill. Nov. Theological Di-
rector Rice of Plttsburg took the tenn
perature at the top of the burning mine
y. shaft today and the record indicated
"a fire so intense it probably will be I'M
possible to break the sealed shaft to-
day Judging from the heat on the
surface the heat at the bottom OF the
shaft must be intense.
Coal is Burning
Therl is nothing in the shaft to burn
and the heat comes from within the
mine 800 feet below the surface. The
smell of gas is apparent near the shaft,
and this seems a certain indication the
flames have spread from the stables
to the coal veins.
Funerals of Eight Victims
The funerals of eight victims, whose
bodies were recovered Saturday night,
were held today and the surviving min
ers and families of the dead filed
through the streets behind the hearses,
Several dead were taken in a funeral
train to Ladd, Ill. and other nearby
towns. Officials of the Mine Workers
unions took an active part in the bur
ial ceremonies.
Give Up Efforts to Enter
Further efforts to enter the mine
were abandoned at l o'clock this morn
ing because of the great heat It is
believed the coal deposits have caught
fire and the flames are burnfn,> out the
timbers of many of the galleries. ~.
Dawn Brings No Relief.
Cherry, Ill, Nov. 16.-Dawn today
| brought Increased anxiety to the
families of 800 miners still entombed
in the mine as a result of Saturdays
disaster. Despite the belief expressed
by state and government officials
there is little or no possibility anv Of
the men ever being brought to the
surface alive.
Plead for Word of Hope.
a Scores of grief stricken wives gath
erred about the mouth of the hosting
shaft and plead for one word of hone
but none was forthcoming. With
smoke drifting into the remotest gal
leries of the mine for almost three
days the men must certainly have been
suffocated, according to President Nc
Donald of District II of the United
Mine Workers. He declared also thar
the fire had burned out many timber
supports and some of the men IN
doubtedly had been buried in the cav
ing in of the walls and roofs of the
paSSageways.
Had No Lights
Not only would the men have been
without food but with no means Of
lighting they must have groped three
days through interminable PASSAGE
ways In total darkness to reach water
if water could be found at all
Cherry's gloom today is increased
by deluge Of rain which began early
in the morning and still continues.
VIII Not Open Today
il That the main shaft will not be
tbpened today seems assured. Train
loads of water tank cars are arriving
and preparations to fight the fire are
progressing rapidly. George F. Rice
of Pittsburg, field director of the
United States geological survey,
worked at the mine all night preparing
to install a sprinkler system in the
burning mine.
Coal Now on Fire
- 'Tt seems assured said Rice this
"the coal in the mine now IS
on fire. Gaseous odors arising from
the shaft strongly indicate this"
Today is the bi-month1y pay day at
the mines and $4,000 to meet the
payroll is on deposit at the Cherry
bank. Many miners will not be in line
today. Clerks will keep check on all
who appear and In this manner 1t IS
believed the number of men entombed
can be definitely established. Pay for
the men who fail to appear will even
tually be given their families or rela-
tives..
Suffering I'm Prospect.
b. P, 4ioAneU of Washington, D. c.,
director OF the National Red Cross, is
here. to assist in and direct the or
of charitable efforts. 1t was
stated that unless a substantial sum
of money is collected great suffering
NIL enssA 4his ,gisR+ax Aa0n@ tha 1-Aaa