Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1909-11-27
q MINERS RESCUED
ALIVE AFTER WEEKS BURIAL
IN ILLINOIS COAL MINE.
Story of the Entombed Miners Most
Thrilling in Long List of Mine Catas-
trophe-Men First Prayed Then Sang
Shared scanty Supply of Food and
Water Between Them.

Cherry, H., Nov. 21.--The gamut
from deepest despair to hysteria of
hope was FUN here Saturday when 81
miners entombed in the st. Paul mine
for a week, almost to an hour, were
brought to the surface alive.
The story of the sufferings Of the
miners and the heroism Of their re-
eourceful leaders is one of the most
thrilling in all the black history of
mining disasters.
Dawn broke with the bearers of
atretchers moving from the pit mouth
60 the tent which served as a morgue
with bodies swollen and scorched al
most beyond human semblance. Forty
of them had been brought up, and
most of them identified, when the mar
velous report shot through the pros
frate community:
''They We found them alive. They we
found them alivel'
In a moment the morgue was de-
serted, scarcely to be revisited, while
Che crowd, fairly insane with the great
hope that had sprung like a miraculous
flame from the ashes of despair, rushed
60 the pit.
All thought was Of the men who were
alive. Each time the signal sounded
from the hoist for the cage to come up
from the mine the noise of the crowd
eubsided into murmurs of expectancy.
Eager to See Survivors.
"Hoist her up" came from the
depth, "Hoist her upl" repeated the
engineer. Then the men and women
pressed forward against the line of
soldiers and ropes, determined to get
as near as possible to peer into the
faces of the survivors.
" Everybody be quiet, please don t
cheer" whispered the guards. The ma
chinery of the hosting apparatus rum
bled and screeched as the cage came up
ward.
Would there be in this load live
one who had been mourned for seven
days as deadf This question flashed
Ehrough a hundred minds. The passage
way narrowed as each anxious locker in
stinctively pressed forward.
Here they come now; look sharp"
A woman here and there who could
not see, held up a child and cautioned
It: "Look and try if you can see papa
when they pass.
The machinery stopped The cage
was up. There stood the rescuers,
wearing shiny rubber coats and white
caps. Between them; wrapped in Mill
tary blankets, they held the rescued
men, some standing, others carried in
arms. Slowly the procession moved. A
burst of applause started from the
crowd, but raised hand from the mil
itiamen brought silence.
1t was a critical moment. Mothers
and wives stretched forth their arms,
murmring: "Bin," or Crank" or
"Oh, Andy, are you theref Speak to
me, I am here"
Women Beg for News.
The blankets drawn over the heads
of the men hid their faces and pre-
vented Identification from the crowd.
Not receiving a reply, the women tore
toward the sleeping cars, imploring and
begging anyone to give them good
news. Overcome by appeals, a rescuer
called out the name of the man he was
escorting. "George Eddy he shout
ed, ''we've got George Eddy here"
ooh, George" came a woman's
piercing cry from the crowd. els it'll
yous Is it youf Come here, George,
here; I am waiting for you"
Eddy, who was a mine inspector, was
TOO weak to reply, and would only sub
init to the escort, who carried him
mt hA
At the foot of the car steps the crowd
was kept back and women, almost hys-
ferical, chung to the handrails, piteously
imploring those inside to let them enter.
Saved His Brother.
A dramatic moment came when Will
liam Clelland was brought up. At the
news of the disaster a week ago, Rob
ert, a brother and also a miner, came
here from South Wilmington, ILL., He
was informed on his arrival that all the
entombed men were dead. He offered
his help as rescuer and declared he
would remain here until every body
was brought up. Today he was in the
rescuing party. As the survivors were
brought through the gallery to the hoist
ing shaft wrapped in blankets, Robert
assisted them into the cage.
In the first load that went up was
some one whom Robert did not recog-
nize. The survivors were put in the
sleeping car under the care of nurses
and doctors, and Robert went down
the shaft for another load. He was
coming out of the cage when a friend
stepped up and tapped him on the
shoulder.
"Bob, don't you know that viii is
ups" he asked. Robert turned pale
and staggered.
"You don't moan"
eyes, alive. He's up alive. Why,
Bob, you brought him yourself, wrap
ped in blankets. -
Robert was so overwhelmed and over
VvrOupht that he had to be relieved