News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1909-11-24
FIRE IN Mine
is SMOTHERED
Hundred and Ninety-Eight Men
Are Still Missing
TWENTY ARE RESCUED ALIVE

lWcNlI AhE hESUULU ALIVE
Belief That They Are the Only Sur
vivors of More Than Three Hundred
Who Went Under Ground a Week
Aeo-Youne Scotchman's Pathetic
Letter-Stories Disagree as to Chis-
airy Displayed by Entombed Men
Cherry, Ills, Nov. 22.-Hope
aroused by the rescue alive of twenty
entombed men from the St. Paul
mine, just one week after the fatal
fire started, was dashed, or at least
deferred in fulfillment, for not one
more of the $40 men caught by the
fire was found Sunday.
The day was spent in searching the
mine and in burying the corpses here
tofore recovered. The records
show that of the 80 men left in the
mine week ago last Saturday night
1913 are still missing, while 92 bodies
hctNC pCCh IOullu stIu ~ LlSl law pSSli
rescued alive.
The fire that broke out afresh Sal
urday night was smothered Sunday to
such an extent that explorers were
able to work in the mine, but black
damp in one of the galleries defied the
men, as did cave-ins and debris.
1t was not even discovered whether
there are more alive in the mine gal
leries, although the explorers, urged
by the extreme condition in which the
twenty men saved Saturday were
found, worked with almost superhu-
man strength and rapidity.
Letters written in their underground
prison by some of the miners rescued
alive have come to light in various
quarters. One of the most touching
was written by John Lorrimer to MS
wife. Lorimer Is young Scotchman.
He came to America ten years ago
from Ayrshire.
Lorimer received, in his bedroom,
many callers who wished to congratu-
late him on his escape. Lorimer's
letter follows:
though it is now o'clock Sunday
morning and there is little hope, as the
black damp is getting the best of US.
There are 81 of us all together here.
Dear wife, do not grieve; we will
meet again. God bless you; believe
in Him. He will take care Of you. |
guess we will meet in a better land.
When you get over this let them know
at home (ScotlanO. That is all,
dear. God bless you.
YOUR LOVING HUSBAND"
All of the farewell letters were
written on pages torn from the time
books carried by Mine Boss Waite.
Waite had the only lead pencil in the
group, and it was passed from baud
to hand so that all might write.
One instance of the self sacrifice of
the more sturdy imprisoned miners
was related by Lorimer.
''Walczinski, l think that was his
name, was so years old, and the
weakest among u.s." said Lorimer.
''Our greatest sufferings came from
thirst, for only thimblefuls could be
got from the seepage. WaIczinski
grew so exhausted that he could not
stoop over, but had to lie on his face
20 drink. We made holes in the ground
with our fingers and then waited for
The oozing water to fill them. When
water filled small hole there wasn't
a man but craved it madly. But the
stronger men frequently passed their
turns to let the old man drink"
Lorimer's account of the chivalry of
the stronger toward the weaker miners
Is disputed by Inc Autoniese, one of
the rescued men.
According to Autoniese, the sick old
man was able to get enough to drink
only after brawny miner, who be-
ieved in the survival of the ittest,
had been felled with a pick handle and
beaten into sense of brotherly love.
This miner, whose name Autoniese
would not divulge, drew a knife to
his belief that the water
should be reserved for those who had |
he best chance to survive the longest,
1ut nearly all the able men in the |
sealed gallery attacked him and took |
AWAY his knife.
This fight occurred about the third |
lay of the entombment. Afterward, |
he probability of death for all became
10 strong as to unite the men in COM
non CHARITY