The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-14
EFFORTS TO SAVE MEN
ARE UNAVA|[|NG AND
MINE Is SEALED UP
Willing Men Give Up Their Lives in
Attempts to Save the Impris-
oned Men-scenes at tho
Mouth Of Pit Are
HeartbreakIng.

Cherry, ILL.,. November 1S.-Officials of
the st. Paul Coal company mine, where
an explosion occurred today, say that AGO
men are dead in the mine. Twelve bodies
have been taken out. Six of these
were heroes. not employed in the mine.
who gave their lives in a futile effort
to save the imprisoned workers.
Mine Superintendent James Steele de-
clared FIVE hours after the explosion that
It was almost impossible that any of the
miners could escape.
The mine has a day shift of 534 men,
OF these 80 left the mine at noon. Twenty
five are known to have escaped after
the fire broke out. The others are be-
lieved to be dead.
The entrance to the mine has been
sealed up in the hope of checking the
flames. The building above the pit en-
trance was blown up to permit this.
Despite the frantic efforts OF the Off
cials and the scores of volunteers. it
seemed assured at 8 o'clock that only
bodies of the dead would be taken out.
Until tomorrow morning. when the
covering win be removed and the res
cuers endeavor to penetrate the smoke
tainty as to the fate of the inmates can
be learned.
Trivial Cause of Disaster.
The fire causing the explosion, which
may prove one of the greatest tragedies
in the list of mine horrors, had an origin
all
shoulder too long finally ignited the tim
bers of the mine and before workers re-
allied their danger the mine was filled
with smoke, gases and flames, and all
exit was impossible.
Heroism such as Is rarely exhibited
was shower by officials of the mine and
residents of the town of Cherry. Those
men who were outside the mine when the
fire originated contributed five to the list
of twelve known dead. Alexander Ner-
berg, pitman, gave his life unhesitating-
ly in vain effort to save those of his
comrades who risked their lives with
him. Standing at the bottom Of the shaft,
he carried the bodies of the men into the
cage, the only way of escape.
AS the last was carried in he fell un-
conscious across the body. He was dead.
as were all his companions. when the
cage was lifted to the top.
Those who had gone into the pit with
him were John Bundy, the mine super
intendent; John Flood and Isaac Lewis,
merchants of Cherry and Dominic Fon-
enti. DIR. w. Howe. a physician who had
sought to go with the men when they
descended the cage, had been thrust out
by Bundy, who exclaimed: ''rhey will
need you at the top II we get any one
out No use risking your LIE down here
The physician vainly sought to resusci-
tate the men when they were carried to
him q few minutes later. He said they
had died of suffocation.
Agonlzed Relatives.
At the entrance of the shaft scene was
enacted such as is seen only at disaster
of this kind. Hundreds of screaming wom-
en-, weeping children and frantic but help
less men crowded around the place. A
few survivors were surrounded by groups
of the women and their answers to the
loudly shrieked inquiries only added to
the terror of the women Almost to a
man they declared that there was no
hope for those left behind In the mine.
Almost 200 of the men imprisoned In
the mine, they declared. were in the third
vein. the only entrance to which was
from the second vein, almost 800 feet from
the main shaft of the pit. superintendent
Steele reluctantly echoed the opinion Of
the miners. When the extent Of the fire
was realized the officials saw that ordi-
nary measures were Intellectual. The fire
had burned away the timbers of the shaft
and the flames soon reached the escape
shaft. A few minutes later the fan which
supplied the shafts collapsed and tumbled
through the opening. Flames then swept
ON to the mouth of the pit. wheIe they
were carried to the surface, forcing back
all those who ventured near. The onicers
knew the fire must be eating its way back
into the shaft and then the heroic meas
ure of sealing the mouth of the pit was
adopted.
Before this water had been poured down
the escape shaft, but with no better ef-
feet than to flood the floor and further
impede any effort of those inside to es-
cape.
Retreat to Air Passages.
That those of the men who had been
able had retreated to the furthermost
ends of the veins, was the statement of
the miners on the surface. There they
might huddle together. gasping what lit
tie oxygen remained in the sealed and
burning mine, and praying that the res7
cuers might reach them before 1t was
exhausted. The most hopeful of those
seeking to aid the prisoners doubt that
more than a few score would be found
alive when that aid comes.
The only men to escape were those in
The main shaft when the fire started. They
declared that careless miner had thrown
! torch ON bundle Of hay used to feed