Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-11-15
One Man Tells Of Sixty-five
Underground Workers Sit
ting in a Row Patiently
Awaiting Certain Death.
BRAVERY OF RESCUERS
ALMOST BEYOND BELIEF
Fourteen Heroes Repeatedly
Descend Flame Filled Shaft;
One Alone Lives to Tel!
of GhaStIy Battle With Death,

! We're besides Mr.. williams of Urbana,
his assistant, James II. Webb of the
University of Illinois: James Hand of
| Spring Valley, and Henry Smith of
Peru. Later Mine Inspector James
Taylor of PEORIA donned the regalla.
A score of men were ready to assist
them. A system of signals had been
prepared. Two of the men were sta
toned at the top of The shaft. will
liams and Smith prepared to descend.
Inspector Taylor drilled them in their
signals. The men who were to un-
dertake the exploration nodded as
sent. Engineer Cowley, at the hoist
that controlled the iron bucket in
which Williams and Smith were
standing, announced his readiness and
the first men to enter the st. Paul
mince since the tragedy, were slowly
lowered. When so feet down the sig
nal to raise came, and was at once
oboyed. The helmet covering the eX-
plorcrs soon reappeared.
"The bucket is not hung right" said
Williams. 1T strikes and bounds in
the shaft. 1t must be rebalanced."
This work required some time.
Meanwhile Williams and Smith ex-
planned to mining officials and COM
pany men the shaft was filled with
smoke which their powerful electric
lanterns could not penetrate. When
repairs had been made an hour later
with Hand. Webb and Taylor at the
wheel, the explorers descended again
For 500 feet the bucket went down.
Then suddenly came the signal for
ascent. When they reappcarcd Will
liams said, eve found an obstruction
at 300 feet We might have got by
It, but if We siEnalled to come up VIC
would undoubtedly strike it coming up
We wanted to notify the men above
of the condition so they would UNDER
stand"
Williams and Smith, accompanied
by Inspector Taylor, descended for
the third time. They were gone for
perhaps 10 minutes.
we got to the base of the second
vein, said Inspector Taylor "and
though we could see little we found
no excessive temperature. 1t was APP
parent that the fire had not pene-
trated deeply into the mine and we
could see no sign of the flames. If
the temperature throughout the Sec
ond vein is no more excessive than
there, in the deeper and further re-
cesses, it is probable that there may
be oxygen enough to keep the men
alive. We saw no trace of men. eth
er dead or alive. Tomorrow / think
o. 1ar 10 ha
safely"
Late tonight. after a conference of
mining inspectors, company officials
and experts, it was decided to open |
the main shaft in the morning and |
send explorers into the mine in the |
regular cage. This plan was adopted |
because the bucket scheme was found |
impracticable insofar as the move
ments OF the men below were con-
cerned. They could not get out of |
the bucket So it was determined to |
seal up the air shaft tonight. The |
seals of the main shaft will be opened |
and the experts believe conditions viii !
be safe for them 10 walk around in |
the veins before many hours.
w w. Taylor. general superinten-
Ut VI Aitt tplilPdtiN Wal ~ 4
pathetic figure today. He stood |
and suggesting the move
ments to open the mine and at times, |
though he struggled to control his |
tears dimmed his eyes and |
his voice chOked with sobs.
Il wish" he said. that the men OF
the press would interview these min
Ing inspectors after they are relieved
from their duties of this ordeal about |
This mine. | do not want to go on
record alone. but ! believe that they
will tell you that this was the safest
built coal mine in this country III
have built many mines and l know
hat 1t was safe.
"A catastrophe could have hsp-
Dened here in no other way than Just
Is it did. The fire need not have
been disastrous. The men at work
n the stables were excited. The
burning hay could have been shut off
rom the rest Of the mine without