The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-11-15

Monahons VINO was q man OF yeafsIor
experience. 1t is believed that he
piloted the men to safety
CHERRY. H.. Nov. 15.-Nearly 400
men and boys, 1t is believed are dead
OF perfshng in tine St Paul mine as a
result of Saturdays hre, though ex-
perts who penetrated the smoke-flled
air shaft to q depth OF 800 feet early
last night returned with a ray Of hope
for the grief-str5cken relatives OF the
entombed miners.
That the fire Is extinguishet Is the
report OF mining experts sent by Gov
ernor Deneen to investigate the ezs
lamlty and It's cause. For more tnan.
80 hours the prisoners had been cnS
Off from fresh alr before the shaft was
entered, and have undoubtedly been
slbbj jected to smoke and gas.
That Mfe could exist under the terri
bic conditions is doubted by many
but because no trace of high tempera-
ture was found In the depths of the
mine, friends OF the miners, and even
officers of the company, renewed
some of their falling hope.
A. j. Earling, president of tie Chi
cago, milwaukee and st. Paul Railroad
cefved an encouraging report after he
rofc efforts had been made to open
the mine for the recovery OF the en-
tombed men. From John Reid, son
of one of the missing miners, Mr.. Ear
ling heard that concussion of the
earth had been felt by farmers half a
mile south OF the main Shaft. There
were several anoclds and the men who
felt them are convinced that they were
shots fired by the imprisoned miners
to signal to the people above that they
still HYed
'sWould the shots mean tnat, or that
the miners mad committed suicide to
end their agony?" asked the railroad
president.
'sThe men report" replied Henry
Burke, an officer of the mining COM
pany, "tnat the signals were distinct,
and that they were meant for ln, as
surance that at least some OF them
live"
This g1immer of hope in the dark
enetl homes In Cherry last night fol-
lowed other encouraging, though
doubtful, theories of some OF the eX-
perts that the entombed hundreds may
not nave been suftocated because OF
exttnsuishment Of the flames started
yesterday In the lower mine stables.
lie the fire went out soon, oxygen
enough remains IN the veins to keep
the men alive until the shafts may be
reopened. After the thirl attempt to
explore the shaft yesterday r, Y. VIII.
liams. of the United States Geological
Survey, who superintendent the work
of the volunteer explorers. telegraph
ed for more oxygen caps ami other
apparatus. This apparatus Is expect
ed, and a. score of men Will accom-
pany the expert into the air SHAFT,
which was opened late yesterday.
Three times Mr.. Williams anu Hen.
ry Smith, volunteer, were lowered
in the mine in bucket. Each time
they penetrated deeper. The tempera-
ture was bearsbIe. but the ahnoS-
phere was iEtolerabte.
Tho list OF the missing miners was
compiled yesterday and 1t reported the
totai of 3s5, including the dead whose
charreH bodies were taken from the
burning cages Saturday.
u is declared to be probable that
this hist might be increased.
One hundred and seventy men VINO
entered the mine Saturday mornang 9
have been accounted for.
Among the 1nlSssnS aLS HIsAh! AAhtSi AAt.
cans who have liyedt for years in the
mining fields OF Illinois. However,
most of those entombed are foreign
horn, Nearly all the miners had their
homes in Cherry or In the surround
ing towns, and most of the men had
families.
Late last night after a conference
with the mine inspectors, company Of
Ilcers and experts, Il was decided to
open the main shaft this moTning and
10 send the explorers into thetiiille In
the regular cage.
1t was deteun1ined to seal M the air
alaIt last night.