The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-24
Wives and Children Of Miners
At Cherry Believe Others
Are Dead
NO TRACE OF MEN FOUND
IN ANY PART OF MINE
Diary Is Found on Person of Dead
Miner Which Tells PitifuI Story
of the Losing Fight For Life
Down in the Shaft.

Cherry ILL.,, November 23-Hope that
there might still be alive some of the
1ss men known to be entombed in the
BIT. Paul coal mine was practically aban-
doned today
An exploration into what is known as
the second vein, where 1t was thought
probable many miners had barricaded
themselves, and had managed to exist
on oats and corn provided for the mules,
showed that the tunnels had collapsed
1t is thought many men were buried
under the debris and if the obstruction is
not soon cleared away at least 100 bodies
may never be dug up. Fire was still
raging In these tunnels and the back
portions where imprisoned men could
have found retreat were said to be full
OF the fatal black damp.
What little hope we had was given
up when we penetrated to what is called
the overcast" said w. w. Taylor, gem
eral manager Of the mine. I'm that place
pure air would have been found If it
could have been found anywhere, and the
miners, aware of 1t, would have retreated
there. When we got into that place we
found 1t empty of both bodies and Of
live men. We listened in vain to detect
signal or any other sign of life
Village of Mourning.
Meanwhile Cherry continues to be
Village of mourning. The death today of
one OF the survivors brought to the sur
face last Saturday reduced the total
number saved out of the $40 lost in the
disaster to 10. Almost all of the AZ bodies
taken out yesterday were identified.
Women who have been PROSTATE for 10
days were called to make certain by rec
0pniztnc 81 knife or dinner
that their hopes were gone.
Down In the mine the rescuers met with
great obstacles. In one instance fire broke
ott in a tunnel temporarily cutting off
the escape o. 20 men who had ventured
400 feet from the hoistng shaft The
smell Of smoke gave the warming above
and the rescuers were brought to safety
by another rescue party
Following a telegram sent to Governor
Deneen by the executive board of the
miners state organization. asking that
some one be designated by the state to
take charge of the mine, Mine Inspector
Hector McAllister was placed in charge.
1t was said that despite the fire and the
discouraging news of the tunnels having
fallen in. the rescue work would be
pushed night and day.
Story of Diary.
A diary was found today on the cloth
Ing taken from one OF the 3S bodies found
i'll d pocket Ol LIE I1lne- Inc diary was
begun on November 13 and was written
by Samuel D. Howard, 21 years old 1t
describes the slow death of the men by
the encroaching black damp and refers
tenderly to Samuel's efforts to save his
brother, Alfred, 16 years old, who died
by his side.
The diary follows
"Alive at 1890 o'clock yet. At 10:45; II
sharp. BY Sam D. Howard. Brother AL
fred is with me yet. good many dead
mules and men. l tried to save some,
but came almost losing myself. | am
dead. Give my diamond ring to Mamie
Robinson. The ring is coming at tie
postoffice. Henry can have the ring I have
in my good clothes. The only thing I
regret is that my brother could not help
my mother out after 1 am dead and
gone
IT tried my best to get o1t but couid
not ] saw Jim Jameson and Steven
Timke lying along the road and could not
stand 1t any longer. 1t is minutes past
II o'clock and the air is fine, but some
times It is so bad 1T almost puts G fe,-
low out It is something fierce to see
men and mules lying down all over like
that.
Rock Falling.
ITO keep me from thinking I thought
would write these few lines There
is rock falling all over. We have our
Duck6tS Iull Oh WdteI, SuiiiP Wdtcf, anu
we drink 1t and bathe our heads with
1t. Ten to 12 o'clock after 1 o'clock;
2. o'clock; and poor air and black
damp; 4:15 o'clock, change of place. Num-
her of men tried to get out and could not
get back Seven fifty o'clock; tired, hun
cry and sleepy. but could stand quite
bit of this IL 1 could get out of this
hole.
Seven fifty o'clock in the morning. This
ID Sunday. There Is no air. We famed
ourselves with the lids of our buckets.
Twenty-Five after and black damp COM
ing both ways. Twenty-Five after TO- We
give up all hope. wefhave done an we
could The fan had better start soon.
Twenty-Five after 10 a. M, Sunday. We
are still alive. The only hope is the
fan.
II think won't have strength to write
pretty soon
Fifteen after IL p. M. Sunday. If they
can't get us air we will make fans our
selves We take our turns at the fan.
We have three Of them going.
Black Damp Coming.
.'Twenty-seven to 8 p. M, and the black
damp is coming in on US. Only for the
fans we would be dead.
''Eleven to 4 p. M, dying for the want
OF air. We have six fans moving. One
fan after another, 15 feet apart
TWENTY-FIVE after 10 p. M, Sunday
evening. We all had to come back. We
can't move front or backwards We can't
stand it with our fans until Monday
oaorning.
sCifteen after a. M, Monday morn
ing. Am stfl alive We are cold hum
cry weak, sick and everything else. AL
fred Howard. is still alive. Nine fifteen a.
M. Monday morning; still breathing.
Something better turn up soon or we will
be gone Eleven fifteen a. m, still alive
at this time Sixteen to l p. m, Monday.
The lives are going out. I think this is
our last. We are getting weak. Alfred
Howard as well as the rest of U.S.
The men were evidently all killed by
black damp late Monday afternoon 4s
hours after the fire broke out In the mine.
The alary was scribbled with lead
pencil on loose leaves torn from an ac-
aount book