The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-22
Efforts to Reach Distant Mine Shafts Are Blocked
 By Debris
RELATIVES FEAR THAT
 LOVED ONES MAY DIE
Many Believe That Miners Are stll Alive In tho 9hafte Yet Unex- plored and Rescue May
 Come Too Late

Cherry, H.. November 2l-what had promised to be Cherry's real day of Thanksgiving ended in night of hope deferred, or despair.
 All the long day the vigil was kept At the end of 1t no living man or boy had been added to the list of the 20 rescued yesterday At nightfal the toll stood 20 saved, go known dead and 19S missing.
 All day long the tolling of church bells resounded in Cherry and Spring Valley. Eighteen bodies were inferred today in a field south of the town At the mine coffins of dozen victims awaited re- moval, while score of easlsets were piled nearby for those who are to come.
 Services for the dead were held out side the churches, into which Coroner Malm deemed it inadyisable the bodies be taken. From the yet uncovered graves in which the Roman Catholic dead were placed, the pastor hurried to the mine entrance. where. with a second priest he awaited to administer the last rites for the living should his services be needed
 The first ecstasy of joy in Cherry gave way today 10 strong reaction as sue ceeding hours added no one to the list of saved
 Telegram to Taft.
 Mayor Connolly had hurried a telegram to President Taft at Washington last night notifying him that 20 men had been rescued and there was believed to be about l50 alive The reply of the Presi- dent came today wien hope was at a low ebb. Each hour that passes now is looked upon by the watchers as mak- ing the chance of escape pitifully less
 .'The men they brought up could not have lived more than a few hours longer" said one despairing woman. "If they don't come np today they will come up dead"
 The rescuers worked as if this was their belief The fire in the second level was forced back and early in the afternoon the workers could pass IL, but the black damp in the east gallery was an ob- stacle that proved insnrmountable.
 Through 1t the bodies of 37 men could be seen. Preparations for taking out these s7 were rushed when the morbid throng about the mine had thnned. The 37 bodies were not brought to the sur face but ten others were
 That the bodies might have been taken up earlier was admitted by those In charge of the work but they thought Of the scenes that would have followed
 Crowd Around Pit.
 A crowd numbering thousands. frankly seeking sensation. careless of the grief about them, and apparently thoroughly enjoying the scene about the pit. pressed against the rope barricade until dusk
 Here and there in the ehattering groups could be seen few whose memory of the scene would endure with life. Their silent tense watching, and eager inquiries of the guards when any unwonted stir occurred about the shaft. indicated with out question their relation to those down there"
 In the mine level the work of the rescuers went on unceasiugly. Relays of eager miners succeeded those whose strength failed. Those who staggered from the pit mouth were surrounded in stantly and a babel of questions hurled at them
 "we can see the bodies There are piles of them. They are dead, boys. all dead" was the reply of the first and those who followed gave no more cheer ing answers.
 But they could be living back there; they could be alive, Tom, couldn't they7" came a voice from the group about him.
 NO chance" began the miner, then paused as he saw the trembling hands of the old man who had pressed to his side why. sure. didn't the others come outg was the quick reply. Don't you worry, he'll be up soon."
 Black Damp Present.
 The pressure of the crowds was not the only reason which led the rescuers to delay bringing bodies to the surface Black damp was present where the dead lay in group, just as they had fallen when their lives were snuffed out. "Klon- dyke" who had worked among the dead in many mine disasters, and Bob Murray, who also holds black damp in consid- erable contempt. and others, are said to have volunteered to remove the bodies to clear the passage for further search for any who may remain alive in the further reaches of the gallery. Conservative counsel prevailed and the hoisting of the bodies was delayed until the noxious gases had been sucked out by the big ventilating fan.
 Among those who, after years, return to the living of men long thought dead. clung throughout the day to the belief that additional rescues of living men are probable. is Richard Newsanl, president of the Illinois board of mine inspectors.
 'Scotchmen are the most resourcelul miners in the world. and there are 22 of them down there. dead or alive. l can see no reason why they should not have found some refuge just as did those who came up yesterday. But we must remem- Der that eight days have passed and We must hurry If they are not to perish of thirst and starvation. Everything pos sible to hurry on the work of exploration Is being done
 It is reported here tonight that labor leaders who have been making a quiet
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