The Mena weekly star., 1909-11-18
AN AWFUL DISASTER
NEARLY 400 MEN ENTOMBED IN A BURNING MINE IN
 ILLINOIS.
SLIGHT HOPE OF SAVING ANY
Twelve Bodies Recovered, Six of Whom Gave Gave Up Their Lives in An EHe1t to Save Imprisoned Workera --More Than 1000 Orphans.

Cherry. Ill.,, Nov. 1G.--There is slight hone that some of the 360 Jr moro miners entombed in the St. Paul mine by an explosion may be sav.d from death. That the fire has been ex- tlnguished was the conclusion of min ing experts and inspectors sent here by Gov. Deneen to investigate the calamity and its cause.
 For more than 80 hours the miners have been cut off from fresh air and undoubtedly have been subjected to- smoke filled veins. That life could exist under such conditions Is doubted by many. but because no trace of high temperature was found in the depth of the mine, friends of the miners and even officials of the company have hope that the victims may have found safety in remote reeesses of the mine,
 The list of the missing was compiled in the offices fthe mining company, and 1t reached 3S5, including the dead whose bodies were taken from the burning cages Saturday afternoon It was said that this list might be in- creased. One hundred and seventy men, who entered the mine Saturday morning, have been accounted for. The company had scores of tracers at work rounding mp the employees and al nIghtfall the company officials ad miited that the number of men in the mine was greater than they first had believed possible.
 Twelve bodies have been taken out Six of these were heroes, not employ ed in the mines, who gave their lives fin a futile effort to save the imprison CT workers.
 The mine superintendent. James Steele. declared five hours after ths explosion, that it was almost impossi hle that any of the miners could escape The mine has day shift Of ASA men Of these few left the mine at noon.
 The entrance to the mine was seal cd up in the hope of checking the flames. The building above the pii entrance was blown up to permit this
 Rescuers, equipped with oxygen hel- nets and all the paraphernalia used in mine rescue work. who entered the mine. declared that the mine was still on fire and caving in in many places.
 That every bit of lIfegiving air had been exhausted many hours ago. was declared certain.
 Three descents were made, but no sign of life was seen. and the rescuers declared that no life could exist for hundreds of feet beyond the shaft cn trance, A few miners caps and lamps were seen--tragic tokens of the frs rush for safety by the miners who es capped. but no bodies were found.
 There are ..000 orphans in Cherry >ad unless food in large quantities + rushed into the town many will be hungry
 We all need aid and plenty of it, said Mayor Connolly. and it must bs forthcoming promptly or there will h great suffering am ng the destitu families of the miners,
 While we do moi liie to ask for on side assistance, this town is too smal to handle the situation alone. Most el our citizens are miners. and the ma lority of tnem are down in the mine In all probability dead We afr doini everything possible 10 handle tho proposition, but il is too big for us"
 Doctor Howe. in charge of the relic work, said the need of food, clothing and money Is great and that tho clt' zens hope the people of Chicago anf other places will assist in relieving ths situation.