The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-25
MESSAGES FROM THE DEAD
FOUND WRITTEN ON SLATE
The Mine Has Again Been Sealed Up
and Owners viii Not Open 1t
Until All Precautions Have
Been Taken.

than t5O bodies had been recovered in
the St. Paul mine early today Efforts
TO carry them to the surface were tenn
porarily abandoned while a battle vas
begun to check a fire which again threat
ened the main shaft. If the efforts to
check the fire are not successful by early
tomorrow it is probable the mine will
again be sealed and remain so fer weeks
If not months.
Today the fire in the second vein, $40
feet below the surface. had swept so
feet up the main shaft. Then the fire was
forced back. Mine Manager Taylor de-
clared that the destruction of the mine
shaft is at all times imminent and with
it the only possibility of recovering the
bodies. That no men survive in the mine
is generally conceded even by the most
optimistic of the Cherry miners.
The only part of the mine as yet un-
explored, and where living men possibly
could be found, is the east working of
the second vein at the entrance where
the fire is burning flercely Twice rescu-
ing parties that have ventured past the
fire have been temporarily cut off by
the flames and rescued with difficulty.
No further attempt to venture into it
will be made until the fire is entinguished,
which may be work of days. That no
living man Is confined behind flames or
in any other portion of the mine was
the opinion OF all the experts on the
scene today.
Where Bodies Were Found.
The bodies were found 500 feet from
the main shaft on an elevated, surface
where they had retreated before the ad-
vancing water and fatal black damp
They had not been able to escape the
latter and had died after a struggle that
may have continued for two days.
Messages serawled ON wood and the
natural slate cropping from the wallis
placed the number of dead at 1sO or 16s
One message read: I'VE are all here to
die together
This Is accepted by mine officials as
indicating many men whose escape from
the second vein had been cut off by
fire had descended to the lowest level,
and that less than a dozen bodies will
be found In other sections of the mine.
The exploring party of four led by
Anton Lodycieni, was in the gallery for
more than an hour before the bodies
We're found. They had waded in water
making their way toward the elevation
of the shaft or ridge where they had
expected to find the men living dead.
The signals given by the rescuers and
the usual cry, Anybody alive in here?'
We're not answered.
Rescuers' Story.
''when we climbed upon the ridge"
said Lodycieni, I'VE almost stepped upon
bodies pulled up on top of each other in
on folded arms as If sleeping. Others were
lying across each other and some were
sitting as il expecting ETAOlN6. .6s. i.
sitting as IL resting against the wall.
Mailed to the wall were two fans made
of timbering tied about pick handles and
under them We're the biggest heaps of
bodies
"One poor fellow had his hand up hold
ing the fan. | think he died as he was
turning 1t; another had bucket held
in his hank He was fiat on his back and
must have died as he climbed up on the
ridge. The bucket was half filled with
black water that he must have gone some
distance to get
''Ths black damp surely killed them
long before the water reached them. We
had been In the shaft more than an hour
then and though the air was fairly good,
we knew it was time for us to get out
I'VE did not stop to get any of the
bodies or try to identify them, although
we probably could have il we had had
more time. Tom Mulligan one of the
party. picked up a piece of natural slate
on which was written: We are here to-
gether, 1885,
THAT must have meant the number
of men, and l think that was about the
right number. He put the slate in his
pocket without trying to make out the
name on 1t. but as we climbed to the
shaft OF the second level it fell out of
his pocket.
"On a wooden box, used to hold tools.
saw written with lead pencil, we are
here to die together Some figures were
scratohed under It and / read it as 1eO.