The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-11-19
Mine GIVES UP
CHASTITY SECRET
Heroic Experts Finally Enter
Shaft.
CONCEAL ACTION FROM PUBLIC
Secret Conference Follows Crueseme
Discovery.
At Risk Of Own Lives, Three Inspec-
tors, Penetrate Burninx Tomb Of
More Than Three Hundred
Miners--sight Pals
Brave Men.
CONCEAL ACTION FROM PUBLIC

Cherry, ILL.,, NOV le.-Witn the re-
covery of one body. believed to be
that of Ole Friebora, the location of
nineteen others which could not be
rescued near the ventilating shaft and
q determined attack being made on
the fire through the main pit. work
of reaching the 900 bodies in the ST..
Paul mine progressed rapidly to-
day.
The airshaft. following the daring
exploration which resulted In the To-
eating OF twenty dead. was closed
and full stream of water directed
into It, Then the main shaft was at
tackled. The temperature OF this shaft
has been well over 100 degrees but
continuous sprinkling today reduced It
to about ninety degrees.
Men In helmets first descended to
the fatal second gallery They re-
ported the mouth of the shaft badly
blocked by timbers and mud but the
fact that their safety lamps were not
extinguished Indicated the absence OF
black damp. The next squad to de-
scend went without helmets and re-
ported conditions perfect for an at
tack on the flames within the gallery
Great difficulty was experienced In lay
ing a sufficient length of hose pipe.
~ ,,,ar,sht hasora s,ccas. s~s,,.,,ss
afyort. a. thts a,ra.,to,
nr,..s u.r,av. Ia.A-..
var,o,,s $500 s,s az ,,o..s
They reported there was little heat
at the mouth of the gallery but that
search for bodies would not be prac-
ticable until the blocked opening had
been cleared of debris. This promis-
was predicted thai the work would
require at least eighteen hours.
Beyond these obstructIons the dead
are believed 10 lie in heans as fbev
fell In their last despairing rush for
the shaft.
National Euardsmen natrollea an
area roped OF about the shaft hut
against the barrierg q crowd 81 anx.
ious men. women ana Children press-
ed faF INTO the night.
awill they try Tor .fhe bodies .so4
night?" was the question rspeafefiiv
asked. and as often answered In the
negative.
Charity work progressed rap,a,v
today. Director e. p. Bicknell, of the
National Red Cross. after visiting
many homes. reported los out of 1S5
Families each had been given a weeks
supply of groceries.
The grfef-stricken women have been
unable to cook or give other attention
to the children. Much Of the cooking
and household work has been done bv
nurses.
Orphans Are Destitute.
About half mile from the mine Mr.
Bickneil met three orphans, whose
mother had died some time ago and
whose father was killed I'm the mine
The children. the oldest Of whom was
IL years, were living alone in q hut
and seemed not to realize their situa-
ton. All OF, them were sent to an in
stitution at Ladd. The relief work
will be continued as much as possibl
to provide for the families during the
coming winter.
The corpse brought to the surface
was concealed for an hour at the ton
OF the pit before being turned over 10
the undertaken and then only because
the discovery had become known.
The irst descent into the yentilatins
shaft was made by J. w. Paul. George
H. Rice, and r. Y. williams. In a
temporary cage. All were protected
against deadly gases by oxygen he'll
NETS. Mine Inspector Taylors plan OF
a do or die" attack on the main shaft,
where the Temperature Is around 1oo
degrees fahrenheit, was merely DELAY
ed by the expedition into the air smart.
I'VE will do all we can at the air
shaft and then at any cost will descend
into the main pit" said Mr.. Taylor this
evening. or the horrors which they
encountered in the CHASTITY gallery
none of the explorers would speak,
but they wore blanched faces and their
hands trembied when they emerged.
This much was learned-the bodies
were scorched and swollen. Death
might have been due either to gas or
flame.
After the removal Of the first CORPSE
the experts held q short conference and
upon the conditions reported It was de-
termined to break tie seal of the mine
shaft at once. A force of laborers
were ordered at work and by D. m,
the cauldron below was pouring forth
gases and smoke into the air.
Prenarations were made at once To
reduce the temperature in the shaft.
substitute fan was started. SO d.
rected as 10 null the smoke toward the
ventilator. As soon as possible, the
helmet -armored mine experts descend
ad in the shaft with leads OF hose pre.
nared 10 fght the burning coal In the
10000 oa1iarv