The Sentinel=record., 1909-11-20

q believe some of these men were wise enough to get into one of the galleries and barricade themselves there. They would have easily been l, able to wall themselves up with coal and earth and thus shut out the gas and fire. In this way they could ex- ist week. When this debris has been cleared out l believe they will find some of the men, exhausted, but still breathing"
 George S. Rice, of the United States Geological Survey, said he had no such hope.
 "1t is tme," he said, "that long per icds of imprisonment in mine have teen more favorable than these. Here everything has been against it and believe there is no chance of recover ling any one alive"
 Visiting nurses are tired from their long yigils. They have needed all of their training in sick room cheerful ness to bear up under the stories of misfortune and grief which greet them everywhere. Where distress is greatest their duty calls them, and none save the bereaved are carrying heavier burden of sadness. E. P Bicknel, the Red Cross di. rector said tonight that today has been the fist since the catastrophe that he and his assistants have been able to secure rational answers from bereaved women as to their material needs.
 The result is that supplies moved with greater rapidity than before. Tonight men with huge baskets upon their shoulders tramped through the unpaved streets, guided by the i light of lanterns, making final deliy- cry of supplies.
 Chaiity of a less heroic but more expensive character comes from the 1 Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad. Mining experts, two com panies of national guardsmen, nurses, doctors. reporters and others, more l than 300 in all, are housed in sleep ling caIs furnished by the company and eating excellent meals in dining cars.
 | J. Hughes, the major domo of this outfit. is furnishing 1000 meals a day without a hitch. despite the distance from any important market. | i H. Nicholai representing the Italian consul, condition existed in one part Of the mine duIing the fire which sug- ges ed the Iroduos Theater fire at Chicago. Giuseppe Lotti. miner, sad that while escaping through the smoke and flame he discovered scores of bodies had been piled up in front of door. which, if 1t could have been opened, would have afforded way to safety Iotti's story follows: q. was digging coal when I heard l the alarm of fire. Running to the air shaft, saw that it was filled with
 smoke. Then I was puzzled what to do From the airshaft two galleries extend in opposite directions They are circular and meet again at the main, or hoisting shaft
 Either one of these galleries, i bought, would take me to safety. So I started through the one on my right, T was greatly excited and already Ifelt the effect of the fumes in my lungs. Others were struggling fran 1 ticallv in the same direction. "I had gone over half way through | the gallery when, to my horror. | currents, closed The door was ar- ranged to swing inward. toward me 1 1 pulled and tugged. but it would not open, the reason being that three or i four men had fallen down in front of it. l tried 70 pull them away.
 Other men came mp behind me, some of them falling. I soon saw that | that way WAS hopeless and started to return. Scores of other miners by that time were filling the gallery and choking up the hrorway beyond hone of its ever being opened.
 The weak one. who came last fell over those who still struggled with the door and all finally fell in heap as the smoke grew more dense. 1 would have fallen too, had not my brother, who had remained near the | cir shaft. caught hold of men
 T said, Don't go to the right, they are all dead down that way He then led me through the other gallery in
 which the doors opened outward, and
 we escaped safely to the hoisting shaft l am sure they will find a hundred CT more bcdles piled up at that door in the right gallery"
 The burial of the dead is one of the problems which ehe officials and peo- pie must face. Coronen Malm an
 nounced that owing to the limited ia cilities here for keeping the bodies,
 no body will be held more than twen. 1 tv-four hours after removal from the mine. Bodies not identified within
 that time will be buried anyway
 Workmen began digging graves to- night in large tract of land north.
 west of town. Many of the dead will 1 be inferred there