The Harlowton news. [volume] (Harlowton, Mont.) 1909-1914, 1909-11-26
RETREAT
FROM FLAMES
1t is Believed That Many Miners
Have Found Safe Refuge in
the St. Paul Mine.

SileII ), 1II., NOVcluUcI ill., LuoI tS
to reach men possibly still alive in
the st. Paul mine were made in two
directions today-east and west. In
he latter section the attempt was
made at the third or bottom gallery
at the earnest request Of Duncan Nc
Donald, president of the United
Mine Workers of Illinois, and nine
other officials of the organization.
The gloomy situation here was ac-
centuated today by the weather.
Rain fell all night and in the forenoon
turned to snow. Almost no relatives
of the miners were at the scene.
Efforts to explore underground con-
tinued with unabated vigor. Dozens
of volunteers worked against the
most exasperating odds to attend
their explorations. Earth and coal
were removed only to be followed by
another cave in.
''They're still alive down there" was
the watchwor rd of every worker al
though evidence of this was meager
The first ray of hope came when at
WORK in the east workings, men broke
through fall of earth, where it had
been expected that large number of
bodies would be found. Not one was
discovered. Instead, in a tool closet
hewed out of the earth, great many
implements were found, laid down,
apparently when the men came there
to eat. A fact regarded as significant
was that not a dinner pail remained.
1t was figured out that the men, un-
able to escape from the mine when
the fire was discovered, retreated to
the extremity of the mine, carrying
their food with them.
The next ray of hope came with
the discovery that the bottom-most
gallery was not sufficiently flooded to
impede progress.
The delegation, headed by Presi-
dent Mcdonald, insisted that an at
tempt be made to explore the third
gallery, generally believed to be of
little Importance. At the time of the
catastrophe, little, if any work was
being done in this section.
Mr.. Taylor was impressed with the
theory that the men, cut off in the
second gallery, might have found
their way into the gallery below where
there is no fire. and ordered it's ex-
ploration.
In this gallery-the lowest of the
mines-there is an "overcast," or an
irregular shaft, distinct from the
gallery.
eff the men who were in this part
of the mine thought of the overcast
and were able to reach it they are
probably alive now," said Mr.. Taylor.
"In the gallery proper there is much
water, but we hope that it is not so
hign but that rescuers can make their
way through it,"
Rescuers who carried up AZ bodies
today said there was evidence that the
men had walled themselves in for
several days, but had emerged to
seek food and water and had met the
black damp.
At a point beyond where the search
ers had gone, several declared they
could see the shattered blocking of a
pocket where the men had taken ref
uge. The bodies are scattered along
the gallery for many yards.
Some bodies were burned aud it is
probable that of the AZ not all had
been in the pocket. The existence of
the refuge was denied by other men,
bers of the party.
The tenseness of the nerves of the
rescuers is shown by a remarkable in
cident this afternoon. A man who
was proved to have been dead many
days, was believed to be alive when
brought to the surface and was rushed
to the hospital car. The mistake, how
ever, soon became apparent.