The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-23
MANY MORE DEAD
BODIES BROUGHT
TO The SURFACE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE II

tCOA hD fHOm PAGH i
>~~~-o~~->~~->-~~~-~~~
tinued until "a had been carried from
the shaft to the temporary morgue. Be-
fore the last of those taken from the
mine had been placed in the morgne the
body of the unknown man had been re-
moved from the hospital car to the place
alongside those of his comrades.
The resouers who carried up the "a
bodies said there was evidence that the
men had walled themselves in for sew
eral days, but had emerged to seek food
or water and had met death In the black
damp.
At point beyond where the searchers
had gone several declared they could see
the shattered blocking of pocket where
the men had taken refuge. The bodies
are scattered along the gallery for many
yards and the men who found them be-
lieved they collapsed of weakness or as
phyxiation before they had gone so yards
toward the entrance. Some of the bodies
were burned and 1t Is probable that OF
the % not all had been inmates of the
pockets. The existence OF the refuge
was denied by other members of the
party, who asserted that they had seen
no evidence of it.
Working East and West.
Efforts to reach men possibly still alive
rections today-east and west. In the
latter section the attempt was made at
the third, or bottom gallery. at the earn
est request of Duncan Mcdonald. presi-
dent of the United Mine Workers of
Illinois, and nine other officers of the
organization.
The melancholy situation here was ao-
centuated today by the weather. Rain
fell all night and this forenoon turned to
snow Scarcely a llinsman of the miss
ing was at the scene at any time. But
efforts to explore underground contin-
ued with undated vigor. Dozens of
volunteers worked against the most ex-
asperating odds to extend the limit of
their explorations. Earth and coal were
removed only to be followed by other ava
lanches from the crumbling passages. but
each check was met with a desperate re-
turn to the attack.
They're still alive down there" was
the watchword of every worker, although
meagre.
First Ray Of Hope.
! The first tangible ray of hope came
when men at work in the east workings
broke through q fall of earth where
it had been expected by experts that a
large number of bodies would be found.
Not one was discovered. Instead, In a
tool closet hewed out of the earth a
great many mining implements were
found, as laid down, apparently when
the men came there to eat A fact re-
! garded as significant was that not a
dinner pail remained. From this it was
argued that the men, unable to escape
when the fire was discovered, retreated
| TO some extremity of the mine, carrying
| their food with them.
The next CLEAN of hope came with the
/ discovery that the bottom-most gallery.
west, was not sufficiently flooded to I'm
! pede progress.
1t was this section of the mine that
formed the subject of the conference be-
tween the union and Manager Taylor.
| The delegation, headed by President Nc
| Donald, insisted that an attempt be made
to explore the third gallery, generally
believed to be of little Importance. At
! the time of the catastrophe little II any
work was being done In this section. the
| men being engaged In the richer coal
beds of tho second gallery.
Mr. Taylor, however, was impressed
with the theory that the men cut of
in the second gallery might have found
there was no fire.
Live Rats In Mine.
The discovery of live rats in remote
| veins of the mine gave added hope a.
noon of finding more miners alive. Is
A report that the rescue work Is re-
tarded by disputes between the coal com
pany forces and state officials was de-
| MED. Manager w. w. Taylor of the
mine said that the only conflicts were OF
technical nature.
A mine official declared II any more
men are brought out alive the work
must be done within "a hours, as the
men must be almost starved.
All the survivors taken out Saturday
are recovering. but it is still considered
inadvisable to give the patients Other
than the slightest food.
The death Of the mother of one of thu
victims came today as the result Of the
disaster. Mrs. Charles Dovan, whose sor
still remains in the mine, living or dead
visited the mouth of the shaft soor
after daybreak, and as had been hel
custom for week, knet down ant
prayed. Later she wandered over the
field toward her homo, where she dice
shortly after from gyiAf.
Three times the one hearse OF the towr
made slop trips past the mine entrance