The Yale expositor., 1909-11-26
20 MINERS RESCUED
. MORE IN MINE ALIVE
MEN MAY BE BURNED ALIVE
BEFORE THEY CAN BE
RESCUED.
FIRE BREAKS OUT AFRESH
Those Saved Walled Up in a Passage
Keeping Gas Out, Most of Them so
Weak From Starvation Can Hardly
Walk.

CHERRY, ILL.,, November 2O.-One
week to the minute after fire started
in the st. Paul mine entombing over
300 miners and bring upon them what
looked like inevitable death, 20 were
rescued when the last ray OF hope
for life had faded away. Between
so and 100 more are alive in the
mine.
Pathos, tenderness, hysteria and
even humor we're intermingled in the
scenes incident to the deliverance OF
the men, who had sat during the slow
passing hours and days with death
at their elbow, into the life giving air
and into the arms of their frantic
families.
In spite of their long burial and
the accepted belief that short time
under such conditions seems an age,
some of the men thought that it had
been only "a hours since the fire
started.
The men found themselves as they
had saved themselves, and chance
contributed to each event Cut of
by the flames in one of the tunnels
the men had rushed in terror to the
shaft where escape was impossible
and then back to a chamber at the
farther end. Assembled here under
the leadership of George Eddy, one
Of the mine examiners who was below
when the fire started, the entrapped
men, painting with excitement and
fear, took counsel. Soon after they
had arrived at the chamber some
rocks and dirt fell into the passage
partly blocking it.
This fortunate happening gave them
an idea, or helped them to carry out
an idea they already had. The men,
under Eddy's direction, began TO add
to the obstruction and make a barrier
between themselves and the noxious
gases which would in a short time
certainly stitle them IL permitted to
enter.
When the entrance had been en-
tirely closed the men sat down to
wait-waited for deliverance or death.
The hours passed, and they knew it
must be night They were aware
that many of their companions lay
dead just before the barrier. and they
realized that they might soon join
them. They listened for sounds of
parties coming to their aid. They
heard nothing.
Seated on Jumps of coal they chat
ted with each other cheerfully as
they could in an effort to keep up
their spirits. Suddenly grim thought
entered their minds. They had no
water. Their dinner pals had con-
tanned some food but nothing to allay
thirst.
This discovery almost took the
| - H. .rtA
But feeling about in desperation along
the walls and floors of the black pit
which held them, they came upon
damp place. II offered them chance,
and they began to dig. After a while
water began TO ooze into the black
mass they had removed. II was ever
SO little at first, and was Slapped up
by the soil as a blotter absorbs ink.
Then as the digging progressed lit
tie faster, trickling but never flowing.
The men threw themselves upon the
bottom of the chamber and pressed
their lips and tongues against the
black slime. 1t gave relief If it did
not satisfy; they might die, but not
Of thirst
The food in the dinner pals had
been assembled into one stock, and
this was sparingly and equitably ap-
portioned, but in the nature of things
1t could not last for long. The men
at times would shout and then listen
| .ensely for sounds of approaching aid.
But they heard nothing The slender
stock of food ran low and then gave
put. Surely help would come. They
pounded on the walls and shouted, but
their echoes were the only answer.
Hunger, slightly appeased hither-
70, now became agonizing. In their
frantic efforts to find something with
nourishment in II the men tore the
bark from the cedar posts which were
lsed for supports in the walls.
With increasing bodily weakness
their minds began to fail. They lost
count Of the days and nights, which,
1t best, they could imperfectly keep.
They would lapse into unconscious
ness at first like sleep and then like
worse torpor
At last the lifegiving water began
20 be exhausted and II became neces.
sary for them, weak and almost help
ess as they were, to dig deeper into
he walls for more. II was this last
work of despair, the thump and click
Df the picks which the rescuers heard
while they were carrying out the
bodies of the dead Almost at the
same time the miners heard sounds
made by the rescue party. They gave
faint cheer and waited.
The men on the outside dug away
vigorously at the barrier. Slowly II
was reduced. and then through hole
made at the top ray of light from
lantern shone through. feeble and
tiny, but in meaning glorious as the
hull sun after a tempest. They knew
hey were saved.
Tho eaoretarv ~ The va1o oo-