The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-22
MAY STILL LIVE.
Nearly 200 Men Are UnaccOunt-
ed For
Among Those Who We're Buried
in the st. Paul Mine.
NO DEAD ARE FOUND
Where 1t Was Expected There
Would Be Large Number.
SearcherS Have Already Passed
Far into the Galleries.
NO DEAD ARE FOUND

Cherry. ILL.,. Nov. 22.-Two exploring
parties in the st. Paul mine today
found indications which led them to be-
lieve there are a large number Of liv-
ing men in the east workings.
The searchers were able to pass far
into the galleries and their hope springs
from the fact that where they expected
to find a large number of dead, none
was found. Nearly 200 men are still
unaccounted for. dead or alive.
James Lewison, a member of the
rescuing party in the st. Paul, mine,
said he heard a human voice on the
other side of the cave-in. He said he
heard the voice plainly although it
sounded as though it was far away.
Lewison Immediately called the atten-
ton of the other workmen IT, the
place from which the voice came, but
they could hear nothing.
''I would swear that L heard some
one calling through the caveilr,' he
said. 1T sounded like they were far
away or were so weak they could not
and the sooner we get to them the
better, because l do not believe they
can last much longer
Ten dead were brought to the surface
yesterday and more than fifty bodies
were located in the second level, but
NCAC AiON OlOu61I up Oii e1OOOOliS O%
black damp.
The rescue of the twenty miners Sat-
urday spurred the workmen to super
human efforts. All Saturday night and
Sunday they worked in 9-hour shifts
to diSlodge tons of earth and stone that
blocked the passage way to the inn
prisoned miners.
Worked Till They Fell.
Several members Of the rescue party
worked until they fell in exhaustion
and had to be carried from the mine.
Several members of the rescue party
are certain they have heard signals
from the east end of the tunnel where
the miners are supposed to be i'm
prisoned.
While ten bodies were brought TO
the surface today. raising the total of
bodies to f1ftynine, more than fifty
dead were left lying in the tunnels be-
low. The rescuers brought out only
those bodies that were in the way.
Every effort was centered on the at
tempt to rescue the living
The bodies of the miners are said to
be piled several deep along the sides
of the tunnel. They are lying with
dead mules. Four hundred pounds of
chloride of lime and 5000 tons of
bichloride of mercury. dissolved in
water, have been sent into the mine
to be used as a disinfectant and to
neutralize the odor
A fire in the mine caused some
uneasiness. The blaze started in the
second vein within fifty feet of the
ever. entered the mine and ex-
tinguished the flames within a short
time. Little damage was done, be-
yond stopping the work of the res
cuing party
Hope Is Revived.
Tidings of discovery were relayed
rapidly to those waiting in the chilling
rain and snow about the shaft top to-
day and the hope which had receded to
the lowest ebb was revived.
A woman, wife of one of the men
brought out alive Saturday evening and
whose brother still is one of the miss
ing, placed her arms about one of the
bawl-draDed women, whose watch
about the pit mouth has begun each
day hours before the rising of the sun
and ended long after midnight
Cheer up. dear" she whispered.
Didn't 1 tell you John would come
up? There are Scotchmen down there.
They'll take care of them. When the
men get to the ends they'll frd them
walled in and ready for another week of
it."
Faith in the Scotch miners and their
ability to care not only for themselves
hut their companions is now held by
the mine officials as we'll as the rela-
tives Of those still down there
Rumors of hearing the voices or sig
rails of miners from the east gallery
spread about the town today, were
promptly disoredited by mine officials
No indication, save the absence of the
dead from the east gallery has pointed
to the existence of other living men.
Daybreak today came with a steady
6ownpour of rain and srow and chill
ing winds that banished the morbid
throngs from tie scene.
Close to the dinly outlined shaft
structure womer huddled together as
il seeking consolation in community.
The unvarying garb of coarse Shawls
wrapped closely about the wearers
leaving view only of peering eyes and
unkempt wisps of hair blowing about
marked the waiting women of Cherry
Burying the Dead
Three times the one hearse of the
town made slow trips past the mine
entrance. over half formed trails of
clay and mud to the field outside the
town, which has become its cemetery
No vehicles accompanied it on the
lonely journeys. Twice knot of
Inourners, numbering less than a dozen
stumbled along behind it and about the
hastily opened but half water filed
graves. they kneit while the bodies were
lowered
No church services have attended anv
of the funerals held in the town for
several days. the coroner's edicts pre-
venting the entry OF the bodies into the
edifices before their interment
Rescuers coming to the surface az
noon reported that live rats had been
discovered in newly explored portion
of the mine. This increased the hone
that the rats came from remote sec
tions of the cave in, where compare
lively pure air remained and that if
the rats could live there, men also
could.
THE noise of the rats scurrying over
the loose dirt at first was thought T.,
be men behind WALL" said ono cse the
rescue gang. I'VE stopped to listen. 1.
sounded like scratching and our heart
stood still for a moment, for we
thought we were about to come upon
another crowd of live men. We listens