The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-11-15
G 3 c @ 0 Q @ G c c Q 90 O O G

Cherry, Ills, Nov. 15.-Shortly be-
icre noon hope was all but abandon
"a by the relatives OF the 300 or more
men numbered as victims In the
greatest mine disaster i'll The history
Ul Illinois.
That not one man of the hundreds
entcmbed in the st, Paul Coal COM
pany's mine Will be taken from It
alive. WAS the opinion of those on the
scene. At 1879 a. m, President
Newsam. OF the state board of exam
Ing engineers. said a rescuing and eX-
pioring party had bocn unable to pom
e1rate far into the gallery at the bot
tom of the main shaft because OF the
smoke and that no bodies had been
discovered.
We arc preparing 10 start the fan
and then expect revelations" he said.
The oxygen helmets of the rescu-
ers were useless In the smoke and gas
Cboked chambers Those entering the
mine said 1t was still on fire and cav.
Ing in badly. That every bit OF life
giving air had been exhausted many
hours ago. was declared certain.
Three desccnts were made but no
Sign Of life was seen and the rescu-
crS declared no life could exist for
hundreds of feet beyond the shaft en-
trance. A few minors caps and lamps
were seen-traglc tokens of the first
rush for safety by the miners, who
escaped but no bodies wero found.
This indicates that when the min
ers realized they were penned hope.
lcssly in a pit from which there was
no exit, they rushed to the further
most end Of the vein. where some air
might he found that would keep them
alive TIL help came.
President Richard Newsam, of the
state commission, declared he would
have prevented the futile attempt OF
Supt Bundy and others to enter the
mine Immediately after the explosion,
He asserted any chance Of escape by
the main shaft was impossible.
State Mine Inspector Taylor said
a small supply of air probably exist
ed In the mine and that II was a
Rghting chance for those within. This
Was denied by miners who inspected
The openings yesterday.
Acting Chief Of Police McFaddcu, for
years miner and one of the last
10 leave the mine alive, said the clos
ing OF the shaft shut or the last yes
tige OF hope for the entombed men
The party selected 10 make the first
descent today included James Taylor
state mine inspector; r. y. Williams
OF the United States rescue station
at Urbana. and James Hand and Hen
~ Smith, both of whom were among
the men who escaped Saturday II
was planned To bring the bodies OF
The miners TO the surface late this af
ternoon. The task presented many
difficulties. Searching parties, proyld
ed with oxygen helmets to guard
against the smoke, carried stretcherS
on which to bear the bodies 10 the
cage. The second and third veins arc
said 10 he filled with smoke and the
darkness made the journeys through
the gallatics slow and hard.
II is balievcd, too. that the men In
their desperate fight for their lives
crawled 60 the farthest c1trcrOitie'
OF the w,ins The flrc. which now
seems &c have been burning steadily
long after 1t was first reported TO have
burned Itself out, kept driving tb'
miners farther and farther toward
the blind ends of the galleries.
Caps. lanterns and dinner buckets
were found on the first two descenti
today al the intersections of the shaft
and galleries. and 1t was reported
though officials would not admit II
that some of the bodies were foun'
there.
1t wss feared the many relative
and friends or the dead would, II
their excitement, break through tn
limits set by the officials and rush Il
the shaft when the first bodies ar
peared Late last night the airshaf'
The only opening besides the hoistin
shaft was hermetically sealed. From
the time the descent to the secon
vein was made by men In buckets,
force OF laborers worked until nea
midnight covering up the entranc
with layers of heavy plank and SAM
AZ the opening OF the hosting shaf
on the top n pile Of planks three fee
h9h was laid and tons OF sand max
the seal practically air tight.
All night "A few o( the anxious me
aud women surrounded tho opening
OF the mine The women complaine
bitterly as the sealing OF the shaI
fsemed TO cut off all air While
was true the air would be shut OF
uIining officials declared that the incl
L 9live. would not be 1ffe-tei by IN
otal sealing, cXceci that II would pro-