Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-11-16
Experts Fear That None of Men
Can Possibly Be Alive, Though
Every Effort to Save Them
Was Made.
NURSES FROM CHICAGO
ARRIVE. ON THE SCENE
Frantic Scenes Are Enacted at
the Openings Where Men and
Women Have Congregated Hop
ing Against Hope for Rescue.
of the Loved Ones


CHERRY, IN, Nov. 5.-F1re broke OUT
anew IN the St Paul mine this afternoon
ana fire apparatus were rushed here from
IasaHe on a special train
BY order OF the mining experts ana IN
spectors. the main shaft was sealed In
the hope Of smothering the flames suffi-
GENTLY TO permit OF fighting the fire When
the special engines arrived
The fire broke out with great intensity
after the rescue workers had thrive de-
scsnded into the shaft On the first TWO
trips no sign Of life was detected
Then the fans were started ana sud
denly th4 fire broke out. the flames pour
ing out OF the stables, where the original
fire occurred Inspector James Taylor
ana r. Y. williams were being lowered
into the shaft when they discovered the
flames about 100 feet from the bottom OF
the shaft. and toward the exit shaft They
nignaled for an ascent aud ordered the
fire department. The water power prov
ed insufficient and within a short time
the shaft was giving forth volumes OF
smoke and the heat became excessive
The shaft was covered with iron beams
and a thick layer OF sand
GAS TO BE FORCED INTO MINE.
Shortly after the mine was re-sealed
this afternoon, the officials announced
carbonic acid gas and steam would be
forced through the pipes to the bottom
Of the mine President Mcdonald, OF the
United Mine Workers. district II. said
would be dead within few minutes.
The timbers are caving In and he
doubted II many OF the bodies would ever
be recovered
The water supply here is low and ON
nais OF the company are ordering tank
trains from near by towns
All hope OF further exploitation in the
mine today was abandoned. and experts
believe II viii be several days before any
further effort to reach the entombed min
erz can be made.
Mine examiner Taylor said he believed
that n he had had barrel Of water with
him when lowered the last time into the
shaft he could have extinguished the
blaze, which now apparently has devel-
opened again into a raging holocaust.
That not one man Of the hundreds en-
tombed In the St Paul Coal company's
mine VIII be taken from II alive is the
practically unanimous opinion OF those on
the scene.
Rescuers. equipped with oxygen he'll
NETS and all the psraphernalia used in
mine rescue work. who entered the mine
today added 10 the general horror of the
situation BY declaring that the mine was
They were unable TO penetrate more
than q few feet from the main shaft of
the second vein. Their equipment was
useless IN the smoke and gas-choked
chambers.
That every bit Of oxygen or life-giving
air had been exhausted many hours ago
was declared certain.
Three deScents were made, but no sign
OF life was seen, and the rescuers declar-
"a g. 49, AZ.
OF feet beyond the shaft entrance A
few miners caps and lanterns were seen
tragic tokens OF the mad rush for safe
~ BY the miners who escaped. but no
bodies were found. This indicated to the
rescuers that when the miners realized
they were penned hopelessly In 8 PIT
from which there was no exit, they rush
ed to the furthermost end Of the vein,
where some air might be found that
would keep them alive till help came.
SMALL AMOUNT OF AIR LEFT.
To the throngs about the entrance to-
day State Mine Inspector Taylor said
that a small supply OF air still existed in
the mine and that there was a fighting
chance for those within. This was denied
BY miners who inspected the openings
yesterday.
BODIES TO BE BROUGHT UP.
The bodies OF the miners who have
perfsneo In the St Paul mine prob
ably will be brought to the surface
this afternoon After the second de-
scent OF the cage in the hoisting shaft,
preparations were begun 10 bring up
the bodies and searching parties were
provided with oxygen helmets to guard
against the smoke The parties car
rted strotchsrs-
The second and tara veins are sid
20 be filled with smoke and the dark
ness viii make the journeys through
the galleries slow and hard.
II is believed. too. that the men in
in their desperate fight for their lives
crawled 10 the farthest extremeties
or the veins
Notwithstanding that the rrepara-
lions for the rescue include nurses and
a squad OF physicians, II is not ex-
pected there will be n great number
OF injured.
There has been no explosion and
the Danger from the FIRE Itself was
small. IL is said. since II burned slowly
in the dust-covered timbers. The lack
OF air is believed TO have caused the
deaths.
Ibis afternoon. just before the cage
was being prepared for its third de-
+ scent, the fans were turned on again
s in an effort 70 clear out some OF the
smoke from the lower veins. Streams
OF water. said 20 purify the atmos-
phere in the lower galleries, to carry
oxygen TO the bottom and TO extinguish
what remaining nre il reaches, were
sent into the hosting shaft between
the descents.
CAPS AND LANTEDNS FOUND.
Caps lanterns and dinner buckets
were found on the first two descents
today, right at the intersections OF
the shafts and galleries. and It was
reported, though officials would not ad-
init IL. that some bodies were found
there.
The mine and civic officials tried during
the early part Of the day to keep secret
their preparations for the raising Of the
bodies. and endeavored 10 circulate among
the inhabitants Of the town and the
rrowds gathered at the mine. the idea