The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-15
ID REACH
 DEPTHS OF TIE MINE
 RESULT IN FAILURE
Five Men Equipped With Safety Suits and Oxygen Tanks Descend Into Mine, But Are
 Turned Back By
 Distractions.

Cherry Ill., November 14.-Nearly 400 human beings, men and boys, it is now believed, are dead, or perishing, in the St. Paul mine here, though experts who succeeded in penetrating the smoke filled air shaft to a depth of 300 feet late today. returned with a ray of hope for the grief stricken relatives of the en- tombed victims
 That the fire has been extinguished was the conclusion of mining experts and inspectors sent here by Governor Deneen to investigate the calamity and it's causes. For more than 30 hours the prisoners have been subjected to smoke filled veins. That life could exist under the terrible conditions apparent is doubt ed by many. but because no trace of high temperature was found in the depth of the mine today, friends of the miners and even officials of the company have hope that the victims may have found safety in some recess of the mine.
 A. J. Earling, president of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad com pany, who has not slept since arriving on the scene of the catastrophe, received an encouraging report after heroic efforts had been made today to open the mine for the release or the entombed men. or the discovery of nhe much-feared mass of dead.
 coneussions Are Heard.
 From the son of one of the missing risafAd John Reid. the railroad presi- dent heard that a concussion of the earth felf h,r fa hoI south of the main shaft
 I've heard signals from the men," young Reid said excitedly.
 Farmers whose land is over the south ern end of the mine also felt several concussions of the earth this afternoon. There were several shocks and the men who felt them are convinced that they were shots fired by the imprisoned mi ners to signal to the people above that they still live.
 Do they mean that or that the miners have decided to end their agony?" asked the railroad president. q have heard of cases where miners had ended their tor ture in such a manner Still it would not be possible. were those men alive, that they would resort to such a thing so soon."
 This glimmer of light to the darkened homes lin Cherry tonight following other encouraging though doubtful. theories of some of the experts that the entombed hundreds may not have been suffocated, and that oxygen enough remains in the veins to keep them alive until the shafts may be reopened, the draft fans put In operation and rescuing parties sent into the dark recesses of the earth.
 More Apparatus Needed.
 After the third attempt to explore the conditions late today, R. Y. Williams of IT Tv,if. fafA JAfr. ical survey, who superintended the work of volunteer explorers, protected with oxygen caps and apparatus, telegraphed to Urbana for more of the apparatus.
 This is expected to arrive on an early train tomorrow and a score of men have volunteered to accompany the experts and mining inspectors into the air shaft, which was opened late today. Three times Williams and Henry Smith, ono of the volunteers, were lowered into the mine In a bucket Each time they sue ceeded in penetrating deeper into the mysterious cavern. Each time they were assured that the temperature was bear able.
 Though it was impossible to open the exit of the mine today the state inspec- tors here announced to Mine Superintend- ent Steel that they felt assured definite results could be secured tomorrow.
 When explorations were abandoned to- yirht if was announced that the men fitted with the oxygen would resume operations as early as possible. The list of the missing men was compiled today in the offices of the mining company and if reached the total of 3s5, including the dead whose bodies were taken from the burning cages Saturday afternoon. It was declared to be probable that this list might be increased. One hundred and seventy men who entered the mines Saturday morning have been accounted for. Tonight the officials admitted that the number of men imprisoned was greater than they first had believed to be possible.
 Americans Missing.
 Among the missing are many Ameri- cans. Though the majority of the miners are foreign born yet all had their homes here. or in the surrounding towns and villages
 Cherry today was the mecca for thou sands of persons and before noon the St. Paul mine was surrounded by an almost uncomfortable mob
 Officials early in the day swore in a number of deputies to handle the crowd. All incoming trains were packed with people. some attracted by curiosity and others by a craving for news from some loved ones. Fathers, whose sons were in the mine, wept as officers escorted them from the entrances to the shafts where preparations were being made with all possible haste to rescue the entombed men.
 When the experts had drilled hole Through the concrete at the top of the second vein air shaft, and all prepara- tjons made to lower Williams and his volunteer explorers into the depths, the scene at the mine was dramatic
 Four men appeared like mail-coated knights of old, their oxygen bags on their shoulders. the steel and glass-cov- cred hoods covering their faces and heads. They were, beside Mir Williams of Urbana, his assistant. James M Wabh- of the University of Illinois;