Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-11-23
MANY LIVING MEN
BELIEVED TO STILL
Be BURIED IN MINE
Two Exploring Parties Find Indi-
cations Which Make Them
Think That Large Number
Live in Last Workings.

CHERRY, ILL.,, Nov. 22.-Two exploring
parties in the st. Paul mine today found
indications which lead them to believe
that there are a large number of living
men still in the last workings. The
searchers at a, m. were able to pass
far into the galleries and their hope
springs from the fact that where they ex-
pected 10 find a large number of dead,
none were found. Nearly 200 men are
still unaccounted for dead or alive. Their
bodies have not been found. nor, Of
course, have they been seen alive. Many
Of them may be furnishing awaiting
rescue.
II men still live they are probably in
too weakened a condition to aid in their
own escape. 1t was just nine days ago
that the fire occurred and for that time
any possible survivors have been with
out food and with very little, If any,
water.
Their one hope is the rescue party
which is working frantically to remove
the tirnbers, dead animals and earth
falls which block the way to the east
workings. It is slow work-all too slow
for the women alternating between hope
and despair on the surface.
HOPE REVIVED.
Tidings of discovery was relayed rapid
Nv to those waiting in the rain and snow
above the shaft and the hope which had
reached to the lowest ebb was revived.
A woman, wife Of one OF the men
brought out alive Saturday evening. and
whose brother is one of the missing,
placed her arms about one of the pathetic
shawl-draped women at the mouth of the
pit.
"Cheer up, dear" she whispered.
Didn't I tell you John would come up.
There are Scotchmen down there They IL
take care of them. When the men get
to the ends they'll find them walled In
and ready for another week OF 1t.
Faith in the Scotch miners and their
ability to care not only for themselves,
but their companions. is now held by the
mine officials as well as the relatives OF
those miners still in the mine.
RUMORS DISCREDITED.
Rumors of hearing voices or signals
from the east gallery, which had spread
about the town today were discredlted
nv mine officials. No indication, save the
absence of the dead from the east gal
iery was pointed to the existence OF 9TH
er living men.
Davbreak today came with steady
dswnpour of rain and snow and chilling
winds that banished the morbid throngs
from the scene.
Close to the dimly outlined shaft struc-
ture women huddled together as If seek
ing consolation in community. The un-
varying garb of coarse shawls, wrapped
closely about the wearers, leaving view
only of peering eyes and unkemp wisps
of hair blowing about, marked the wait
ing women Of Cherry.
THE ONE HEARsE BUSY.
Three times the one hearse of the
town made slow trips past the mine en-
trance. over half formed trails of clay
and mud to the field outside the town
which has become it's cemetery. No We
hicles accompanied it on the lonely jour
neys Twice a knot Of mourners, num-
bering less than a dozen, followed 1t and
knelt about the hastily opened, but half
water-filled graves as the bodies were
lowered into them. No church services
in the town for several days, because of
an edict from the coroner forbidding
them.
LIVE RATS DISCOVERED,
The discovery of live rats in remote
veins of the mine gave added hope at
neon of finding more miners alive.
A report that the rescue work is re-
tarded by disputes between the coal COM
psny forces and state officials was de-
MED. Manager w. w. Taylor, of the
mine. said that the only conflicts were of
technical nature.
A mine official declared that If any
more men are brought out alive, the work
must be done within "a hours, as the men
must be almost starved.
All the survivors taken out Saturday
are recovering, but 1t is still considered
inadvisable to give the patients other
than the lightest food.
The death of the mother of one of the
victims came today as the result of the
disaster. Mrs. Charles DOvan, whose son
still remains in the mine, living or dead,
visited the mouth of the shaft soon after
daybreak, and as had been her custom
for a week, knelt down and prayed. Later
she wandered over the field toward her
home, where she died shortly after from
grief.
The work of taking out 81 bodies began
this afternoon. The carcasses of four
mules were first carried out to open a
passage for removal of the bodies. Re-
ports that many of the bodies still were
warm and that death had occurred only
few hours before were denied by those
who found them.