Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-11-16

Tall skeleton framework OF IRON reaching
skyward surrounded by a group of low
wooden buildings, which few days ago
had been the scene of industry, suggest
ed by their deso!ation that hope had been
abandoned. Only half dozen guards
patrolled the premises. In the distance,
scattered over the field, a few women
wrapped in shaWls looked on in silence.
AS result of the disaster there are in
this town of only a few hundred inhabit-
ants, at Least 1000 orphans and 200 wild
ows. These are the figures of Duncan
Mcdonald, president Of District No. T..
United Mine Workers, who instituted Il
| roll call of the families of the entombed
miners.
| President Earring of the Chicago, Mil
Waukcc < St. Paul Railroad declined to
| say more than that the men are just as
safe now as they We're yesterday at this
| time. The mine is too big and has too
many ramtications to be filled with
| smoke yet. Besides the smoke is not car
| sicd downward by any air currents. r.
| the men were alive yesterday, every man
| may be alive now
Mr. EARRING caused a house to house
| canvass Of the miners to b. made This
| showed 30 miners missing, but some of
| he families We're not at houtc and it is
| believed when il complete list is obtained
| the number of entOmbed miners will eX-
| 'ecd 800. The morning dawncI hopefully
At an early hour the main shaft, which
had been sealed since Saturday. was
| npencd and Il determined effort was be
5ln by the experts and volunteers to re-
no Twin or, Il % IL
from the wreckage.
Before ? o'clock the crowd assembled
| around the ropod enclosure and work
| men broke the seal of the shaft. Their
was little smoke and this gave the in
vcstigators nope that the fire had bee"
smothercd and that they would at lcas
| be enabled to enter the mine.
| Mine Examiner James Taylor, K. Y.
Williams, James Webb and others ap-
peared in their oxygen outfits anu he'll
NETS, ready to descend. Automobile horn :
We're carried by them also To give signals.
The cage lowered until the bottom was
| reached and then the signals called for
| an ascent. Several thousand persons
leaned forward eagerly as the expert :
| emerged from the shaft. A report that
bodies had been found was denied by the
investigators.
A few minutes later the cage was low
erred again. This time the horns footed
signals frequently to the men above
The cage WAS raised and lowered alter
| nately until eventually the bottom Of thu
shaft was reached for the Second time.
Fifteen minutes PASSED. Their a
blast Of The horn signalling the assent
echoed tnrough the shaft.
| Th" explorers reported That the .
| walked in q vein of the mine for -,
feet froh the base of tho shaft ana
| that they found ne living man az
| corps The atmosphcr" in this T"li
was CpnSidcraHly better than they ha't
expected. With thc aid of their cleo
tric lanterns they were able to SCI,
plainly.
Ia other veins loading from the shaft
much smoke was encountered and
| nothing could h" s. en-. A consultation
| followed ana it WAS determined t.
start the Nentilating fan at the onno-
site side of the min"s This was to clCaH
| the galleries of smoke. Some believed
| that the draft might arouse a slumb"l
| ing fire. Others felt assured that tn"
| fire had been smothnred and ventilation
would clear the galleries and make
| them passahle for the scarchcrs.
In half an hour the fan was sudden
| ~ ordered stopped. Smoke began t"
pour from the main shaft and the OK
pcrts we're lowered again to nyosti-
| gate. because the fumes naturally
should have been drawn down and out
| through EXHAUST.
Suddenly a. loud blast came from thu
| depths and the experts were jcr<"d t.,
| the surface. they reported the fire had
broken out afrosh. Firemcn of the min"
| were called out and hose was tallcI;
| down the shaft. Water was turned or,
| but few minutes later til" experts
| came up again.
They reported that a blaze, of which
| there had been no evidence before the
fan was started, had been discovered
| in the stable portion of the mine,
where the original fire started. They
| had been unable to eXtinsuish it witA
hose However. 4 second attempt to
drown the fire was planned. But dense
cIou Is of smoke began to pour out and
the temperature around the shaft be
gan to rise The experts could not re-
enter the mine.
G. +. Rice of Pittsburg. of the Unit
| ed States geological survey, and the
mine inspectors decided they must seal
the shaft Within a few minutes the
smoke was driven back into the shaft
which was covered with steel sheets
and a heavy layer of sand. The men
land women with loved ones in tn"
mine. turned away in despair. An-