The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1909-11-20
$40 Die IN
MINE FIRE
AT CHERRY
Hope Of Saving Any
IS Abandoned.
TROOPS AT The SCENE
Summoned TO Preserve Order
in the Stricken Town.
DISCLOSURES ARE STARTLING
Open Torches We're Used in Place
of Electric Lights.
DISCLOSURES ARE STARTLING
Open Torches Were Used in Place
of Electric Lights.

or $40 men trapped by fire In the ST.
Paul coal mine at Cherry ILL.,, none
escaped death. This conclusion voiced
by searchers effaced the last hope OF
relatives Of the victims who surged
about the opening OF the shaft to
hear II.
Two trips into the tomb. In which
fire still RACES. convinced those who
had gone to rescue any who might be
alive that their mission was useless.
That every bit of oxygen, or life
giving air. had been exhausted many
hours ago, was declared certain. The
searchers declared that no life could
exist for hundreds OF feet beyond the
shaft entrance.
On request OF officials who feared
disorder at the mouth of the mine Gov
ernor Deneen ordered two companies
OF militia TO the scene and the town
was placed under martial law.
Shaft Sealed Again.
BY order OF the mining experts and
inspectors after conference with
George g. Rice, chief of the feld work
OF the United States geological survey
the main shaft was sealed again In the
hope OF smothering the flames suf
ficisntly to permit OF nghting the fro
The IRE broke out with great intensity
after the rescue workers and inspect
ors had thrice descended into the shaft
to the bottom.
All hope OF further exploration ia
the mine was abandoned temporarily
and experts believe II will be severa
days before any further effort TO reach
the entembsd miners can be made.
Shortly after the mine was resealet
the officials announced that carboni,
acid gas and steam would bo forced
through pipes to the bottom OF tn,
mine. President Mcdonald OF IN,
United Mine Workers. District 10. sail
II this was done every man In IN,
mine would he dead within a f9v
minutes.
Startling Disclosures.
The inquiry into the cause OF th,
mine disaster disclosed startling con
ditions. II was declared that the fir,
was caused by open torches, used /,
take the place OF a burned-out electro
lighting system in the second vein. Il
p. Buck. chief clerk of the st. Pau
Mining company, said:
THE fire was due 20 the use O
torches. The part Of the second vel
where the hay was ordinarily is llEhte
by electricity. A week or so ago III
electric lead cable running to the vel
burned out. We ordered another ca
BILE. but Il was slow In coming. SO "
had to use torches there. and II seem
as though fate waited for the chance.
"A torch was fastened In the wa
and someone carelessly pushed ca
into II or near enough 10 II 10 set mr.
TO the hay. which started the confagri
ton.
Either tho car OF hay ran into II Q
II was pushed under the torch so clos
that the hay caught IRE. Then IN
men tried to dump the burning bal,
hut the timber caught IRE and IN
whole shaft was ablaxe."
Engineers Kept Cages stllI.
The mining eompsny's officials al
blamed for inactivity during the hot
that the air shaft cage was left nj n
bottom after the IRE started. Evidens
along this line was given before n
coroncr's jury at the inquest over n
body OF John Flood. one OF the resc
ers. John Raisbeck. engineer OF n
air shaft. admitted that he raised h
cage only once In the rescue work. +
stated he adhered strictly to rules =
ouiring a signal for every move OF Il
cage dis evidence and that Of Jol
Cowley. engineer nj the main sha
eause< the Jury 10 decide upon
thorough probe OF the matter OF 81
nails. ~ serious did the jury consid
the inactivity Of the two engineers
the cribs that II was decided 10 he
only testimony OF the routine fac
concerning the twelve dead ofiicial
brought 10 Its notice.
Disaster Most Appalling.
The disaster was the most appalll
IN the history OF the United states. n
few survivors. blackened by smoke a
: slnged by fame. crawled from reeki
cravices In the earth TO tell an in
: herent story Of the almost inconce
: able horrors In the corridors below
The cry of the widow and the orph
10 rings dolefully ON the afr. Gathered
!. miserable sro~ps sbout The upl
voxhs 81 tAs sslnsry. ~ were.