The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-11-20
BODIES REACHED AND WITH FIRE PUT OUT
REMOVAL BECINS--DE FROM FUMES
CLOTHING NOT BURNED FOOD FOR DESTITUTE FOR WEEK SAD CASES

CHERRY, Nov. 19.-The second
and saddest act in the st. Paul mine
tragedy, the recovery of bodies and
attempt at Identification of the dead,
began today.
The bodies, those of two men and
a boy, were brought to the surface.
Four others were dragged from the
uebris of the second gallery ana
placed in the cage, but not brought
to the surface.
Fifty or seventy-five other bodies
are just beyond reach for the time
being because of the fire. These
bodies were seen in the wreckage of
smoldering timbers and mud.
The fire in the mine, through the
efforts of the Chicago firemen, APP
parently was extinguished early to-
day.
Mine Superintendent Thomas
Steele declared today that his asser-
tion that death came to every man
in the mine before sundown of Sat-
urday, the day of the fire, was clear
" demonstrated by the condition of
the bodies taken out today. That
the victims did not die by fire, he
maintains to be evident from the fact
that their clothing is not even
scorched. 4....,ai.
The air shaft, following the dar-
ing exploration that resulted in the
location of the bodies, was closed
and a full stream of water was di-
rected into it. Then the main shaft
was attacked. The temperature of
this shaft has been higher than 100
degrees but it was reduced to 80
today.
When the canvass and sand with
which the pit had been closed were
removed a cloud of steam rolled out,
but it was only puff. Men with
helmets first DESCENDED to the sec
ond gallery. They reported the
mouth of the drift badly blocked by
timbers and mud, but the fact that
their safety lamps were not extin-
guished indicated the absence of
black damp.
The next squad to descend went
without helmets and reported condi-
tions perfect for an attack on the
flames within the gallery. Great diff
Guilty was experienced in lowering
sufficient length of hose pipe-318
feet-into the pit. The great weight
of the big tubes repeatedly broke the
tackle hook and much time was lost.
Various crews made the descent.
They reported that there was little
nd hn nf hn rn1I In1~xr
but that search for bodies would not
be practicable until the blocked
opening had been cleared of debris.
Because of these obstructions the
dead are believed to lie in heaps as
they fell in their last rush for the
shaft. 4.s s,.a,.s4.
National guardsmen patrolled an
area roped off about the shaft, but
against the barriers, a crowd of
anxious men, women and children
pressed until late tonight,
Charity work progressed rapidly
today. Director E.. P. Bicknell, or
the National Red Cross, after visit
ing many homes, reported 105 of 185
families had been given weeks
supply of groceries. Grief stricken
women have been unable to cook or
give attention to their children.
Much of this has been done by
nurses.
A half mile from the mine Mr..
Bicknell met three orphans whose
mother had died recently, and whose
father was killed in the mine. The
children, the Oldest of whom was Ia,
lived alone in hut and seemed not
to realize their situation. All were
sent to an Institution at Ladd, Ills.