The Montana plaindealer. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1906-1911, 1909-11-26
AFTER WEEKS BURIAL
In ILLINOIS COAL Mine.
Story of the Entombed Miners Most
Thrilling in Long List Of Mine Catas-
trophe-Men First Prayed Then Sang
Shared Scanty Supply of Food and
Water Between Them.

miners entombed in the st. Paul mine
tor a week, almost to an hour, were
brought to the surface alive.
The story of the sufferings of the
miners and the heroism of their re
Jourceful leaders is one of the most
thrilling in all the black history OF
mining disasters.
Dawn broke with the bearers OF
stretchers moving from the pit mouth
10 the tent which served as a morgue
with bodies swollen and scorched al.
most beyond human semblance. Forty
of them had been brought up, and
most of them identified, when the mar.
velOus report shot through the pros
trate community:
They've found them alive. They we
found them alivel"
In a moment the morgue was de-
serted, scarcely to be revisited, while
the crowd, fairly insane with the great
hope that had sprung like a miraculous
fame from the ashes of despair, rushed
to the pit.
All thought was of the men who were
alive. Each time the signal sounded
from the hoist for the cage to come up
from the mine the noise of the crowd
subsidized into murmurs of expectancy.
Eager to See Survivors.
"Hoist her up" came from the
depth, "Hoist her upi" repeated the
engineer. Then the men and women
pressed forward against the line of
soldiers and ropes, determined to get
as near as possible to peer into the
faces of the survivors.
Everybody be quiet; please don't
cheer" whispered the guards. The ma
chinery of the hosting apparatus rum
bled and screeched as the cage came up
ward.
Would there be in this load a live
one who had been mourned for seven
days as deadR This question flashed
through a hundred minds. The passage
way narrowed as each anxious locker in
stinctively pressed forward.
"Here they come now; look sharp"
A woman here and there who could
not see, held up a child and cautioned
it: "LoOk and try if you can see papa
when they pass"
The machinery stopped. The cage
was up. There stood the rescuers,
wearing shiny rubber coats and white
caps. Between them, wrapped in mill
tary blankets, they held the rescued
men, some standing, others carried in
Slowly the procession moved. A
burst of applause started from the
crowd, but a raised hand from the mil
Itiamen brought silence.
1t was a critical moment. Mothers
and wives stretched forth their arms,
murmring: "Bill," or Crank" or
.'oh, Andy, are you there9 Speak to
me, I am here"
Women Beg for News.
The blankets drawn over the heads
Of the men hid their faces and pre-
Identification from the crowd.
receiving a reply, the women tore
the sleeping cars, imploring and
anyone to give them good
lews. Overcome by appeals, a r~escuer
allied out the name Of the man he was
'scorting. George Eddy" he shout
ID, w We got George Eddy here"
"Oh, George" came a woman 3
'iereing cry from the crowd. els it
7ouf Is it youf Come here, George,
iere; 1 I'M waiting for you"
Eddy, who was a mine inspector, was
90 weak to reply, and would only SUBJ ]
nit to the escort, who carried him {
to the car. II
AT the foot of the car steps the crowd s
vas kept back and women, almost hys- S
erical, chung to the handrails, piteously 2
nploring those inside to let them enter.
Saved His Brother. |
A dramatic moment came when Will :
am Clelland was brought up. At the :
ews of the disaster a week ago, Rob- :
a brother and also a miner, came '
ere from South Wilmington, III. Hell
as informed on his arrival that all the :
tombe men were dead. He offered {
help as a rescuer and declared he I
remain here until every body :
as brought up. Today he was in the .
party. As the survivors were 7
rought through the gallery to the hoist. :
lg shaft wrapped in blankets, Robert :
SISTED them into the cage. .
In the first load that went up was :
me one whom Robert did not recog. 7
ne. The survivors were put in the Z
eeping car under the care of nurses I
doctors, and Robert went down !"
le shaft for another load. he was :
'ming out of the cage when a friend :
epped up and tapped him on the =
t'
BOD, don't you know that Will is
~ he asked. Robert turned pale
staggered.
"You don't mean V
Yes, alive. He's up alive. Wby. Y
DO, you brought him yourself, wrap.u q
ID in blankets.D N
Robert was so varuha1-o st