The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-11-16
TONS OF EARTH MAY PREVENT
RECOVERY OF MANY BODIES
AT CHERRY, ILL.
FIRE AGAIN BREAKS OUT
Fan Rsvives smoIderins Blaze and
Necessity Of Sealing Shaft Second
Time Locks Men in as Effeetually
as Though in Dungeon-Three Hun
dred Coffins Ordered.

CnefTy. H., NOV. 1J.-1ne oW OF
more miners entombed in the st. Paul
mine by last Saturdays disaster are
dead. Some of the bodies lie buried
beneath thousands of tons of earth,
which caved in upon them. and it is
doubtful IL many ever can be re-
covered. This was the opinion ex
pressed tonight when attempts at
rescue work. carried on night and day
for 4S hours, We're temporarily aban-
doned. Renewed fires in the mine
made further descents by rescuers inn
possible.
Fans employed in an effort to carry
fresh air to the imprisoned men
served only to enliyen some sparks
which sprang into n flame. Soon the
heat and smoke became So dense that
il was necessary again to seal up the
mouth of the hosting shaft, and to-
night the men down there, whatever
their condition. are locked in as ef-
fectively as in a dungeon. Whether
the bodies Will be taken out tonor-
row depends upon the condition of
the internal fire. 1t Is possible that
steam and chemicals producing car
bonic acid gas will be forced through
pipes 60 the bottom of the mine to-
morrow. This will have a tendency
to choke out the flames.
Thre,s Hundred coffins Ordered.
1t was learned that 800 coffins have
been ordercd-half of them to arrive
tomorrow and half the following day.
1t Is believed that no one within the
power of resuscitation viii be
brought out of the mine. Hope
hung frequently i'm the balance today.
Before the fire broke out again res
cuers descended four times. Then the
rumor circulated quickly through the
crowds that the men below ground
had been reached and that they
were not brought up Immediately be-
cause they were exhausted by the
lack of food and smoke.
They're alive; they're alive cried
hopeful mothers and wives. They'll
be brought up pretty soon"
But the truth WAS far different.
The rescuers did on one occasion go
down 300 feet to the bottom of the
hosting shaft. Then. cropping their
way with electric lamps and kept
alive by oxygen stored In their he'll
NETS, they penetrated $50 feet into the
bottom gallery. But none of the min
ers. either dead or alive. was found.
Hey. are you there" cried the
rescuers cheerily. but nothing was
heard in response.
1t was conjectured that the miners
had crawled for safety into recesses
most remote from the fire. but to
these parts rescCers We're unable 10
go without reasccndins. Before they
could again descend the fire had
broken out. Gradually the crowd
about the mouth OF the shaft began
to thin as hope seemed to wane.
A Thousand Children Orph aned.
At dusk Il tall skeleton framework
OF iron surrounded by a group of low
wooden buildings, which few days
ago had been the scene of industry
suggested by their desolation that
hope had beeh abandoned. Only a
half dozen guards patrolled the prem
ises. In the distance scattered over
the field here and there. a woman
wrapped in shawls gazed on in 81
lence.
AS result of the disaster there are
in this town, of only few thousand
people. at least 1000 orphans and 100
widows. Some families of eight will
be dependent upon charity. These are
the figures of Duncan Mcdonald of
Springfield. Ill.,. president Of district
No. II. United Mine Workers of
America who instituted a roll call of
the families of entombed miners. Mr..
Mcdonald early abandoned hope that
any of the miners would be brought
up alive.
President Earling of the Chicago.
Milwaukee & ST. Paul railroad de-
clined to commit himself as to the
fate of the men.
The men are just as safe now as
they We're yesterday at this time"
he said. The mine is too big and
has too many ramifications to be
filled with smoke yet Besides, the
smoke is not being carried downward
by any air currents. II the men were
alive yesterday, every man may be
alive now"
Mr.. Earling caused a house To house
canvass of the miners To be made.
This showed 256 miners missing. but
some OF the families We're not ut
home, and 1t is believed when a COM
piete list is obtained. the number of
entombed miners will exceed 300
Morning Dawns Hopefully.
The morning dawned hopefully At
an early hour the main shaft. which
had been sealed since Saturday, was
opened and determined effort was
begun to release the living miners or
take the bodies from the wrsckacs.
Before O'Clock the crowd assembled
around the milne buildings and work
men broke the seal of the shaft There
was little smoke in evidence, and this
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