The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-11-24
DEAD BODIES
The Only find
No More Living Men Have Been Found
in the Mine and Probably There
Are no More Down
There.
169 WERE DISCOVERED
Men Had Been Killed by the Deadly
Black Damp After Making an
Effort to Keep
Alive.

Number OF men in mine when fire
started according to figures Of CON-
pany, 514.
Number who escaped alive immedi.
ately after fire, 200.
Taken out alive last Saturday and
still living, 90.
Died since Saturday, /.
Dead bodies brought to surface, 101.
Bodies found in lowest level today,
169 estimated.
These figures would leave still unac-
counted for, 23.
CHERRY, ILL.,, Nov. 24.-Rescuers
who worked most OF the night in the
st. Paul mine located many bodies in
the east side Of the lower vein early
today. Accounts vary as to the num-
Der of dead found.
Men coming from below say that
1853 were there although the coal com.
pany's record shows there were only
80 men left in the lower level when
the fire cut off the escape.
Much mystery has covered the
work of entering the lower vein. The
most definite story which reached the
top says the entire party of men
were found buried beneath debris. The
three men WHO descended into the
third level yesterday and found indi-
ticatipns hat living men had approach
ed the shaft after the fire, did not see
the bodies because of the vast amount
Of wreckage that covered them. The
debris was cleared away early today
after many hours of work.
One of the dead men clutched a
wooden fan similar to those made by
the 81 men brought up dead Monday
The rescuers are in quandary to
day as to how to proceed. Whether
they shall take out the bodies from
the lower level or open up the wesi
side of the upper tunnel where living
men may be. If they do the later il
| will be at much risk of reviving hae
/ fire in that section.
1t is impossible to confirm the re
ports that the bodies recovered today
number 1863. No effort was made tt
count the bodies and the estimate was
based on a message scratched in Ital
ian on piece of slate near the bod
i les. Translated it read:
I'VE die together, 169.' The figure
and writing are barely legible ant
the figures might be 16, or So as vel
as 1863.
/ 1t is also believed 169 might be tn,
check number Of the writer Attempt
4 to remove these bodies were blocket
by water in the lower veins, whicl
he's so far made it impossible to ge
the bodies to the hosting shaft, tn
only means of exit. The bodies ar
in such bad condition it is said, tila
i they cannot be brought up the all
shaft Floats are being built and tn
rescuers will attempt to float tn
(, corpses to the bottom of the hOistin
shaft and bring them up in an in
provised cage. Nothing more than a
Il estimate of the number Of bodies wa
attempted.
That the men did not starve to deaf
put were killed by black damp wa
clearly indicated before any of tn
Il bodies were examined. A number {
dinner pals containing food and waite
were found near the corpses. 1t is in
possible to tell just how long the me
. lived. but it is believed they had bee
dead at least a week when found. The
!. itlad evidently perished before tn
water emptied into the sha
to quencn the fire in tn
mine poured down upon them. III
| rescuers believe this party OF me
: gathered in the lowest level after tf
e fire started and made an effort
{ reach the hosting shaft but We're dri
e en- back by the fire which must hay
i ragged fiercely about the bottom OF th'
S snaft. Then came the water and II
e men fell back to an elevated part
i the inc where the water would n
a reach them and where they would
Il flee from black damp for time
S least.
Z Gradually the deadly gas closed
9 and finally killed them. That tn
i, did not die without a struggle W
e. shown by the discovery Of two cru
h fans fashioned ont Of pick handles a.
it timbers torn from the sides Of t