The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-13
Dead Bodies and Five Living Men
 Taken Out
HOLMES CONTINUES
 TIRELESS EFFORTS
Fresh Air Found in the Mine Which Overcomes in Measure the Aft CT Damp-Carload of Pro-
 visions Arrives at
 Briceville

Brieevlle Tenn, December 12.-The list of known dead in the Cross Mountain mine, in which an explosion occurred Sat- urday morning, was increased tonight to Ss Five of the bodies are still in the mine at the places where the men were found lying face downward in right entry No. p, the victims of dread damp. Two more victims were brought out tonight and the bodies were so badly deeomposed that they were prepared for burial, which occurred soon afterward by lantern light. They had been found during the day in right entry No. 24, 2e0o feet from the main entry. They were found in kneeling posi- tions with their faces buried in their arms indicating that they had also succumbed to damp
 Fire broke out anew tonight in left cross entry No t7, about 1900 feet from the main entry. This time 1t was in the coal and rescuerers sent out for several barrels of water to extinguish it. It was believe at midnight that the fire was under con- trol
 | A chalk message written by Arthur Smith, one of the two men missing from the gang rescued alive last night, was found tonight on a plank in left cross i entry No. IS. Smith wrote that he and John Duff were about to attempt to reach the mouth of the mine through the over- paths. which carry off the foul air from the mine The overpaths were partially explored but no trace found of the men.
 Wrote Messages | + was learned today that four of the five men rescued alive had written mes sages in the fea' of death. to loved ones. l They had but little piece of pencil, hardly an inch long. and each took his turn with il. Milton Henderson wrote thus to his child wife:
 | My Dear Little Wife; You have been a good little wife. but if I don't get to see you any more on this earth, l have told you where l want to be buried at | Pleasant Ridge. Now, sweetheart, do as | l tell you. Bye bye"
 This was written at 9:02 o'clock Tues day morning. Evidently young Hender- l sons turn with the precious pencil had gone. but it came back to his hand again | and then he wrote:
 We have to fan with our coats to iige.
 You know half the COW is yours. If don't get out of nerc get yolif papk-t,s
 help you get my pay from the mine. If l | don't happen to lay my eyes on you | again on ths earth l hope to see you in heaven. l am sure we will meet in heav | en. I want you to tell mama that papa and I are all right so far. If they don't | send nothing worse on Us I hope We can l get out, If we don't get out, 1 hope to meet you in heaven.
 tSlgned) 'MILTON HENDERSON" Similar to the feelings entertaied by young Henderson were those reflected by Erwin Smith in the note he left his wife, only bleaker were his hopes, were that possible. He vote: Dear wife and chit | 1rpO I don't think n and Dore Qrish) is burned bad. Let the house go back (he had just bought homes). The company owes me $50 Take care of the children. You can make the company pay for my life. Arthur and Duff started through entry No. 15. I don't know whether they can get out or not. Goodby to all. J. E. SMITH" | Smith was badly burned and spent to- day in bed, but there was little thought of physical hurts in the joy of restoration to the family. There were stories of self denial told of the so hours. in which these five men were entombed. In the double dinner pail carried by Erwin Smith was water and though he was burned and al- most famished for drink, he gave 1t all to Dore Irish. who was more badly burned and who needed more than the others to minimize his suffering and enable him to fan the spark of life. Smith. like young | Henderson. gave his promise in respons, l that he would forsake mining and lind another means of livelihood. | All Briceville again took on the aspect of mouring when the day failed to bring forth nor survivors from the l Cross Mountain mine horror Clearing weather and the hope inspired by te rescue of five of the entombed men last night encouraged most of the women inhabitants of the village who finger near the mine all day. Hope failed when lnightfall arrived with no encouraging message from the rescuers. | Thirty-four dead bodies, some of them badly mutilated but not beyond rec ognition, have been brought out and | several more have been located, the dead taken to the carpenter shop of the mine and prepared for burial. | The special police have had difficulty in keeping back the morbidly curious who crowded about the door of the Icarpenter shop and interfered with the rndertakers in the performance of their disagreeable task.
 The corpses were enshrouded, placed in caskets provided for by the owners of the mine and turned over to the bereaved families.
 | All through the day mine wagons could be seen moving down the road | from the mine cemetery in the heart | of the village, closely followed oy lweeping relatives. Frequently two fr- nerals were in progress at the same E | time and the villages two ministers were kept busy throughou the day. The services were necessarily brief and | simple.
 Holmes Persists | In spite of their failure to find any | more alive the rescuers. led by Dr. j.. | A. Holmes chief of the United states | bureau of mines. pursued their search | into the innermost corners and creS- vices of the vast mine. Fresh air could | he found from the fans which overcame l in a large measure the deadly fumes | of the after damp, but the air was | so foul in some of the recesses of tine cross entries that only the government men with their heads enclosed in oxy- | gen helmets dared to venture therein.
 Some of the timbers in one entry took fire during the day and although the extinguishers made short work o- | the flames the air in the entry became 1 thick with smoke.
 1 The rescuers are sufficient in number to make a small army. They include miners from every mine in this region and from mines in Kentucky and the i two yirgnias.
 l Night and day now for more than Si hours they have worked in two and three hour shifts, many without sleep | since Saturday night, Hot coffee and sandwiches are supplied constantly to | them at their work and tonight they ~~~~~~~~~~~~.~~<>~~ ~~~~-~~~>~~~~~~-~