Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-12-11
PROBABLY 100 DEAD.
CONTINUED from Page One.)

i Thousands of the morbidly curious
flocked into Brieeville, today, and
crowded about the main entry to the
mine. They saw nothing but the pitt
able grief of the stricken families.
There is hardly family In the en-
! tire Coal Creek valley that has not
| felt the touch of death. The problem
| of caring for the widows and orphans
win be a grave one. requiring :mme-
diate solution. Certainly Briceville will
be unable to care for her living with
most If her wage earners numbered
among the dead.
Tonight food is scarce, bur plentiful
supplies are promised for tomorrow
from Knoxville. So far there has been
little physical suffering among fam
lilies of those who lost their lives
1t has been impossible to get any
authentic figures IL the exact number
of men in the mine when the explo-
sion occurred. Mine officers have given
out no statement, and it has been i'm
possible to get any check on the men
who went to work, yesterday morn
ing, That it is more than 100 seems
certain, and that all are dead seems
almost as certain. 1t is expected much
of the black damp will be driven from
the passages, tonight. Tomorrow, with
the crew of one rescue car on the
ground, another hurrying here, and
representatives of the Red Cross on
hand, 1t is expected rescue work, so
far badly retarded. will go forward
rapidly
At least 10000 persons visited this
hamlet, today, and willing workers
were many. George p. Chandler, pres
ident of the Tennessee Coal Co., is in
charge of the relief work. He divided
the men into gangs OF so and set each
shift into the workings for two hours.
Even when the air in the mine was
NJ its best they could not work longer
in there. The throng of visitors is
largely responsible for the exhaustion
of food supplies, tonight. All stores are
bare of eatables and many went hun
CRY, tonight. Tomorrow, all will be
provided for.
Straining on the ropes that keep back
the throng from the mine opening are
the relatives of victims anxiously await
ing some word of life within the yawn-
ing mouth of the death trap. The situa-
tion becomes more tense as each car IF
uepflS is brought 10 the surface. 1Of It's
driver might bring some word or with
the debris might be a body of some
loved one. The shrill whistle of the spe-
cial train bringing collins, at O'Clock
Sunday morning. brought another horror
to the already crazed inhabitants of the
little town. The special brought 175
boxes and they were piled near the
mouth of the mine.
Only eight of these boxes were opened,
today, but the others stand as sentinels
of the grim monster, silently waiting
the assignment that each is sure TO re-
ceive.
a terrible pail of silent sorrow existed
| about the mouth of the mine as thou
| sands congregated, some standing for
! hours and others moving momentarily
! from one point of vantage to another.
| The single disturbance of this scene
of silence was during the more than two
! hours, Sunday when the Rev. NJ. f.
/ Richie, pastor of the NJ f. church at
Coal Creek eXhorted those within the
! hearing of his powerful voice to accept
the disaster of Saturday as warning
and prepare to meet death. The minister
appealed to his hearers in behalf of their
souls salvation and declared again and
again that God has sent this visitation OF
/ His providence upon the community as a
demonstration of the certainty of death
and the ever-uncertainty of life. The
minister suspended his discourse Mt in
tervals and burst into song. in which