Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-12-12
After Hope Had Been Aband-
oned By Officials and Fam
lilies of Victims, Men Are
Found in SeIf-Made Prison.
BELIEF PREVAILS THERE
ARE OTHER SURVIVORS
However, Because of Debris
Which Blocks Entries of Un-
derground Slopes They May
Stave Before Being Reached
rpy Morning Journal Special Leased Wire.

OtQl w OOlOlC y ONiilSo llNNNNllSN
TBy Morning journal Special Leased wire.I
Briceville, Tenn, Dec. 1l.-Five
men have been brought out alive from
the cross Mountain mine at IL o'clock
tonight and reseuers at that time were
making strong efforts 10 reach at least
three more whom they believe still
alive.
These men have been prisoners I'm
the workings since Saturday morning
when an explosion entomhed more
than one hundred men, hope for
whom had been abandoned when to-
night five men alive and well We're
found behind brattice they had
erected to protect themselves from
nOXiOus gases.
The rescued are:
WILLIAM HENDERSON, aged 50.
MILTON HENDERSON. aged p.
his son.
IRWIN SMITH. aged 35.
ARTHUR SCOTT. aged 80.
DORSET IRISH, aged 30.
All the rescued are married ard
their wives had almost given up hope
Immediately after the explosion the
men rushed to cross entry No. l3,
where they quickly threw up brat
tee that kept out the black damp
that killed many of their fellow work.
ers. They took their lunch pals with
them and the three subsisted for three
days and two nights on what they had
expected to make their Saturday noon
meal.
News that live miners had been
found spread quickly tins dgh The
town and relatives of other men VINO
had been standing vigil at the mines
mouth until all hope was gone, rushed
again to the scene, until the ropes,
stretched to hold back all but work.
ers. were being strained by the
throng of anxious watchers.
Until tonight twenty-five bodies had
been removed and but twenty cross
entries had been explored. The res
euers are encountering great obsta-
cles in penetrating the cross sections
and It is feared that should more be
alive in the far recesses of the work
ings it win be impossible TO reach
them before they starVe
Another rescue car arrived from
Pittsburg today. so there are plentJ
OF helmet men on the scene. Finding
Of the five men tonight revived an
abandoned hope in the breasts of the
workmen and now they are pushing
ahead with all possible speed, hoping
to find more men alive. The work
Is in charge of DR.. j. Holmes, chief
of the government bureau Of mines.
A new cemetery is being provided
for the victims. 1t is on hill near
the mouth of the mine and today vol
unteers started to dig the graves
They are being arranged in circle,
in the center Of which it is expected a
monument will be raised.
All afternoon the grave diggerS
worked in a rain that changed the
streets of the hamlet to lakes of mud
and added to the gloom of the NJ
hahitants.
Many theories are advanced as 20
the cause of the accident. PresiGent
Stephenson Of the Knoxville IRON COM
pany which owns the mine, SAID to-
day it had probably been caused by
windy shot" This might have
ignited gases accumulated In one Or
the many rooms" in the mine, or
might have set off the coal dust on
the floor. The floors are supposed 20
be kept sprinkled and Mr. Stepheh-
son said they were.
The coal company is supplying ths
immediate needs OF the stricken ram
llies but later money will be needed
TO care for the widows and orphans.
Indications are that there Will be
more than fifty of the former ana
ABOUT $50 of the latter
"Bll' Henderson the Oldest OF the
rescued, came out of the mine smok-
ing his pipe and resisted efforts To
carry him home.
"Oh, let me walk he protested
Dut without avail.
henderson made the folloWlne
statement OF his experience.
We brattlced up the entrance &c
lhe mine room. With our coats w,
fought back the after damp tha'
came through the cracks in the brat
uce and then stuck our coats an
other articles Of wearing apparel II
the holes of the brattice. We hat
nshls, our dinner, and each of US hat
Nom half to quarters OF Z
gallon of coffee and water IN our din
ner pals.
We remained in this room quietly
ior several hours burning one ligh
and taking turns at eating Late sat
urdav evening Scott and Irish left th'
room ana attempted to make thei
way back and reach the entrance o
me mine by the over pass That wa
'he last we saw of them.
The next morning we made on
way the air having been purified b,
.le tan, into the city and pass to NO
IaI' endeavoring to ind the way out
we ran into gas and were forced t
80 back to room No. in No. ~
where the air was pure. We remaine
here until discovered tonight w
ave the last of our food about the mid
uie OF sunday afternoon, but still ha'
some water left and plenty of light
we were endeavoring to reach tn
nam nam entrance again when we wer
round tonight"
The known dead has been increase
W twenty-eight. Five bodies wer
lound in right entry No. 81. TIL
,escuers are at work exploring the On
Ules on the left side.