The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-12-14
SOMEWHERE IN COAL MINE
100 ARE ENT0M6E0
Ten Mangled Bodies Are Brought out
From Their Tomb.-Rescue Work
Is Delayed by Black Damp.

Bryceville, Tenn, Dec, 10.-some-
where in the depths Of the Cross
Mountain coal mine, probably 100
men lie dead tonight while their
sorrow-stricken families keep vigil at
the mouth of their tomb, hoping
against hope that their loved ones
may be alive when rescurers reach
them. Ten mangled bodies were
brought forth by nightfall when
search was abandoned for the day.
Outside of the immediate families of
the entombed men no one in this lit
tie mountain village believes that any
living thing in the mine has survived
tile terrific explosion of coal dust
that wrecked the workings Saturday
morning.
+ Every surviving miner in this re-
gicn has been at work for more than
36 hours with no thought of food,
sleep OF pay, to remove, the debris
and force fresh air into the innermost
recesses OF the mine. They practi-
caliy had penetrated tonight to the
main entry head, nearly three miles
In. They expect to be ready to work
the cross-entries tomorrow, in which
the great mass Of bodies undoubtedly
"oAS S"u6AI W lAC OAaoI.
Black damp developed late today
and stopped progress fosr a time, but
soon the silent force pushed daunt-
carried out overcome by the noxtous
gases.
Thousands of morbidly curious
/, fiocked into Bryceville today and
crowded about the main entry Of the
mine. They saw nothing but the
pitiable grief of the stricken families.
There hardly Is family in the
entire Coal Creek valley that has not
felt the touch of death. The problem
Of caring for the widows and orphans
Is great, requiring immediate solu-
ton. Certainly Bryceville will
unable to care for it's living with
most Of the wage-earners numbered
among the dead.
Food is scarce tonight. but plenti-
full supplies are promised for tomor-
row from Knoxville. So far there
little suffering among the families
OF thoSew no lost their lives.
| It has been impossible to get any
authentic figures of the exact num-
Der Of men in the mine when the ex-
plosion occurred. Mine officials have
given out no statement. It has also
been impossible to get any check on
the men who went to work yesterday
morning. That it is more than 10,
is certain and that they are all dead
seems almost as certain.
That the black damp will be driven
from the workings tonight is believed
With the crew of one rescue car on
the ground, another hurrying here
and representatives, of the Red Cross
on hand, it is expected that rescue
work, so far badly retarded, will &C
forward rapidly tomorrow.
Rescue work moved slowly today
and tonight. partly because of the en-
tOmbed men who are believed to be
two miles from the opening anl
partly because of the black damp.
Electrical devices for moving cars
in the workings were shattered BY
the explosion and the debris cleared
away in the tunnels is being haulet
by mule cars to the surface. Mine
experts said tonight it would be days
before each lateral had been pene
tra!ed and that when all bodies woul,
be fOHnd was gueSswOrk.
A pail OF silent sorrow hoverei
about the mouth of the mine q,
thousands congregated, some standing
for hours, and others moving mo
mentarily from one point Of vantag,
to another.
The single disturbance Of the 81
lence was when the Rev. E. M.Richie
pastor Of the Methodist Episcopa
church south at Coal Greek, exhol
ted those within hearing Of his voic'
t. accept the disaster Of Saturday a
i q warning and prepare to meet death