New-York tribune., 1911-12-11
ENTOMbED MINERS
BELIEVED TO Be DEAD
Almost Certain That None of the
More than 100 Men in BriCe-
Vile Shaft Survives.
EIGHT BODIES RECOVERED
Sorrow Stricken Friends Keep
Vigil at Mouth of the Tomb
Goal Dust Blamed
for Disaster.

Briceviue Tenn. Dec 1o.-Somewhere In
the depths Of the Cross Mountain coal mine
probably one hundred men lie dead to-
night. while their sorrow-stricken families
keep vigil AT the mouth of their tomb
hoping against hope that their loved ones
may be alive when rescuers reach them.
Eight torn and mangled bodies had been
brought forth at nishtfall, when search
was abandoned for the day. outside Of the
immediate families OF the entombed men
no one in this little mountain village be-
leves that any living thing in the mine
has survived the terrific explosion Of coal
dust that wrecked the workings on Satur-
day morning.
For more than thirty-siX hours every
surviving miner in this region had toiled
with no thought Of food. sleep or pay to
remove the DEBRIS and force fresh air into
the innermost recesses Of the mine. To-
night they practically had penetrated 10
the main entry head. nearly three miles
in Tomorrow they expect 10 be ready
70 work the cross entries. in which the
great mass OF bodies undoubtedly were
cast by tho force OF the blast.
Black damp developed to-day and
silent force pushed dauntlessly on, some
Of them tin they were carried out. over
come by the noxious gases.
Thousands Of the morbidly curious
flocked into Bricevile to-day and crowded
about the main entry Of the mine. They
saw nothing but the pitiable grief OF the
stricken families.
Death in Nearly Every Home.
There IS hardly q family in the entire
Coal Creek Valley that has not felt the
touch of death. The problem OF caring for
the widows and orphans will be q grave
one. requiring immediate solution. Certain
". Briceville will be unable 10 care for her
living, with most Of her wage earners num-
bered among the dead.
Tonight food is scarce. but plentiful sup
plies are promised for tomorrow from
Knoxville. So far there has been little
physical suffering among families of those
who lost their lives.
1t has been impossible 10 get any authen-
tic figures on the exact number OF men in
The mine when the explosion occurred.
Mine officers have given out no statement.
and it has been impossible 10 get any
check on the men who went 10 work yes
'erday morning. That II is moro than
hundred seems certain. and that all are
dead seems almost as certain.
II is expected that much of the black
damp will he driven from the passages to-
night. Tomorrow. with the crew Of one
rescue car on the ground. another hurry
ing here and representatives Of the Red
Cross on hand It is expected rescue work,
So far badly retarded. will go forward
rapidly. ....
Work Of rescue moved slowly to-day and
tonight. partly because most Of the on
ion,hed men are believed 20 be two miles
from the opening and because Of deadly
black damp The latter caused all work IN
hc stopped for \ time this afternoon. but
by ughtfau II was resumed. Electrical
devices for moving cars IN the workings
were shattered by the explosion, and debris
cleared away So the tunnels is being hauled
hy mule cars TO the surface. Mine experts
tonight said Il would he days before each
lateral has been penetrated II is in ths
laterals that the most bodies are expected
ia be found. When they will he recovered
can only he guessed st, said officials to-
night