Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-12-11
Hope Of Rescuing Victims
of BriceviIIe Explosion
Abandoned.
is BODIES RECOVERED
Believed There Are More Than
a Hundred Dead in Shaft
Heart Touching Scenes.

Briceville, Tenn, Dec. 11.-With 16
bodies recovered and identified, rescue
parties today renewed the attempt to
reach the men entombed by the ex-
plosion Saturday. That there are a
hundred or more dead men remaining
in the mine there is no doubt, and
been abandoned.
Straining on the ropes at the mine
opening are the relatives of victims,
anxiously awaiting some word from
within the yawning mouth of the death
trap. The situation became more
tense as each car of debris was
brought to the surface, for its driver
might bring some word. or with the
debris might be a body.
The whistle Of the special train
bringing collins at o'clock yesterday
morning brought another horror to the
little town. The special brought IT'S
boxes, and they were piled near the
mouth of the mine. Only eight of
these boxes were opened yesterday
| A 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.
PASTOR BREACHES TO THRoNG,
The single disturbance of this scene
of silence was during the more than
two hours when Rev. e. M. Richie.
pastor of the Methodist church, south,
at Coal Creek, exhorted those within
the hearing of his powerful voice to
accept the disaster as a warning and
prepare to meet death.
The minister appealed to his hear
ers in behalf Of their souls salvation
and declared again and again that God
sent this visitation upon the commun-
ity as demonstration of the certain
ty Of death and the uncertainty of
life. The minister suspended his dis
! course at intervals and burst into song
In which hundreds joined. Prayerful
supplications also characterized the
impromptu services, which were con-
tinued until the minister closed volun-
tarily.
hence, high above the main entrance
to the mine, as the point from which
he spoke, and his powerful voice car
ried his message to the ears Of many
thousands.
RED CROSS STARTS WORK.
Steps have been taken to establish
the work of the American Red Cross
society. John Logan of Atlanta, rep
resentative of the society, reached the
scene Sunday night In the mean
time the Red Cross flag had been sus-
pended from the federal mine rescue
|, car and its attendants were prepared
to administer relief IL called upon.
The work Of Mr.. Logan probably will
be first to investigate as to the need
of necessities Of life among the women
, and children and to take steps to sup
ply these
No official or semi-official opinion
had been given out as to the cause
, of the disaster President T. l. Stephen
, son of the Knoxville Iron company had
. nothin to say in answer to this in
r quiry. 1t is generally believed. how
ever, tudt TIC uioopICi Wob uuC W q
: dust explosion"
: An undertaken who examined the
bodies recovered said that in every in
stance the heads of the victims were
bruised as If they had been thrown
violently against the ceiling Of the
: mine or the timbers or the side walls.
> This, 1t Is claimed, argues In favor
: of the dust explosion" theory. The
) mine had passed official inspection
J, within the last few weeks and was
: thought to be perfectly safe.
5 THOUSANDS CROWD TO TOWN.
e Thousands of the morbidly curious
focked into BriceviIle. They saw
nothing but pitable grief of the strick-
en- families.
: There Is hardly family In the en-
: tire Coal Greek valley that has not
k felt the touch Of death The prob
;, lem of caring for the widows and or
i phans will be grave one, requiring
a immediate solution. Certainly Brice-
q vile will be unable to care for its
living with most of its wage earners
numbered among the dead.
Tf'd Is scarce, but plentiful sup
{ plies are promised from Knoxville. So
far there has been little physical suf
fering among families Of those who
;, lost their lives.
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