The Mena weekly star., 1911-12-14
ENTONDED MINERS
BECOME INSANE.
Rescuers Unable TO Capture Two
Men Who Lost Reason as Re-
suit OF Terrible Experience
Five Taken Out Alive

Briceville, Tenn, Dec. i2.-When
a party of rescuers entered the
Cross Mountain coal mine this
morning the screams of two men
running frantically about could be
heard. The reseuers Immediately
started in pursuit, following the di-
Irection from which the voices could
be heard and calling to the men,
but all attempts to overtake the
men proved futile. II is believed
they have lost their reason through
the narrowing experience they suf-
fered. They are being sought
ceaselessly, as it is feared they will
suicide or suffocate.
Thirty Bodies Recovered.
Seven additional bodies were
brought out of the mine this morn
ing, making a total of 30 recovered
up to noon today. The bodies were
found near a sidetrack in the mines,
and were badly decomposed, lead
ing to the conclusion they were kill
ed when the explosion occurred
Saturday morning.
"Gone to 23."
ave have gone to 23," was the
inscription found written in chalk
within the entrance to cross section
No. % by rescuers searching for the
entomhed men. The searchers
closely scrutinized every nook of
the run, but found no miners. Ad-
ditional directions, also written in
chalk, showed the route taken by
the miners, fleeing for their lives,
who were presumably compelled to
move on account of conditions in
the mine. Empty dinner pals and
other evidence that the men were
alive were found.
Government and state officials,
who entered the mine this morning,
believe others are alive, and no eff
forts are being spared to get to the
men.
Five Taken Out Alive.
Five men were taken alive out of
the Cross Mountain mine last night,
after all hope of saving the 400 or
more entombed by the explosion
had been exhausted. All were in
good condition after 60 hours be-.
low the earth.
The men rescued are.
William Henderson, aged 55.
Milton Henderson %.
Irwin Smith, 35.
Arthur Scott, 30.
Theodore Irish, 80.
All the men rescued were work
ing in the second room in the left
hand side of entry i9.
H. A. Irish aged CO. who was
bossing the gang, was killed in
stantly by the explosion, and his
body was found last night badly
burned. His son, Theodore, the
only other member Of the gang who
is accounted for, is injured. The
other members strayed away and
have not been located.
Mill Henderson, the oldest of the
rescued men, came out of the mine
smoking a pipe, and resisted when
efforts were made to carry him
home on stretcher.
"Oh, let me walk" he protested,
but without avail. Mr.. Henderson
made the following statement of his
experience in the mine:
"Under my direction we bratticed
up the entrance to the mine room.
With our coats we fought back the
after damp that came through the
cracks in the brattice and then
stuck our coats and other articles
of wearing apparel in the holes of
the hrattices. We had lights and
our dinner, and each Of us had from
half to three-quarters Of gall
Ion of coffee and water in our din
ner pals. We remained in this
room quietly for several hours,
burning one light and taking turns
at eating. Late Saturday evening
Scott and 'Dore' (Theodore) Irish
left the room and attempted to
make their way back to the en-
lrtancc of the shaft. That is the
last we saw of them. The next
morning we made our way into the
entry and passed over into No. fS,
ltlutdNOIliiS W liilQ OdA WY V1N*
We ran into gases and were forced
| to go back into room No. 2 In NO.
| 10. where the air was pure. We
remained there until discovered last
night. We ate the last of our food
about the middle of Sunday after
noon, but still had some water left
and plenty of light. We were en-
deavoring to reach the entrance
again when we were discovered by
the mine rescue gang about 5:f5
last night"
Briceville became wildly excited
when the news spread over the viii
lage that four men had been found
alive. Almost every woman in
town, il seems, who was not griev-
| ing for her certain dead, rushed to
the mines in the hope that her
loved ones might be among them,
several Of them being i'll and hys-
terical. The scenes at the homes
when the men arrived were affect
I tt.x