El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-10-25
THREE FIRES START
IN DAWSON MINE

Continued from page II
met men were withdrawn from other
portions of the mine and set to work
fighting the flames. Late reports stated
that two of the fires were under con-
troll
Locate Explosion Point.
The condition of bodies brought to
the surface gave substantial indication
Of the particular location in the mine
at which the explosion last Wednesday
afternoon was the most terrific -Four
of the seven were taken from the 18th
chamber east on the high line, the same
room in which two helmet men lost
their lives. These four men were far
more mutilated than have been any of
the rest, the clothes from the body of
one man having been entirely burned
away It is in this chamber that the
rescuers have found the greatest
amount Of debris and here where the
black damp found to be most preva-
lent.
Mules hitched to sledges are being
used tonight as the fastest means by
Which the bodies can be conveyed to
the surface. The use of mules also
permits the helmet men to work at the
dead bodies as well as continue their
explorations The sledges were taken
by helmet men to the faTtheSt point eX-
plored- Helmet crews followed and
whenever they came upon q body in
proximity to a sledge it was placed
UpDM II 50 LUaL Nneu the atmosphere
clears sufficiently mules can be hitched
TO the drags and proceed with their
burden The floor Of the mine through
out is covered with heavy timbers and
fallen rock which make travel exceed
1ngly hard Until the Sledges had been
constructed reScuerS were forced to
carry the bodies on stretchers distances
varyin~ from 600 feet to a mile and
half in length. So far 10 nelmeted
miner is permitted to pass the 18th
chamber and that is accessible only
through a roundabout course In the
entries.
Dr. James Douglas, president Of the
Phelps-Dodge syndicate which controls
the Stag Canyon Fuel compauv has
taken over the management Of the an
ministratiOn work While his father
was issuing orders for the best and
most expensive rescue apparatus and
attending to other kindred phases of
the work, young Walter Douglas. gen
eral manager of the Phelps Dodge svn-
oicate, was deep within the mine aid
ing in the rescue work and superin-
tending the task Of lettering air condi-
tons in the interior.
Thinks None Are Alive.
Chief Roberts. of the government
rescue service, announced his positive
belief that no entOmbed miners are now
alive, and in this opinion he was sup
ported by rescue crews and mine Off
Gals. Who say If is utterly impossible
Tor life to have existed this long Mine
officials continue to announce that 26S
Will be the probable death list. it hav-
ing been augmented by the death of
helmet men Lurdi and Poisa-
Pathetic Funeral Service.
In the town two miles from the
camp, the funeral service was read
over bodies of dead miners placed in
cOftns in the temporary morgue yes
terday afternoon. Along the sides of
the morgue walls lay the collins
every one containing the mutiIated and
scarcely recognizable features of a
miner All through the services, which
were mercifully brief could be heard
the chant of the Austrian widows, the
hysterical cry Of Mexican women, the
means of Greek bereaved ones and the
sorrPwful sobbing of the little group
OF american women who so suddenly
had been bereft of their loved ones
Father A. c. Collier Of st. Joseph's
parish, Springer, n NJ, read the last