Evening star., 1932-12-26
q BODIES FOUND
IN WRECKED MINE
Deadly After Damp CON-
pIetes Work of Explosion
in Illinois.

MOWEAQUA, Ill, December 26
tPy.-TWenty-Seven miners were.
found dead in the south wing of
the Moweaqua Coal Mine today,
making the death toll all 81 OF the
men caught in the tragedy of an
underground explosion. Deadly after
damp finished the work of the scar
ing blast that had killed those in
the north wing.
By the Associated Press.
MOWEAQUA, Ill, December 90
Pressing with renewed vigor into the
recesses of the Community mine which
Saturday entombed 81 miners, rescue
crews today continued the search for
victims made prisoners by a catastro-
phe that darkened Christmas in this
tiny village
Drills, picks and shovels of fellow
miners burrowed through coal and rock
in an effort to reach the victims, al
though only scant hope was held that
any would be found alive.
Last night bodies of IL men had been
brought to the surface. Their names,
posted outside a hastily improvided
morgue, made official to wives, sisters
and mothers the dreaded news.
Penetration Of rescue crews, halted
temporarily by the necessity of timber
ing" were resumed early today, when
Glenn Schaffer, from whom the mine
was leased, said he thought it would be
possible to reach "a men in the south
wing of the "T'-shaped bore within six
hours.
Precious Hours Lost.
The II men, whose bodies were al
ready found, had been assigned to the
north wing; their bodies were found
near the To intersection, which made
rescuers believe the explosion occurred
In the north wing, and therefore might
not have been so severe in the south.
Hope was held that some of the "a
trapped there might still be alive.
However, precious hours were lost in
the "timbering" process, consisting of
supporting the ceiling and walls of the
passageway that further tragedy would
be averted as the rescures forged ahead.
By telephone, John Millhouse, di-
rector of the State Department of
Mines and Minerals, who took charge
Of the rescue work, told those above
of the perils and obstacles encoun-
tered. Debris-choked tunnels made
work slow. Poisoned air made it dan
gerous.
Lewis Aids Rival Union.
When tragedy visits a mining COM
munity differences are forgotten. Most
of the entombed miners were afflliates
of the Progressive Miners Union.
formed in opposition to the United
Mine Workers of America. But, despite
their Affiliations, miners volunteered to
aid. John L. Lewis, president of the
United Mine Workers, was at the tipple
and he announced gift of $1,000 by
In times like these" said Lewis, 1--WE
have no enmities" And the local
Relief Committee met to consider plans
to raise the $1,000 it estimated would
be needed to bury the mine victims.
Women, children and men kept vigil
at the mine gates. Brave, the women
were. Few tears were seen. They were
miners wives, knowing how to bear
grief silently. But the children whim-
pered
The first body was brought up at
m. yesterday. about "a hours after the
mine siren shrieked its message Of dis
aster and brought the 400 populace
pell-mell and frightened to the mine
opening.
Throughout the morning other bodies
were brought up. AS each blanket
wrapped form was put In an ambulance
the crowd deserted the mine gates. 1t
followed the ambulance to the impro-
vised morgue.
There the crowd waited. Inside the
morgue we're two old-time miners who
knew each of the 81 who had been
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