Evening star., 1932-12-25
HOPE ALMOST GONE.
FOR RESCUE Of 81.
TRAPPED IN SHAT 7.
M0Weaqua, ILL.,, Prepares
Emergency Morgue for Min
ers Caught Underground.
RELIEF PARTIES UNABLE
TO GET SOUNDS OF LIFE|
Families of Men Entombed by Ex-
plosion Wait as Co.Workers
Efforts Prove Futile.
BY the Associated Press.


They prepared an emergency morgue
In this mining town of 1,40O on Christ
mas eve
Fifty-four men, workers in Cooper
ative mine, were trapped by shale and
rock some 700 feet underground in a
coal mine.
Rescue squads, working feverishly in
shifts of 20 since morning, when an ex-
plosion buried the men. struck gas late
this afternoon. Driven out, the squads
donned gas masks and went back to
frantic burrowing in an effort to bring
the victims alive to the mine opening,
nearly a mile from where they were
entombed.
Huddled about the pit mouth were
the wives, children and friends of the
trapped men, quiet, but fear-stricken.
Christmas was completely subdued by
tragedy.
Mine Damp Is Threat.
They took soSae heart at the words of
John Millhouse, director of the State
department Of mines and minerals, in
charge of the rescue squads.
If" he said, the men were fortu-
nate enough to have FABRICATED them
selves, they may escape the deadly mine
damp and we can get to them in time
But Millhouse and others, not telling
the relatives, arranged for the emer-
gency morgue in vacant store. Also
they saw to it that the towns tiny 30
bed hospital was ready to receive any
who might be rescued.
1I,n rnJo l.o1
with several others had been down
there He TGS among the G0z5n OF
50 cverccm, with gas and brought cut
side as rescue squads prodded their way
to the tunnel wh-re rha men were i'm
priscned. Once out. Mi lhcuse and his
helpers were revived. put On gas masks
and went back to their task
Workers Heard Rumble.
Millhou-ta, however. said it might be
hours vet before they could reach the
men. So far there were no sounds
Forthcoming from the place where they
believed the men were trapped. Nearly
l20 Ct the most skilled mine rescue men
in the area were doing their best to dig
through the COAL shale and rock separ-
ating them from the miners.
When the explosion occurred at 8:15
am, several workers near the opening
heard the rumble and rushed to the
open.
Less fortunate were the So. Their
avenue cf escape was cut OF by an
avalanche Of debris. The structures,
holding up the ceiling OF the tunnels.
apparently crumpled- The trapped men
Gucked for protecting holes in the SIDES
of tunnels and waited.
1t was an agonizing wait. First their
comrades had to locate them Then
they must bore and chop their way
thr: ugh tons of debris to reach them.
The mine has the underground pat
tern Of large IT" The opening Is at
the bottom of the IT, and it was some
where near the intersection with the
cross tunnel that the explosion occurred
Dirt, ccal and rcck obscured the inter
section. It was through this wall OF
debris the rescue workers labored.
Can Hardly Breathe.
"It's terrible down there" said George
Kenney one of the rescue squad from
Springfield. You can hardly breathe,
the air is so thick"
A field telephone was set up to give
the underground rescue workers COM
munication with those on the top.
near the field telephone.
What Go you hear? What do you
hear?" was the incessant cry from rel
atives of the imprisoned men. Always
came the answer, Nothing"
AS workers on top pumped fresh air
into the shaft to benefit the rescue
squads, officials expressed hope that
some of the fresh air might seen
through to where the trapped men
were.
Yesterday there was a fire in the
mine but mine officials said, it had
nothing to do with the explosion to-
day.
The mine, they said, was inspected
80 minutes before the explosion this
morning Yesterdays fire was reported
completely walled up and it was be-
lieved the place was safe for the work.
men.
Mine Trips" Found.
Shortly after pm. rescue squads
tunneled to the intersection and met
mute evidence Of tragedy. Buried in
debris they found two "mire trips"
cars used fer transportation by miners.
ApparS entity the cars were the last to
Continued on Page 2, Column IL