Evening star., 1951-12-22

OUT potn mule ana state OInClalS
Picture on Poge A-3.
held little hope that any of the
men had survived the blast.
State Mine Director Walter
Eadie and the mine superintend-
ent, John R. Foster, said at least
go men had been entombed 500
feet below the earth and some 2
miles back from the shaft.
But grim-faced rescue work
ers, many of them miners of long
experience, thought there were at
least 100 caught in the blocked
soft-coal pit. And Mr.. Eadie and
Mr.. Foster agreed their own esti-
mate was conservative"
Blast Linked to Gas.
The explosion came less than an
hour after the night shift of 220
men had reported for work at $3.50
pm. yesterday.
Rescue workers, some wearing
gas masks. were impeded by foul
air as they timbered their way
toward the trapped men. The
blast, believed to have been set off
by methane, or marsh gas,
knocked out cross-section air locks
in the vast diggings of the Chicago,
Wilmington g. Franklin No. 2
mine.
Because of the shattered con-
crete air locks fresh air from the
outside was throttled at the point
of the explosion. This caused
fear among old-time miners that
the trapped men may have died
from lack Of oxygen.
Telephone communications
which thread the 25-year-old
mines web of tunnels were
knocked out in the blast area.
And there was no sign of life
from that section.
Hopes Fading.
I'm OF the opinion there's no
hope at all for those that are
down there" said Mr.. Eadie at
midmorning, even as rescue work
ers appeared to be some four to
five hours away from reaching
the men.
Foster, superintendent of the
mine for % years, said that re-
ports from the rescue teams indi-
cate they have uncovered at least
IA dead.
The teams passed up bodies of
the dead and centered their eff
forts on reaching miners who
might be alive.
THE dead men we can't help"
MIR. Foster said. 1--WE are doing
everything possible to get to the
men who may be alive"
Rescue workers from the sur
rounding towns of Benton, Du-
quoin, Herrin and Dowell rushed
to the disaster to help.
An actual count of the trapped
men was impossible because many
of the miners who escaped went
back into the pit to help with
rescue work.
Twelve hours after the explo-
sion, thick. evil-smelling smoke
still belched each time the elevator
doors in the deep shaft were
opened.
Crowds Gather at Mine.
Inside the dismal concrete build
ing sheltering the shaft, about 80
women-mothers and wives-were
standing around in forlorn groups.
Some were sobbing. One woman
was standing aside, alone.
Hundreds of other persons,
many of them relatives, gathered
outside the mine to await word.
Cars lined the highway for miles
around the mine and police tried
desperately to keep traffic open.
Ambulances were standing by.
The five bodies were taken to
the junior high school where they
were stretched out on the gyna-
SUM floor. There they were iden-
titled. City officials made ready
to care for as many as 100 bodies
there.
Authorities said, the condition
OF the bodies indicated that some
Of the dead had been killed by
conclusion.
The mine employs about loo
men. The night shift had begun
its last trick before starting the
Christmas holiday.
Dead Are Identified.
The dead were identified as
William R. Smith, H. Summers
j. l.. Black and Howard Wall. ali
OF the West Frankfort area. The
NTH man was not identified.
Joseph L. Burnett, a foreman
said he was working in a section
OF the mine several miles from
the point of the explosion.
Il didn't hear anything or feel
anything unusual" he said. 1.-THE
f1rst I knew of it was when I got
q telephone call from the Office
and was ordered to get the men
- Itght away"
The blast occurred not far from
the spot where a gas explosion
Killed three men and injured two
others in August, 1947.
The mine covers an area about
IL square miles and has under
ground passages 3 to 4 miles long
1t was hoped the trapped miner.
might have a chance to retreat
to some distant recesses.