THE ENTOMBED MINERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14220, 17 November 1909, Page 7

THE ENTOMBED MINERS

NO HOPE OF RESCUE.

FATE OF A SEARCH PARTY

ONLY ONE SURVIVOR.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright.

(Received November 16, 10 p.m.) New York, November 16. Thirteen out of a search party of 14 which entered the St. Paul colliery at Cherry, Illinois (where over 400 men are entombed as the result of a fire and explosion), perished, owing to an engineer named Cawley implicitly obeying orders only to hoist the, cage in response to the regulation code of signals.

The signal bell rang wildly, and his comrades implored Cawley to raise the cage, but he would not do so till the regulation signal was given. Meanwhile the flames overtook the party, and all but one were burnt to death.

The survivor states that when nearing the surface he passed 50 or 60 men sitting in a row along a gallery, resignedly awaiting death. He tried to arouse them to attempt to escape, but they would not stir.

There was a fresh outbreak of fire of increased violence yesterday, and the shaft was again sealed.

All hope of rescuing the entombed men has now been abandoned. The disaster has made 1000 children orphans.

MUFFLED SIGNALS HEARD. New York, November 15.? Watchers at the mouth of the pit of the St. Paul Colliery heard muffled

reports, which are believed to have been caused by the entombed men firing signals.