A MINING HOLOCAUST.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 240, 16 November 1909, Page 2

A MINING HOLOCAUST.

400 MINKUS L'KHISII. C j Cable.—Press Association.— Copyright New York, November 14. Advices from Spring Valley, Illinois, estimated that 400 persons perished in a lire in a mine belonging to the St. Paul Company of Cherry. AH attempts to reeeuc tlie miners have been abandoned. CAI'SE OP THE EXPLOSION. WOI'LDBK ItESOI'EUS .SITKOCATKU lleceived November 1,1, iUO.p.m. New \ork, "ovember 1.1. A lire in a bundle of 'hay, which smouldered until it broke into llame, caused the mine explosion reported at Cherry. Of 4:14 men below, mostly Austrian* ami Italian-s, M near the main shaft escaped. Two hundred retreated to the furtlicniinst galleries. It is feared that they perished early in the day with the rest.

The Hooding of the pit was impossible, and with the hope of checking the llamc*t the managers closed the mouth of the shaft. Six would-be rescuers were suffocated.

Later, two volunteers, wearing oxygen helmets, tested the temperature ut a depth of 380 feet and found that conditions were nearly normal, indicating that the fire was then extinguished and that there was some hope, though slight, of effecting the rescue of the imprisoned men.