|
|
Monday, November 15, 1909, Page Eight Former Miners From Here Dead - List Shows Number From La Salle and Jonesville Lost Lives at Cherry - Heroes Lived in Jonesville Alex Norberg and Isaac Lewis Both Came From South Side - Sons of La Salle Men Trapped in Doomed Mine - Waite Brothers Dead? In the roll of the miners who had lost their lives or who are entombed in the mine at Cherry, Ill., are a number who are former residents of La Salle or Jonesville, and who are well known to the people of La Salle. All day long inquiries have been pouring into the office of the Tribune from friends who are seeking information as to these people. As near as possible a list of former La Salle and Jonesville men who lost their lives are: James Donaldson: son of James Donaldson of Fifth and Bucklin streets, 45 years old, lives in Cherry, survived by wife and family. John Smith, brother of E. H. Smith, grocer of First and Bucklin street, aged 46, survived by wife and three children. Alex Norberg, one of the heroes who lost his life rescuing others, worked as a checkman at the Jonesville mine for six years (1900-1906); then entered employ of St. Paul mines and for several months mine manager of the third vein at Cherry. survived by his wife and three children, oldest five years of age. Charles Waite, formerly worked in Jonesville, survived by wife, no children. Walter Waite, formerly of Jonesville mine. Hilton Waite, 17 years old, son of Walter Waite, worked in Cherry mine with his father Isaac Lewis one of the heroes who died while saving others, formerly worked as a miner at Jonesville, then liveryman and undertaker at Cherry. John Conley, son of Peter Conley of La Salle, worked at Cherry Mine for several months. Joseph and Charles Timko, former La Salle residents. William Hynds, resident of Cherry, nephew of Thomas Hynds of Ninth and Wright street. John Bundy, mine manager of the second vein, one of the most heroic members of the rescue party who lost their lives, father of William Bundy, who is studying law in the offices of ..?..an, Doyle & O'Conor in this city. James Jamison, who lived in ...?...y, when a boy. ____ De Mazie, formerly of ..?... a brother-in-law of Louis Ptak.
Jonesville Man Gives Life In Disaster At Cherry To Save Others From the miners who were rescued Saturday it was learned that another act of heroism was performed by one of the men in the shaft below - a man who is in all probability dead at the present time. He was Walter Waite, formerly of Jonesville, an assistant foreman in the second vein. "When we got in the elevator the first time", said Isaac Remulti, one of the men who was fortunate to reach the surface in the first cage load. "Waite was standing near. He refused to come up in that load, but said he would stay down and give other fellows a chance. I know Mr. Flood tried to pull him in the cage, but he refused to come." "Let me stay where I am" said he, "there are a lot of other fellows who ought to get out of here. I'll try and do what I can do down here. Maybe it aint as bad as it sounds." "When I asked about him after the second load had come up nobody knew anything about him. It looks like he was overcome by the smoke and died down in the shaft. He didn't have to, because he could have climbed in the cage the first time if he had wanted to."
ARE PREPARING TO BURY BODIED OF HEROES WHO LOST LIVES AT CHERRY The bodies of the members of the rescuing party who lost their lives in the shaft at Cherry have been prepared for burial. Some of them have been claimed by relatives while others are still at the tool house near the mine which serves as the morgue. Burial of some of these men will take place tomorrow. Undertakers Matt Knauff of Ladd and W. H. Keegan of Spring Valley are in charge, assisted by M. A. Erenborn of La Salle and two undertakers from Mendota. Caskets have been provided by the coal company and the men will be given a decent burial.
La Salle Mine Sends Fan To Replace One Destroyed At Cherry La Salle coal operators have come to the assistance of the rescuers and are doing everything to help the men in their work. When it was discovered that there remained a chance to rescue alive perhaps a score of miners in the safety row in the third vein (..?...) arrangements for getting air currents into the third vein were made. Secretary Howard Hazen of the La Salle County Carbon Coal Company personally directed the shipment from the Rockwell mine, east of La Salle, of a large fan to replace the one at Cherry destroyed by fire. The fan and equipment were loaded onto flat cars and raced fifteen miles to Cherry within two hours time. Other operators offered any equipment that could be used in facilitating the unsealing of the mine and the work of the rescuers.
|
|
| CORONER OPENS INQUEST SUNDAY
Village Hall at Cherry Scene of Inquiry into Death of Rescue Party Several Jurors inclined to censure Him For Failure to Raise Cage At Once - Resume Hearing This Morning Some of the harrowing incidents connected with the disaster were related in a dramatic manner yesterday at the coroner's inquest over the bodies of the members of the rescuing party who sacrificed their lives in a vain effort to be of service. Coroner A. Maim of Bureau county impaneled a jury at 10 o'clock this morning ant it was in session most of the day. State's Attorney L. M. Eckert of Peru conducted the examination of witnesses. The scene of the unusual Sabbath proceedings was the village hall. The coroner's jury was composed of the following: W. I. Kendall, deputy coroner, foreman; Peter Delphin, village marshall; Timothy McDonald, farmer; John C. Thompson, lumberman; John Stenstrum, barber; Joseph Neidetcher, stock buyer. Only two important witnesses were heard today - John Cowley, the engineer operating the cage in the main shaft, who has been accused of unnecessary delay in hoisting the rescue party to the surface, and John Raisbeck , the engineer in charge of the cage running in the air shaft between the second and third veins. It was from a burning bale of hay in the latter cage, that the fire spread through the mine. Others who were below the surface when the fire started and succeeded in gaining safety will be put on the witness stand tomorrow when the inquest will be continued. Before beginning the examination of the witnesses, the members of the jury viewed the dead bodies. Some had been taken to homes, where the sorrowing widows and children gave way to their grief in a manner that brought tears to the eyes of the coroner's jury. Many of the bodies still remained in the tool house of the morgue. Engineer Cowley's testimony was interrupted by frequent questions from members of the jury, who showed disposition to criticise him for failing to bring the rescue party to the surface more quickly. Juror Thompson asked Cowley if he did not think that he would have showed better judgement if he had raised the cage immediately. "It is a different thing from sitting at this table and being the engineer." replied Cowley "Those mine signals have to be observed or an engineer might at any time be responsible for loss of life." Raisbeck's story dealt with the raising and what was going on at the other shafts. This testimony closed the inquest for the day. Examination of the witnesses will be resumed this morning.
To Be Continued............ |
|
