LIBRARY OF THE 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
 
 STATE OF ILLINOIS 
 
 Bureau of Labor Statistics 
 
 REPORT ON 
 
 The Cherry Mine Disaster 
 
 ISSUED BY 
 
 The State Board of Commissioners of Labor 
 David Ross, Secretary 
 Springfield 
 
 SPRINGFIELD, ILL. 
 
 ILLINOIS STATE JOURNAL Co., STATE PRINTERS 
 1910
 
 
 I. THE CHERRY MINE DISASTER. 
 
 II. THE PUBLIC'S RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS OF THE 
 VICTIMS. 
 
 III. THE SETTLEMENT WITH THE ST. PAUL COAL COM- 
 
 BANT. 
 
 IV. INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS COMPENSATION VS. LITI- 
 
 GATION.
 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 THE CHERRY MINE DISASTER. 
 
 Page. 
 
 Introductory 7 
 
 Description of the mine 10 
 
 The Company 17 
 
 The fatal day 18 
 
 At the main bottom 21 
 
 Twelve heroes 21 
 
 As told by the diggers 23 
 
 Rescue of twenty-one men '. 32 
 
 Opening of the mine 33 
 
 Names of those killed 35 
 
 Nativity 46 
 
 Ages of the children 46 
 
 Report of Thos. Hudson, State Mine Inspector 47 
 
 THE PUBLIC'S RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS OF THE VICTIMS. 
 
 Relief 57 
 
 Relief commissions 58 
 
 Chicago Tribune fund 58 
 
 Total amount contributed 59 
 
 Pension plan of relief 60 
 
 THE SETTLEMENT WITH THE ST. PAUL COAL COMPANY. 
 
 The work of John E. Williams 65 
 
 An epoch making settlement between capital and labor 69 
 
 Workmen's compensation Act, 1906 '. 71 
 
 Provision for arbitration 71 
 
 Scale and conditions of compensation 
 
 If no widow is left 72 
 
 Average weekly earnings.. 72 
 
 Money invested by court 73 
 
 Payment for injuries 73 
 
 Relief fund 77 
 
 Plan of relief 77 
 
 INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS-COMPENSATION VS. LITIGATION. 
 
 Industrial accidents Compensation vs. Litigation 81 
 
 Standards of compensations for sickness, accident and death by Sherman C. Kingsley... 87 
 
 Legislative Refe* Buu.
 
 THE CHERRY MINE DISASTER. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY. 
 
 The appalling loss of human life caused by the fire in the coal mine 
 at Cherry, 111., calls for something more than a mere recital of the 
 number and names of those who perished. Experience prepares us to 
 expect death at any moment in the mines. Its dangers are so obvious, 
 and seemingly inevitable, that the results in dead and disabled, can be 
 figured almost with mathematical precision. Our casualty lists, extending 
 back as far as we have any authentic history of the mine industry, attest 
 the awful toll in life and limb inexorably exacted as a penalty which those 
 who pursue such employment must sooner or later pay. Here at least is 
 one sphere where the rules of immunity have no application. The record 
 shows that with every so many tons of coal, there is lifted to the sunlight 
 the bruised or lifeless bodies of men. 
 
 We have in a sense become accustomed to the annual loss of hundreds 
 of mine workers distributed quite uniformly through the working days 
 of the year, lives that are separately but regularly offered as a sacrifice 
 to the demands of the industry, and the slaughter proceeds without 
 exciting any special public comment. Comparatively, it is the great 
 things that impress us, the extraordinary events that compel attention, 
 and the extinction of two hundred and fifty-nine lives in a single accident 
 constitutes a calamity unprecedented in the annals of mining in this 
 State, fully justifying a report, giving somewhat in detail the cause 
 and consequences of the catastrophe ; the manner in which a sympathetic 
 public rose to meet the necessities of a suddenly stricken people, and the 
 commendable attitude of the St. Paul Coal Company, as evidenced by 
 the money settlement it has made with the members of the bereaved 
 families or their representatives. 
 
 In order to fully understand the conditions under which the fire 
 originated, it is necessary to know the general plan on which the mine 
 was being operated. A first seam was struck which was not operated. 
 Two seams of coal were being mined, the second at a distance of 320 
 feet from the surface, the third or lower seam at a depth of 485 feet. 
 The lower seam was in process of development. Substantially all the 
 coal mined from the time the shaft was sunk until the day of the 
 disaster had been taken from the second level. While the main hoisting 
 shaft extended to the bottom vein, the cages in that shaft did not 
 descend below the second level. All material intended for use in the 
 bottom vein was lowered in the main shaft to the bottom of the second 
 level and from there transferred to the escapement shaft where, by a
 
 8 
 
 separate engine, operated from the surface, it was lowered to the bottom 
 seam. So also in the matter of coal or other material hoisted from the 
 bottom seam, the escapement shaft was used to bring them up to the 
 second seam where they were transferred to the bottom of the main 
 second level and from there hoisted in the main shaft to the surface. 
 
 The illustration on page 11 indicates the general plan of hoisting, 
 showing also the emergency cage from the bottom to the second level in 
 the main shaft. 
 
 Immediately after dinner on the 13th day of November, 1909, a car 
 loaded with baled hay, intended for the use of the mules in the lower 
 seam, was let down the main shaft. 
 
 Upon reaching the landing of the second seam, which was the desti- 
 nation of the cages in the main shaft, the car and its contents were taken 
 off, transferred by means of a runabout and started in the narrow 
 passageway leading to the airshaft, from which point, in accordance 
 with the practice, it was to be sent to the seam below. A like operation 
 had been performed successfully on all other occasions, but on this one 
 it failed. Fate, utilizing all the agencies of human frailty, was evidently 
 busy arranging the scenes for a great tragedy, and circumstances, seem- 
 ingly simple in themselves, combined to create a situation involving the 
 imprisonment and ultimate death of more men than ever before occurred 
 at one time in the history of the State. 
 
 Associated with all great calamities are some simple, curious, or myste- 
 rious causes. The burning of baled hay, the initial cause of the Cherry 
 disaster, has never been fully explained or clearly understood. Under 
 ordinary circumstances, compressed hay will not burn. It has been the 
 practice in some mines to construct stable partitions of that material 
 and in instances where stable fires occurred everything combustible 
 except the partitions was consumed. It has frequently been exposed to 
 intense fire and heat with the result that only the broken ends on the 
 surface were scorched and blackened. 
 
 The facts as developed by the testimony in this case are that the car 
 containing six bales of compressed hay in its journey to the air- 
 shaft had stopped immediately at the side of, or directly under, one of 
 the burning torches temporarily used to illuminate that portion of the 
 underground workings. Its detention at that point was of short duration 
 but long enough to permit the hay catching fire, a condition that some 
 suppose was made possible by its becoming saturated with oil dripping 
 from the lighted torch. Open lights in the connecting passageways and 
 about the shaft bottoms had been used for several weeks prior to the 
 fire. Before that time electric lights were employed. Some delay was 
 experienced in filling the order to replace the destroyed electrical wiring, 
 the new supply having reached the mine on the morning of the fatal day. 
 
 From the moment the burning hay was discovered, until the car 
 containing it was finally dumped down the airshaft, not to exceed 
 thirty minutes elapsed, during which time the cagers, Alex. Eosenjack 
 and his assistant, Eobert Dean, and the others who aided, acted 
 like men who had confidence in their power to control the situation. That 
 the feeling existed that there was no real danger from the fire and that
 
 it could be extinguished without peril to life is indicated by the testi- 
 mony of men who, in passing it on their way to the surface, stated they 
 could have put it out easily with their coats. One of them when asked 
 why he did not do so said he had an important appointment in Peru 
 and that he must take the 1 :30 cage, otherwise he would have to remain 
 in the mine until the next cage for men at 3 :30 p. m. In the meantime 
 the struggle with this new agency of death in the mine continued until 
 the fire fiend closed the last avenue of escape and the country was 
 startled with a report of the greatest mine horror of modern times. The 
 following general description with plans of the mine, including the testi- 
 mony given by certain witnesses at the coroner's inquest, are in part 
 copied from a published report approved by Duncan McDonald and 
 members of the Illinois Miners' Executive Board. Where reference is 
 made to page numbers, it relates to the statement made by witnesses 
 before the coroner's inquest. The record of the testimony taken fills 
 900 pages, and while it is all interesting it is not necessary for the 
 purpose of this report to duplicate it here.
 
 10 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE MINE. 
 
 MAP "A." 
 
 Map "A" is a cross-sectional view of the Cherry mine, looking to the 
 northeast. 
 
 Above the main shaft is a steel tipple, which extends 90 feet above 
 the surface. 
 
 Immediately back, or south, is the engine room which supplies the 
 power for hoisting cages in the main shaft. 
 
 The fan is located a short distance south of this engine room. 
 
 The main shaft is 12-ft. 8-in. by 16-ft., and the depth of the shaft 
 is 485 feet in all (pp. 29, 30, 73, 83, 261), the distance from the surface 
 to the second vein being 320 feet, and from there to the third vein 165 
 feet. 
 
 The first vein was not in use, being of no commercial value. 
 
 The distance from the main shaft to the escape shaft on the surface 
 is about 225 feet (p. 261). 
 
 The escape shaft is used for the down cast and the main shaft for 
 the up cast (p. 261). 
 
 In the main shaft there are two cageways from the tipple to the 
 second vein, in which there are two cages which act as a counter balance 
 to each other. These are 6x16 feet in size. 
 
 The cageways are separated by pine timbers 8x12 inches (p. 261), and 
 running in length across the shaft. 
 
 At the bottom of the second vein there is a sump constructed of wood 
 and iron; that is, a space under the cages, in which 'there are wooden 
 doors lying flat, with a perforated iron plate or screen covering them, 
 and which may be removed. 
 
 On the third vein bottom there is a small cage, 6x15 feet (p. 773), and 
 a cable attached to a hook which, in turn, is hung upon a projection near 
 the bottom of the second vein. This is adapted so that by removing 
 the doors covering the sump below the main cages it may be attached 
 to the main cage and hoisted from the third to the second vein. This 
 cage was never hoisted but once, and that was at the time it was con- 
 structed by the carpenter (pp. 754 to 770). 
 
 This cage was so constructed that it was to be operated by being drawn 
 up within about 10 feet from the bottom of the second vein. There the 
 occupants were to get off on a platform, marked on the plat, and from
 
 11 
 
 MAP A. 
 
 a Fan. b Escape shaft, c Third vein hoisting shaft and air shaft, d Timbers closing first 
 vein, e Trap door at the top of the stairway on second level. / Torch where hay caught fire. 
 g Small cage to be attached to main cage above. h Hook for attaching to main cage. 
 i Sumps, j Main hoisting shaft.
 
 12 
 
 there go up on a ladder a distance of about 10 feet to the main bottom. 
 This cage was constructed about two weeks before the date of the accident 
 by Mr. Jones. (See Jones' testimony, p. 754.) 
 
 The escape shaft runs from the surface to the third vein, and is 12-ft. 
 6-in. by 7-ft. 10-in. (p. 261). From the surface to the second vein there 
 were two compartments, in one of which was a stairway, the stairs run- 
 ning at an angle of 45 degrees, with a platform, as provided by law. This 
 compartment was 3-ft. 5-in. by 7-ft. 10-in. Separated from this by 
 planking was the compartment which was used as a down-cast or air 
 shaft, which was- 8-ft. 4-in. by 7-ft. 10-in. At the second vein the air 
 parted, a portion of the current going to the southeast 'and a portion to 
 the northwest. 
 
 From the second vein to the third, in this shaft, there were three 
 compartments one used for a stairway, one for a cageway, and between 
 the two a chamber for the down-cast and the counter-balance for the 
 single cage which was operated between the second and third veins 
 (pp. 22, 23, 46, 37, 261).. The cage here was operated by the escape 
 shaft or third vein engine. The signalling for this shaft was operated 
 directly from the second and third vein to the "third vein engine 
 room" (p. 85). 
 
 On the third vein there was a sump or hole about 6 feet deep, below 
 the surface of the bottom, with a floor over it about 2 feet below the 
 surface of the bottom (pp. 51, 52, 71, 72, 73). 
 
 Eeferring to the stairway, at the third vein there was a ladder, with 
 steps twenty-four inches across and about 3 inches wide, running up 
 to the stairs a distance of about 10 feet. From there the stairs con- 
 tinued, until about six feet below the second vein bottom, at which there 
 was another ladder which ran to the second vein bottom. The opening 
 from this stairway was covered by a trap door, 2x3 feet (pp. 104, 239), 
 and which opened up between the two rails of a track (pp. 67, 74). 
 About 6 feet from there, was a ladder with hinges which could be swung 
 up and hooked or let down (pp. 59, 131, 132), the lower step being 8 
 feet from the trap door referred to which led to the stairs running to 
 the third vein. 
 
 PLAT "B." 
 
 Plat "B" is a plat of 'the second vein, showing the position of the 
 main shaft, the main bottom, the east and west run-arounds, the main 
 air course, the mule stable, the pump and air course, in the immediate 
 vicinity of where the accident took place. 
 
 The main bottom is 14 feet wide, running northeast and southwest 
 250 feet in each direction from the main shaft. 
 
 There were two powder holes, one 20 feet northeast and the other 
 20 feet southwest of the main shaft (pp. 63, 245, 248). They were 
 about 12x8 feet in size. 
 
 There is a run-around to the southeast of the cage and about 12 feet 
 of a passageway running into the mule stable (p. 261) and an opening 
 into the pump room.
 
 13 
 
 Fifty feet southwest of the cage is the main passageway or main air 
 course, which is about 5 feet by 6 feet. 
 
 In this passageway 20 feet from the main bottom is a door, and 20 
 feet further is another door. Down this road to the southeast is the 
 
 mule stable, which faces on this main air course a total of 50 feet, with 
 a sump which runs half way across the main passageway and is covered 
 by boards; and from there a track runs up to the point indicated by a 
 switch, and from that point two tracks run to the southeast. The
 
 14 
 
 track southwest runs across the trap door at the escape shaft (pp. 67, 
 74) heretofore referred to, in the description of the cross-section map, 
 which door opened between the two rails, the two tracks continuing 
 southeast past the shaft to the point where they met at the switch. 
 
 At the north end of the main passageway there were thirty or forty 
 pieces of pipe lying on the floor, from 2 to 4 inches in diameter (pp. 67, 
 68, 74, 98, 108). 
 
 The cars when sent to the third vein were drawn by mules around the 
 east or west runway, as shown by the map. They were brought north- 
 west through the main passageway on the southwest track, passing by 
 the side of the cage to the southwest of it, and when a loaded car was 
 brought up by the cage the empty car was placed against it, and in 
 pushing the full car off from the cage the empty one took its place and 
 was lowered to the third vein. 
 
 On the 13th of November, 1909, six bales of hay (p. 9) on a car were 
 sent from the tipple about 12 :30 p. m.* They were taken in charge by 
 Charlie Thome (p. 219), who took the car round the west runway up 
 through the main passageway, and there hitched his team to a loaded 
 trip and took it southeast, leaving the car standing there, from which 
 place it was later moved by "Bobbie" Deans and Matt Francesco to a 
 point in front of where Torch No. 1 was hanging (pp. 7, 11, 24, 68, 95, 
 135, 136, 137, 147, 148, 153, 155, 224, 225, 226, 227, 230, 235). 
 
 The timber at the third vein bottom was about 7 feet high from the 
 floor. It was upon one of these timbers that the torch was hanging which 
 set fire to the hay. 
 
 Electric light equipment had been used throughout this mine and at 
 this vein for some time, but about a month before the date of the fire 
 the main cable burned out, and torches were used generally in lieu of 
 electric lights (pp. 4, 43, 7, 24). 
 
 PLAT "C." 
 
 Plat "C" shows the third vein. The bottom at the main shaft on the 
 third vein is not used for any purpose. The mule stable is located near 
 there, and tracks run around in the different directions to take the coal 
 from the rooms into the different entries and from there to the third 
 vein hoisting cage, which is operated through the escape shaft, as stated 
 in the description of the second vein plat. 
 
 There was no fire equipment in the third vein excepting a hose which 
 was used to wash mules with, and which was about 20 feet long (pp. 79, 
 106, 125, 130, 163), and which could be and was attached to the water 
 pipe at the third vein bottom to extinguish (pp. 76, 77, 51, 52, 93) the 
 burning car of hay (p. 122) when it was dropped down through the 
 shaft to the third vein, as hereinafter described.
 
 15 
 PLAT C. 
 
 J 
 
 PLAT "D." 
 
 Plat "D" shows substantially the location of the trap door, marked 
 in black, the cageway at the second vein bottom, where the fire started 
 (p. 136).
 
 3 H O W MNC- "T R /*K C K .S /S N O 
 
 SWITCHE.S TR/ST DOOR E.TC 
 SE.COHDVEHN 
 
 D
 
 THE COMPANY. 
 
 The St. Paul Coal Company is a corporation organized under the laws 
 of the State of Illinois under a charter dated Oct. 28, 1902. It is 
 authorized to mine coal in the counties of Putnam, La Salle, Grundy, 
 Bureau, Marshall, Stark and adjoining counties, to lease, purchase and 
 own coal lands and other lands with coal mining rights and to control 
 such works, buildings, improvements, etc. 
 
 The company owns two mines, one at Granville and one at Cherry. 
 The mine at Cherry is operating 7,217 acres of land with 360 acres 
 worked out. The output of the mine is about 300,000 tons annually. It 
 has a daily capacity of 1,500 tons. 
 
 H. C. Haugan of 122 Judson avenue, Evanston, Cook county, is 
 president of the company and Burton Hanson of 4637 Greenwood avenue, 
 Chicago, secretary. 
 
 Those in charge of the mine were: W. W. Taylor, general manager 
 and superintendent; mine examiner, H. C. Maxwell; mine superintend- 
 ent, Joseph Steel; mine manager, John Bundy; pit boss, Alex. Norberg, 
 deceased; engineer, main shaft, John Crowley; engineer, escape shaft, 
 John Eaisbeck; mine examiner or fire boss, George Eddy. 
 
 When the company sunk the shaft, five years ago, it found that the 
 first vein was of no commercial value, so they continued sinking the 
 main shaft and the escape shaft to the second vein, which was operated 
 by the room and pillar system. This is geoglogical seam No. 6. During 
 the year 1908 the company commenced to work the third vein by the 
 long wall system; this vein is 485 feet below the surface. This is geo- 
 logical seam No. 2. The coal of the third vein is not so easily reached 
 but is better than that of the second veip.
 
 18 
 
 THE FATAL DAY. 
 
 On the date of the accident there were 481 men employed including 
 all occupations, diggers, drivers, company men, trappers, spraggers, etc. 
 
 The men entered the mine from 6 :30 to 7 :00 o'clock in the morning 
 and there was a cage run, mid-forenoon, noon and at 1 :30, at which time 
 those who discontinued work at that hour might be brought up. The regu- 
 lar hour for discontinuing work was 3 :30 p. m. At about 3 :00 p. in. the 
 diggers were permitted to fire their shots (pp. 192, 193). There were no 
 shot-firers in this mine because there was usually less than two pounds of 
 powder used for a charge. 
 
 On the 13th of November there were several men who discontinued 
 work in time to catch the 1 :30 cage and this in a measure accounts for 
 the fact that there were only 259 lives lost. 
 
 Between 12 and 1 o'clock p. m. (p. 541) on the fatal day, six bales of 
 hay, standing upright, were placed in a coal car, which was of the aver- 
 age size of cars, that is, 6 feet long and 3 feet wide (p.10), and were to 
 be taken to the third vein mule stables. There were from sixty to seven- 
 ty mules in the second and third veins. The hay was taken down on an 
 average of once every twenty-four hours. The car in this instance was 
 lowered from the tipple to the second vein and there it was drawn by 
 mules in charge of Charles Thome (who usually drove six cars with 
 three mules), through the east runaround (pp. 218, 219) and up the 
 main passageway over the switch immediately southeast of the third 
 vein shaft or escape shaft (p. 219). It was left here by Thome, who 
 hitched his mules to some loaded cars and started on his run to the main 
 bottom. 
 
 Eobert Deans, the assistant eager, and Matt Francesco, pushed the car 
 some distance up toward the shaft and right close to the torch (p. 136), 
 which was hanging upon a timber (p. 224) near the bottom at the escape 
 shaft. 
 
 . The electrical equipment of the mine had been out of use for -a month 
 (pp. 7, 24, 443), which resulted from the short circuiting of the main 
 cables due to being water soaked. The torches which had been placed at 
 the main bottom and also at the escape shaft to which we have been re- 
 ferring, were constructed of pipe about 2 inches in diameter, 12 to 16 
 inches long, with a cap on one end and a reducer on the other in which 
 a cotton wicking was placed. The torches were filled by the cagers with 
 kerosene furnished by the company (pp. 68, 102, 132) and were attached 
 with pieces of wire to the timbers (p. 431). The wire was around the 
 center of the pipe so that the torch would hang, horizontally, the burning 
 end would be lowered as the oil was consumed, so the oil would run down
 
 19 
 
 upon and against the wick (p. 225). Frequently the oil would seep 
 through the end where the wick was inserted and drop. (Pp. 230, 367, 
 226.) The torch near which the car and hay were moved by Robert 
 Deans and Matt Francesco hung so low that the lower end of the blaze 
 was from 5 to 8 inches below the highest part of the baled hay (p. 137). 
 After pushing the car to this point Francesco and Deans left that place 
 and went to the other track and coupled some loaded cars (p. 138), after 
 which they discovered that the hay was on fire, which was about 1 :25 p. 
 m. (p. 139). 
 
 The air current at this point was fanning the fire into a blaze and 
 Eosenjack and Deans then started to push the car northwest through the 
 main air course to the sump near the mule stable, intending to get water 
 from that sump and to put out the fire. Upon being unable to push the car 
 to the sump, Eosenjack and Hanney, who had just come up from the 
 third vein, on his way home and whom Eosenjack called upon for help, got 
 in back of the car and attempted to push it toward the third vein shaft. 
 The air passing through the main air course fanned the flames into con- 
 siderable proportions and the pine timbering, which was used generally 
 in this mine, in the main air course, caught fire. 
 
 Albert Buckle, a boy of fifteen, Francesco and others were told to get 
 their pails and go around to the main bottom and get some water. 
 
 In the meantime Eosenjack communicated with William Smith, the 
 eager at the third vein bottom, and told him they had a car of hay on 
 fire (p. 122) and that he, Eosenjack, wished to send it down to the third 
 vein and inquired if they could take care of it. Smith responded, "Let 
 her come." Eosenjack requested Vickers and Theo. Dehesse to put the 
 car of burning hay upon the cage and that he, Eosenjack, would go down 
 to the third vein and assist in putting it out. The car was drawn partly 
 upon the cage, but the heat was so intense that the car was not accessible 
 and the drivers and others assisting were only able to push the car a 
 short distance upon the cage (p. 159). 
 
 In the meantime Eosenjack had come up from the third vein and as 
 the woodwork at the side of the cage was on fire he signaled (pp. 122, 
 890) to hoist the cage, which was raised four feet, the car and hay fall- 
 ing under the cage down into the third vein sump (pp. 51, 52). Here 
 Smith and Norberg were stationed and they attached the hose which was 
 used at the mule stable in the third vein and put the fire out (p. 76). 
 This was about 1 :48 p. m. Some of the miners who had noticed that the 
 air was bad and that there was smoke in it, left their rooms and came to 
 the third vein bottom. They signaled for the cage and received no re- 
 sponse and went up the stairs. Probably the last who came up from that 
 vein was William Maxwell and his son. When they reached the third 
 vein a man was ahead of Maxwell. He lifted the trap door and the- 
 smoke and flames were so intense that he said they could not get through. 
 Maxwell, an old man, said, "We must," and he crept through with his 
 son and went through the east runabout and was finally pulled on to the 
 main hoisting cage and brought to the top insensible. 
 
 His story of their escape is given on page 29 of this report. 
 
 During this time several signals were given to stop and reverse the 
 fan, etc. (pp. 218, 219, 890). Tin 1 f;in WMS first stopped, then reversed,
 
 20 
 
 then stopped and then drawn in its usual course, then reversed until the 
 flames which were drawn up the escape shaft, burned out the doors and 
 disabled the fan. 
 
 When the fan was reversed it drew the flames up through the escape 
 shaft from the second vein to the surface and cut off all means of escape 
 from the third to the second vein through the third vein hoisting shaft 
 or the stairway (p. 416). 
 
 At about 1 :40 o'clock the last signal was received by the third vein 
 engineer (p. 890) for hoisting the cage to the second vein. The probabil- 
 ities are that whoever took the cage at that time were burned to death 
 upon reaching the second level and there was no signal after that. 
 
 In the meantime the fire had been noticed by the cagers on the main 
 bottom, but before referring to this,. the attention of the reader should 
 be called to the fact that for months there was no appliance for hoisting 
 men from the third vein to the second vein through the main shaft. 
 There was a bucket there which was attached to a rope, which in turn 
 could be attached to one of the main cages. Two or three weeks before 
 the date of the accident, a small cage had been constructed to take the 
 place of the bucket. ' But this cage was not available. A rope was at- 
 tached to this cage which was hanging on some cleats or a projection 
 near the main bottom. This hook could be attached or hooked on the 
 cage, and thus raised from the third vein to within about 10 or 15 feet 
 of the second vein bottom. Most all of the miners working in the third 
 vein were not familiar with the fact that there had been any change in 
 the construction or method of escape through the main shaft (p. 435). 
 Hanney, who was president of the local union, a man of more than aver- 
 age ability, did not know that such a change had taken place and was 
 under the impression at the time of the accident that the bucket was still 
 the only thing that could by any possible means be used for hoisting 
 purposes from the third to the second vein in the main shaft. 
 
 The small cage that had been constructed (pp. 765, 766, 767) to be 
 operated in case of emergency from the third to the second vein was 
 of small dimensions and it was smaller than the compartment in which 
 it was to operate, and when it was drawn up the distance between the 
 side of the cage and the bunting or the side of the shaft was covered 
 with planks which formed a platform. From this platform there was a 
 ladder about 8 or 10 feet long which led to the bottom of the second vein. 
 When this cage was used by the rescuers after the fire it stuck in the 
 shaft and the rescuers were obliged to climb on top of the cage and then 
 climb up 10 feet to the landing. The persons using this method were 
 then obliged to come up through the opening left 'by a main cage when it 
 was hoisted and could not get up when the cage was down on either of the 
 respective sides where the cage rested unless they could crawl through 
 the space between the two compartments occupied by these cages, which 
 was about 8 to 12 inches in breadth. 
 
 At about 1:30 p. m. some miners (pp. 21, 42) became aware of the 
 existence of the fire. The trapper boys came to the main bottom and 
 asked to be permitted to go up. The eager at first refused, stating that 
 they would get the fire out (p. 147) and commence to work again. Later 
 he sent them up.
 
 21 
 
 AT THE MAIN BOTTOM. 
 
 The cagers at the main bottom were among the first at the main shaft 
 who became aware of the existence of the fire. They continued to hoist 
 coal for some five or ten minutes after they knew the fire was in exist- 
 ence, evidently under the belief that it would be put out. When the 
 serious nature of it became apparent, several of the drivers and company 
 men endeavored to give notice to the diggers, although the fire had 
 burned for at least forty-five minutes to an hour before any such attempt 
 was systematically made. The trapper boys near the main cage were 
 taken up early (testimony of witnesses, pp. 410, 141, 552), and the cages 
 were then continually operated for the purpose of taking the men up 
 from the main bottom. 
 
 During the fire there was an attempt made to get into the mule barn, 
 which had been filled with smoke and flames, to attach a hose, but the 
 heat and smoke prevented ; this hose was brought down from the surface. 
 Being unable to get into the mule barn they made an attempt to attach 
 it to a nozzle or piece of water-pipe near the main cage. The pipe wa? 
 too small, the water was hot and the hose could not be held around or 
 against the opening of the pipe. 
 
 Whether the cage at the third vein bottom was ever attached to the 
 main cage does not appear very certain from the evidence taken. It 
 is certain, however, that if it was it was immediately detached, for there 
 is no evidence that the cage was used, that a rope was attached, or that 
 any attempt was made to hoist the men from the third vein by using 
 the third vein cage in the main shaft, which some have called the 
 "emergency cage." 
 
 TWELVE HEROES. 
 
 The condition of the main bottom at 3:30 or 4:00 o'clock was such 
 as to indicate that all possibility of escape was rapidly disappearing. 
 The flames were very intense. At about this time the cage was lowered 
 (pp. 745, 832) with twelve men oh it and word was left on top that 
 the engineer should pay strict attention to signals. The signals he 
 received were as follows: Three bells (meaning to hoist); four bells 
 (meaning hoist slowly) ; then four bells (meaning to hoist slower) ; 
 then signals to lower and no more signals were received. About fifteen 
 minutes after that the rope was seen to shake. The engineer, after long 
 and repeated pleading and begging on the part of many of the men
 
 22 
 
 (pp. 745, 832), hoisted the cage and the rescuers were found, some in 
 the cage and others on top of it, all dead. It happened. that one who 
 was rescued seven days after the mine was closed tells that he reached 
 the shaft (p. 410) and found no cage there and using his cap to protect 
 his hands, tried to signal for the cage to come down; that in a measure 
 accounts for the confusion of signals received by the engineer. 
 
 This was one of the most unfortunate incidents in the history of this 
 disaster. Here were twelve brave men that were willing to risk and, 
 as it were, sacrifice their own lives in an attempt to save their fellow- 
 townsmen from their peril in the mine. 
 
 The names of these men should go down in history as heroes in the 
 time of the darkest tragedy that has occurred in the industrial field of 
 this State. They had volunteered to go down into the mine expecting 
 to be able to notify the miners and aid them in their escape, but they 
 were too late. They were not all miners. Their names and occupations 
 are as follows : 
 
 John Bundy, mine manager; Andrew McLuckie, miner; Harry Stew- 
 art, miner; James Spiers, miner; Mike Suhe, miner; Eobert Clark, 
 miner; Alexander Norberg, assistant mine manager; Isaac Lewis, livery- 
 man; Dominic Dormento, grocer; John Flood, clothier, John Sczabrin- 
 ski (Smith), eager; Joseph Eobesa, driver. 
 
 This was the seventh time that the cage was lowered with rescuers 
 upon it after the seriousness of the fire was realized, and each time they 
 had succeeded in bringing up some men alive; each time those who 
 ventured down encountered the smoke and came up almost asphyxiated. 
 The fire was getting nearer and nearer the main hoisting shaft; but this 
 last cage of men were doomed to meet their fate in a supreme effort. 
 When the cage was raised eight of them lay on the floor of the cage. 
 Their clothing was still blazing and their arms and hands were in 
 convulsive postures, just as death had seized them and when they had 
 tried to protect their faces from the awful heat. Four of the bodies 
 were lying across the top of the cage where they had died in a frantic 
 effort to climb away from the fire. 
 
 When they were hoisted to the surface it was a most pitiful sight. The 
 relatives of these men were there and the scene witnessed was the most 
 heartrending. Strong hearted men broke down. After all, the story of 
 the twelve martyrs is but a phase of the great disaster. 
 
 The time that elapsed from the beginning of the fire until the last 
 person came out shows that if there had been some system of notifying 
 the men at work in the mine they could all have gotten out. Or if the 
 serious danger had been realized in time by the cagers and others at 
 the hoisting shaft the men could have been notified by messenger, as 
 some were who escaped and whose stories we he're publish. 
 
 We have selected from the testimony of those who were in the mine 
 at the time of the fire and made their escape, and have transformed this 
 testimony into a story or narrative, using their own word?. Space will 
 not permit us to give the account of all of them, as the testimony com-
 
 23 
 
 prises nearly 900 pages, but we will give those which we think will best 
 enable the reader to understand the conditions on that fateful day. Many 
 others would be interesting, however. 
 
 AS TOLD BY THE DIGGEES. 
 
 The first is that told by James Hanney, who was president of tfie 
 local union, and who testified that he was 56 years of age, born in 
 Scotland, and commenced to work in the Cherry mine a year ago last 
 June. He had worked in different kinds of mines before this one, and 
 had worked in the third vein about a year. He says : "We were coming 
 from the third vein and started through the main air course in the third 
 vein. We had to hurry to get to the big shaft to get up at half past one. 
 The shortest route is about 200 feet through the main air course. At 
 the second vein we saw the car of hay on fire and the eager asked us to 
 give him a hand to shove the car back. We gave him a hand and shoved 
 the car back as far as we could stand it, about ten or fifteen yards, and 
 then the heat and smoke were so bad we could not stand it any more, 
 and I went out to get assistance to stop the fire. Nothing was said about 
 notifying the men, for no boss was around. Some one had to get assist- 
 ance and I went to get it. The eager let us go up because it was time. 
 We took the cage to the top. When I first saw the flames they were 
 probably 5 or 6 yards long. There was a great current of air in the main 
 entry or air course, and the fire was reaching out to the shaft to where 
 the barns were situated, toward the main shaft. Upon reaching the top 
 I told the boss there was a fire down there and to stop the fan, and the 
 fan was stopped. It was about 4 :00 o'clock when they covered the main 
 shaft, on the surface and I don't know why they didn't cover the escape 
 shaft, but I think the people would not permit it. The superintendent 
 said, 'If I ordered the escape shaft covered the people in town would 
 kill me.' I worked in the third vein since it opened that is a year ago 
 last August. There is no fire equipment there; none was ever pointed 
 out. The doors and the entries there are about 5x5, and are timbered 
 with white pine." 
 
 William A. Smith testified that he lived in Cherry and was a eager 
 in the third vein on the day of the fire. He said : "The best I remember 
 of it we were waiting at the bottom for what we thought was empty 
 cars, because when they run out of cars often they would hold the cago 
 until they got empties and then send them down to us. There were 
 three bells rung and one of the cagers from the second level came down 
 and the best I remember he told us that they had a car of hay afire up 
 there; this was Alex. Rosenjack. It was shortly after half past one. 
 Then I let up my half past one cage of men. He asked, 'Should I send 
 it down or could we handle it down there.' I said yes send it down. 
 Instead of going up with it he said, 'just bell it away one bell, for the 
 boys up there.' I did so and waited down there probably five minutes, 
 possibly eight, it might not have been more than four. I didn't look 
 at my watch and couldn't say and the hay hadn't come down yet. Mr.
 
 24 
 
 Norberg, the boss of the third level, came out to the bottom of the third 
 level and wanted to know what was wrong. One of the boys told him 
 there was a car of hay on fire up there and he hollered up for them to 
 send that hay down. He got no answer; then he hollered again rather 
 rough and loud and .still there was no answer. Then he says, 'I will go 
 up/ And he started up and I would not say positive but I think that 
 eager Kosenjack went with him. They walked up the manway. We 
 waited there sometime again and still no hay came down; one of the 
 drivers said, 'I will go up and tell him if he can't get it on the cage 
 to shove it into the shaft and we will take care of it/ We waited some 
 more and then we started. This was Andy Lettsome; and Dave Wright 
 says, 'I will go with you' ; and the two went up. When they about had 
 time to walk up the manway the bell rang four and one; that was to 
 hoist and go ahead slowly and they hollered 'Look out'; the car of hay 
 and all came down below like a flash in the smoke. I think both car 
 and hay was all afire when it reached the sump. It had fallen 160 
 feet; we were ready with the hose and turned the hose on it and put 
 it out. It didn't take long because we had the force pump and plenty 
 of water. When it came down it was very hot and there was fire on the 
 cage; also the protecting sheet of iron on top of the cage was red hot; 
 we turned the hose on that and cooled it down. John Brown and Oley 
 Freiburg had hold of the hose besides me. When the car came down 
 there John Brown, the opposite eager to me, had the hose and I was 
 standing at the water column; the hose is connected to the column and 
 there is a valve on that that you have to open to let it flow out through 
 the hose, otherwise it would go up through the column to the second 
 vein or into the main sump. When the hay came down I opened that 
 valve and threw the water right onto it and it flew back into my face; 
 the water hit me and I could not see anything so I stepped back. I was 
 not in the smoke and it didn't bother me where I was ; then Oley Frei- 
 burg took the hose out of my hand and said, 'go and get some air and let 
 me have it/ About the time we got the fire out Andy Lettsome came 
 back down to see if we had gotten the fire out and he says, 'there is still 
 fire in the timbers up there that I don't like the looks of, but I hurried 
 back to see if you got this out/ I said some of us will have to go up 
 and see about that. I don't know how many times we belled but we got 
 no reply from the engineer so I said we will have to walk up. As soon 
 as we got to the second vein we thought there was enough fire to be 
 dangerous. I said we have got to get our men up from the bottom; he 
 says, 'I will do that,' then I said one of us ought to go up and the other 
 down; one should go up and tell the engineer to go up without signals; 
 he says, 'you go on up and I will go back after Pa/ I asked, will you 
 notify the men? He says, 'sure I will scare them out/ So I went up 
 and he went down. That was all I saw of the fire. I went up the 
 stairway in the escape shaft, when I got about half way the air was 
 coming a moderate gait about as fast as a man reasonably would require 
 but suddenly the fan stopped. I didn't think anything of it because it 
 had stopped once or twice before for a time. In about half a minute I 
 will say from a half to a minute and a half the fan started tip again.
 
 25 
 
 But they had reversed the fan and I knew that the fire and smoke would 
 come up and catch me on the way so I climbed faster than I had ever 
 climbed in my life before. The smoke overtook me when I got about 
 half way up or a little more I don't know just how far for I was choking 
 and climbing all the time; I don't know how I did get up the rest of 
 the way.- 
 
 William Vickers testified that he lived in Cherry four years, was mar- 
 ried, and entered the mine on the 13th at about twenty minutes to seven. 
 "Had worked in the third vein since 1908 and was working in Eoom No. 
 1 in the Southeast with his 'buddie/ At about twenty-five minutes to 
 three he heard of the fire and heard hollering at the switch to 'Come out,' 
 that there was a fire in the second vein, and he says I hollered into the 
 straight East, 'Come out right away; the shaft is on lire!' The men 
 were Italians, and did not understand English well. They said, 'What's 
 the matter ?' and I said, 'The shaft is afire ; get out !' and one of the fel- 
 lows understood English a little better and he says, 'What's the matter?' 
 .and I said, 'Fire in the second vein, come out quick; right away!' and 
 I showed them out from the wall to the road ahead. The bottom is about 
 300 feet from where I was working. At the third vein bottom I saw a 
 hose in a man's hand and he was fighting the fire, putting out the burn- 
 ing hay. You could not see the blaze, just the steam and smoke. The 
 man was Ole Frieburg ; he is down there yet. It was a short hose. There 
 were twelve or fifteen men behind me, and I was at the escape shaft with 
 my foot on the ladder to go up on the steps. I turned to my buddie and 
 he was right behind me. I told him I was going to take the coal out of 
 my shoes and I turned back and said, 'Go on up, and I will come up 
 after you/ So I turned round to Ole Frieburg, who was standing there, 
 and asked him if they were not running the cage, and he said 'No; it 
 has been quiet for quite a while/ I got the coal out of my shoes and 
 started up and went up the stairway and just as I got to the last step, 
 there is a ladder there, four or five steps, we have a trap door to go 
 through, and the trap door slammed down and knocked me down a flight 
 of stairs. I got myself picked up. There were two men behind me, so 
 I crawled up and went through the door and the smoke and flames were 
 so thick I did not blame the fellow for letting the. door fall on me; but 
 I held it open to let the others go through. I don't know who they were. 
 I started to holler to try and find out which way to go. I thought maybe 
 some boss would have men stationed there to direct the men which way 
 to go, because there were three roads out, the east and west runway and 
 the main air course. I saw flames all over, but I did not know how far 
 they extended. I thought maybe they would have somebody posted 
 to tell us. Well, anyhow, when I hollered and could not get any answer 
 from this side, I started up in this direction. I could hear men hollering 
 and saw there were four or five cars, or whatever it was I can't say, were 
 afire there right close to the bottom. When I got up there to this bunch 
 of men, I said, 'Why don't you push through?' and he said, 'There are 
 mules here/ I said, 'To hell with the mules; push through/ So we 
 got over here to the left hand side, because it is the road that branches 
 off, and I knew that if T went to the left-hand I would not mips my road. 
 
 Legislate
 
 26 
 
 1 pushed ahead of them up to where the roads branch off. I saw some 
 lights ahead of me and hollered for a light and they would not stop, and 
 1 started to run, and the faster I ran the louder 1 hollered for a light; 
 I could not say how far I ran, but when I got pretty close to them the 
 last man stopped and gave me a light, and I came back here to this turn 
 in the road, and" got right close te the left hand side, because the way 
 the air was I knew I couldn't hold a light in there ; I could holler to the 
 men and showed the light the best I could round the corner. As soon as 
 they came up 'they got a light, and an old man and his son came up. I 
 gave the father a light first and then I gave the son a light and my own 
 light went out. The son started to go on and I said, 'Come back here 
 and give me a light/ because I was getting very weak myself, and I 
 says, 'Johnnie, I can't stand here any longer, this smoke is getting the 
 bett of me; somebody else has got to stay here.' He says, 'I have two 
 lamps.' So I took his lamp and pulled the wick away up and hung the 
 lamp on the beam and hollered 'to come up and get a light and we could 
 not hear any more voices, so we left. About half way up here both of 
 us got in the dark again. His lamp went out during the time I .was 
 lighting the lamp hanging on the beam, and he says to me, 'You've got 
 a good lamp there,' and just as he said that out it went; so we put our 
 coats together and struck a match and got both lamps lighted, and got 
 out here after running across a trip with a team of mules. We then 
 went straight on and he says, 'Where are we?' I said, 'I don't know,' 
 and started feeling round for the timbers. The timbers in the west 
 bottom are square, and I could tell by them where we were. I says, 'We 
 are on the bottom' ; so we made down to the cage. When I came to the 
 main bottom, Bundy and three or four more were standing there and 
 he said, 'How is it?' and I said, 'The men can't get out of here, because 
 they can't see. You should have lanterns strung along the road,' and 
 li<- said, 'All right.' A eager had rung the bell to hoist the men. I got 
 oiv the cage and went up. It was about twenty-five minutes to three 
 when I was notified in my working place. It was a quarter to three 
 before I got to the second vein at the bottom of the escape shaft." 
 
 John Stuckert, who had been a miner for thirty-five years, was secre- 
 tary of the Cherry local of the miners, and who was working in the third 
 vein, says: "At half past two we got smoke in our working place right 
 off the air course. My partner is an Italian and I hollered to him, 
 'What are those fellows burning up there, anyhow ?' So the smoke began 
 to get thicker. He said in broken English, 'I guess we got to die like 
 mules.' I paid but little attention. But after a while the smoke got 
 thicker and I said, 'We better try and make the bottom and investigate 
 what is going on.' We made toward the bottom, but we could not get 
 on the bottom for smoke, the closer we got the stronger it was ; we were 
 driven back. There were six or eight of us going back and we got into 
 my own working place. There were two entries, two roads and I went 
 beck to my entry. We waited a few minutes. One man said, 'I can see 
 light on the bottom.' I said, 'If there is light on the bottom, it is clear; 
 let us go out.' We went to the bottom and some fellow hollered down 
 from the top that there wouldn't be any more doing today and we had
 
 27 
 
 better try and get out. I climbed up the escape to the second vein and 
 there was a bunch climbed ahead of me and when arriving there I found 
 tire and smoke. I tried to light my lamp and it would not burn. I 
 waited four or five minutes in the smoke, then there was a bunch came 
 up after me. When the next men came they did not know which way 
 to go, not knowing the different roads and everything full of smoke. So 
 one of them said to me, 'What do you think?' I said, 'You have to 
 judge for yourselves, I don't know/ and they attempted to climb up 
 further; they rushed up the escape and I followed, two men behind 
 me and a man in the lead and he hollered, 'For God's sake, get 
 back quick.' I said, 'I am going to make for the old east runway,' where 
 we go up in the evening. We hadn't got to the end of what they call 
 the bottom when we were running into mules and empty cars and we 
 had to crawl by the cars to get by the trip and there was a turn made 
 then to the left; then we ran into another mule with empty cars. We 
 traveled around until we came to the bottom. The smoke was awful 
 thick. We had two doors to go through. When we got to the first door 
 it was hard to open. I fell when I got the door open. One man came up 
 and fell over us. He picked himself up and helped me up. And I stood 
 back and I had hold of my own partner and he pulled me up to the 
 next door and we got the next door open and got on the bottom. The 
 smoke was so heavy there that it was like a vise holding you around the 
 chest and taking your breath away. The man ahead held up and said, 
 'N"o further, boys, we are going to die here,' and he was trying to pull 
 me back. I said, 'No, friend, don't go back; I see only one chance for 
 us to make the big bottom ; if we can't make the big bottom we are lost.' 
 He got away from me and all I remember is that he made a couple of 
 steps back, but who he was or where he landed I don't know. I stumbled 
 across the bottom the best I could. I held myself up once by putting 
 my hand on top of a railing which helped me a little. I heard mules 
 coming and men hollering among the mules and I crawled along the 
 right side till I got right close to the bottom, then I was completely done 
 end fell. At last I got up again and crawled a little more and I just 
 made the bottom and fell on the cage. I never lost my presence of 
 mind until I reached the top. I walked home and everything was a 
 blank to me. After recovering I went back to the shaft and there was a 
 crowd around there, and the mine was closed." 
 
 Alma Lettsome testified that he lived at Cherry, was married, and was 
 20 years of age and had worked at the Cherry mine since the 19th day 
 of August, 1908. On the day of the accident he was working in the 
 third vein, his attention was first attracted when the cars had stopped 
 coming and he went out to the bottom of the big shaft, saw a driver 
 standing there and said, " 'How is it they are not hoisting in the big 
 shaft?' and he said, 'Probably they are waiting for the flats.' I paid 
 no more attention and walked back in company with two other men to 
 my working place. The three of us stayed clown there together for I 
 should judge about twenty minutes, when my son came along and told 
 me the mule barn was on fire. He said, 'We have been up there and 
 it is all afire.' I walked up the stairs and saw it and said wo must get out
 
 28 
 
 as quick as we can. We were then about 750 feet from the escape shaft; 
 we gave the men the warning that were around us and started up -to 
 make our way out. There were other men standing at the bottom of the 
 third vein waiting for us to come out and we all started up the stairs 
 one man after the other. When we reached the top of the stairs there 
 was a man standing against the trap door and he wouldn't go through 
 it; he had lifted it up and seen the fire above and he said, 'We can't go 
 through there, it is all afire.' I said, 'We can't go back, we have got to 
 go through there.' He said, 'I can't get through/ and I said, 'Well, get 
 out of the road.' I saw it was all on fire, in fact, all flames. We went 
 th rough the door and south round the east way, reached the cage and 
 went up to the top." 
 
 Among the many statements made, comprising nearly 900 pages of 
 evidence taken, there were none more graphic, dramatic and clearer than 
 that of Albert Buckle, a boy standing about 4 feet 6 inches high and 
 who was 15 years of age, who worked as a trapper. Even his statement 
 as to the number of cars of coal hoisted after the fire was discovered is 
 corroborated by the check weighman, and the other incidents related by 
 him are so completely corroborated that we give his story here as among 
 the best, if not the very best, statement made of the affairs that took 
 place on the main bottom. 
 
 His story is substantially as follows : "My name is Albert Buckle ; my 
 father's, Otto Buckle; he is dead; he died four years ago; my brother is 
 18 and he is in the mine; my sister, 12; my mother, Mary Buckle, is 
 sick. My uncle is Eichard Schwartz and lives in Norfolk, Neb. I will 
 be 16 on the 28th of November. I was a trapper. We ate dinner and 
 then my brother came down and took a car in. He got a trip and came 
 out in the entries and I opened the door and Matt says, 'There is a fire.' 
 I said, 'Where?' and he said, 'At the third vein shaft.' I was in the 
 east runway when I heard of the fire. I took my pail and set it down 
 and Johnson, the mule boss, said, 'Bring your pails,' and we tried to get 
 into the barn for water and we could not get in there for smoke. We 
 could not get any water in the sump, we were too late already. The 
 fire was burning in the main air course. Matt tried to get water with 
 me and we tried to go through the doors (main air course), but the fire 
 was there ; I saw a car of hay burning and the timbers were starting to 
 burn. I saw Bosenjack come running out to the main bottom. He got 
 a cage and went up. I saw Bundy, the diggers, cagers and spraggers at 
 the bottom. I was sitting there playing and he said, 'Fire, come out,' 
 and I said, 'Oh, there is plenty of time,' and he said, 'There isn't time,' 
 and the boss told us to get our water pails and get water. After the fire 
 started there was five or six cars of coal that went up. At half past one 
 the diggers came along and I got my pail and went to get on the cage 
 and the eager put me off and said, 'Get the pails and put the fire out.' 
 
 I think it was George Eddy who told the drivers, 'We are going to 
 put the fire out and go to work again.' I remained on the bottom for 
 half an hour. We stood around there and they still hoisted coal. I think 
 it was half an hour from the number of cars that went up. Johnson 
 was running around opening and closing the doors and the smoke was
 
 21) 
 
 getting strong. Dominic Christo told me that Andrew Timko would 
 tell my brother and they went to tell the diggers to come out. My driver 
 said, 'Bill, give us a cage; every one is going to die here/ and he said, 
 'No, we are going to put the fire out and start to work again.' I says, 
 'You ought to notify them diggers inside that is working in there/ and 
 he says to me to run and tell them. It was after that that I told 
 Dominic. They were hoisting coal then with the main cage. Some 
 parties went up for a hose. They got the hose, then put something over 
 their faces and tried to go into the barn to fasten it, but could not get 
 in. My driver said, 'Bill, if you don't give us a cage, we are all going 
 to choke/ but after that he gave us a cage for the smoke was too strong. 
 As we were going up I hollered to McFadden to notify them diggers and 
 he ran back." 
 
 William Maxwell testified that his home was in Spring Valley, but 
 that he had been working for some time at Cherry, and that on the 
 13th of November he was working in the third vein in the southwest. 
 He said : "I saw smoke coming in at the face and it got so mighty hot 
 and thick that I got a little alarmed and came out to see the cause of 
 it. I thought it was a sheet that had taken afire. I would judge that 
 was about half past two; it was all of that anyhow. I came out to the 
 bottom; the smoke got thicker all the way. I couldn't see anything 
 because of it until I came to the bottom and I saw there was one man 
 with a hose putting out some burning hay that had fallen into the 
 shaft. The car and all was in the sump. As I started to go up the 
 ladder to go home some one said that the middle vein is on fire, so I 
 went back after my son ; he had been with me at the face of the entry. I 
 went back to him and when we returned to the bottom there was nobody 
 there then. We went up the ladder and up the stairway and when we 
 reached the top at the second vein it took two of us to lift that door 
 that you have to raise when you come up. After traveling that distance 
 in that unlivable smoke you are not in a very good shape to lift a heavy 
 door made of sheet iron which was about 2 feet square. 
 
 "After my son and I lifted it we came out, but .two Italian men who 
 followed us did not get out. They fell on the road between the ladders 
 and the cage in the second vein. My boy dropped about 70 feet away 
 from the cage; there were two parties that went down later and rescued 
 him. I went on staggering to the cage and Mr. Eosenjack helped me 
 on the cage and asked me if I could take hold of the bar myself and I 
 said I could, so I came up alone on the cage. About six or eight minutes 
 afterwards my son was brought up. I should judge that we were about 
 the last that came out of the bottom vein." 
 
 Robert Shaw testified that he lived at Spring Valley, had been a 
 coal miner for about ten years and that he went into the mine on the 
 second Wednesday after the fire at about 2:00 o'clock. He said: "I 
 went down in the cage to the second level and from there to the third 
 vein. I had to slide down a rope 10 or 12 feet to reach the cage that 
 took us to the third vein. There were four of us and when we got off 
 the cage we stepped into water and walked 'for about 150 feet, I suppose. 
 We went to the west side first, returned and hollered up and told them
 
 30 
 
 we were going to the east side ; we walked off and went to the first entry 
 north, northeast is what they call it, I guess. We found men there ; and 
 also as we came in we found the canvass, all stuck up round the bottom 
 and the rails stacked up to keep the air from going forward or so the 
 air could get through it. We walked into three or four entries to the 
 second switch and there found many dead men; beside them were three 
 pieces of slate, one piece had marked on it the number of men that 
 came up to this point in bunches. It was beside a fellow that was sitting 
 up against the timber. There was one bunch of thirty-five; another 
 piece of slate had marked on it twenty-three, etc.; that was the last 
 bunch that came I think; the figures totaled on these pieces of slate 168. 
 The men were all lying right along the road to the left, to the right and 
 to the straight. They were about 500 feet from the hoisting shaft. We 
 counted forty-nine men and merely looked over the rest. They had con- 
 structed a fan like the paddle of a little steamer for the purpose of 
 furnishing air for breathing; it was made out of boxes they had down 
 there for their tools. It was about 3 feet in diameter. We found one 
 bucket on the west side of the shaft with a piece of bread and a piece of 
 cheese in it. The bottom was fixed with canvas to keep the smoke or 
 whatever it was that came there away from them." 
 
 George Eddy testified that he lived at Cherry, was 48 years of age 
 and mine examiner for the St. Paul Coal Company. He said : "At 
 about 1 :30 in the afternoon of November 13th last I was on top of the 
 shaft sitting down there on the third vein engine house steps, the first 
 knowledge I had that there was a fire was when I saw the smoke coming 
 out of the shaft ; I went right down on the first cage ; the first thing I 
 did was to ask one of the drivers to loan me his lamp and he said he 
 had only one lamp; I said, 'Well, lend me your lamp until I go to the 
 cupboard/ and we have some there so I got a torch and went into the 
 air shaft. Mr. Norberg was ahead of me; there was a car of hay on fire 
 and it had caught the timbers in the lagging and Mr. Norberg says, 
 'George, the whole thing is afire.' I says, 'Yes, it is working on the 
 roof/ So Mr. Norberg turned around and came back and I followed 
 him out and before we got out somebody opened the two check doors. 
 Then when we got through into the big bottom I went up on the west 
 side to see if we could do anything about getting the fire out. 
 
 "I found some empty cars and a team of mules near the air shaft 
 and hay on the other side; there was nobody in there but me and I came 
 up to the big bottom to get some one to help me. There was nothing on the 
 west side of the bottom, the flames were coming through there and I 
 just took my torch and went inside to get all the men out I could. I 
 went up on the second west to notify the men when I met the drivers 
 on the parting and they asked me what was the matter; I told them 
 to get out just as soon as possible, just as fast as they could and leave 
 their mules and everything there and run. They all started out for the 
 bottom and then I went into the sixth south entry. There are twenty- 
 two rooms turned in that entry but they are all finished up to eighteen. 
 That is the first room working; I notified them and got them all out, 
 came out again to the main entry and met John Bundy and told him the
 
 31 
 
 shaft is on fire, and he asked me where it was and I told him it was 
 between the air shaft and the main shaft. I told him I had got all the 
 men out there and he said I should go in and get these others to the 
 south, so I went in and notified them and then I notified the men in 
 the seventh and eighth south and then I met Mr. Waite and told him 
 what was wrong and he said you finish this entry and I will go in the 
 nine and ten north, so we did that and met on the switch and we waited 
 there until all the men came out. 
 
 "When we got the men all out ahead of us and got down to near the 
 mouth of the entry, we could not get out, we were blocked in on account 
 of the black damp and smoke; there were twenty-one men with us; we 
 went back up the entry and tried to go out another road and we found 
 the black damp was stronger there than it was where we were, so we 
 went back into the main entry again. Then we tried two or three times 
 to get out on Saturday and Sunday, but we couldn't get out ; every time 
 we would try it we were further away from the bottom, so we saw that 
 we were not going to get to the cage because the black damp was pressing 
 us in from both sections and we knew it was going to fill up the face 
 and that we would smother in there, so we went in and built a wall across 
 the second west entry and we built across the first west entry of dirt and 
 we were inside there seven days or until the rescuing party came for us.''
 
 32 
 
 RESCUE OF TWENTY-ONE MEN. 
 
 TKe story of George Eddy is particularly interesting, for his experience 
 is connected with the gathering together of twenty-one men who walled 
 themselves away from the fire and smoke by closing up an entry and 
 living therein for eight days, after which they were rescued by parties 
 who had ventured to go into the mine for the purpose of getting out 
 dead bodies, but not expecting to find any one alive. 
 
 These men were notified by Eddy on the afternoon of the fire, but 
 after they had collected they could not reach the shaft and after one man 
 had died they were compelled to retreat to a distance where they could 
 find an entry containing a living atmosphere. George Eddy and Walter 
 Waite persisted in the attempt to find their way out. They all then spent 
 the first night huddled together at a safe distance from the main shaft 
 hoping the fire would die out and that they would be able to make their 
 escape,' but the next morning they encountered black damp and had to- 
 retreat further back; George Eddy and Walter Waite made a desperate 
 effort but were overcome in the attempt. They decided that their only 
 safety lay in walling themselves in until a change in the condition of the 
 mine took place. 
 
 Here they remained, with nothing to. eat and very little water, for 
 seven days. They had a light from Saturday, the day they were entrapped, 
 until Tuesday, when their oil gave out. They were able with the aid of 
 their picks to dig a few holes, into which there run some water, but it 
 was of so poor a quality that it was not of much value. Here they lived 
 in hope and in prayer that their lives might be spared and that they 
 might be able- to return to their families. 
 
 The suffering which they endured from hunger, suffocation and the 
 thought of their most certain death is almost undescribable. Here they 
 dwelt in darkness and despair, writing notes to their loved ones whom 
 they had given up all hope of ever seeing again. At the end of a week's 
 time they were getting in such a weakened condition that they knew 
 they could not hold out much longer, so they agreed that the four who 
 were the strongest were to make a last attempt to get out even 
 though they should die in their efforts. This was on Saturday evening, 
 November 20th. 
 
 It was in this attempt, as they struggled toward the escapement shaft 
 finding better air than existed before, that they encountered the rescue 
 party, consisting of David Powell, mine superintendent of the Braceville 
 mine; Father Hanney of St. Manx's church of Mendota, 111.; Captain
 
 33 
 
 Kenney of the Chicago Fire Department and three other firemen. It was 
 the greatest surprise to the rescuing party to hear voices of human beings 
 in the mine, when they expected to find nothing but dead men. After 
 coming in contact with these four men and after a most heartfelt and 
 thankful greeting they lost no time in finding out how many there were 
 and preparing for their safe deliverance and rescue. They soon run 
 across four others who had followed the first four. Those who were left 
 were not able to walk. 
 
 It would be hard for us to comprehend the joy and expectations that 
 existed in Cherry when the news was spread that men had been found 
 alive. Each one hoped that all would be found and that their own dear 
 loved one was among the rescued. Those who were rescued were : George 
 Eddy, Walter Waite, Thomas White, John Lorimer, Frank Waite, 
 Thomas Brown, John Barnoski, John Semich, George Semich, George 
 Stimez, Frank Sanerania, Q. Antenore, Daniel Holafcak, William Cle- 
 land, Fred Lauzi, Slivatore Piggatti, Josept Piggatti, Bonfiglio Kuggeri, 
 Fred Prohaska and Frank Prohaska, 
 
 Daniel Holafick, the oldest man in the party, was not able to stand 
 the ordeal through which he had passed and died the day after his 
 rescue, Sunday, November 21st. 
 
 The meeting of these men with their families and friends was a bright 
 spot in the history of the dark days around the .little village of Cherry, 
 for they had been mourned as dead. 
 
 It encouraged the rescuing parties to search for others that might have 
 so protected themselves, but no more were to be found. The others had 
 died in their attempts to reach the escape shaft. 
 
 OPENING OF THE MINE. 
 
 Mr. McDonald arrived at Cherry on Sunday morning, November 14th, 
 and says the main shaft was sealed up and the escape shaft partly sealed. 
 The work of directing the relief and rescue was in charge of the State 
 Mine Inspectors, and also mine experts from Urbana, and, later on, men 
 from the United States Eescue Station at Pittsburg. Eichard Newsam 
 was directing this work. An effort was being made to enter the escape 
 shaft, which was only partially successful. 
 
 On Sunday, the 14th, the main shaft was opened and two men with 
 helmets were lowered to the second vein. They reported that with a 
 sufficient supply of water and suitable hose they could have extinguished 
 the flames, but the only available hose was so large and cumbersome and 
 the supply of water, which was furnished by tanks on flat cars hauled from 
 Ladd or Mendota, so inadequate, as to seriously handicap the work of 
 fighting the fire, and the men with the helmets were soon driven out and 
 the mine sealed again. 
 
 Two days later the main shaft was opened again, and with the valuable 
 assistance of the Chicago and Ladd firemen, who displayed great courage, 
 the mine was again entered and the fire placed under control, tempo- 
 rarily, and the work of taking out the bodies began. 
 
 3 C
 
 34 
 
 On Saturday, one week after the fire, some practical miners took charge 
 of the rescue work, and by noon some fifty bodies were taken out, a 
 at 1 -00 o'clock some men were discovered alive and twenty-one taken out. 
 
 On the east side of the shaft at the second vein bottom, where the 
 had burned out the timbers, an immense fall had occurred, * 
 fallen some 40 or 50 feet high, and made it unsafe to get oft the cage 
 on that side as the rock was continually dropping, making it impo; 
 to explore that side of the mine. 
 
 On the west side the entries were standing about as well as before, b 
 the black damp was so bad it was impossible to enter many ( 
 without helmets. 
 
 The partings were blocked with loaded cars and dead mules, which 
 were in such a state of decomposition as to make it almost imposs: 
 
 get beyond them. 
 
 ' After passing the first main parting in the south entry, we encounters 
 a group of some ten bodies, one in the center in the attitude of prayer. 
 From there on the sights were horrifying. Men's bodies singly and in 
 groups were encountered, and the stench was such as to tax to the 
 the strength of the rescuers. 
 
 A great deal was accomplished in rescue work during the day, t 
 that night a number of the inspectors returned, and on Sunday a new 
 mine manager was employed and the entire day was consumed in explo: 
 ing certain sections of the mine and discussing theories among 
 so-called experts, and the work of rescuing the bodies was, by their 
 orders, practically discontinued. Fortunately, the mine manager who 
 was engaged in the morning resigned in the afternoon, and, after vigorous 
 protests by the miners and the officials of the United Mine Workers, the 
 work of rescue was resumed. 
 
 On the following day a meeting of the executive board of the Mil 
 Workers of Illinois was held at Cherry, who selected a committee to visit 
 the management and the inspectors to demand that steps be at once take 
 to explore the third vein, and to protest against the dilatory tactic 
 employed, and volunteer their assistance in making the exploration. 
 After ome further delay a committee of miners were lowered into t 
 third vein and reported finding all the men gathered in one group wh( 
 they had met death together. 
 
 During the entire proceedings much valuable time was consumed by 
 those in charge discussing theories, and there is no secret of the fact that 
 harmony was a stranger between the State and Federal forces. 
 
 There were too many bosses, and apparently no one in authority, 
 of the experts made the statement a few days after the accident that 
 the mine might as well be sealed up and abandoned entirely, notwith 
 standing the fact that twenty-one men were taken out alive some days 
 
 1 Q"f pV 
 
 The miners' executive board finally appealed to Governor Deneen by 
 wire to put some one in charge of the work, and registered a vigorous 
 protect againsi the delay; but by this time the fire had again begun tc 
 burn more fiercely, and the mine \va? again scaled and remained sealed 
 until Feb. 1. 1910.
 
 35 
 
 On this date the concrete top that sealed the mine was broken and, 
 after thorough tests by the officials and experts, it was found that the 
 fire had been smothered out. A party of men, headed by Richard New- 
 sam and Thomas Moses, made the first descent into the mine and found 
 the fire entirely extinguished. 
 
 Work was begun at once at removing the debris, falling timbers and 
 numerous cave-ins through the direction of the above men and State 
 Inspectors John Dunlop, Thomas Hudson, Hector McAllister and mine 
 officials; volunteers were called for and soon a large force of men were 
 at work, but it was not until February 18th they could get far enough 
 away from the main shaft to discern the bodies of the men they failed 
 to reach before sealing the shaft. It was then that eleven bodies were 
 found. On February 19th, four more were found and on the 21st two 
 more. On March 2d two more were found and on the 4th day of March 
 sixty-one bodies were found hudled together as if they had banded them- 
 selves together for mutual protection. 
 
 On April 10th thirty-one were found in a like manner, as it appears 
 that they had met their death from the foul air and the poisonous gases. 
 They had constructed fans out of 1x12 inch boards, mounted them upon 
 mine props and they had turned them by the aid of mine machine 
 handles. On one of the blades was written: "All alive 2 p. m., 14." 
 Other bodies were subsequently found until in all 251 bodies had been 
 discovered Aug. 1, 1910. There were probably eight remaining in the 
 mine in some cave that has as yet been unaccessible. 
 
 The second vein of the mine has been abandoned by the company and 
 they will continue to work only the third or lower vein. The mine is 
 at this date, September 1st, about ready for operation. 
 
 NAMES OF THOSE KILLED. 
 
 I 
 
 We herewith publish the names of those killed, as reported to us by 
 the company, their check numbers,, occupations, wages, age, nativity, 
 residence, conjugal relationship, together with the names of the children 
 left, if any.
 
 3G 
 
 CHEERY MINE DISASTER. 
 
 VICTIMS. 
 
 6 
 Z 
 
 J4 
 
 
 u 
 
 a 
 
 o 
 
 Name. 
 
 Occupation. 
 
 Wages. 
 
 Age. 
 
 Nativity. 
 
 547 
 291 
 510 
 240 
 2 47 
 131 
 Co .. 
 
 Co .. 
 
 86 
 155 
 110 
 25 
 
 289 
 108 
 274 
 170 
 573 
 538 
 536 
 228 
 210 
 191 
 169 
 272 
 17 
 
 498 
 208 
 294 
 447 
 569 
 579 
 309 
 Co .. 
 
 Co .. 
 Co .. 
 Co .. 
 Co .. 
 
 597 
 489 
 479 
 451 
 415 
 37 
 585 
 231 
 36 
 196 
 
 Amider, Altio 
 
 Miner 
 
 
 18 
 40 
 
 Italian 
 
 Agramanti , Foliani 
 
 . .do 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 Alexius, Joseph 
 
 . do 
 
 
 28 
 
 . .do 
 
 Atalakis, Peter 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 34 
 39 
 
 
 Atalakis, G 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 Adakosky, M. .... 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 18 
 32 
 
 33 
 
 31 
 43 
 40 
 34 
 
 24 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 
 $2 56 
 2 56 
 
 Italian .... 
 
 Armelani, Paul 
 
 . do 
 
 ..do 
 
 Burke, Joseph 
 
 Miner . 
 
 Irish 
 
 Bauer, Milce 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 German 
 
 Brain, Oliver 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 Scotch 
 
 Burslie, Clemento 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Italian 
 
 Bolla, Antonio 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 Bastia, Mike ... 
 
 do 
 
 
 28 
 51 
 32 
 28 
 31 
 26 
 33 
 
 ..do 
 
 Brown, Thomas 
 
 . do 
 
 
 English 
 
 Bo'la, Peter 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Italian 
 
 Bawman , Frank .... 
 
 do 
 
 
 Belgium 
 
 Bawman, Lewis 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 . .do 
 
 Barozzi, Antone. 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 Italian .. 
 
 Bruno, Kdward 
 
 . do 
 
 
 do 
 
 Bredenci, Peter 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 30 
 30 
 39 
 25 
 31 
 
 26 
 33 
 30 
 22 
 34 
 
 Lithuanian . . 
 
 Budzon, Joseph 
 
 ..do .... 
 
 
 Polish 
 
 Boucher, Jerome. 
 
 . do . . * . . 
 
 
 Belgium 
 
 Bakalar, Geo 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Slavish 
 
 Bayliff, Thomas ... 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 English 
 
 Bernadini, Chas .... 
 
 do 
 
 
 Italian 
 
 Bosviel, Adolph 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 
 Budzom , Chas 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Polish 
 
 Bertolioni, Tonzothe 
 
 . .do . . . 
 
 
 Italian 
 
 Benossif, J 
 
 ..do .. 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 Hut ilia, August 
 
 ..do .. 
 
 
 32 
 
 ..do 
 
 Bordesona, Joseph 
 
 do 
 
 
 35 
 
 . .do 
 
 Betot, John 
 
 Brown, John 
 Buckets, Richard 
 
 Trackman . .. 
 
 2 56 
 
 2 56 
 1 40 
 2 56 
 
 40 
 83 
 
 Lithuanian 
 
 
 
 Spragger .. 
 
 German 
 
 Bruzis, John 
 Bundy, John.. 
 
 Timberman 
 
 Lithuanian . . 
 do 
 
 
 Costi, Angelo 
 
 Miner 
 
 
 23 
 24 
 
 Italian . 
 
 Ciocci, Peter 
 
 . .do . 
 
 
 ..do .. 
 
 Canov, Carivo 
 
 .do 
 
 
 33 
 
 do . 
 
 Cioci, Canical 
 
 .00 
 
 
 22 
 
 ..do 
 
 Costi , Lewis 
 
 .do 
 
 
 22 
 
 do 
 
 Cam ill i, Frank 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 36 
 26 
 27 
 56 
 32 
 
 French 
 
 Casseno, John 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 Italian 
 
 Castoinelo, Chelstd 
 Cagoskey, John 
 
 ..do 
 ..do 
 
 
 . .do 
 Slavish 
 
 Chebubar, Joseph 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Austrian . 
 
 
 

 
 37 
 
 NOVEMBER 13, 1909. 
 
 VICTIMS. 
 
 Married or 
 single. 
 
 Children Name and age 
 
 Residence. 
 
 Remarks. 
 
 Single 
 
 
 Cherry. 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 ..do... 
 
 
 Married .-.. 
 
 Teressa, 3; babe, 2 weeks. .. 
 
 ..do 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 
 
 
 No particulars 
 
 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 Single 
 
 
 Cherry 
 
 
 Married . .... 
 
 Albert, 5; John, 3; Edith, 2 
 
 
 
 
 mos 
 
 ..do 
 
 Widow and three children 
 
 ..do 
 
 Richard, 8; Marco, 7; Albert, 
 
 
 
 
 6; Kachael, 4; Caroline, 2.. 
 
 
 Widow and five children 
 
 .do... 
 
 Joseph, 2 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and one child 
 
 .do 
 . .do ... 
 
 Mary, 18 
 Beatrice, 10; Winnie, 6 . .. 
 
 ..do 
 . do 
 
 .do 
 Widow and two children 
 
 ..do 
 
 Sidney, 6; Rolando, 3; in- 
 
 
 
 
 fant 
 
 do 
 
 Widow and three children 
 
 Single 
 
 
 
 
 Married 
 
 Marlco, 6 mos 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and child .. 
 
 .do 
 
 
 
 Widow 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 Dowardo, 6 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and child 
 
 Single 
 
 
 
 
 Married 
 
 August, 6 
 
 Cherry . . .. 
 
 Widow and child .. 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 
 Widow 
 
 do . 
 
 Josie,9; Antone,8; Teressa, 2 
 
 
 Widow and three children 
 
 ..do .. 
 
 Annie. 2; Mary, 1 ... 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 . .do . . . 
 
 Sati&lar, 3; Joseph, 2 
 
 . .do 
 
 ..do 
 
 do .. 
 
 Amelia, 17 
 
 do . .. 
 
 Widow and one child 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 George, 10 mos 
 
 . do 
 
 ..do 
 
 do 
 
 Rosie Pearl, 18; John Lin- 
 
 
 
 
 coln, 1 . 
 
 do 
 
 Widow and two children... 
 
 ..do. . 
 
 Child, 2 wks 
 
 ..do... 
 
 Widow and child 
 
 do 
 
 Clatilda, 15; Bertha, 15 
 
 do 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 ..do 
 
 Infant 
 
 .do 
 
 Widow and child 
 
 Single 
 
 
 
 
 .do 
 
 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Married 
 
 Annie, 9; John, 5; Sophia, 4; 
 
 
 
 
 Mary, 2 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and four children 
 
 Single 
 
 
 . .do . . ." 
 
 
 Mother.. 
 
 Albert 15- Lottie, 11 . .. 
 
 .do 
 
 Mother and two children 
 
 
 
 
 
 Married. 
 
 Alfred, Amv, William Flor- 
 
 
 
 
 ence, Herbert, Ethel, Lin- 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and eight children 
 
 Single 
 
 
 . .do 
 
 
 . .do 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Married . 
 
 
 
 Widow and two children in Italy 
 
 
 
 
 
 Single 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and one child .... 
 
 Single 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 do 
 
 John 16' Andrew, 11; Mike 7 
 
 . do 
 
 Widow and three children 
 
 . .do 
 
 Joseph, 7; Mary, 6; Phillip.3: 
 
 
 
 
 John, 1 .. 
 
 ..do... 
 
 Widow and four children . . .
 
 38 
 
 Victims 
 
 
 
 Z 
 
 M 
 
 1 
 
 u 
 
 Name. 
 
 Occupation. 
 
 Wages. 
 
 Age. 
 
 Nativity. 
 
 572 
 
 410 
 
 203 
 97 
 105 
 129 
 436 
 53U 
 
 570 
 
 Co .. 
 Co .. 
 
 35 
 
 7 
 38 
 58 
 269 
 151 
 461 
 236 
 Co .. 
 Co .. 
 416 
 241 
 487 
 554 
 Co .. 
 153 
 47 
 370 
 
 Co .. 
 Co .. 
 Co .. 
 
 Co .. 
 Co .. 
 204 
 
 258 
 
 187 
 528 
 531 
 
 586 
 493 
 486 
 
 575 
 14 
 119 
 
 189 
 
 80 
 114 
 221 
 
 ISf 
 
 66 
 
 206 
 262 
 
 Casol lari , Kli/.io 
 
 Miner 
 
 
 29 
 21 
 
 34 
 
 Italian ... 
 
 Conlon, Henry 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 French. 
 
 Cohard, Henry . 
 
 . .do . . . 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 Cipola, Mike 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 40 
 
 28 
 28 
 40 
 
 Slavish. . . 
 
 Clark. Robt 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 Scotch 
 
 Carlo, Elfl . .. 
 
 do... 
 
 
 Italian 
 
 Casolari, Dimiuick . 
 
 ..do . 
 
 
 ..do . 
 
 Cavaglini, Chas 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 45 
 33 
 
 ..do 
 
 Compasso, John 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 Debulka. John 
 
 Driver 
 
 $2 56 
 
 27 
 49 
 
 Slavish . . . 
 
 Dovin, Andrew 
 
 Miner ... 
 
 . .do 
 
 Donaldson, John 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 46 
 
 18 
 29 
 33 
 
 Scotch 
 
 Dovin, George. 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Slavish 
 
 Demesey, Fred 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 French 
 
 Humont, Leopold 
 
 . .do . . . 
 
 
 Belgium 
 
 Detournev. Victor 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 36 
 
 . .do 
 
 Uenalfi, Francisco 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 30 
 26 
 22 
 
 Italian 
 
 Durand, Benjamin 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 French .. .. 
 
 Dunko, John 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Slavish 
 
 Durclan, Andrew 
 
 Timberman helper. 
 Trapper 
 
 2 36 
 1 13 
 
 
 Davies, Jno. G 
 Elario , M iestre 
 
 17 
 24 
 
 18 
 23 
 
 r>5 
 
 
 Miner... 
 
 Italian 
 
 Klko, George 
 
 ..do... 
 
 
 Slavish 
 
 Eloses, Peter 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Italian 
 
 Erickson, Chas 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 S* ede .. 
 
 Erickson, Eric 
 
 Timberman 
 
 2 56 
 
 39 
 30 
 40 
 34 
 
 32 
 35 
 48 
 
 23 
 49 
 
 42 
 
 49 
 
 34 
 29 
 41 
 
 33 
 
 ..do 
 
 Farlo, John 
 
 Miner. 
 
 Italian 
 
 Fayen, Peter 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 French 
 
 Forgach, John 
 
 . .do 
 
 
 
 Formento, Dominick 
 
 Grocer 
 
 
 Italian 
 
 Freebirg, Ole 
 
 Timberman .. 
 
 2 56 
 2 56 
 
 2 56 
 
 Swede . 
 
 Francisco, John 
 
 Francisco, August 
 Flood, John 
 
 ..do 
 
 Driver 
 Merchant 
 
 Austrian 
 
 ..do 
 Irish 
 
 Governer, Jno 
 
 Miner 
 
 
 Belgium 
 
 Grehaski, Andrew 
 
 ..do .-. 
 
 
 Slavish 
 
 Gugleilm, Peter 
 
 ..do . 
 
 
 Italian 
 
 Garletti, J ; 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 
 Guidarini, Jno 
 
 do 
 
 
 Italian 
 
 Gialcolzza, Angone 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 .A>... 
 
 Garabelda, Jno 
 
 do 
 
 
 35 
 
 . .do 
 
 Gulick, Joseph 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 34 
 
 28 
 19 
 
 Austrian 
 
 Gwaltyeri, Jalindy.. .. .... 
 
 do 
 
 
 Italian 
 
 Garletti, Jno 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 . .do 
 
 Geckse, Frank 
 
 . do 
 
 
 20 
 34 
 
 34 
 
 28 
 28 
 20 
 45 
 
 25 
 39 
 
 Austrian 
 
 Grumeth, Frank 
 
 do 
 
 
 
 Gibbs, Lewis 
 
 Timberman. 
 
 2.56 
 
 English 
 
 Halko, Mike 
 
 Miner .... 
 
 Slavish .. 
 
 Hadovski, Steve 
 
 do... 
 
 
 do 
 
 Howard, Samuel 
 
 .do 
 
 
 French .. 
 
 Hudar, Jno 
 
 do 
 
 
 
 Hynds, William 
 
 .do 
 
 
 
 Hertzel, Jno 
 
 .do 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 39 
 
 Continued. 
 
 Married or 
 Single. 
 
 Children Name and Age. 
 
 Residence. 
 
 Remarks. 
 
 Single 
 
 
 Seatonville.... 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 Cherry . . 
 
 Supporting threesisters; Minnie, 
 
 Married 
 
 Henry. 7; Marcal, 4; Paul, 3 
 
 . .do 
 
 18; Laura, 10; Dora, 5 
 Widow and three children 
 
 do 
 
 Mike, 9; Annie, 8; Andrew, 4 
 
 Streator 
 
 . .do .... 
 
 
 
 Scotland 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 Cherry 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 Italy 
 
 
 Married 
 
 Jennie, 13; James 11, Sam- 
 
 
 
 
 uel, 8 
 
 .do 
 
 Wife dead; three children 
 
 .do 
 
 Annie. 6; Frank, 5; Mamie, 
 
 
 
 
 4. infant 5 mos 
 
 Cherrv .... 
 
 Widow and four children 
 
 do 
 
 Infant 
 
 . .do . . ." 
 
 
 do 
 
 Annie, 16; Emma, 14; Mar- 
 
 
 
 
 garet, 13; Joseph, 11 ; Susie, 
 9; Frausley, 7; Albert 4; 
 Caroline, 3 
 
 . .do 
 
 Widow and eight children . .. 
 
 .do 
 
 Flenan, 21; John, 15; James, 
 
 
 
 
 10 
 
 .do... 
 
 Widow and three children 
 
 Single 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Married 
 
 Victor, 12; Julia, 9; Eddy7.. 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 do 
 
 John. 6 mos 
 
 do 
 
 Widow and one child 
 
 do 
 
 Marsalle 2 
 
 .do 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 Infant 
 
 . .do 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 
 
 No particulars 
 
 
 
 Cherry 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 Cardiff 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 Austria 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 Italy 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 Cherry 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 Cherry 
 
 
 Married . .. 
 
 
 .do 
 
 Widow, no children 
 
 ..do 
 
 John, 8; Albert, 5; Andrew, 
 3; Louisa, 1 .... 
 
 do . 
 
 Widow, four children 
 
 do 
 
 Mary, 4; John, 1 
 
 . do 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 Single 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Married 
 
 Peter, 22; Matt, 15; John, 13; 
 
 
 
 
 Zony, 12; Mary, 10; Willie. 
 8;Veronica, 7; Jennie and 
 Joe, 3 
 
 do 
 
 Widow and nine children 
 
 Single 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 . .do 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Married 
 
 Clara, 18; Martha, 16; Theo- 
 
 
 
 
 dore. 14 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and three children 
 
 do 
 
 Boy, 16; boy, 12; boy, 3; girl, 
 
 
 
 
 20; girl, 18; girl, 9 
 
 Streator.. 
 
 Widow and six children 
 
 ..do 
 
 Mary, 8; Annie, 4 
 
 Cherry ... 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 
 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 Aldo, 11; Amelia, 9; Annie, 
 6; Antonia, 3 
 
 do 
 
 Widow and four children 
 
 . xlo ... 
 
 Minnie, 6; Phillip, 2 
 
 Cedar Point,. 
 
 
 Single 
 
 
 Italy 
 
 
 Married . 
 
 Johanna 10; Josie, 5; George 
 
 
 
 
 1 mo. 
 
 Cherry . 
 
 Widow and three children 
 
 
 
 .do ... 
 
 
 
 
 . .do 
 
 Widow mother and six children 
 
 
 
 
 
 .do 
 
 
 
 Widow and two children in 
 
 
 
 
 Austria 
 
 Single 
 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 Married 
 
 
 do 
 
 Widow, no children 
 
 ..do 
 
 Child, 6 mos 
 
 ..do 
 
 Widow and one child 
 
 Single 
 
 
 do 
 
 Mother . 
 
 Married 
 
 Annie. 14; Mary, 12; George, 
 
 
 
 
 6; Susie, 4; Lizzie, 2; John, 
 infant.. ."... 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 Widow and six children 
 
 . xlo . . . 
 
 
 do 
 
 Widow and one child 
 
 ..do 
 
 Mary, 19; Susanna. 18; Teres- 
 sa. 14; Louisa, 11; John, 7; 
 Martha, 5; Hanna, 3; Aug- 
 ust, infant .. 
 
 ..do... 
 
 Widow and eight children...
 
 40 
 
 Victims- 
 
 Check No. 
 
 Name. 
 
 Occupation. 
 
 Wages. 
 
 Age. 
 
 Nativity. 
 
 290 
 
 216 
 413 
 Co .. 
 161 
 485 
 Co .. 
 186 
 4 
 
 127 
 141 
 170 
 182 
 72 
 73 
 
 94 
 61 
 197 
 48 
 56 
 568 
 444 
 Co .. 
 171 
 26 
 288 
 
 193 
 492 
 468 
 467 
 472 
 533 
 
 512 
 
 567 
 Co .. 
 Co .. 
 Co .. 
 Co . 
 133 
 
 91 
 
 128 
 134 
 
 174 
 
 305 
 102 
 
 32 
 
 60 
 280 
 549 
 599 
 331 
 327 
 263 
 101 
 139 
 24 
 34 
 63 
 95 
 551 
 552 
 
 200 
 172 
 
 Halofcak, Dan 
 
 Miner 
 
 
 45 
 
 Slavish 
 
 Rescued Nov. 20; died 48 hours 
 after. 
 Harpka, Joseph 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 52 
 25 
 16 
 43 
 
 Austrian 
 
 Hainan!, August.. 
 
 do 
 
 
 
 Howard, Alfred 
 
 Trapper 
 
 $1.13 
 
 ..do 
 
 James, Frank 
 
 Miner 
 
 Scotch. 
 
 Janavizza, Joe 
 
 . .do 
 
 
 
 Jamison, James 
 Klemiar, Thomas 
 
 Driver 
 
 Miner . 
 
 2.56 
 
 20 
 5 
 42 
 
 30 
 41 
 24 
 
 
 German 
 
 Kanz, Jno 
 Kussner, Julias 
 
 ..do 
 . do .. 
 
 
 Austrian 
 German 
 
 Klaeser, Jno 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 Klemiar, Richard 
 
 ..do .. 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 Kometz, John... 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 53 
 15 
 
 56 
 
 23 
 
 42 
 5S 
 33 
 38 
 21 
 
 Slavish 
 
 Krall, Alfred . . 
 
 . do 
 
 
 Polish 
 
 Krall. Henry 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 Kroll, Alex. S 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 Kenig, John 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Austrian 
 
 Klemiar, Geo. 
 
 do 
 
 
 
 Korvonia, Joseph 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Austrian 
 
 Kovocivio, Frank 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 . do 
 
 Korvonia, Antone 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 Russian 
 
 Kutz, Paul 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 33 
 24 
 26 
 24 
 
 Lithuanian . . 
 
 Kliklunas, Dominick 
 Love, James 
 
 Driver 
 
 Miner .. 
 
 2 56 
 
 ..do 
 
 Scotch . . 
 
 Leyshon, Chas 
 
 do 
 
 
 Welch 
 
 Lukatchko, Andrew 
 
 . do 
 
 
 35 
 
 26 
 26 
 31 
 34 
 
 Slavish 
 
 Leptack, John 
 
 . do 
 
 
 . do 
 
 Lonzotti, John 
 
 ..do . 
 
 
 Italian 
 
 Love, Morrison 
 
 ..do... 
 
 
 Scotch . . 
 
 Love, John 
 
 do 
 
 
 Ao 
 
 Love, David 
 
 ..do . 
 
 
 24 
 37 
 
 32 
 21 
 
 ..do 
 
 Leynaud, Urban 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 French 
 
 Lonzetti, Seicomo 
 
 ..do .. 
 
 
 Italian 
 
 Lallie, Frank ... 
 
 do . 
 
 
 do 
 
 Lurnas, M ike 
 Leadache, Joseph 
 
 Timberman 
 
 2 56 
 1 13 
 2 56 
 
 ..do 
 
 Trapper 
 
 16 
 20 
 33 
 40 
 
 20 
 19 
 
 Lithuanian 
 
 Leadache, Frank 
 Lewis, Isaac 
 
 Driver 
 Liveryman. 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Leadache, James 
 
 Miner .... 
 
 
 Lithuanian 
 
 Mumetich Hasan 
 
 do 
 
 
 Austrian 
 
 Miller or Malner, Lewis 
 
 do 
 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 Miller or Malner, Joseph 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 39 
 
 ..do 
 
 Miller, Edward.. 
 
 .do ... 
 
 
 33 
 43 
 36 
 
 62 
 44 
 54 
 to 
 32 
 52 
 
 
 Mokos, Joseph 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Slavish. 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 Austrian 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 Scotch 
 
 Mills Edward .... 
 
 .do 
 
 
 English 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 Austrian ,. 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 Belgium 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 Italian. 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 .do 
 
 
 .do . 
 
 
 26 
 
 Slavish 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 29 
 37 
 27 
 25 
 26 
 27 
 17 
 
 English.. 
 
 Mittle Jno .. 
 
 . do . 
 
 
 Lithuanian 
 
 Mayelemis, Prank 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 Masenetta Anton 
 
 do 
 
 
 Italian. 
 
 
 .do 
 
 
 
 McCandless, Robert.. .... 
 
 do 
 
 
 Scotch 
 
 McGill. Jno. Jr 
 
 . do 
 
 
 .do 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 25 
 
 do 
 
 McCrudden, Peter 
 
 do 
 
 
 48 
 
 do 
 
 McMullen Geo 
 
 do 
 
 
 24 
 
 do 
 
 Mazenetto, Jno... 
 
 ..do... 
 
 
 18 
 
 Italian...
 
 41 
 
 Continued. 
 
 Married or 
 single. 
 
 Children Name and age. 
 
 Residence. 
 
 Remarks. 
 
 Married 
 
 Mary, 18, Annie, 1R; Susie, 
 
 
 
 
 13; John, 12; Pauline. 10; 
 Maggie, 7; Steve, 3;Geo ,1 
 
 Cherry. . . 
 
 Widow and eight children. . .. 
 
 .do... 
 
 
 Austria 
 
 Widow and seven children 
 
 ..do 
 
 Dorica, 1 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and one child 
 
 Single 
 
 
 . do 
 
 
 Married -. 
 
 Daisy, 13 
 
 .do 
 
 Widow and one child 
 
 
 
 
 
 Single 
 
 
 Oglesby 
 
 Father 
 
 Married 
 
 Joseph, 6 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and one child 
 
 .do 
 
 Kathrine, 13; Killian, 12; 
 
 
 
 
 Marguerite, 7; Mary, 4 .... 
 
 do . 
 
 Widow and four children 
 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 Teressa, 10; Peter, 7.. 
 
 do . . 
 
 Widow and 2 children.. 
 
 Married .. 
 
 
 .do 
 
 Widow and no children 
 
 ..do . 
 
 Mike, 19; Mary, 17; Susie, 14 
 
 Streator 
 
 Widow and three children 
 
 Single 
 
 
 Cherry 
 
 
 Married 
 
 Eugene. 17; Selma, 12; Ber- 
 
 
 
 
 nard, 9; Edmund, 4 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 Widow and four children 
 
 . do . . . 
 
 
 do 
 
 Widow and no children 
 
 .do 
 
 
 Austria 
 
 Widow and six children 
 
 .do... 
 
 Charles, 14; Earnest, 10 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 .do 
 
 Joseph, 9 mo . .. 
 
 do 
 
 W idow and one child 
 
 .do 
 
 
 . do . 
 
 
 Single 
 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 Married 
 
 Barlico, 3; Powla, 3 
 
 do 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 Single 
 
 
 do . . 
 
 
 Married 
 
 Jeanette, 4; Christina, 2. . 
 
 Scotland 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 Single 
 
 
 Wales 
 
 
 Married 
 
 Amin, 12; Andrew,6; John, 
 
 
 
 
 4 
 
 Cherry .. . 
 
 Widow and three children 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 Mary, 2 .... 
 
 do 
 
 Widow and one child 
 
 .do... 
 
 
 . do 
 
 Widow 
 
 .do... 
 
 Morrison, 9; Jennette 3 
 
 Scotland 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 .do... 
 
 Morrison 10' Katy 7 
 
 Cherry 
 
 do 
 
 .do... 
 
 Morrison, 4; John, 2 
 
 Scotland . 
 
 .do 
 
 .do 
 
 Bertha, 13, George 3; Marco 
 
 
 
 
 6 mo 
 
 Cherry.. 
 
 Widow and three children 
 
 .do... 
 
 
 Italy 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 Single 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 Cherry 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 Married. 
 
 Robert, 8; Lola. 6; Isaac, 2 
 
 ..do 
 
 Widow and three children 
 
 . .do 
 
 Katie, 22; Josephine, 17- 
 
 
 
 
 Annie, 10 
 
 .do .. 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Single 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 Married 
 
 Mary, 17; Joseph, 7; Annie, 
 
 
 
 
 6! Eva, 4; Frank, 2 . 
 
 .do... 
 
 Widow and five children 
 
 .do... 
 
 Edmund, 7; Raymund, 5. 
 
 .do ... 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 ..do... 
 
 Mary, 17 
 
 ..do 
 
 Widow and one child 
 
 -.do 
 
 Joseph, 3; Cecil, 2; Mary, 3 
 mo 
 
 . .do . . . 
 
 Widow and three children .. 
 
 ..do . 
 
 
 . do . 
 
 .do. . 
 
 ..do 
 
 Edward, 9- Philip 7- Alma 
 
 do 
 
 ..do 
 
 . .do 
 
 
 do... 
 
 
 Married 
 
 Anton, 5 .. 
 
 ..do... 
 
 Widow and one child . . . 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 Olga, 1 
 
 .do 
 
 . .do 
 
 .do ... 
 
 
 
 Widow 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 Old country 
 
 Widow and one child 
 
 .Jo ... 
 
 Doris, 6; Harold, 2 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 .do 
 
 Mary, 7; Annie 6; Susie, 3.. 
 
 . .do 
 
 Widow and three children 
 
 Single 
 
 
 . .do 
 
 
 Married . .. 
 
 
 
 Widow and two childien 
 
 Single . . 
 
 
 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 Scotland 
 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 Cherry 
 
 
 . .do 
 
 
 . .do 
 
 
 Married 
 
 Marie. 11 ; Peter. 8; Kathrine, 
 
 
 
 
 4 - Margurite. 2 
 
 do... 
 
 Widow and four children 
 
 . .do 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 Widow and two children. 
 
 Single .. 
 
 

 
 42 
 
 Victims 
 
 Check No. 
 
 Name. 
 
 Occupation. 
 
 Wages. 
 
 Age. 
 
 Nativity. 
 
 546 
 Co .. 
 
 Co .. 
 
 Co .. 
 Co .. 
 Co .. 
 Co .. 
 Co .. 
 1 
 209 
 157 
 
 541 
 273 
 227 
 
 118 
 182 
 198 
 
 239 
 476 
 488 
 
 226 
 542 
 558 
 318 
 513 
 Co 
 
 Mani, Joseph 
 
 Miner 
 
 
 56 
 39 
 
 31 
 22 
 
 Italian. 
 
 Maversky, Jno 
 
 Timberman 
 
 $2 56 
 2 56 
 
 2 56 
 2 56 
 2 56 
 
 Slavish 
 
 McLuckie, Andrew 
 
 ..do 
 
 Scotch 
 
 McFadden, Andrew 
 Mazak, Jno 
 
 Driver 
 Timberman 
 
 
 
 Matear (or Mactear), Wm 
 
 ..do 
 
 30 
 37 
 34 
 32 
 36 
 
 
 Norberg, Alex 
 Norberg, August 
 
 Mine mgr. 
 
 Swede 
 
 Timberman 
 
 2 56 
 
 do 
 
 Ossek, Donaty 
 
 Miner 
 ..do . 
 
 Austrian .. 
 ..do 
 
 Ossek, Martin 
 
 Ondurko, Matt 
 
 do 
 
 
 26 
 
 50 
 50 
 39 
 
 38 
 
 Slavish 
 
 Olson, Chas. P 
 Falmiori, Albert ... 
 
 ..do 
 do 
 
 
 
 Swede 
 
 Italian. 
 
 Prusitus, Perys 
 
 do 
 
 
 Lithuanian 
 
 Prusitus, Peter 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 . .do 
 
 Pavoloski Jno 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 27 
 33 
 
 38 
 30 
 32 
 
 33 
 37 
 49 
 37 
 35 
 42 
 
 26 
 36 
 
 ..do 
 
 Pressenger, Joseph 
 
 .do 
 
 
 German 
 
 Prich, Joseph 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 Austrian 
 
 Pearson, Alex .... 
 
 do . 
 
 
 Swede. 
 
 Perono, Dominick 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Italian. 
 
 Papea, Chas 
 
 do... 
 
 
 French 
 
 Pearson, John 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Swede 
 
 Perbacher, Peter 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Austrian ... 
 
 Packo, Andrew 
 
 .do 
 
 
 Slav ish 
 
 Pete. Ben 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 A ustrian 
 
 Pshak, John 
 
 Timberman 
 
 2 56 
 
 2 56 
 
 Slavish 
 
 Co .. 
 10 
 
 57 
 19 
 
 64 
 83 
 299 
 414 
 504 
 423 
 321 
 Co .. 
 
 Co .. 
 Co .. 
 Co .. 
 55 
 22 
 
 44 
 71 
 
 85 
 111 
 
 132 
 62 
 473 
 474 
 
 253 
 
 482 
 
 Pauline, Antona 
 
 Driver . 
 
 Austrian 
 
 Repsel, Martin 
 
 Miner. 
 
 do 
 
 Repsel, Joseph 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 29 
 
 .do 
 
 Rodonis, Joseph 
 
 do 
 
 
 33 
 
 18 
 37 
 21 
 30 
 27 
 
 Lithuanian 
 
 Holland, Victor 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 
 Rittel. Frank 
 
 do 
 
 
 Austrian 
 
 Richards, Thomas . .. 
 
 do . 
 
 
 Welch 
 
 Ricca, Cegu 
 
 ..do... 
 
 
 Italian 
 
 Riva, Joseph 
 
 do 
 
 
 do 
 
 Raviso, Joe 
 
 do 
 
 
 
 
 Ruggesie, Gailamyo 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 25 
 17 
 
 21 
 27 
 
 Italian 
 
 Rossman, Robert 
 
 Trapper 
 
 1 13 
 
 2 56 
 2 56 
 2 56 
 
 German 
 
 Ruygiesi, Frank 
 Rimkus, Joseph 
 
 Driver 
 . .do ... 
 
 Italian 
 
 Lithuanian 
 
 Robeza, Joseph 
 
 do 
 
 
 Sopko, Cantina 
 
 Miner. .. 
 
 24 
 34 
 
 24 
 
 50 
 
 34 
 36 
 35 
 30 
 39 
 25 
 
 24 
 
 Slavish 
 
 Speir, James 
 
 do 
 
 
 Scotch 
 
 Stettler Harrv 
 
 do 
 
 
 German 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 Swede 
 
 Seitz, Paul 
 
 .do ... 
 
 
 Slavish 
 
 Shermel, Antone 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Austrian 
 
 Stark, John 
 
 do 
 
 
 ..do 
 Polish 
 
 Stanchez, Frank 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 Stefenelli, Dominick . 
 
 do 
 
 
 Italian 
 
 Sarginto, August 
 Siamon, Andrew 
 
 ..do 
 . .do 
 
 
 ..do 
 Slavish 
 
 Semboa (or Sereba), J . . 
 
 ..do... 
 

 
 43 
 
 Continued. 
 
 Married or 
 single. 
 
 Children Name and age. 
 
 Residence. 
 
 Remarks. 
 
 Married 
 
 Katie, 20: Mary, 4 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 do 
 
 Annie, 13; Susie, 11; Emma, 
 
 
 
 
 8; Joe, 6; George, 2 
 
 ..do 
 
 Widow and five children 
 
 ..do 
 
 John, 10;Jeannette, 5;James, 
 3; Andrew, 2; Wm.Tayter, 
 2 wks 
 
 ..do 
 
 Widow and five children 
 
 Single 
 
 
 Spring Valley. 
 
 
 
 
 Cherry.. 
 
 Widow and three children 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 . .do 
 
 Widow 
 
 do 
 
 Mae, 6; Dorothy, 2 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 Single 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Married 
 
 Benat, 8; Mary, 3; Albert. 1. 
 
 . .do . . 
 
 Widow and three children 
 
 do 
 
 
 .xto 
 
 Widow.. . 
 
 do 
 
 Mary, 6; Verna, 5; Annie, 4; 
 
 
 
 
 Matt, 2; John, infant 
 
 ..do... 
 
 \\ idow and five children 
 
 Single 
 
 
 Cleveland, O. 
 
 
 Married . .... 
 
 
 Italy 
 
 Widow and seven children 
 
 do 
 
 Perys, 8; Tony, 6; Mike, 2; 
 
 
 
 
 Infant 11 mo 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and four children 
 
 do 
 
 Pete. 8; William, 7;Blaygue, 
 
 
 
 
 6; Frank, 4 
 
 .do 
 
 Widow and four children 
 
 do 
 
 Rosie, 6; Mary, 2; Susie, 10 
 
 
 
 
 mo . . .. 
 
 do 
 
 Widow and three children 
 
 do 
 
 Hilda, 6; Annie, 4; Walter, 
 
 
 
 
 3 mo 
 
 ..do. . . 
 
 Widow and three children 
 
 do 
 
 
 
 Widow' 
 
 Single 
 
 
 Old country 
 
 
 Married 
 
 Mary, 6; Joseph, 4; Annie, 
 
 
 
 
 2; Peter 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and four children 
 
 ..do 
 
 Lucy, 4; Kathryn, 6 mo 
 
 . .do 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 Single 
 
 
 Sweden 
 
 
 Married . 
 
 
 Austria 
 
 Widow and six children . 
 
 ..do 
 
 Andrew, 16; John, 14 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 
 
 
 
 Married 
 
 Annie. 12; John, 10; George, 
 
 
 
 
 8; Mary, 4; Lizzie, 14 mos. 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and five children 
 
 do 
 
 Antone, 1 
 
 . .do 
 
 Widow and one child 
 
 ..do 
 
 Martin, 8; Lucy, 4; Barbara, 
 
 
 
 
 3; Antone, 1 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 Widow and four children 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 Joseph, 2 
 
 .do 
 
 Widow and one child 
 
 ..do 
 
 Peter, 15; Mary, 9; Mabel, 8; 
 
 
 
 
 Joseph, 6 
 
 ..do 
 
 Widow and four children 
 
 
 
 
 
 Married . 
 
 John, 12; Martin, 9 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 do 
 
 
 . .do 
 
 Widow... . 
 
 
 
 
 
 Single 
 
 
 Italy 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Single 
 
 
 Cherry 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 Teressa, 13; Andrew, 10; 
 Hannah, 8; Marguerite, 4; 
 John, 2 wks 
 
 ..do 
 
 Motherand five children. Father 
 
 
 
 
 and mother not living to- 
 gether 
 
 . do 
 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 do . .. 
 
 
 
 
 .do 
 
 
 
 
 Married . 
 
 Alexander. 12; William, 11; 
 
 
 
 
 Jennie, 9; George, 7; Jas., 
 5; Elizabeth, 1 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and six children 
 
 . do . .. . 
 
 Herman, 2; Maria. 4 mos 
 
 . .do 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 . .do 
 
 Roy, 17; Edwin, 15; Jennie, 
 
 
 
 
 12- Evelyn, 6 
 
 .do... 
 
 No widow 
 
 do 
 
 Hattie, 3; Edward, 1 
 
 ..do 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 Single 
 
 
 
 
 Married 
 . do 
 
 Josephine, 2; Helen, 3 wks . 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and three children 
 Widow and two children 
 
 ..do .. .. 
 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Five children 
 
 . .Jo 
 
 Andrew, 6; Martin, 4; Mary, 
 
 
 
 
 
 . .do 
 
 Widow and three children 
 
 do 
 
 
 
 Widow 
 
 
 
 Cherry .. , 

 
 44 
 
 Victims 
 
 Check No. 
 
 Name. 
 
 Occupation . 
 
 Wages. 
 
 Age. 
 
 Nativity. 
 
 4S5 
 225 
 245 
 181 
 194 
 146 
 308 
 312 
 282 
 135 
 
 301 
 251 
 
 Co .. 
 Co .. 
 
 Co .. 
 
 89 
 16 
 52 
 
 212 
 315 
 Co 
 Co .. 
 516 
 
 537 
 
 313 
 431 
 478 
 503 
 Co .. 
 596 
 29 
 113 
 Co .. 
 Co .. 
 
 149 
 211 
 
 477 
 Co .. 
 
 Co .. 
 5 
 148 
 
 497 
 265 
 
 Smith, John W 
 
 Miner 
 . do 
 
 
 
 46 
 32 
 17 
 44 
 
 Scotch 
 
 Sublich, Charles 
 
 Suhe, John 
 
 . do 
 
 
 
 Suhe, Mike 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 . .do 
 
 Suffen, John , 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 39 
 30 
 24 
 28 
 40 
 28 
 
 32 
 40 
 
 28 
 29 
 
 44 
 33 
 25 
 28 
 
 51 
 
 Austrian . 
 
 Sukitus, Joseph .. 
 
 do 
 
 
 
 Steele, Peter 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 American 
 
 Sarbelle, Julius '. 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 Ital an. 
 
 Stearns, James. 
 
 do 
 
 
 
 Seitz, Kdward 
 
 .do 
 
 
 German 
 
 Scotland, William 
 
 do 
 
 
 Scotch. 
 
 Shemia, Jno 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Austrian 
 
 Stewart, Harry 
 
 Laborer 
 
 $2 36 
 2 56 
 2 56 
 
 Scotchman. 
 
 Szabrinski, Jno. (known as John 
 Smith) 
 
 Cager 
 
 Lithuanian 
 
 Timberman 
 
 
 Staszeski, Tony 
 
 Miner 
 
 Polish 
 
 Sestak, Jno 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 Slavish 
 
 Tinko, Joseph jr 
 
 do 
 
 
 Jo 
 
 Finko, Joseph, sr 
 
 .do... 
 
 
 ..do... 
 
 Tinko, Steve 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 24 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 Tinko, Andrew. . .. 
 
 Spragger. 
 
 1 40 
 2 56 
 
 17 
 28 
 38 
 
 . do 
 
 Teszone. George 
 
 Timberman 
 
 Italian 
 
 Talioli, Eugene. 
 
 Miner 
 
 do 
 
 Tonnelli, Emilia 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 30 
 
 ..do 
 
 Turchi, Nocenti 
 
 .do... 
 
 
 31 
 
 do... 
 
 Tosseth, Frank 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 29 
 
 ..do. 
 
 Famashanski, Joseph 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 28 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 Tamarri, Pasquale 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 25 
 47 
 28 
 54 
 31 
 42 
 35 
 
 47 
 
 32 
 
 do 
 
 Tonner, John 
 
 Trackman.... 
 
 2 56 
 
 Scotch. . .. 
 
 Ugo, Filippe .. . 
 
 do 
 
 Italian. 
 
 White, Geo 
 
 Miner . 
 
 
 English. .. 
 
 Welkas, Anthony 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Russian 
 
 Waite, Chas 
 
 Mine examiner 1 
 Timberman helper. 
 
 Miner. 
 
 3 01 
 2 36 
 
 English . 
 
 Wyatt, Wm. 
 
 do 
 
 Yurcheck Antone 
 
 Slav'sh 
 
 Yacober, Frank. . .. 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 German . .. 
 
 Yannis, Peter.. 
 
 .4o 
 
 
 
 Yagoginski, Frank 
 Yearley, Joseph 
 
 Driver 
 . .do ... 
 
 2 56 
 2 56 
 
 34 
 
 20 
 27 
 3? 
 
 Polish 
 
 
 Zliegley Thos. 
 
 Miner. 
 
 Slavish 
 
 Zekuia, Joseph. 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 ..do . .. 
 
 Zacherria, Giatano 
 
 ..do... 
 
 
 40 
 
 28 
 
 Italian 
 
 Zeikell, Pat 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 Austrian 
 
 
 

 
 45 
 
 Concluded. 
 
 Married or 
 single. 
 
 Children Name and age. 
 
 Residence. 
 
 Remarks. 
 
 Married 
 
 Arthur. 18; Roy, 12; Phylias,4 
 John, 4; Charlie, 2 
 
 Cherry . 
 
 Widow and three children 
 
 . .do 
 Single 
 
 ..do 
 do 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 
 Married 
 
 Tony, 9: George, 4 
 
 . do- 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 . .do 
 
 John, 9; Annie, 5 
 
 . .do 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 ..do . . 
 
 Joe, Annie, Mary. 
 
 Russia 
 
 Widow and three children. .. 
 
 Single 
 
 
 Streator 
 
 
 Married ' 
 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and infant. 
 
 . do 
 
 
 do 
 
 Widow and one child 
 
 ..do 
 
 Henry, 5; Albert, 4; Willie, 
 2; Lewis, 2 months 
 James, 9; William, 5; An- 
 drew Craig, 3 months 
 Mary. 12; Annie, 12; Susie, 
 9; John, 7: Andrew, 4; 
 Emma, 2 
 
 ..do 
 ,.do 
 
 ..do 
 
 Widow and four children 
 
 ..do 
 ..do 
 
 Widow and three children. .. 
 
 Widow and six children 
 
 ..do 
 
 Henry, 7; Walter, 5; Helen, 
 4; Robert, 1 month. 
 
 do 
 
 Widow and four children. . .. 
 
 ..do 
 Single 
 
 Eale, 2. 
 
 do 
 
 Widow and one child 
 
 
 Spring Valley 
 Cherry 
 
 
 Married . . 
 
 Antonia, 2 weeks. 
 
 Widow and one child 
 
 Single 
 
 
 
 
 Married 
 
 Joseph, 6; Tony, 5; Mary. 
 3; Andrew, 2; George, 2 
 months. 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 Widow and five children 
 
 .xk> 
 Single 
 
 Louis, 26; John, 14; Paul, 12. 
 
 ..do 
 . .do ... 
 
 Widow and three children 
 
 
 .do 
 
 
 ..do. . 
 
 
 Married . 
 
 Brogo 6' Mary, 4 
 
 do 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 .do 
 
 Angel. 5; Dominick, 3; An- 
 nie. 2; Katie, 2 months 
 Stella, 6: Jennie, 4; Charlie, 
 2; Amelia, 6 weeks 
 
 ..do 
 do 
 
 Widow and four children 
 
 ..do 
 
 Widow and four children 
 
 Single 
 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 
 
 Armendo 2. ... 
 
 do 
 
 Widow and one child 
 
 Single ... . 
 
 
 Old country 
 
 
 
 
 
 Widow 
 
 do 
 
 Rachael, 17- Rose, 15 
 
 Cherry 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 do .... 
 
 
 . do . 
 
 Widow 
 
 . do 
 
 Stanley, 10 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 Widow and one child 
 
 do 
 
 
 do 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 . do 
 
 Joseph, 4 
 
 ..do 
 
 
 .do 
 
 Ruth, 14; Eva, 12; Annie, 9; 
 Thomas, 4; Norris,4 
 
 .do... 
 
 Widow and five children 
 
 do 
 
 Mary, 17; Annie, 12 
 
 .do 
 
 Widow and two children 
 
 ..do 
 
 Barbara, 11; Frank, 8; John, 
 6; Mary, 4. 
 
 ..do 
 
 Widow and four children 
 
 
 
 
 
 Married.. 
 
 Frank. 16; Mary, 13; Margu- 
 rite, 11; Agnes, 5; Hannah, 
 3 .. 
 
 Cherry 
 
 W idow and fi ve children 
 
 Single 
 
 
 Spring Valley 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Annie, 13; Mike, 11; John. 
 10; Marv, 8; Emma, 5: 
 Joseph. 3; George, 3 mo.. 
 August, 8 ;Jennie, 2; Infant. 
 Antone.3; Rudolph, 2; Infant 
 
 Cherry . 
 
 Widow and seven children 
 Widow and three children 
 
 do 
 
 . .do ... 
 
 ..do... 
 
 ..do... 
 
 Widow and three children
 
 46 
 
 NATIVITY. 
 
 The nationality of those killed ranges as follows : Italians, 73 ; 
 Slavish, 36; Austrian/ 28; Lithuanian, 21; Scotch, 21; German, 15; 
 American, 11; French, 12; Polish, 8; Swede, 9; English, 8; Belgian, 
 7; Irish, 3; Greek, 2; Welch, 2; Eussian, 3. .There are sixteen nationali- 
 ties represented; 161 were married and 97 were single. There were 607 
 persons dependent upon them. This large number of people left either 
 destitute or without any means of support attracted the attention and 
 sympathy of the nation. Three of those killed were not employes of 
 the mine but had volunteered their services in rescuing those below and 
 were burned to death on the cage in the attempt. They were: Isaac 
 Lewis, a liveryman; John Flood, a merchant, and Dominic Formento, a 
 groceryman, all of Cherry. They each were married and left a widow 
 and children. 
 
 AGES -OF THE CHILDREN. 
 The following table shows the ages of the children by nationalities: 
 
 Nationality 
 
 Agres of children. 
 
 Nationality of 
 fathers. 
 
 Un- 
 der 3 
 
 year. 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 8 
 
 9 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 U 
 
 Over 
 14. 
 
 Not 
 re- 
 port- 
 ed. 
 
 Total 
 
 American.. . . 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 54 
 9 
 14 
 10 
 34 
 1 
 69 
 40 
 15 
 43 
 87 
 6 
 7 
 
 1 
 15 
 4 
 6 
 6 
 11 
 1 
 25 
 11 
 6 
 15 
 25 
 2 
 2 
 
 Austrian 
 
 4 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 8 
 
 4 
 
 3 
 1 
 1 
 
 2 
 1 
 1 
 
 7 
 
 1 
 1 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 
 4 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 '1 
 
 it\ 
 3 
 
 
 Belgian 
 
 
 English 
 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 
 3 
 
 2 
 4 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 French 
 
 2 
 ft 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 9 
 
 I 
 
 2 
 1 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 German 
 
 3 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 
 3 
 
 3 
 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 a 
 
 
 Irish 
 
 
 
 Italian .... 
 
 11 
 2 
 3 
 4 
 
 8 
 
 3 
 
 1 
 
 'i 
 
 3 
 
 8 
 6 
 2 
 5 
 5 
 1 
 
 1 
 2 
 2 
 2 
 6 
 
 
 
 3 
 1 
 5 
 7 
 
 3 
 
 2 
 1 
 1 
 3 
 
 9 
 
 5 
 
 1 
 5 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 '3 
 3 
 
 6 
 
 4 
 
 'i 
 
 4 
 
 3 
 1 
 1 
 3 
 4 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 '4 
 3 
 
 3 
 
 'i 
 2 
 4 
 
 'i 
 
 2 
 7 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 1 
 4 
 
 "5 
 
 &. 
 
 eS 
 
 S 
 
 /*13 
 *2 
 
 '"8 
 '"3 
 
 Lithuanian. .. 
 
 Polish 
 
 Scotch 
 
 Slavish 
 
 Swede 
 
 Not reported 
 
 
 1 
 
 ] 
 
 1 
 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 
 f, 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Totals 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 39 
 
 15 
 
 39 
 
 . 
 
 38 
 
 2 
 
 29 
 
 21 
 
 22 
 
 18 
 
 16 
 
 Hi 
 
 17 
 
 12 
 
 9 
 
 38 
 
 11 
 
 390 
 
 130 
 
 
 a One 15, one 16, one 17 and one 22. 
 
 b One 16, one 17 and one 18. 
 
 c One 15, two 18 and one 19. 
 
 d One 15 and one 20. 
 
 e One 15, one 17 and one 22. 
 
 /One 16 and one 17. 
 
 g Two 15, one 17, one 18 and one 21. 
 
 h Five 16, three 17, two 18, one 19, one 20 and one 26. 
 
 i One 15 and one 17.
 
 REPORT ON THE CHERRY MINE DISASTER. 
 
 BY THOMAS HUDSON, STATE INSPECTOE OF MINES, SECOND DISTRICT, GALVA, ILL. 
 
 This report covers incidents and occurrences which took place at the St. 
 Paul Coal Company's mine No. 2, located at Cherry, Bureau county, Illinois, 
 from November 13, 1909, when the fire started, until the morning of Novem- 
 ber 25, 1909, when both main and air shafts were securely sealed, and cov- 
 ered with concrete, to more quickly extinguish the flames known to be raging 
 below in close proximity to the main shaft. 
 
 From the most reliable reports to be obtained at the mine, the fire com- 
 menced at or about 1:30 p. m., on Saturday, November 13, 1909. The place 
 where the fire started, was at, or quite near the landing place, in the airshaft, 
 at the second vein, where the coal from the third vein is hoisted through said 
 airshaft and taken off- the cage at the second vein, and hauled around to 
 the main shaft, recaged and hoisted to the surface. 
 
 The cause of the fire, from information gleaned at the mine, was, a pit car, 
 containing five or six bales of hay, intended for the third vein was sent 
 down the main shaft, and hauled around in the second vein to the air shaft 
 landing above mentioned. This pit car, containing the hay, was placed near, 
 probably directly under a blazing open torch, placed there to give light to 
 the cagers, consisting of two men and a boy. The oil burned in this torch 
 was quite likely kerosene, it is also very possible that some of the oil dripped 
 from the torch and fell on the hay in the pit car, at all events, the hay is 
 supposed to have caught fire from the torch, and certainly could have been 
 easily extinguished, if immediate steps had been taken to do so. The car 
 of burning hay, however, seems to have been pushed around from one posi- 
 tion to another in an air current having a velocity of about 700 feet per 
 minute, until it had fired the overhead timbers. The car containing the 
 burning hay, was finally pushed into the shaft opening, and fell into the 
 "sump" at the third vein, where it was quickly extinguished; but the heavy 
 pine overhead timbers at the second vein were by this time on fire, and 
 could not be reached because of the dense smoke; by this time the control of 
 the fire was lost, and the result was the worst mine disaster of modern 
 times. 
 
 Late Saturday night and early Sunday morning November 14, the mine 
 inspectors of Illinois began to arrive at the mine. This force was augmented 
 later by mine inspectors from other states; one came from Indiana, two 
 from Ohio, two from Iowa and one from Missouri. Professional experts from 
 Pittsburg and Champaign experimental stations, and about a dozen firemen 
 from the Chicago fire department, were also on the ground. During the 
 day, Sunday 14th, two men from Champaign with helmets, succeeded in 
 reaching the second vein through the airshaft in a sinking bucket, but could 
 do nothing more as the smoke and steam were too dense for exploration. 
 Both shafts were covered over and remained so during the night. 
 
 .Monday, November 15: Men with helmets again descended the air shaft, 
 they reported the temperature fairly comfortable but smoke and steam still 
 too dense for active work. It was then decided to case the fan temporarily 
 as an exhaust (the fan casing having been destroyed and the babbit metal
 
 48 
 
 melted out of the journals, when it was reversed from a blower to an ex- 
 haust during -the early stage of the fire) start the fan and attempt a de- 
 scent into the mine through the main shaft. This was done, and the main 
 shaft uncovered. The airshaft now became the upcast, and men wearing 
 helmets went down the main shaft, the cages in this shaft being in good 
 working order; when they got to the bottom, or second vein, they found the 
 fire raging and were forced to return to the surface; the fresh air admitted 
 by making the main shaft the downcast had started the partially subdued 
 fire into a blaze. Both shafts were then covered over, and remained so 
 during the night. 
 
 Tuesday, November 16: Both shafts remained covered over during the 
 day, which was spent mainly in taking the temperature of the mine by 
 lowering a thermometer to the second vein, and in every case, the bottom 
 of the main shaft at this vein was found too hot for work of any kind. 
 
 Wednesday, November 17: Temperatures were again taken and found to 
 be about the same as on the day previous. A conference was held by the 
 Inspectors of Illinois with those from Ohio, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri and 
 the mining experts from Pittsburg and Champaign also the representatives 
 of the Coal Company. It was decided to again have men with helmets go 
 down the air shaft; they descended about 9 p. m. and found the tempera- 
 ture more favorable and no fire in sight; of course men did not leave the 
 sinking bucket in which they descended. During the night a "float" or tem- 
 porary cage was constructed for use in the airshaft, should exploration work 
 be again attempted from that point. 
 
 Thursday, November 18: The main shaft was uncovered late that day, 
 and a line of hose put down to the second vein, and fire fighting in earnest 
 commenced; this was done principally from the north cage as fire was 
 blazing on the south" and east sides of the shaft, which prevented firemen 
 from leaving the cage. The men with helmets during the day went down 
 the air shaft on the "float" and recovered one body that had beed seen on a 
 previous trip. Fire fighting was kept up constantly at the main shaft dur- 
 ing the night. 
 
 Friday, November 19: Progress was made, advancing on the west side 
 shaft parting at the second vein; four bodies were found and brought to 
 the surface. The Chicago firemen were in charge of the fire fighting below. 
 The east and south sides of the shaft bottom were inaccessible, owing to 
 heavy falls of roof and burning timbers, the west side of the shaft only 
 being open. During the day explorers got around on the south entry, and 
 then east to a point not far from the bottom of the air shaft in the second 
 vein, but falls of roof had to be cleaned up, and repairs made in the tim- 
 bering, this was ordered done during the night. In the evening after a 
 'conference, the Inspectors from other states and seven of the Illinois In- 
 spectors returned to their home; three of the Illinois inspectors remaining 
 in charge. This action was taken because the inspectors considered that 
 the company had a sufficient number of able men on the ground to take 
 care of the situation. 
 
 Saturday, November 20: The fire was now seemingly under control, that 
 part at least which was accessible from the bottom of the main shaft; the 
 heavy falls of roof on the east side of the shaft, probably 35 feet high were 
 loaded but and the smouldering fire quenched as it was reached. 
 
 At 10:30 a. m., the three Illinois mine inspectors remaining over from 
 the day before left the mine, urgent business in other parts of their respect- 
 ive districts calling them away; one of them having a mine explosion that 
 had occurred the previous week, to investigate, by which, two shot firers had 
 been killed. 
 
 It was shortly after noon on this date, when an exploring party found 21 
 men alive in the first west off of the main south entry. The imprisoned 
 men had built "stoppings" thereby shutting out the foul gases from the fire, 
 and depending on the purer air in the inclosed space to sustain life; they 
 were at once removed from the mine, all but one recovering.
 
 49 
 
 Telegraph messages were sent to all the Illinois inspectors and they 
 hurried back to the mine; several of them arriving within a few hours. 
 During the night explorations were made in the east entries off of the 
 main south. 
 
 Monday, November 22: The exploring of the south section of the mine 
 continued through the day, about 100 dead bodies were taken out of that 
 part of the workings. 
 
 Tuesday and Wednesday, November 23 and 24: On these dates the first 
 northwest entries were explored, the face of the entries were reached but no 
 bodies were found; it was learned later, that all of the men got out of this 
 part of the mine; it was also found that there was no connection between 
 the northwest part of the workings, where the exploration was made and the 
 north part of the workings on the east side of the shaft, where many men 
 were known to be at work the -day the fire started. 
 
 While the explorers were in the northwest entries, smoke was found 
 issuing from the main passageway which connects the west shaft parting 
 with the air shaft, and which was closed by a fall of roof and a temporary 
 stopping; the explorers in the northwest section were hastily recalled, when 
 the temporary stopping was pulled down, and a stream of water from the 
 fire hose turned in, and all signs of fire subdued at that point, and a more 
 substantial stopping put in during the night. 
 
 About 2 o'clock, a. m., Wednesday, the 24th, a party of four went down 
 into the third vein, on their return they reported from 3 to 4 feet of water 
 covering the floor of the mine in the lower parts of the workings, and that 
 they had found groupes of men in the dry parts, all dead. Pumps were be- 
 ing made ready in the meantime to remove the water, partially at least, 
 from the third vein workings so that the bodies could be recovered. 
 
 During the succeeding few hours, however, it was noticed that the fire 
 from the south and east sides of the main shaft, was slowly encroaching on 
 the shaft itself. Holes were cut in the shaft lining as high as 30 feet from 
 the bottom, and streams of water thrown in behind the shaft lining; but the 
 steam and smoke continued to issue from the openings cut and also from the 
 sides of the shaft, in increasing quantities; to offset this a board stopping 
 was built around the south and east sides of the shaft, and as close thereto, 
 as the working of the cages would permit, and a stopping closed tight, near 
 the bottom of the airshaft. The object of this was to deaden, or partially 
 subdue, the fire thought to be burning between those points; this, however, 
 was not entirely successful as the smoke from behind the shaft lining, which 
 formerly passed to the east and around to the upcast or airshaft, was now 
 carried to the west side of the main shaft, and the rescuers there practically 
 driven from the mine. 
 
 A strong smell of coal smoke was noted indicating that the coal pillars 
 were on fire, and as the gases given off by burning coal were known to be 
 dangerous, great caution became necessary. Sometime shortly after mid- 
 night on the morning of Thursday, November 25, a consultation was held, at 
 which, the President of the State Mining Board, chief of the fire depart- 
 ment; expert helmet men from Champaign, the Illinois mine inspectors and 
 representatives of the St. Paul Coal Company were present. The situation 
 was discussed from every possible point of view, and it seemed to be the 
 unanimous opinion of all present, that all of the men in the mine were dead; 
 and the best way, looking to the recovery of the bodies later, was to seal up 
 both of the shafts while they were in this condition, to be entered as soon 
 as the fire was extinguished. 
 
 The sealing of the shafts was commenced early Thursday morning Novem- 
 ber 25th. A two inch pipe- was inserted in the concrete cover of the main 
 shaft, so that the temperature, pressure and condition of the air from the 
 mine could be obtained at short intervals, and the exact conditions of the 
 underground workings of the mine understood. 
 
 -4 C
 
 50 
 
 REOPENING OF THE CHERRY MINE. 
 
 Both shafts of the Cherry mine were securely sealed over with steel rails 
 and concrete on the morning of November 25, 1909, and remained sealed 
 until February 1, 1910. 
 
 During this interval, daily readings of the temperature in the main shaft 
 had been taken, and were found to range from 123 on November 29, four 
 days after the shaft was sealed, to 121 December, 1; 93 December 10; 84 
 December 20; 74 December 30; 70 January 10; 68 January 20; 66 Jan- 
 uary 29; and the same on February 1, when the shaft was opened; this was 
 assumed to be the normal temperature of the mine under existing conditions. 
 
 In the opening up the main shaft, an aperture about three feet square 
 was cut in the concrete covering, just above the cover of the north cage, 
 which had been left suspended directly under the concrete cover when the 
 shaft was sealed; the south cage had been taken off. 
 
 The same day this opening in the concrete cover, two men, Webb and 
 Moses, wearing oxygen helmets, were passed on to the cage and lowered to 
 the second vein. After an investigation around the bottom they were 
 hoisted to the surface, and reported conditions just about as they were when 
 the shaft was sealed up, except, no signs of fire nor smoke were visible, and 
 the temperature at the bottom of the shaft -normal and quite comfortable 
 to work in. They descended a second time, and brought up a sample of 
 air for analysis in which "black damp" or carbon dioxide predominated. 
 
 Late in the same afternoon, the concrete covers from both the main and 
 the air shafts were removed, and the fan started up as an exhaust, that is, 
 the fresh air was drawn down the main shaft and up the air shaft. It might 
 be stated here that the Capell fan, which had been warped and twisted with 
 the heat during the fire, had been taken away and thoroughly repaired and 
 again put in position and cased in a substantial manner. 
 
 After a short interval, to allow the fan to clear the passage or west "run- 
 around" between the main and air shafts, two of the State inspectors, with 
 safety lamps, descended the main shaft, and found a good current of air 
 passing from the main or downcast, towards the air or upcast shaft. 
 They returned to the surface and reported the mine in a safe condition for 
 workmen with naked lights to enter, which they did, and during the night 
 repaired and reinforced the brattice around the east and south sides of the 
 main shaft, also commenced to clean out the west passageway or "run- 
 around" to the air shaft which was found in a very bad and dangerous 
 condition, owing to falls of roof broken timbers, etc. 
 
 It was considered, that the best and safest method was, to employ only 
 a limited number of men underground, a number just sufficient to open up 
 the west passageway to the escape and airshaft. After this road is opened 
 and the airshaft put in order to take men out of the mine, an escapement 
 or two ways out of the mine will be available. This will make men work- 
 ing below feel more safe, as it is not likely that fire can break out at both 
 shafts at the same time. The cleaning out and retimbering of the west pas- 
 sageway to the airshaft continued to be slow and dangerous work impeded 
 as it was, by heavy falls of roof. By a good deal of hard and dangerous 
 work, a small opening was made over, under and by the side of the falls 
 in the west passageway to the bottom of the airshaft, and through this 
 opening boards were taken and a "stopping" put in on the north side of 
 the airshaft to prevent any sudden breaking out of fire from that direction. 
 
 Cleaning up and retimbering between the two shafts continued, care being 
 taken to keep a close watch on all stoppings to prevent leaks or a sudden 
 breaking out of fire. 
 
 The body of a man tha,t was known to be lying at the second vein landing 
 at the airshaft was brought to the surface February 14, in a sinking bucket. 
 
 February 5: A large steam pump was sent down the main shaft to the 
 second vein. An extra covering of brattice was put around the east and 
 south sides of the bottom of the main shaft at the second vein. The con-
 
 51 
 
 crete was shipped away from around the collar of the airshaft, and a "float" 
 put in, and suspended just below the surface, ready for carpenters to make 
 permanent repairs to the burned out portion of the airshaft. 
 
 February 6: The west passageway from the main to the airshaft was 
 now cleaned out and securely timbered and open for the passage of pit cars. 
 An entry is being driven in the shaft pillar around the north side of the 
 main shaft and the heavy fall of roof on the east bottom, to connect again 
 with the shaft bottom on the east side, inside of the burned out tim- 
 bers and fall. This entry will give access to the east and northeast sections 
 of the mine and to the airshaft by way of the west passageway. Men were 
 cleaning up the main south entry on the west side to recover rails, ties, 
 pit cars and other material. The use of the cages in the main shaft were 
 taken up most of the day by workmen making pipe connections for "steam 
 jets" to throw water from the third vein to a tank located at the second 
 vein, where it is taken up by the steam pump at the second vein and thrown 
 to the surface. The emergency cage at the third vein, main shaft, was 
 hoisted to the second vein and reduced to a size suitable to allow the steam 
 jets to pass to one side of it. 
 
 February 7 and 8: Work in the mine was progressing slowly; cleaning up 
 the south entry, west side; driving the entry around the main shaft and 
 fall on east side, also fitting water and steam pipes in the main shaft for 
 pumps and injectors. 
 
 February 9 and 10: When steam was turned on to the injectors and pump 
 the heat caused the pipes to expand, they were thrown out of line and were 
 struck and broken by a descending cage. A concrete stopping was put in 
 on the second east entry, west side, near the bottom of the airshaft. 
 
 February 11 and 12: The pipe line was repaired and started up but was 
 broken again but repaired, and at 8 a. m. the 12th both pump and injectors 
 were working steadily and .doing good work. The entry around the main 
 shaft was driven in 120 feet and has about 70 feet more to be completed. 
 
 February 13 and 19 inclusive: The work done during the week consisted 
 in holing the entry into the main bottom, east side, and putting a concrete 
 stopping across the main bottoms inside of the east opening, to the mule 
 stables; cleaning up heavy falls of roof on the main north entry, east side, 
 and in the east passageway or runaround to the. airshaft. 
 
 Fifteen bodies were recovered during the week; all were found near 
 where the new entry connected with the main bottom inside of the large 
 fall thereon. 
 
 The shaft timbers in the main shaft were again giving off considerable 
 smoke and heat, showing quite plainly that the fire was smouldering behind 
 them, and in dangerous proximity thereto. Pumping from the third vein 
 was suspended until more brattice could be put around the bottom of the 
 main shaft to keep back the fire. 
 
 February 20 and 21: The pump and injectors were still idle, as the steam 
 given off prevents a close watch for fire being observed on the main shaft. 
 Three more bodies were recovered on the 21st; they were found just outside 
 of the second door going south in the east passageway to the escape shaft. 
 The pumps and injectors were started again but shut down later, because 
 of the smoke and heat from the shaft lining. 
 
 One more body was found on the evening of the 23d under a large fall 
 of roof, on the main north entry, east side. 
 
 February 24: Good work was being done in repairing the burned out 
 lining and partition in the airshaft; in two or three days the work of put- 
 ting in the burned out stairway from the second vein to the surface will be 
 completed. The east passageway to the airshaft is cleaned up and retim- 
 bered and in shape for the hauling of pit cars. 
 
 February 27 to March 5: During the week ending March 5th cleaning 
 up of the north entry, east side was continued, and 65 bodies in that section 
 of the mine Yi'ere recovered. 
 
 x 
 
 **$>*
 
 52 
 
 It is quite probable that all of the bodies in the 2d vein have now been 
 recovered, except perhaps some that may be covered up by "falls" on the 
 shaft bottom or parting on the east side, or in the direct passageway, from 
 the shaft parting on the west side, to the airshaft. 
 
 March 6 to 13: The northeast workings of the second vein, were quite 
 thoroughly explored, and rails, pit cars and other material taken out; pump- 
 ing water from the third vein was continued. An injector was put in at 
 the airshaft, to raise the water from the third vein to the second and a 
 pump was installed at the second vein to raise the water to the surface; 
 both were working in a satisfactory manner. The water at the airshaft in 
 the third vein was reported to be two inches below the "door heads" on 
 March 9th; on this date the main shaft was again giving off heat and smoke, 
 so much so, that all of the men also two mules were brought out of the 
 mine, and carpenters again put to work patching up the brattices. A wooden 
 form was put around the east and south sides of the main shaft, and about 
 six inches of sand bedded therein to shut off the smoke. The sand packing 
 proved successful, the smoke being practically shut off. The injectors and 
 pumps at both shafts were in operation; the water at the bottom of the air- 
 shaft in the third vein was nine inches below the door heads March 13. 
 
 March 13 to 26: There was not much work during the past two weeks 
 except the pumping of water from the third vein. March 26 two and a half 
 feet of water was above the rail at the bottom of the airshaft. 
 
 March 27 to 29: The water was fairly well removed, a cage was prepared 
 to hoist rock from .the third vein to the second at the airshaft; large falls 
 of roof were encountered both north and south. The pump at the third 
 vein, bottom of the airshaft was started up and was working fairly well; 
 this pump had been submerged since the sealing of the mine, November 
 25th. 
 
 March 29: Richard Newsam, president of the State Mining Board, and 
 four State inspectors of mines some of whom had been on duty continuously 
 since the opening of the mine February 1st, went down from the second 
 and the third vein on the emergency cage at the main shaft. They found 
 about two and one half feet of water at the cage landing; the shaft bottom, 
 east and west, also the mule stables, where heavy, permanent timbering had 
 been done were all found standing intact. After leaving the main bottom, 
 however, large falls of roof were found; in fact, the entries around the shaft 
 pillar, in every direction were practically closed. This condition required 
 a great deal of time and labor, before the bodies known to be in the third 
 vein were reached. 
 
 April 1 to 6: The work of cleaning up the falls in the north section of 
 the third vein was continued. Connections having been made between the 
 main and airshafts, at the third vein. 
 
 April 7: Mine Inspector McAllister, mine manager Frew and John Fraser, 
 a shift foreman, by climbing over falls, broken timbers and other obstruc- 
 tions, located the bodies of the men in the third vein. They were found at 
 the end of the north air course, running direct from the bottom of the air- 
 shaft, just at the north boundary of the shaft pillar. Workmen were at 
 once started to clean out the aircourse, north from the main shaft bottom, 
 as this was the nearest and quickest way to reach the bodies. 
 
 April 10: One body was recovered from the third vein; April 11, 35 
 bodies were taken out; April 12, 15 bodies were taken out, making 51 bodies 
 in all taken from the third vein. 
 
 The bodies of these men were found comparatively close together within 
 a radius of not more than about 100 feet. According to the record of F. P. 
 Buck, the clerk in the office at the mine, 10 or 12 men are still missing; but 
 as 5 men have been located, working at other mines, who were supposed to 
 be lost in the Cherry mine, some of the missing men may be found in like 
 manner. However, if any more bodies are in the mine, they will be found 
 as the cleaning up process progresses.
 
 53 
 
 The four State inspectors, who had been on duty by relays since the open- 
 ing of the mine, February 1st, considering they could be of no further ser- 
 vice, or not until the fire area should be broken into, left for their homes 
 April 13, 1910. 
 
 OPENING OF THE FIRE AREA AND SECURING THE SHAFTS IN THE CHERRY MINE. 
 
 After the recovering of the bodies from the thu?d vein April 12, about 30 
 days were consumed in removing the pit cars, track, timber and everything 
 of value from the interior workings of the second vein, it having been de- 
 cided by the company to abandon that seam permanently. 
 
 May 14: After a narrow entry had been driven through the shaft pillar 
 on the west side, to connect with the pump room an opening about 12 feet 
 wide, and 70 feet in length, running from the south end of the main shaft 
 to the stable in which the fire was known to be burning; another opening 
 was made into the pump room, where a good deal of fire was in evidence, 
 especially the coal "ribs" which were actively burning; but with an abun- 
 dant supply of water, under a 300 foot head, and the necessary hose conr 
 nections, the fire was easily kept under control, and the shale roof which 
 had fallen to a height of fully 30 feet, was loaded into pit cars and sent out 
 of the mine. 
 
 As soon as a sufficient space was cleaned, two sets of heavy timbers were 
 set up, and on top of these "cogs" were formed and built up to the top, and 
 the roof secured. 
 
 The building of the "cogs" was most difficult and dangerous; difficult, 
 because of the intense heat, which was more intense as the "cogs" were 
 placed higher; and dangerous because of the unreliable nature of the roof, 
 large slabs of which fell or were liable to fall at all times. 
 
 The heat was partially overcome by putting a small air compressor into 
 operation and carrying compressed air down the shaft in pipes and thence 
 through hose to the men at work. As soon as sufficient space was cleared, 
 and the roof temporarily secured by "cogging," a base for concrete dams or 
 stoppings was formed by cutting down into the floor and into the sides of 
 the opening or entry, and a concrete stopping built, quite close to where 
 the pump room connected with the stables. The same methods described 
 above were used in breaking into the fire area on the shaft bottom, east of 
 the main shaft, and on the north side of the airshaft. 
 
 The conditions encountered were similar in each case, but differed some- 
 what in degrees; that is, more fire was found on the main shaft parting 
 than in the pump room and less north of the airshaft. 
 
 After the fallen roof had been removed from around both shafts, the work 
 of thoroughly securing the same with concrete was commenced. On the 
 east side of the main shaft a heavy wall or "backing" of concrete was built 
 against the shaft timbers, and at right angles thereto; three walls of con- 
 crete one on each rib and one in the center were built to connect with a 
 concrete stopping about 28 feet east of the main shaft. These walls are 
 built to within about a foot of the roof, about 30 feet high, and across them 
 are laid steel rails and wedges driven between the rails and the roof, thor- 
 oughly securing the latter. 
 
 Openings are left in the concrete walls around both shafts, to admit the 
 passage of any one desiring to examine or inspect the walls and stoppings. 
 
 Practically the same methods as described above, are used to secure the 
 south side of the main shaft, and the north side of the air shaft. The "old 
 works" of the second vein are completely cut off from the main shaft by 
 permanent stoppings and a new entry has been driven around the main 
 shaft, and through the shaft pillar to the air shaft. 
 
 Through this entry, pipes are laid connecting the "rings" in the airshaft, 
 which gi\ r es off abundance of water, with a concrete reservoir built near 
 the main shaft at the second vein. From this reservoir the third vein will
 
 54 
 
 obtain its water supply for fire fighting purposes. The distance between the 
 two veins being 160 feet, the pressure due to the altitude will be about 
 80 pounds per square inch. 
 
 During the week ending August 13th, steel guides were put in between the 
 second and third veins, new ropes put on and the cages running down to the 
 third vein; and the cleaning up well underway. September 3, the cleaning 
 up had progressed so far, that the coal face had been reached at 5 or 6 dif- 
 ferent points, and it is fair to assume, that by October 1, 1910, the mine will 
 again be in a coal producing condition. 
 
 NOTE On July 7th the body of a man was found about 10 feet north of 
 the airshaft, under a large fall of roof. In regard to the number of men 
 lost, and number of bodies recovered, the following statement was received 
 from an official of the St. Paul Coal Company. 
 
 August 16, 1910 
 
 Total number believed to be lost 268 
 
 Total number of bodies recovered from second vein 187 
 
 Total number of bodies recovered from third vein 51 
 
 Lost, by burning, on the cage 12 
 
 Thought to be lost in the mine but found later alive and working at 
 
 other parts of the State 11 
 
 Still missing, but whether in the mine or gone to parts unknown, 
 
 cannot at this time be determined 6 
 
 THOS. HUDSON, 
 
 Mine Inspector.
 
 II. The Public's Response to the 
 Needs of the Victims.
 
 57 
 
 THE PUBLIC'S RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS OF 
 
 THE VICTIMS. 
 
 EELIEF. 
 
 After dwelling with the horror and suffering of victims that were 
 caught in the mine we must turn to the heart-stricken widows and 
 children, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters who anxiously waited 
 for those who never returned. 
 
 It was a pitiful sight to see those bereft ones linger about the hoisting 
 shaft for days, scarcely taking time to eat or sleep, hoping and praying 
 that those upon whom they were dependent might return. 
 
 One of the greatest difficulties which those in charge about the mine 
 and in the village had was the pacifying and providing for these bereaved 
 people. 
 
 The widows and children were, in many cases, left without provisions 
 that would last for any length of time and, being mostly foreigners, had 
 no relatives to fall back upon. They were clearly at the mercy of the 
 public. 
 
 As is generally the case in an affair of this kind, the great need is for 
 immediate relief. It takes some time to administer relief efficiently 
 and systematically after it has been tendered. There were 160 widows 
 and 390 children to be cared for. In some instances, a son was support- 
 ing a widowed mother and brothers and sisters. There were in all 607 
 persons dependent upon those who were killed in the mine. 
 
 Notwithstanding that there was some complaint at first from these 
 unfortunates, there probably was never a case of this kind where relief 
 was administered more promptly or where those in need were better 
 taken care of than these people. Nearly every city and village in the 
 State contributed in some way to their relief; the United Mine Workers, 
 the Chicago Tribune, ' the Red Cross Society and the various secret 
 societies and organizations were all early on the ground and the little 
 village of Cherry was soon the recipient of the generosity of thousands. 
 
 It is hardly possible to state the exact amount of relief tendered the 
 Cherry sufferers in dollars and cents, for a great deal was sent in 
 merchandise; supplies having been sent in car loads and many organiza- 
 tions worked independently. From the best information that we are 
 able to obtain the total amount of the contribution is .$444,785.93. The
 
 58 
 
 amount paid out by the company in settlements (July 11, 1910), 
 approximately $400,000.00, making a total of $844,785.92 contributed 
 to those left without support. 
 
 BELIEF COMMISSION. 
 
 A national relief commission, known as the Cherry Relief Commission, 
 is organized for the purpose of distributing in a proper manner these 
 contributions. The members of this commission are: 
 
 Judge L. Y. Sherman, Chairman, Springfield, Illinois, of the State Board 
 of Administration. 
 
 J. E. Williams, Vice-Chairman, Streator, Illinois, Streator Relief Com- 
 mittee. 
 
 Duncan McDonald, Secretary, Springfield, Illinois, United Mine Workers 
 of America. 
 
 E. T. Bent, Chicago, Illinois, Illinois Coal Operators Association. 
 
 Ernest P. Bicknell, Washington, D. C., American Red Cross. 
 
 The following sum had been turned over to this commission on July 
 28, 1910: 
 
 American Red Cross $ 85,837 96 
 
 United Mine Workers of Illinois (by Duncan McDonald) ...... 37,466 54 
 
 United Mine Workers of America (by Ed. Perry) 26,798 71 
 
 Streator Relief Fund (by J. E. Williams) 4,869 21 
 
 Mrs. James Spears (by Dr. G. Taylor) 1,000 00 
 
 Dr. R. A. Smith, Spring Valley, proceeds of a concert 243 40 
 
 Total 1156,215 72 
 
 This commission will also have, under the direction of the State Board 
 of Administration, of which Judge Sherman is also president, the distri- 
 bution of the $100,000 which the State Legislature appropriated, making 
 the total sum of $256,215.72, which is to be distributed on the pension 
 plan to the widows and orphans. Other sums are in the hands of relief 
 committees of Oglesby, La Salle and Peru and will probably be turned 
 over to this commission. 
 
 There is contained in the donations of the Eed Cross many large 
 contributions that should probably receive special mention. Among 
 them is that of the Chicago Tribune, having raised $41,041.78 for the 
 relief of the Cherry sufferers. Through the courtesy of Mr. Kelly, 
 general manager, we publish a statement of the contributions: 
 
 TRIBUNE RELIEF FUND. 
 1909. 
 
 Nov. 15 Contributed by "The Chicago Daily Tribune" f 1,000 00 
 
 Nov. 15 Cash contributions received and acknowl- 
 to Mar. edged in the columns of "The Chicago 
 23, 1910 Daily Tribune" 40,041 78 
 
 Total contributed $41,041 78
 
 59 
 
 Disbursed as follows: 
 Cash. 
 
 Total amount of checks remitted to C. D. Norton, 
 Treasurer Red Cross Society, Washington, D. C. . . $33,687 03 
 
 Check to Bishop Edward W. Dunne, Bishop of 
 Peoria 2,500 00 
 
 Cash distributed by our representative in amounts of 
 50 cents and $1.00 among widows and orphans 
 at Cherry, December 1st 50 00 
 
 Total cash paid over $36,237 03 
 
 Supplies purchased and expenses incidental thereto. 4,804 75 
 
 Total disbursements $41,041 78 
 
 TOTAL AMOUNT CONTRIBUTED. 
 
 The total amounts contributed, as near as we can learn, are as follows : 
 
 At the disposal of the Cherry Relief Commission $256,215 72 
 
 Contributions of St. Paul Coal and Mining Company 55,742 40 
 
 Death benefits paid by Mine Workers of Illinois 40,000 00 
 
 Expended by the Local Relief Committee of Cherry 33,968 91 
 
 St. Paul Railroad Company 10,964 29 
 
 Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Company 10,000 00 
 
 Congregational Church 10,000 00 
 
 Knights of Pythias 7,500 00 
 
 Bishop Edward Dunne 5,000 Ov, 
 
 Coal Operators 5,000 00 
 
 Citizens of La Salle 4,292 85 
 
 Slavish Newspapers 4,000 00 
 
 Citizens of Oglesby 2,101 75 
 
 Total contributions $444,785 92 
 
 Settlement made by St. Paul Coal Company approximately $400,000. 
 
 Total which will go to the support of the dependents, of which we have 
 a report, $844,785.92. 
 
 The contributions of the St. Paul Coal Company consisted of money, 
 provisions, rents, coal, etc. 
 
 The death benefit of $150 to the family of each miner killed, which 
 was paid by the United Mine Workers of Illinois for 256 deaths, totals 
 $38,700, and other burial expenses will probably make the total $40,000. 
 
 There was turned over to Charles L. Connolly, mayor of Cherry and 
 who is cashier of the bank, the sum of $33,968.91, all of which has been 
 expended in administering relief. This sum was made up of hundreds 
 of donors representing amounts of from 50 cents to hundreds of dollars. 
 
 The Columbus Newsboys' associations of Columbus, 0., is worthy of 
 special attention, it having contributed $1,720 to the local relief com- 
 mittee at Cherry. The United Mine Workers were among the first to 
 come forward with $5,000. The Hod Carriers' Union of Chicago con- 
 tributed $650. The Farmers' and Miners' Bank of Ladd, 111., gave $200. 
 The rest of the contributions were made up of smaller amounts and 
 represented nearly every vocation and calling and the generosity of all 
 classes of people.
 
 60 
 
 The amount raised by the employes of the Chicago, Milwaukee & 
 St. Paul Bailroad Company was also turned over to Mayor Connolly, as 
 treasurer. Although a busy man, and especially so after the fire, Mr. 
 Connolly deserves great credit for the valuable service he rendered during 
 this calamity upon the little city and for the most excellent manner in 
 which he kept the records of the contributions and in his careful distri- 
 bution of them. 
 
 Thirty-one of those killed belonged to the Knights of Pythias and 
 the family of each received the regular benefit of $70. Those that 
 belonged to the local lodge received $50 more. 
 
 The total amount of all contributions makes a per capita of $1,717,32 
 for the death of each person killed. This, of course, does not represent 
 the amount of cash each widow or family received, as much of this has 
 already been expended in relieving their wants. 
 
 Including the contributions and the money paid in settlements by the 
 St. Paul Coal Company there was a per capita of $3,261.72 raised for 
 each person killed. 
 
 THE PENSION PLAN OF KELIEF. 
 
 There will be allotted to those people, however, through the National 
 Commission, the sum of $256,215.72, or an average of $989.25 to each 
 death. This sum will be distributed, however, to the dependents of those 
 who were killed, each family receiving an amount in proportion to the 
 Dumber of dependents in a lump sum if a widow alone is left, or if the 
 family leaves this country ; but to the widow with children residing here 
 it is paid on the pension plan, in amounts according to the number of 
 children. A widow and one child under the age of 14 years gets a 
 pension of $25 per month until the child is 14 years of age or until they 
 should, by the widow marrying or otherwise, become self-supporting. A 
 widow and two children under the ages of 14 years gets $30, and for 
 each additional child $5 more per month until the maximum of $40 
 per month is reached. A widow with more than four children under the 
 age of 14 does not get more than $40. 
 
 To widows without children or with children over the age of 14 years 
 a cash settlement is made according to the conditions peculiar to the 
 family, their ability to support themselves, etc., usually about $300. The 
 average age of the children left was 5% years and it is estimated that 
 the fund on hand will support the dependents for eight or more years 
 or until the children are able to work. Thus it will be seen that at all 
 times from the first the relief work was pushed with vigor and that 
 the American people displayed in no uncertain manner their sympathetic 
 generosity and big-heartedness. Food, clothing, medicines and supplies 
 were sent from all parts of the country and were rapidly dispensed by 
 the members of the charitable institutions on the ground, the value of 
 which we cannot estimate. It was announced that on the 23d of 
 November, ten days after the accident, $31,650.93 had been sent to the 
 relief committee at Cherry.
 
 61 
 
 The St. Paul Coal Company accommodated in the sleeping cars of 
 the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad from 150 to 200 men and 
 nurses, and the dining cars were serving meals three times a day to the 
 officials of the mine, mine experts, mine examiners, physicians, nurses, 
 newspapermen and the workers. The company did all in its power to 
 alleviate the suffering and distress. The homes in which the widows 
 and children lived were turned over to their occupants and no rent was 
 charged during the months of that winter. The coal which was used to 
 heat those domiciles was also furnished. Even medical aid was tendered 
 the sufferers for months following the disaster. 
 
 It seems that everything that could be done for the physical relief 
 of those bereaved people was cheerfully performed in the hope that 
 th rough this means they might partially at least help them to bear their 
 sorrow. 
 
 Plans have not only been made for their immediate relief but, through 
 the commission which has been established, a thorough businesslike 
 systematic plan has been perfected for the care of those unfortunate 
 dependents until they are able to care for themselves.
 
 III. The Settlement With the 
 St. Paul Coal Company.
 
 65 
 
 THE SETTLEMENT WITH THE ST. PAUL COAL 
 
 COMPANY. 
 
 THE EFFORTS OF JOHN E. WILLIAMS. 
 
 Before the bodies of all the dead were recovered and while it was still 
 uncertain whether all of them would ever be reclaimd or not, the people, 
 whose sympathies had responded so promptly in the hour of Cherry's 
 affliction, began to inquire, what is to become of the widows and orphans ? 
 The sending of special trains loaded with food, clothing and other provi- 
 sions as an expression of public sentiment served very well indeed to 
 relieve the pressure of immediate wants, but what of the future? The 
 widows and children of the ill-fated men had to be taken care of in 
 some way, but how? That was the problem, and while hundreds were 
 wondering, the mind of John E. Williams was working, and out of it 
 came a solution accepted ultimately by every interest concerned, in 
 consequence of which ample financial provision is made for all the 
 victims of the Cherry disaster, continuing until most of the children 
 will be old enough to support themselves. 
 
 In an article contributed to The Forensic Quarterly for June, 1910, by 
 S. B. Elliott, a fairly full and authentic account is given. It contains 
 so much of the history of the settlement that the liberty is taken of 
 incorporating it as a part of this report. It quotes sections of the 
 English Workmen's Compensation Act, upon which the settlement with 
 the St. Paul Coal Company was based. It also contains a reference to 
 the preliminary discussion conducted by Mr. Williams, forming as it 
 did the ground work of all subsequent negotiations. The proportions of 
 the self-imposed task are only partly shown in the complexity of con- 
 flicting interests that had to be reconciled, the character of the prejudices 
 that had to be removed, and the tempting visions of large contingent 
 fees, that had to be destroyed. 
 
 The situation was at all times critical, requiring the constant presence 
 not only of a persuasive and persevering but of a controlling master- 
 mind, and the artist possessing all these needed qualifications was on 
 the job, the only uncertain element being whether the patience and 
 self-interest of ordinary men could withstand the strain. 
 
 When all the interests were apparently harmonized and success in 
 sight, a break in some unexpected quarter would occur and with it would 
 vanish the prospect of an adjustment, to be again revived by another 
 
 5 C
 
 66 
 
 effort. Behind all this time-consuming, patience-exhausting skirmish- 
 ing, the crux of the main question remained untouched, for, as Mr. 
 Williams states, up to this time neither the survivors had been pacified 
 nor the company persuaded. To this greater question Mr. Williams 
 focused all the power and influence of a well-trained and evenly-balanced 
 mind. With a vision rare among men, through the tears and grief of a 
 stricken people, he saw the lines of a new duty, the open doorway of a 
 great opportunity, and succeeded in transmitting the materials of a 
 tragedy into an instrumentality of immense service to mankind. Inspired 
 by no other purpose except the weal of his fellow mortals this man for 
 months disregarded the demands of home and business and in the ardor 
 of a splendid consecration gave the wealth of his mental and spiritual 
 endowments to a cause that absorbed all the energies of his active soul. 
 
 It is the writer's privilege to know nearly all the men whose coopera- 
 tion were required to bring about the consummation of the plan. Mr. 
 Albert J. Earling, the large-hearted, broad-brained president of the 
 Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Eailway, whose comprehensive judgment 
 and wide sympathies has done so much to destroy the force of the criti- 
 cism directed against all corporations; John H. Walker and Duncan 
 McDonald who, as officials of the mine workers' organization, were 
 heartily in sympathy with the principle of compensation which the 
 plan embodied; the consuls and representatives of foreign governments, 
 and the attorneys for the company and the sufferers. While each are 
 entitled to great consideration, the credit for the settlement belongs 
 almost exclusively to Mr. Williams, and all familiar with the facts will 
 so declare : this claim can be made for him without disparagement to 
 any one. His ministrations brought the parties together. He paved 
 the way and was the first to clearly recognize the possibilities of the 
 situation. 
 
 By training and talent he is specially fitted for just such work, besides 
 he was the solitary man whose motives could not be questioned. Neither 
 the mine workers' union, representing the victims, nor the St. Paul 
 Coal Company, with an investment of nearly half a billion dollars, had 
 anything but good will that he would accept. He was not a hired agent ; 
 he came as one imbued with a high sense of justice, seeing in the wreck 
 of an awful calamity a chance to emphasize, as Mr. Earling expresses 
 it, a "principle of equity," and with a pleasing, pleading personality 
 eventually won others to his view. There is a saving sense of satisfaction 
 in the assurance that we still have with us men of such strong, helpful, 
 altruistic character. 
 
 It speaks well for the present and future of the race, besides helping 
 to remove the grounds for the accusation that all men's motives are 
 mercenary and that the commercial demands of the age are such as to 
 exclude all other higher considerations. 
 
 There is a wide field for the exercise of such powers and the men 
 who are able and willing to fully meet the obligations of this relation in 
 life are now, and ever have been, the real kings of the world. The 
 ceremony of fixing a date for their coronation may be dispensed with,
 
 JOHN E. WILLIAMS, Streator, 111. 
 
 "The self-appointed mediator", whose influence in the matter of the Cherry settlement 
 made it possible for the 'course of the world to be turned one way when it might have been 
 turned another."
 
 68 
 
 for they stand already crowned and glorified. And to the immortals 
 who are thus qualified to take their respective places in the "Choir 
 Invisible," what a pleasure and a privilege it is to be to other souls 
 "The cup of strength in some great agony" 
 
 and then to live for evermore 
 "In deeds of daring rectitude, in scorn 
 For miserable aims that end in self 
 In thoughts sublime that pierce the night like stars 
 And in their mild persistence urge man's search 
 To vaster issues."
 
 69 
 
 AN EPOCH-MAKING SETTLEMENT BETWEEN 
 LABOR AND CAPITAL.* 
 
 [ Keprinted from The Forensic Quarterly for June, 1910.] 
 
 "One of those solemn moments had just passed when men see before 
 them the course of the world turned one way, when it might have been 
 turned another." 
 
 In the face of the titanic movements of the universe that of late we 
 have for a moment paused from toil or pleasure to realize, our world 
 seems very diminutive. We have, perhaps, wondered if our planet 
 counts for much, and we venture to think that for a few weeks at least, 
 millions of mortals have felt anxiously insignificant. And yet, as we 
 speak of the world's history, as we say "One of those solemn moments 
 had just passed when men see before them the course of the world turned 
 one way, when it might have been turned another," a sense as of great- 
 ness comes over us, and that, not all spiritual, and be we, as planet or as 
 mass of life, large or small, such moment is, to us, solemn. 
 
 The whole country heard of the "Cherry Disaster." The awful 
 entombing of hundreds of men; the horror of the slowly suffocating, 
 sealed in a burning pit. And yet, it was only one of the many coal 
 companies that was wrecked ; only a few hundred of the many thousand 
 coal miners who were buried ; a local calamity just as other calamities 
 in this big country; an unnecessary horror caused by the stupidity of 
 one mule-driver. The federal and state governments furnished various 
 kinds of experts ; troops were sent to save the crazed people from them- 
 selves; the Red Cross did its work; a relief committee was formed; 
 money was subscribed, and the "shyster" lawyers gathered like birds 
 of prey. 
 
 There was a pause while the dead were buried, while the hungry were 
 fed, then the shock passed and the world, drawing a long breath, went 
 on its way leaving the wrecked corporation, the destitute widows and 
 orphans to solve their own problem of irreparable loss, of bitterness, of 
 antagonisms, of legal war between capital and labor. It was in this 
 pause that a man, just one man, a looker-on, a one-time miner; who, 
 because of his experience realized the present, as well as the possible 
 future misery, to both sides, began to work. So quiet, so sane, so gentle, 
 so patient was he that the crushed people, the wrecked corporation scarcely 
 
 "This article is a compilation patiently made by Miss Sarah Barnwell Elliott from letters, 
 reports and official statements, with the least possible editing, as it was felt that in this case 
 "scissors and paste" would be of more public service than "Pegasus."
 
 70 
 
 knew that he worked; not even the "shyster" lawyers suspected in him 
 an enemy; he, however, fully realized them, and guided himself accord- 
 ingly. Back and forth between corporation and claimants he went; he 
 listened, he questioned, he advised, until at last, after long and patient 
 labor against seemingly overwhelming odds, he turned the destroying fire 
 of the unfortunate mule-driver into a "refiner's fire," where the dross 
 of all evil contentions, all bitternesses was burned away and only the 
 pure gold of loving-kindness, of Christ-like compassion was left. 
 
 How he did this is the point of this summary. 
 
 He found that the total number of killed was about 270. 
 
 Total number of widows, 160. 
 
 Total number of children, 470; of these, 407 were under 14 years of 
 age; by law, too young to work. 
 
 After careful calculation he decided that besides what had been given 
 by the Eed Cross, the United Mine Workers, the State of Illinois, and 
 the general public, a half million of dollars would be needed to care 
 for these dependents in any permanent way. Also, he decided that the 
 St. Paul Coal Company, owner of the Cherry mines, was the most 
 promising source of help. 
 
 He then made a study of the resources of , this corporation and found 
 that the -mines of the St. Paul Coal Company, "capitalized at $350,000, 
 fully paid in, were opened and operated especially to supply the Chicago, 
 Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad with coal"; . . . "that without the 
 trade of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Eailroad they would be 
 curtailed of their market, and with the hostility of that road be practi- 
 cally valueless." . . . "That if the claimants went to law . . . 
 fought through to the Supreme Court; . . . that if a judgment 
 against the company were affirmed, ... if the property were sold 
 to satisfy this judgment . . . the company could go through bank- 
 ruptcy or go into the hands of a friendly receiver" ... "that if, 
 under the circumstances, the property could be sold for its full value, 
 and there were no other creditors, it would yield about $1,000 apiece 
 to the claimants." 
 
 He then asked, "Could it be sold for $350,000?" "The stock being 
 owned by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, any friend of 
 that road could and would, at a forced sale, bid in the property," no 
 one daring to bid against him because, as it was expressed, "No one 
 could afford to have the mines as a gift, if in so doing he incurred the 
 hostility of that road for in that case he could not expect the trade 
 of that road, and could expect no other !" 
 
 But supposing the sale at full value; first, the legal expenses would 
 have to be paid ; then the sums due for rescue work ; then for repairing 
 the mines. To sum up the losses : 
 
 Forced sale in an unfavored market. 
 
 Enormous legal expenses. 
 
 The cost of the disaster. What then would be left each claimant? 
 
 After this summing up ; after bringing home to all, that though the 
 Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, a $400,000,000 corporation, 
 owned, practically, the St. Paul Coal Company, yet beyond the resources
 
 71 
 
 of the St. Paul Coal Company, there was no legal liability for the Cherry 
 disaster. Then the problem had to be met: "What other recourse had 
 they?" The self-appointed mediator asked the president of the great 
 railway company this question: "What other recourse have we?" And 
 the president "met the question squarely" by answering: "We acknowl- 
 edge a moral obligation." "This statement . . . was the keynote 
 of all the subsequent proceedings." 
 
 Up to this time, the self-appointed mediator had proceeded on his 
 own responsibility; now, he reported all his findings to the relief com- 
 mittee and asked their opinion. At once and unanimously, the committee 
 put itself on record as "favoring mediation as the best possible solution 
 of the Cherry situation . . . and the greatest precedent for the 
 future that it would be the privilege of any body of men to establish." 
 
 At once they saw "before them the course of the world turned one way, 
 when it might have been turned another." 
 
 The next step was the basis of settlement. In company with the three 
 chief officials of the United Mine Workers, the self-appointed mediator 
 called upon the president of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Eailroad 
 President Earling and submitted -to him "two plans of settlement, 
 one by a commission appointed by the President of the United States; 
 the other, a proposal to settle on the basis of the English Workmen's 
 Compensation Act." 
 
 "Of the two proposals suggested the one that found the most favor 
 was the proposal to adjust the claims on the basis of the English 
 'Workmen's Compensation Act.' Some of the consuls were very warm 
 in their commendation of this idea, and suggested that a clearer and 
 fuller knowledge of the law should be obtained. A copy of the Act was 
 procured, and extracts bearing on the Cherry case and on the 'Employers' 
 Liability' in general, are here given." 
 
 WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION ACT, 1906. 
 
 "Be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the 
 advice and consent of the Lord's Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, 
 in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, 
 as follows: 
 
 "1. If in any employment personal injury by accident arising out 
 of and in the course of the employment is caused to a workman, his 
 employer shall, subject as hereinafter mentioned, be liable to pay com- 
 pensation in accordance with the first schedule of this Act. 
 
 PROVISION FOR ARBITRATION. 
 
 "2. If any question arises in any proceedings under this Act as to 
 the liability to pay compensation under this Act (including any question 
 as to whether the person injured is a workman to whom this Act 
 applies), or as to the amount or duration of compensation under this 
 Act, the question, if not settled by agreement, shall, subject to the 
 provisions of the first schedule of this Act, be settled by arbitration, in 
 accordance with the second schedule to this Act.
 
 72 
 
 SCALE AND CONDITIONS OF COMPENSATION. 
 
 "The amount of compensation under this Act shall be : 
 "1. -If the workman leaves any dependants wholly dependent upon his 
 earnings, a sum equal to his earnings in the employment of the same 
 employer during the three years next preceding the injury, or the sum 
 of one hundred and fifty pounds, whichever of those sums is the larger, 
 but not exceeding in any case three hundred pounds, provided that the 
 amount of any weekly payments made under this Act, and any lump 
 sum paid in redemption thereof, shall be deducted from such sum, and, 
 if the period of the workman's employment by the said employer has 
 been less than the said three years, then the amount of his 'earnings 
 during the said three years shall be deemed to be one hundred and 
 fifty-six times his average weekly earnings during the period of his 
 actual employment under the said employer. 
 
 IF No WIDOW Is LEFT. 
 
 "2. If the workman does not have any such dependants, but leaves 
 any dependants in part upon his earnings, such sum, not exceeding in 
 any case the amount payable under the foregoing provisions, as may be 
 agreed upon, or, in default of agreement, may be determined, on arbitra- 
 tion under this Act, to be reasonable and proportionate to the inju-ry to 
 the said dependants. 
 
 "3. If he leaves no dependants, the reasonable expenses of his medical 
 attendance and burial, not exceeding ten pounds. 
 
 "4. Where total or partial incapacity for work results from the 
 injury, a weekly payment during the incapacity not exceeding 50 per 
 cent of his average weekly earnings during the previous twelve months, 
 if he has been so long employed, but if not, then for any less period 
 during which he has been in the employment of the same employer, such 
 weekly payment not to exceed one pound. 
 
 AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS. 
 
 "For the purpose of the provisions of this schedule relating to 'earn- 
 ings' and ' average weekly earnings' of a workman, the following rules 
 shall be observed : 
 
 "1. Average weekly earnings shall be computed in such manner as 
 is best calculated to give the rate per week at which the workman was 
 being remunerated. Provided, that where by reason of the shortness of 
 the time during which the workman has been in the employment of his 
 employer, or the casual nature of the employment, it is impracticable 
 at the date of the accident to compute the rate for remuneration, regard 
 may be had to the avera'ge weekly amount which, during the twelve 
 months previous to the accident, was being earned by a person in the 
 same grade employed at the same work by the same employer, or, if 
 there is no person so employed, by a person in the same grade employed 
 in the same class of employment and in the same district.
 
 73 
 
 MONEY INVESTED BY COURT. 
 
 "5. The payment in the case of death shall, unless otherwise ordered 
 as hereinafter provided, be paid into the county court, shall, subject to 
 rules of court and the provisions of this schedule, be invested, applied, 
 or otherwise dealt with by the court in such manner as the court in its 
 discretion thinks fit for the benefit of the persons entitled thereto under 
 this Act, and the receipt of the registrar of the court shall be a sufficient 
 discharge in respect to the amount paid in. 
 
 "8. Any question as to who is a dependant shall, in default of agree- 
 ment, be settled by arbitration under this Act/' 
 
 PAYMENT FOR INJURIES. 
 
 "In addition to indemnity for death the law also grants for disability 
 a weekly payment during such disability 'not exceeding 50 per cent of 
 his average weekly earnings during the previous twelve months, such 
 weekly payment not to exceed one pound/ The law provides compensa- 
 tion for disability by diseases that can be shown to grow out of the 
 occupation." 
 
 "The next step was a mass meeting of the widows at Cherry, where 
 a committee of conference was appointed, of which the self-appointed 
 mediator was made a member/' It is impossible to tell of all the con- 
 flicting interests and purposes; of the tremendous difficulty of uniting 
 them on any plan that would avoid litigation. The survivors had to be 
 pacified, the company had to be persuaded, for the sum asked in settle- 
 ment was not a small amount. 
 
 To give figures, the sum settled on by the St. Paul Coal Company 
 as being "the most" that could be paid for settlement, was $250,000 
 and a "moral obligation" felt by the controlling railway company, while 
 the sum settled on by the self-appointed mediator as necessary from the 
 corporation was $500,000. How could he get this? How "transmute 
 a moral obligation into its financial equivalent?" As the self-appointed 
 mediator writes, "It was by no means a simple matter. For if we took 
 any arbitrary sum as the measure of indemnity, just as good arguments 
 could be urged for a larger sum. If we suggested $1,500, the largest 
 sum up to that time paid in a large disaster, some one with equal force 
 could urge $2,500, or $3,500, or $5,000. 
 
 "And then the obligation was not all on one side. The powerful head 
 of a $400,000,000 corporation is by no means a dictator. He is allowed 
 his power only because his stockholders believe he will use it to their 
 mutual advantage. If he acknowledges a moral obligation it must be 
 such a one as. they can be brought to sanction and approve. He must 
 satisfy his own sense of right, he must meet the reasonable moral expecta- 
 tion of right-thinking men, and he must do it in such a way as to secure 
 the approval and support of those who paid the bills, and received neither 
 publicity or reward for their contribution. 
 
 "I shall never forget the memorable interview at which the many 
 angles of this complicated question were made clear to me. It was at
 
 74 
 
 an interview with President Earling. It was my part to urge with all 
 the fervor and eloquence at my command the moral demands of the 
 situation; it was his to listen and decide. In two hours of sincere, 
 earnest, and fervent discussion I presented my cause from every con- 
 ceivable point of view. Mr. Earling listened, weighed, and considered 
 patiently, and met every point with a sincerity, earnestness and fairness 
 equal to my own. Where he agreed, he admitted it frankly and gladly; 
 where he differed, he did it courteously, kindly, almost regretfully. I 
 felt I was in the presence of a man who felt the grandeur of a great 
 moral issue, and who was weighed down by the burden of a heavy, an 
 almost tragic responsibility. But he could not at that time reconcile 
 himself to my solution of the moral problem. He had fixed his mind 
 on a sum that was $100,000 less than my plan called for, and it seemed 
 to him better that the claimants should 'take the property' rather than 
 grant the sum that my proposal seemed to demand. 
 
 "I left his presence chastened and discouraged, but not the least 
 doubting the sincerity and moral earnestness of the man whose responsi- 
 bilities were so much greater than mine. The interview was not without 
 its fruits, however, for a few weeks afterwards I was summoned to a 
 conference of representatives of the various interests, at which Mr. 
 Earling adopted in substance the principle of the proposal I had previ- 
 ously made. That principle is well known to readers now, being the 
 principle of the English law which gives for each accidental death the 
 equivalent of three years' earnings. The proposal was accepted by 
 consular and other interests, and settlements with the Cherry claimants 
 are now in process of being effected on this basis. Mr. Earling did me 
 the honor to say that my words had been the means of convincing him 
 of the wisdom of adopting the English precedent in the settlement of 
 the Cherry problem, and I am proud of the honor; but it is his own 
 broad mind, big heart, and strong will that has put the plan into execu- 
 tion, and given it a reality in the world of fact that will make it go 
 down into history as the most potent and significant result of the greatest 
 mining tragedy in history. 
 
 "I am tempted to add just a word of an impression left on my mind 
 as the result of my unusual contact with one of our great over-lords of 
 commerce. It is this : That corporations are endurable or possible only 
 because of the great humans who are behind them. In themselves they 
 are soulless abstractions, existing only for the economic purposes. But 
 they must have men to run them, big men, strong men, and you can't 
 find a man big enough for the job unless he has a great Tinman heart' 
 and plenty of rich, red, blood in his veins. Down below you may find 
 automata, man machines; but at the top you must have a live wire/ a 
 real man, and not all the corporation machinery in the world can grind 
 the human sympathy, the human interest, out of him. Without him, the 
 barricades, the red flag, the reign of terror; with him, perhaps the 
 evolution of the corporation into the Hope of the Ages. Let us dare to 
 have faith. At least so much has my brief contact with President 
 Earling enabled me to do."
 
 75 
 
 So much for the self-appointed mediator's view of Mr. Bailing, presi- 
 dent of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad; let us see now 
 what Mr. Earling thinks of him, of this sane, wise, patient J. E. 
 Williams. Mr. Earling says : 
 
 "DEAK MR. WILLIAMS Your letter of April 16th, with the enclosure 
 accompanying it came to my office during my absence in the east. 
 
 "It is better, in view of all the interests, that the facts concerning the 
 Cherry settlement be given to the public. There is no one so well quali- 
 fied to give them as yourself, and, while I have a natural disinclination 
 to publicity, I cannot be otherwise than glad that you have published this 
 statement, and with it there is a deep measure of personal appreciation 
 of the more than kindly treatment you have accorded me. 
 
 "No one could have gone to Cherry in its hour of disaster without 
 being profoundly impressed with the futility of mere legal remedies. The 
 machinery of the law never could have fed the hungry or clothed the 
 naked. No corporation worthy of receiving from the State the right to 
 transact its business could have closed its treasury in the presence of 
 hunger and destitution simply because no legal responsibility rested 
 upon it to furnish food and clothing. At such an hour as that the ques- 
 tion of legal rights and duties become insignificant as compared with 
 the impelling call of humanity, and corporations are as human as the 
 men who compose them. 
 
 "I hope no question more appalling or more difficult to solve will ever 
 come to any corporation than "that involved in doing justice to the 
 survivors at Cherry. There were two survivors of that disaster, the 
 bereaved and stricken people, and the ravaged corporation. Again the 
 impotence of the law was emphasized. All the law could do was to take 
 the wrecked and shattered property, and divide it as best it might, 
 through long and tedious delays and expensive and wasting processes. 
 This meant the complete loss of the property to its owners, and, in the 
 end, but little, if any, alleviation of the suffering of the survivors, or 
 mitigation of their poverty. It was evident from the outset that the 
 best relief which the law could afford meant only added disaster for the 
 survivors at Cherry, and absolute annihilation for the company. It 
 became, therefore, of the highest importance to all that some basis of 
 settlement should be arrived at which* would give quicker relief than 
 could be obtained through legal means, and which would be within the 
 financial limits of the property involved. 
 
 "I think it is probable that the company and a considerable number 
 of the survivors could have come to view the principles that are involved 
 with substantial unanimity, but I am convinced that whatever might 
 have been the disposition to arrive at a settlement, just on the one 
 side, and equitable on the other, nothing could have crystalized the 
 details into a final result as did your patient, earnest and disinterested 
 mediation. 
 
 "It was difficult at the outset to understand such unselfish devotion 
 to the cause of humanity. There are many motives which lead men to 
 champion one side or the other in any controversy. There are many 
 ardent advocates of one side or the other, but no other instance has come
 
 76 
 
 under my observation of a man with the capacity to help, coining volun- 
 tarily to the aid of contending parties, with an equal eye to fair dealing 
 for both and justice for all. 1 think I am justified in saying that without 
 your skillful and intelligent mediation the settlement at Cherry would 
 have been as far off now as at any stage of its negotiation. 
 
 "I am glad that the Cherry settlement bids fair to be an epoch-making 
 event in the relations between employers and employed in this country. 
 All those who had a part in bringing it about must, of necessity, have 
 their share of credit for its result, but, above and beyond them all, no 
 single factor of as much importance as your own undaunted persistence 
 in the face of circumstances that so often seemed hopeless. If, out of 
 the wreckage of property and tombs of men at Cherry, there shall come 
 forth a permanent bettering of the relations of employers and employed 
 in the hours of their common disaster, it may be counted as some small 
 salvage from so awful a calamity. And, so far as it contributes to the 
 welfare of humanity and the advancement of commerce, it shall stand 
 as a monument to your unfaltering effort to establish among men a 
 lasting principle of equity and justice. 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 "ALBERT J. EAKLING." 
 
 The reader who has reached this point will wish to know something 
 of Mr. Williams. He is a one-time coal miner; he was secretary of the 
 first miners' union; was first miners' check- weighman in Streator, 111.; 
 has been for twenty-five years the manager of the Plumb Opera House 
 in the same town. With the Hon. Lyman Gage and Colonel Eend of 
 Chicago he arbitrated the Cpal Eun strike,' and later organized and was 
 president of "The Business Men's Auxiliary League," which helped the 
 miners to carry on the strike of 1897. He is now a business man; is 
 chairman of the "Cherry Belief Committee" of Streator, and the "Self- 
 Appointed Mediator" who has not seen "the course of the world turned 
 one way, when it might have been turned another," but who has turned 
 it. For, "... hardly has the Cherry settlement taken effect when 
 its principle is adopted. . . The International Harvester Company, 
 employing 25,000 people, has voluntarily come forward and offered its 
 employes an indemnity contract based on the same terms as the Cherry 
 settlement, namely, three times the annual wage in the event of acci- 
 dental death. It waives all question of 'negligence,' or legal liability, 
 and makes the simple fact of death or injury sufficient ground for 
 indemnity. . . "But the influence of the settlement does not end 
 here. The press dispatches bring the news that the Wisconsin legisla- 
 ture, through its committee, has recommended a bill containing the same 
 essential features three times the annual wage as indemnity for acci- 
 dental death. And information has come that the commission appointed 
 by Governor Deneen, one of whom was a Cherry mediator, is seriously 
 considering the same, or a similar measure." 
 
 Up to date, May 11, 1910, "the amount paid by the St. Paul Coal 
 Company in settlement of claims is $400,000. About forty claims are 
 still unsettled, mostly single. About $75,000 will be required to rehabili- 
 tate the mine."
 
 77 
 
 President Earling was "converted" from "$250,000 as being the most 
 that he could bring himself to pay" to the above amounts. Mr. Will- 
 iams' comment is: "Best of all, he rejoices in his conversion. . . . 
 The doing of the good deed changes the scale of values, and makes the 
 good man feel the result to be worth more than the sacrifice." 
 
 BELIEF FUND FACTS. 
 
 Over $400,000 was raised by the Red Cross, the United Mine Workers, 
 the State of Illinois, the coal operators, and the general public. This 
 will be administered by the Cherry commission, which is constituted as 
 follows : 
 
 Chairman, Hon. L. Y. Sherman, representing the State of Illinois; 
 vice chairman, J. E. Williams, representing the general public ; secretary, 
 Duncan McDonald, representing the United Mine workers; member, 
 E. P. Bicknell, representing the Eed Cross; member, E. T. Brent, repre- 
 senting the coal operators. 
 
 "In view of the fact that the coal company's payment was made 'flat' 
 to each widow, regardless of the number of children, we have thought it 
 best to make our fund go as far as possible for the benefit of the children." 
 
 PLAN OF RELIEF. 
 
 "Beneficiaries are divided into two classes : those having children, and 
 those without. Widows and others without children will be apportioned 
 a payment ranging from $300 to $500, which will be paid to them direct 
 as a final contribution. Widows with one child will be paid $20 per 
 month; with two children, $25 per month; and so on, increasing $5. 
 per month for each child until $40 is reached, which is the maximum 
 payment. 
 
 "Our calculations are that our funds will enable us to pay these pen- 
 sions until one or two of the eldest children in the family reach the age 
 of 14 years, the age the law fixes as the earliest age they can be permitted 
 to work. They will then be able to help support the family, and the 
 pension will stop except in exceptional cases." 
 
 Down to that spring day outside the walls of Jerusalem, when the 
 Sacrifice of the World was offered up, there had been but two classes: 
 the tramped-on and the trampler. From that Cross of the Carpenter, 
 watched by fishermen, came the light, that increasing through all the 
 ages, has gradually revealed to men the highest, deepest, truest meaning 
 of love "as thyself." 
 
 What might be called the chief characteristic of the fair races, has 
 been fair play until today it has, because of these controlling races, 
 become more or less the idea of humanity. It was from this standpoint 
 that the "self-appointed mediator" worked. From that older fair race 
 across the water he called the law (based on "as thyself"), and we, the 
 children of that race, will answer to the call must answer to the call. 
 Not only a few corporations, but the federal government must see to it 
 that, as in England, so in this country it shall become the law of the 
 land.
 
 IV. Industrial Accidents-Com- 
 pensation vs. Litigation.
 
 81 
 
 INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS COMPENSATION VS. 
 
 LITIGATION. 
 
 The American Mining Congress, at its late session at Los Angeles, 
 Cal., adopted a resolution which, while general in its terms, clearly com- 
 mits that body to the principle of legislation favoring certain definite 
 compensation in the case of industrial accidents. This is a pronounced 
 forward step and is the more significant when the fact is recalled that 
 a decided proportion of the delegates represented large employers of 
 labor whose cooperation is essential to secure such a needed reform in 
 tun- present law and practice. It not only attests the humanitarianism 
 of the men who have their capital invested in legitimate mining, but 
 expresses their business sense in an organized effort to dispense with the 
 unjustifiable waste that marks every attempt to adjudicate accident claims 
 under existing law and to substitute for it a plan, inexpensive and easy 
 of iiiforcement, that will place the responsibility where it properly 
 belongs on the whole industry and that will consider fairly and treat 
 equitably every interest represented in the great mining industry of our 
 country. It is unfair to the employing interests that they should bo 
 made the subject of interminable legal assaults in which designing 
 lawyers play upon the gambling instincts of injured men in the hope, 
 seldom realized, however, of obtaining fabulous rewards. It is no less 
 unfair to thrust upon the injured man or his dependant family the entire 
 burden of the loss sustained by accidents, a great per cent of which, as 
 our statistics show, is the result of trade hazard for which neither 
 employer or employe can legally be held liable. The purpose of the 
 policy approved by the resolution adopted at the Los Angeles convention 
 is to save ihe money now squandered in useless litigation and give it, 
 under propel 1 regulations, to those who. may be injured while in the line 
 of their employment as compensation, in part at least, for the suffering 
 and le,.-- of earning power sustained; and the compensation thus provided 
 to be recognized as a proper liability of the business and to be charged 
 against it like all other legitimate costs. The wonder is that the Amer- 
 ican people with all their indomitable energy and enterprise are not the 
 leaders in this, the most important conservation movement; as it is, we 
 have the example of twenty-one foreign governments, any one of which 
 might be accepted as a model for our conduct. This is the only civilized 
 nation in this respect that p'-rsists in its adherence to an out 
 obsolete legal policy. 
 
 6 C
 
 82 
 
 Our faith is still anchored in fees and certain precedents considered 
 more important than principles. 
 
 The legislature of Montana, at its last session, enacted a law, effective 
 December 1st this year, authorizing the levying of a tax of 1 eenl 
 per ton on all coal mined and sold in that state for the purpose of 
 providing a fund from which to compensate those injured in connection 
 with the coal mining industry. The New York legislature, .upon the 
 recommendation of its Commission on Employers' Liability, enacted 
 two laws, effective September 1st this year, one optional, the other 
 providing compensation for accidents occurring in certain non-competitive 
 industries. The Illinois Commission created by Act of Special Session, 
 1910, partly on account of the awful disaster at Cherry, reports" to Gov- 
 ernor Deneen, under date of September loth last, the results of six 
 months' investigation of the subject. Unfortunately, the members were 
 unable to agree upon a measure. While the employers on the Commission 
 were favorable to a compensation act, certain of the labor representatives, 
 while not opposing the plan for compensation, felt that it should follow 
 and not precede a comprehensive employers' liability law. Because of 
 this division of opinion the Commission adjourned without recommend- 
 ing any particular bill. While the failure is regretted, it does not relieve 
 the forthcoming Legislature from the responsibility of squarely meeting 
 the issue, in fact, the dominant political party in its platform pledges 
 its candidates for the Legislature to do so; besides, the valuable data 
 collected by the Commission and incorporated in its report will prove 
 M|' great service in the task of formulating a law on the subject. Several 
 other states, notably Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey 
 and Massachusetts have commissions now engaged in the work of pro- 
 posing changes in present employers' liability laws, the reports of which 
 will be submitted for the consideration this winter of their respective 
 legislatures. 
 
 While in full sympathy with the purpose back of the efforts of such 
 commissions their conclusions or recommendations necessarily depend 
 upon legislative approval which, if granted, certain selfish interests will 
 probably attack in the courts, thus rendering indefinite the time when 
 such remedial measures will become effective. Anticipating the ultimate 
 enactment of laws requiring compensation in all cases where employes 
 are disabled by accidents occurring in the line of their work, would it 
 not be advisable for associations of employers, in conjunction probably 
 with that of their employes, to put into immediate operation, by volun- 
 tary agreement, a plan that would fully dispose of the legal contentions 
 resulting from industrial accidents? 
 
 After an experience of more than half a century with litigation grow- 
 ing out of personal injury claims, founded on statutory or the common 
 law theory of negligence, the system, judged by its results, h:is fail;. 1 , 1. 
 Whatever justification the principle may have had in the earlier and 
 simpler stages of our industrial evolution, any further at tempi to apply 
 it to the complicated conditions of the present day must be attended 
 with greatly increased embarrassment to the courts, taking up tlieii- 
 time to the exclusion or delay of more legitimate business: to the denial 
 of simple justice to injured workmen or their dependants, and to the
 
 83 
 
 ever increasing annoyance and expense of employers who, in many 
 instances in self-protection, aie compelled lo contest suits of that char- 
 acter. Kmployers are familiar from experience with the nature of the 
 customary deft uses interpos-d against the successful prosecution of 
 claims of that nalmv so that it is unnecessary to discuss the rules of 
 contrihntory negligence, assumed risk, the relation of fellow-servant and 
 other doctrines proclaimed firm time to time by the courts. They are 
 also familiar with that class of insurance organizations which, in con- 
 sideiation of a fee that is never earned or dissipated in expenses that 
 should never he incurred, agree to relieve them in part from the legal 
 const <[ueiu\s of an accident for which an uninformed jury may hold 
 them responsible. The situation created by our failure to do even handed 
 justice lias made it seemingly obligatory on the part of many to seek 
 prohction in the nature of liability insurance. That, too, has miserably 
 "tailed; first, because the protection is incomplete; second, because real 
 responsibility cannot be permanently and successfully transferred; third, 
 because the injection of a foreign interest, usually without conscience, 
 having no particular concern for the rights or interests of employes, 
 intensifies friction and widens the gulf between them and their employers, 
 and fourth, because the plan is organized for private or corporate 
 profit, maintained at great expense, for salaries of officials, agents, 
 solicitors, engineers, attorneys, etc., constituting a severe tax upon the 
 industry, the smallest fraction of which ever finds its way into the home- 
 of injured workmen. This plan, like the legal practices under which 
 it has heen developed, now stands condemned, and the task of this moment 
 is the substitution of a system that will remove 1 on the one hand the 
 requirement for a suit in the civil courts, and on the other the necessity 
 of depending for protection upon . insurance companies as at present 
 organized. 
 
 The only proposition to consider is that of substituting for the present 
 expensive and wasteful plan the policy 'of compensation under which 
 the victims of industiial accidents would receive in the case of all 
 injuries a definite sum equal under many existing laws to one-half wages' 
 during incapacity: and for fatal accidents, in case of the ' head of a 
 family, the aggregate of three years' average earnings. There is nothing 
 new or revolutionary in such a scheme. It has long been the settled 
 policy of more than a BCOre of foreign governments, some of them adopt- 
 ing it over a quarter of a century ago. 
 
 This policy is based on the sound economic theory that the losses 
 sustained by workmen from accidents received in the line of their employ- 
 ment is a legitimate tax upon the industry lesponsihle for them and that 
 the earning power suspended or lost in consequence should in part, at 
 least, he recouped out of the profits of the enterprise and charged against 
 the business in the same manner as breakage, depreciation of plants 
 and other unavoidable costs of production. 
 
 Mining people as a class may have been deterred from adopting a 
 compensation plan, under the impression that the \anishing margin
 
 84 
 
 tvhich unlimited competition has left in the way of profits, makes it 
 impossible for thorn to assume it. This conclusion may have been formed 
 to ithout fully considering the expense of present methods. 
 
 A prominent manufacturer in this State, for his own information, 
 recently checked up his casualty accounts for a period of nineteen 
 mouths; somewhat to his surprise he discovered that the amount required 
 to compensate a-11 his employes who were injured during that time (on 
 the basis of the English compensation law) comprised but one-fifth of 
 the premiums he had paid for accident insurance during that time. The 
 aggregate value of the total coal product of this State for 1909 was 
 over fifty million dollars; that for the entire country being six hundred 
 fifteen and three-quarters million dollars. The addition of nine-tenths 
 of 1 per cent to the estimated valuation would be sufficient to allow the 
 payment of one-half wages to every mine worker for time lost on account 
 of injury, and two thousand dollars ($2,000) to the families of all those 
 who were killed during that year. 
 
 Because of certain laws, employers are not yet in a position to protect 
 themselves against the frightful and inexcusable waste incident to our 
 whole competitive system, but present restrictions need not prevent the 
 inauguration of a policy in relation to accidents, such as that herein 
 suggested, which, even on present valuations, assuming the cost would 
 be as great or greater, would carry with it the comfort and satisfaction 
 that whatever sums were paid out on such account would go directly, 
 and, what is equally important, immediately, to those who 'are most 
 entitled to receive them. 
 
 The practice and the law should unite with ethics in requiring that 
 the financial loss caused by injury to a workman should not be imposed 
 upon him alone, but shared, as far as can be, by the society receiving 
 benefits from his labor. 
 
 certain employers contend that to provide compensation for accidents 
 would operate as a direct inducement to carelessness, and that instead 
 of less there would be more casualties. Fortunately, such opinions 
 among employers are rare and it is enough to say that the experience 
 of foreign countries, working under compensation laws, show without 
 exception that the accident rate has been reduced to such extent, in fact, 
 tluit. their records are offered as examples for our emulation. 
 
 In the matter of industrial, accidents the purely legal question as to 
 where the personal responsibility rests should not be considered at all, 
 because it is not, strictly speaking, a personal affair, for the reasoii that 
 in extra hazardous occupations, like that of railroading, coal and metal 
 mining, and construction work, accidents occur chiefly as a result of the 
 inherent dangers of the calling, making it impossible in most cases in 
 determine the question of negligence as defined by the law. Our difficulties 
 in these respects arc but multiplied in the foolish attempts to apply a legal 
 theory that can have no logical or reasonable relation to the existing 
 industrial situation or to our new social concepts of the real duties and 
 responsibilities of men. 
 
 A capable and distinguished judge of this State, having a long and 
 varied experience in the trial of personal injury suits, declares he could
 
 85 
 
 write in ton minutes a fair and comprehensive law on the subject of 
 employers' li;iliilii y. A simple act comprising a few lines requiring 
 e\i(lenee of the fact that an injury has been sustained by a workman 
 while in 1 lie- course of his employment, and the earning time lost on 
 th MI account. These few words clearly define the basis upon which 
 accident chums, are to be adjusted, the balance is merely detail. Elimi- 
 nating tiie disturbing issue of negligence, there would be no longer a 
 basis tor quarreling over whether the employer is liable or not. The 
 only question likely to give rise to a difference of opinion is in partial 
 disability cases, the degree of which has to be determined, and the time 
 of the courts need not be occupied in such hearings, as those matters are 
 adjusted by commissions organized for that purpose. 
 
 Some confusion exists in the minds of workingmen regarding liability 
 and compensation laws. This is shown in the attitude of certain labor 
 leaders who oppose all plans proposing compensation until a compre- 
 hensive employers' liability law is enacted. 
 
 A law providing compensation for injuries is a distinct liability law 
 without the uncertainties that inevitably attach themselves to any pro- 
 ceeding under a general liability act, 
 
 To the extent of the amount required to be paid on proof of any 
 accident, compensatory legislation not only determines specifically the 
 extent of the employers' liability, but, what is equally important, avoids 
 the waste of time and loss of money incident to recovery under any other 
 system of liability practice. 
 
 Kvery statute attempting to define employers' liability is essentially 
 based on the legal idea of negligence. Wholly aside from the particular 
 del'mscs which the rulings of the courts allow, there can be no recovery 
 under a general liability act, except on proof of negligence on- the part 
 of the employer. Under such a procedure, with any kind of a law r , the 
 burden of furnishing evidence in support of the charge of negligence is 
 upon the party seeking to recover damages. There can be no escape 
 from this obligation on the plaintiffs part, and the record of litigated 
 cases show only' too frequently how lamentably has been the failure to 
 supply the Deeded evidence and this, too, in cases where neither the 
 doctrine of fellow-servant, contributory negligence, or assumption of 
 risk had been pleaded or allowed in defense. 
 
 While in a few cases under the general law there has been recovered 
 and sustained judgments in damage suits for considerable sums of 
 money, the amount of the judgment recovered in the average case is 
 scarcely equal to the expen^' required to defend it. After a careful 
 investigation. Mr. S. C. Kmgsley, of the National Conference of Chari- 
 ties, discovered that in fifty contested cases, where the claimants were 
 successful iii dodging every legal technicality, the aggregate amount 
 recovered was $8,749, or an average of $1 ; : for each. Jn the adjudication 
 of the claims in the case of the Cherry disaster, founded, as it was. on 
 the Knglish compensation act, fifty families received an aggregate of 
 $!Hl.O<)(). or an average of *l.sun raeh. If the real concern is for the 
 welfare of the families of injured workmen, surely there can lie no -ond 
 reason for hesitation in the matter of a choice between the two systems.
 
 86 
 
 One offers a definite amount paid directly without the expense or inter- 
 vention of agents or attorneys; the other presents the skeleton of a 
 hope the prospect only of a long delayed law suit with the final result 
 always uncertain. The hoped for millennium is still far 'off. We are 
 forced to deal with men and situations as they are, not as we would 
 wish them to be, and in legal, as in other contests, with rich and power- 
 ful interests, the injured workman, with his damage claim represented i 
 by a contingent fee lawyer, finds himself at a disadvantage when pitted 
 against, the trained corporation attorney. In no other way can the 
 increasing number of verdicts for the defendant be explained. It is 
 incredible to suppose that the workman who performs all the labor, 
 assumes all the risks, and suffers all the pain will consent to a further 
 continuance of an unequal contest. 
 
 In respect to mining accidents the number as between coal and metal 
 mines is quite evenly distributed, those "of a fatal character exceeding 
 three in every thousand employes in each class of mines. Public atten- 
 tion, however, has been directed chiefly to accidents in coal mines on 
 account of recent frightful disasters, in some of which more than half 
 a thousand lives have been lost at one time. 
 
 The great loss of life in. the mines of West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsyl- 
 vania, Illinois and Colorado within a period of two years, witli a 
 proportionate loss in our metal mines, although not so extensively 
 advertised, imperatively demand that everything possible be done to 
 diminish the number of accidents and to care for their victims in a 
 human and businesslike manner. 
 
 Every calamity brings in some form its compensation. These terrible 
 experiences may have been required to arouse in men a true sense of 
 their responsibility to their less fortunate fellows. The devastating 
 Hoods that destroyed the city of Galveston ten years ago made necessary 
 llic commission form of gbvernment for cities, a system which, beginning 
 with that wrecked municipality, is now spreading over the country 
 l>r, sriiting the. last hope of escape from the blight of municipal corrup- 
 tion. If, out of the wreck of industrial accidents, the results of 
 inevitable dangers, there shall come reasonable laws recognizing in a 
 broader way the rights and interests of all men, some atonement will 
 have been made and the lives of our workers shall not have been offered 
 in vain.
 
 87 
 
 STANDARDS OF COMPENSATION FOR SICKNESS, ACCIDENT 
 AND DEATH. 
 
 (Sherman C. Kingsley, Superintendent United Charities of Chicago, in the 
 Survey of September 3, 1910.] 
 
 On Saturday afternoon, November 13, 1909, a torch, carelessly exposed 
 and a bale of hay started a fire which caused one of the most dramatic mine 
 disasters in industrial history, and cost the lives of Andrew Dovin and 257 
 fellow workmen. Thrilling rescues by a heroic band of men who finally 
 perished in an act of supreme sacrifice and heroism; sealing the shaft in 
 the presence of an ineffably pathetic group of women and children; the re- 
 covery of revolting human shapes; the rescue of twenty-one men buried 
 alive for eight days, all this for weeks kept the press of a great city, indeed 
 
 of the nation, pulsing with stories of intensest human interest. The pulpit 
 took it up, so did teachers in the colleges. The imagination and sympathy 
 of the public were profoundly stirred. More was written and said, thought 
 and felt, about Andrew Dovin and his comrades, their wives and children, 
 than perhaps about any equal number of people who suffered a disaster 
 while pursuing industrial duty. This publicity acted with compelling and 
 persuasive unction upon the employing company, the' giving public, city 
 councils and the State Legislature. In this conspicuous respect, the wives 
 and children of Andrew Dovin and his fellow victims were most fortunate. 
 
 . These men died a congregate death in a disaster that was dramatic, thrilling, 
 spectacular. 
 
 On Saturday, November 14, 1908, one year before this disaster, an ambu- 
 lance backed up to No. 17 Bond street, the home of Abe. Miller. Abe was 
 in the ambulance. He was a worker in a steel mill. Together with other 
 men, he was burned in handling hot metal, receiving injuries which re- 
 sulted in his death. The only newspaper mention of Abe's case was a three 
 line statement in a list of accidents, giving his name, address and the 
 nature of the case. The company settled for $500 and promised permanent 
 employment to Abe's wife. She went to work and her inadequate earnings 
 were supplemented by charitable relief. The circumstances of Abe's mis- 
 fortune are fairly typical of fifty other fatal accidents of which information 
 was obtained through charitable organizations in ten of the largest cities of 
 the country. 
 
 I want to consider the information about these fifty accidents, which oc- 
 curred at a time in commonplace obscurity, and to contrast the circum- 
 stances of the wives and children of these men with what happened in the 
 way of compensation and relief for the wives and children of Andrew Dovin 
 and forty-nine other victims of the Cherry catastrophe. My object in mak- 
 ing this comparison, as I have indicated before, is that the circumstances 
 of the Cherrv victims were studied for weeks by the Red Cross, miners' 
 unions, city councils, the Legislature, associations of business men, maga- 
 zine writers, charity workers, indeed the whole public. What should be 
 done for the families of these men was deliberated perhaps more fully than 
 the circumstances of any other equal number of accident cases happening 
 in years.
 
 The schedules sent to the ten societies called for the following information: 
 
 1. Income conditions in the families before the accident. The man's age, 
 occupation and wages. 
 
 2. Nature of the accident. How he was killed. Insurance, if any. Gift 
 by employer and damages recovered. 
 
 3. Conditions in the family after the accident. The vacant chair. 
 Shrinkage in income. Kind of employment secured by wife and children. 
 The new adjustment. 
 
 While returns were made in 100 cases, I shall have more to say about the 
 fifty which were fatal. The families of these fifty oien, having obscure, 
 one-at-a-time accidents, received in compensation $8,749 $187 a piece. The 
 fifty Cherry families received from the company $90,000 $1,800 a piece. 
 
 In the case of Cherry, on account of the publicity and activity of the Red 
 Cross, the press, business associations, the fifty families received in con- 
 tributions, from the Legislature, miners' unions, etc., $87,000 making a total 
 of $177,000; in the other, the families received $8,749 plus an uncertain and 
 indefinite amount in relief and pensions from charity societies, and a still 
 more indeterminable amount from institutions, nurseries, hospitals, etc: 
 In the case of the fifty other victims, we have tried to indicate some of the 
 sources of help which were added to the $8,749. 
 
 I should like to call attention more in detail to the information gathered 
 from these schedules, to consider the income in the families before the acci- 
 dent, the size of the family, ages of the children, and the way they made 
 their new adjustment. The average income in the fifty fatal cases before 
 the accident was $668.47. Twenty-four occupations were represented. I am 
 inclined to think that the average income is a little high and that the so- 
 cieties arrived at the annual income by multiplying the weekly wage by the 
 number of weeks in a year, consequently not allowing for sickness, shut 
 downs or holidays. The present average income, after an average period of 
 a little more than a year since the accident the wife and children going to 
 work, taking boarders, renting rooms, etc., was $238.80 a decrease of 62.4 
 per cent. The average number in the family was five, wife and four chil- 
 dren. The average age of the children was 8 years and 2 months. The 
 average age of the fifty men killed was thirty-four and a half years. In the 
 fifty other accidents where the man was wholly or partially permanently 
 disabled, the recovery was $8,566, an average of $178.45 per man. The aver- 
 age income in these families before the accident was $700; after the acci- 
 dent, $255 a decrease of 65 per cent. 
 
 The societies were asked these additional questions: 
 
 First To state the amount of relief given or obtained by them for the 
 families. 
 
 Second Since relief societies are seldom able to give adequate relief, 
 they were asked what they would consider adequate relief. 
 
 I have already indicated that we could not get a definite measure of what 
 the societies actually gave in relief, but we got a more definite reply to the 
 second question, namely, what would be considered adequate relief in these 
 families. The average estimate was $5.80 a week for each family, which 
 amounts to $301.60 a year. This, add to the $238.80 earned by the wife and 
 children, taking boarders, etc., would make an income of $10.40 a week or 
 $504.40 a year. Understand that this was simply an estimate of what 
 would be adequate relief and not what the family got. 
 
 At Cherry, the question was discussed as to what shrinkage in income 
 might legitimately be allowed for counting out the man's expenses. If we 
 accept $5.80 as an adequate allowance to supplement each of these one-at-a- 
 time accident families, increasing the income to $539.60 and deduct this from 
 the $644 which was the average income in the fifty families before the ac- 
 cident, it would make an allowance of $104 a year for the man, or only about 
 a sixth of the income, on his account. In the discussions of the Cherry cases,
 
 89 
 
 it was thought that rather more than one-fourth should be allowed for the 
 man. This would put the family-' in better financial condition than when the 
 man was alive. 
 
 Chapin, in his valuable study, set $800.00 as the lowest income on which 
 u family could maintain a proper standard in New York city. However, the 
 average income of the working man is much less than $800.00. The average 
 income at Cherry was $600.00, and, as we have seen, it was set at $644.00 in 
 the fifty families we are studying. 
 
 The societies, in making their returns, did not indicate during how many 
 years this $5.80 a week should run. The average period over which the 
 money contributed to the Cherry victims will run is about seven years. If 
 we should accept the Cherry standard of distribution and should run the 
 fifty casual families for seven years, it would amount to $2,111.20; whereas, 
 the Cherry families will receive a total average of $1,745.00 of relief con- 
 tributed, not counting what they received from the company. 
 
 I am inclined to think that the minimum compensation for death should 
 be four times the annual earnings of the man, and that this should be paid 
 on a percentage basis to the wife and to each child below working age. In 
 oase of total disability, the compensation should be more because the man 
 is robbed of ability to work and must be maintained. 
 
 A car inspector lost his life in a crib fire at Chicago two years and three 
 months ago. He left a wife and three children, aged 7 and 4 and 2 years. 
 He earned $750.00 a year. The employer offered $1,500 in settlement as com 
 pensation. This offer was not accepted and suit was begun and is still 
 pending. 
 
 Had the laws of the following countries been in operation in Illinois the 
 family would have received aid in the amounts given below in the form 
 of annual pensions, except in Great Britain where the amount is a lump 
 sum, providing the widow did not marry and all the children lived to work- 
 ing age: 
 
 Austria until youngest child is fifteen $4,268 23 
 
 France until youngest child is fifteen 5,162 50 
 
 Germany until youngest child is fifteen 5,062 50 
 
 Great Britain three times annual wage 2,250 00 
 
 Hungary until youngest child is sixteen 5,615 06 
 
 Italy purchase of annuities until eighteen 3,750 00 
 
 Norway until youngest child is fifteen 4,268 23 
 
 Russia until youngest child is fifteen 5,800 00 
 
 In most of the countries the law determines the maximum annual earn 
 ings upon which the percentage of compensation is based. This maximum 
 ranges from $321.60 in Norway to $772.50 in Russia. In all of these coun- 
 tries the state guarantees payment. In all cases of fatal accident in these 
 countries, except Austria, the insurance premiums are carried entirely by 
 i he employer In Austria the employ^ contributes one tenth to the fund 
 ;iud the employer nine tenths. 
 
 Growing out of the study of these cases there are certain observations to 
 be made The compensation to the victims of fifty fatal accidents ranged from 
 s::. iMMi.no to nothing. In two cases $7,000.00 each was awarded, but they 
 were appealed from court to court and the victims finally got nothing. In 
 one of the permanent disability cases, a lower court awarded $22,500.00 
 After the same exhausting routine of going from court to court, the case 
 was thrown out and this family got nothing. 
 
 The uncertainty and delay had a most demoralizing effect both morally and 
 physically. Demoralization and general deterioration were returned as 
 among the social consequences in many of these cases. These people were 
 in suspense, setting their expectations on sums of money that would make 
 them independent . huge fortunes in their eyes, and after living in this anti 
 cipation, sometimes adopting a scale of living accordingly, so far as they 
 .ould tlip;^ were finalh disappointed and got nothing. 
 
 7 I'
 
 90 
 
 Some of these excessive awards were an injustice to the employer, but 
 when they were reversed and nothing was received, it certainly was an in- 
 justice to the employe, and all the time this sort of thing engenders V>a<i 
 reeling between employer and employ^. 
 
 Another thing which should be considered in this connection is the present 
 wasteful expenditure in our method of handling these matters. George M. 
 (Jillette, of Minnesota, in an address before the Commercial Association of 
 Chicago staled that the manufacturing and business concerns of this coun- 
 try have in the last five years paid to casualty companies in premiums $95,- 
 000,000.00. Less than $45,000,000.00 has gone in settlement of damages, and 
 again, less than half of this $45,000,000.00 has reached injured persons, going 
 in lawyers' fees, court costs, etc., making not more than 20 per cent or 3d 
 per cent of the whole sum, the fellow servant and contributory negligence 
 doctrines being in large measure responsible for adverse judgment. 
 
 This enormous expense has, of course, been added to the cost of the 
 manufactured product, the same as other expenses incident to the manu- 
 facture of commodities. The community has not only paid this $95,000,000.00 
 but it has in large measure taken care of the people who were injured and 
 of their dependent families, thus paying the bill twice. If this matter could 
 be taken from the war basis on which it rests, and could be so adjusted that 
 injured people would receive compensation that was just and fair for their 
 injuries, and this were paid on a pension basis promptly when the family 
 was in greatest need, and if, as would happen, accidents were prevented in 
 greater degree than they are at present, because insurance would be affected 
 by reduction in the number of accidents, it seems altogether likely that the 
 money which employing concerns are already expending would go a long 
 way to meet the needs of a just, fair and adequate compensation. 
 
 The consequences of occupational diseases are just as disastrous to the 
 family. The causes are more subtle and elusive. It is easy to determine 
 where and how a man lost an arm or a leg, an eye or his head; it is more 
 difficult to determine where he picked up tuberculosis germs or just when 
 and how bad sanitation, poor ventilation, the inhalation of dust, bad work- 
 ing conditions generally, wore away physical resistance and laW the founda- 
 tion of physical undoing. 
 
 The numbers and consequences of these preventable occupational disease- 
 are doubtless greater and more disastrous than those resulting from acci 
 dent. It is intrinsically as inappropriate that charity, either private or 
 public, should be relied upon to take these consequences as for the same 
 sources to undertake the pensioning of the soldiers of the Mexican. Civil or 
 Spanish wars. What the victims of these accidents and diseases want is 
 just what charity workers would want under similar circumstances that 
 all preventable accidents and preventable diseases should be prevented: that 
 accidents and diseases which must necessarily befall in the course of in- 
 dustrial service, should be taken care of, broadly, by those who are hem 
 titled by that service, just as the nation at large is a debtor to the soldie; 
 who sacrifices health or life, and participates as a nation in movements of 
 amelioration for him and those dependent upon him.
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA