Underground Fire
About This Book
On November 13, 1909, coal miners in Cherry, Illinois, set out for work carrying lunch pails, just as they did on any other day. By seven that morning, 484 of them were underground. Carefully researched, this work of narrative nonfiction comes from Sally M. Walker, an experienced writer in the genre. The men held a range of jobs. Some cared for the mules that hauled coal, some ran the cages that carried workers and coal up and down the shaft, and others chipped rock and coal from the tunnels. With the electrical system out of order, the miners relied on kerosene torches for light. Early that afternoon, a slow-building disaster started, and few of the men noticed it before it was too late. The account begins as an hour-by-hour chronicle of the Cherry Mine fire, which trapped hundreds of workers. The narrative moves back and forth between the rescue effort on the surface and the struggle below, where the trapped men fought for breath in bad air and confined spaces. Over eight days, the story is driven by the miners' hope and their determination to survive. The book is illustrated with archival photographs and documents. Its back matter includes source notes, a bibliography, an author's note, and information on what became of the survivors, rescuers, and families.
ISBN: 9781536212402
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