Samuel Howard was the son of Charles Develshoward, later changed to "Howard," and Celina Caumiant.
Sam Howard died in the Cherry Mine Disaster, along with his brother, Alfred, in Cherry, Illinois. He was engaged to Mame Robson. While he was entombed in the mine disaster he wrote a diary which was published in Frank Buck's book, The Cherry Mine Disaster, and published in the area newpaper.
The following is the diary written by Sam Howard while he was entombed in the burning Cherry Mine, in Cherry, Illinois:
A LETTER FROM THE TOMB.
This was written by Sam Howard, age 20, in the Cherry Mine, Sunday, Nov. 14, 1909, accompanied by his brother Alfred, age 15, before death.
Alive at 10:30--Yet at 10:45--Alfred is still with me. A good many dead mules and men. I tried to save some but came almost losing myself. If I am dead give Mame Robson the diamond ring that I have coming at the postoffice. This was ordered in H. Caumiant's name. Henry can have the ring I have at home and my good clothes. The only thing I wish is that my brother Fred could help my mother after I am dead and gone. I tried my best to get out but could not. I saw Jim Jimeson and Steve Tinko lying dead along the road and could not stand it any longer. So what is a fellow going to do when he has done the best he could? . It is five past eleven and the air is fine, but sometimes it is bad. It almost puts a fellow's light out. It is something fierce to see men and mules laying dead all over like that and to keep me from thinking. So I thought I would write these few lines. There is rock falling all over. We have our bucket filled with sump water and we drink it and bathe our heads with the water.
11:30 (pause)--It is ten to twelve (pause). Five minutes after twelve--(pause, 2 o'clock (pause) 3 o'clock and poor air, black.
4:15--Change of places, no black damp, but poor air. We lost a couple of our group. Two men tried to get out and couldn't get back.
7:30--Fred, I am hungry and sleepy but I could stand quite a bit of this if I could only get out of this hole. So what is the use of knocking when a man is down.
7:50--In the morning, Sunday, Nov. 21st. There is no air. We fan ourselves with the lids of buckets.
9:30--And black damp coming both ways.
l0:30--We went past the partitioning and could not go any farther. We give up all hopes. We have done all we could. The fan better start very soon.
10:45 a. m.--Sunday, and still alive, and you will find me with the bunch. It is eleven and five of us alive--Fred Howard, Gust Francisco, Teyson Miller, Sam Howard and Steele. I think I won't have strength to write very soon.
12:15--We are having a swell time making fans; if they can't give us air we will make some ourselves. That is the best we can do. We take our turn at the fan. We have three of them going. Joe Repsel is the man who invented the fan.
2:30 p. m.--And the black damp is on us. Only for the fan we would be dead.
3:45 P. M.--Dying for the want of air.
6:20---Now we are trying to make the bottom.
9:15 a. m.--Mondy November 22, 1909. Moving place. Something better must be turning up or we will be soon gone.
11:15 a. m.--Still alive at this time.
____5 p. m.--Monday. The lights are going out. I think that is our last. Alfred stood it as well as any us.
Copied from original newspaper clipping by Rebecca Osmond Hold
Sam Howard died in the Cherry Mine Disaster, along with his brother, Alfred, in Cherry, Illinois. He was engaged to Mame Robson. While he was entombed in the mine disaster he wrote a diary which was published in Frank Buck's book, The Cherry Mine Disaster, and published in the area newpaper.
The following is the diary written by Sam Howard while he was entombed in the burning Cherry Mine, in Cherry, Illinois:
A LETTER FROM THE TOMB.
This was written by Sam Howard, age 20, in the Cherry Mine, Sunday, Nov. 14, 1909, accompanied by his brother Alfred, age 15, before death.
Alive at 10:30--Yet at 10:45--Alfred is still with me. A good many dead mules and men. I tried to save some but came almost losing myself. If I am dead give Mame Robson the diamond ring that I have coming at the postoffice. This was ordered in H. Caumiant's name. Henry can have the ring I have at home and my good clothes. The only thing I wish is that my brother Fred could help my mother after I am dead and gone. I tried my best to get out but could not. I saw Jim Jimeson and Steve Tinko lying dead along the road and could not stand it any longer. So what is a fellow going to do when he has done the best he could? . It is five past eleven and the air is fine, but sometimes it is bad. It almost puts a fellow's light out. It is something fierce to see men and mules laying dead all over like that and to keep me from thinking. So I thought I would write these few lines. There is rock falling all over. We have our bucket filled with sump water and we drink it and bathe our heads with the water.
11:30 (pause)--It is ten to twelve (pause). Five minutes after twelve--(pause, 2 o'clock (pause) 3 o'clock and poor air, black.
4:15--Change of places, no black damp, but poor air. We lost a couple of our group. Two men tried to get out and couldn't get back.
7:30--Fred, I am hungry and sleepy but I could stand quite a bit of this if I could only get out of this hole. So what is the use of knocking when a man is down.
7:50--In the morning, Sunday, Nov. 21st. There is no air. We fan ourselves with the lids of buckets.
9:30--And black damp coming both ways.
l0:30--We went past the partitioning and could not go any farther. We give up all hopes. We have done all we could. The fan better start very soon.
10:45 a. m.--Sunday, and still alive, and you will find me with the bunch. It is eleven and five of us alive--Fred Howard, Gust Francisco, Teyson Miller, Sam Howard and Steele. I think I won't have strength to write very soon.
12:15--We are having a swell time making fans; if they can't give us air we will make some ourselves. That is the best we can do. We take our turn at the fan. We have three of them going. Joe Repsel is the man who invented the fan.
2:30 p. m.--And the black damp is on us. Only for the fan we would be dead.
3:45 P. M.--Dying for the want of air.
6:20---Now we are trying to make the bottom.
9:15 a. m.--Mondy November 22, 1909. Moving place. Something better must be turning up or we will be soon gone.
11:15 a. m.--Still alive at this time.
____5 p. m.--Monday. The lights are going out. I think that is our last. Alfred stood it as well as any us.
Copied from original newspaper clipping by Rebecca Osmond Hold
Samuel Howard was the son of Charles Develshoward, later changed to "Howard," and Celina Caumiant.
Sam Howard died in the Cherry Mine Disaster, along with his brother, Alfred, in Cherry, Illinois. He was engaged to Mame Robson. While he was entombed in the mine disaster he wrote a diary which was published in Frank Buck's book, The Cherry Mine Disaster, and published in the area newpaper.
The following is the diary written by Sam Howard while he was entombed in the burning Cherry Mine, in Cherry, Illinois:
A LETTER FROM THE TOMB.
This was written by Sam Howard, age 20, in the Cherry Mine, Sunday, Nov. 14, 1909, accompanied by his brother Alfred, age 15, before death.
Alive at 10:30--Yet at 10:45--Alfred is still with me. A good many dead mules and men. I tried to save some but came almost losing myself. If I am dead give Mame Robson the diamond ring that I have coming at the postoffice. This was ordered in H. Caumiant's name. Henry can have the ring I have at home and my good clothes. The only thing I wish is that my brother Fred could help my mother after I am dead and gone. I tried my best to get out but could not. I saw Jim Jimeson and Steve Tinko lying dead along the road and could not stand it any longer. So what is a fellow going to do when he has done the best he could? . It is five past eleven and the air is fine, but sometimes it is bad. It almost puts a fellow's light out. It is something fierce to see men and mules laying dead all over like that and to keep me from thinking. So I thought I would write these few lines. There is rock falling all over. We have our bucket filled with sump water and we drink it and bathe our heads with the water.
11:30 (pause)--It is ten to twelve (pause). Five minutes after twelve--(pause, 2 o'clock (pause) 3 o'clock and poor air, black.
4:15--Change of places, no black damp, but poor air. We lost a couple of our group. Two men tried to get out and couldn't get back.
7:30--Fred, I am hungry and sleepy but I could stand quite a bit of this if I could only get out of this hole. So what is the use of knocking when a man is down.
7:50--In the morning, Sunday, Nov. 21st. There is no air. We fan ourselves with the lids of buckets.
9:30--And black damp coming both ways.
l0:30--We went past the partitioning and could not go any farther. We give up all hopes. We have done all we could. The fan better start very soon.
10:45 a. m.--Sunday, and still alive, and you will find me with the bunch. It is eleven and five of us alive--Fred Howard, Gust Francisco, Teyson Miller, Sam Howard and Steele. I think I won't have strength to write very soon.
12:15--We are having a swell time making fans; if they can't give us air we will make some ourselves. That is the best we can do. We take our turn at the fan. We have three of them going. Joe Repsel is the man who invented the fan.
2:30 p. m.--And the black damp is on us. Only for the fan we would be dead.
3:45 P. M.--Dying for the want of air.
6:20---Now we are trying to make the bottom.
9:15 a. m.--Mondy November 22, 1909. Moving place. Something better must be turning up or we will be soon gone.
11:15 a. m.--Still alive at this time.
____5 p. m.--Monday. The lights are going out. I think that is our last. Alfred stood it as well as any us.
Copied from original newspaper clipping by Rebecca Osmond Hold
Sam Howard died in the Cherry Mine Disaster, along with his brother, Alfred, in Cherry, Illinois. He was engaged to Mame Robson. While he was entombed in the mine disaster he wrote a diary which was published in Frank Buck's book, The Cherry Mine Disaster, and published in the area newpaper.
The following is the diary written by Sam Howard while he was entombed in the burning Cherry Mine, in Cherry, Illinois:
A LETTER FROM THE TOMB.
This was written by Sam Howard, age 20, in the Cherry Mine, Sunday, Nov. 14, 1909, accompanied by his brother Alfred, age 15, before death.
Alive at 10:30--Yet at 10:45--Alfred is still with me. A good many dead mules and men. I tried to save some but came almost losing myself. If I am dead give Mame Robson the diamond ring that I have coming at the postoffice. This was ordered in H. Caumiant's name. Henry can have the ring I have at home and my good clothes. The only thing I wish is that my brother Fred could help my mother after I am dead and gone. I tried my best to get out but could not. I saw Jim Jimeson and Steve Tinko lying dead along the road and could not stand it any longer. So what is a fellow going to do when he has done the best he could? . It is five past eleven and the air is fine, but sometimes it is bad. It almost puts a fellow's light out. It is something fierce to see men and mules laying dead all over like that and to keep me from thinking. So I thought I would write these few lines. There is rock falling all over. We have our bucket filled with sump water and we drink it and bathe our heads with the water.
11:30 (pause)--It is ten to twelve (pause). Five minutes after twelve--(pause, 2 o'clock (pause) 3 o'clock and poor air, black.
4:15--Change of places, no black damp, but poor air. We lost a couple of our group. Two men tried to get out and couldn't get back.
7:30--Fred, I am hungry and sleepy but I could stand quite a bit of this if I could only get out of this hole. So what is the use of knocking when a man is down.
7:50--In the morning, Sunday, Nov. 21st. There is no air. We fan ourselves with the lids of buckets.
9:30--And black damp coming both ways.
l0:30--We went past the partitioning and could not go any farther. We give up all hopes. We have done all we could. The fan better start very soon.
10:45 a. m.--Sunday, and still alive, and you will find me with the bunch. It is eleven and five of us alive--Fred Howard, Gust Francisco, Teyson Miller, Sam Howard and Steele. I think I won't have strength to write very soon.
12:15--We are having a swell time making fans; if they can't give us air we will make some ourselves. That is the best we can do. We take our turn at the fan. We have three of them going. Joe Repsel is the man who invented the fan.
2:30 p. m.--And the black damp is on us. Only for the fan we would be dead.
3:45 P. M.--Dying for the want of air.
6:20---Now we are trying to make the bottom.
9:15 a. m.--Mondy November 22, 1909. Moving place. Something better must be turning up or we will be soon gone.
11:15 a. m.--Still alive at this time.
____5 p. m.--Monday. The lights are going out. I think that is our last. Alfred stood it as well as any us.
Copied from original newspaper clipping by Rebecca Osmond Hold
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
