[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 752 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 752

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                      November 4, 2009.
Whereas the St. Paul Mine Company Mine in Cherry, a town in Bureau County, 
        Illinois, began operation in 1905;
Whereas the mine supplied the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad with 
        300,000 tons of coal annually for its locomotives;
Whereas coal remains an abundant source of energy in Illinois and across the 
        country;
Whereas the majority of Cherry miners were immigrants working to achieve the 
        American dream;
Whereas 490 men and boys were working in the mine on Saturday, November 13, 
        1909;
Whereas 10 of the Cherry miners were boys under the age of 16, including one who 
        was 10 years old, were hired illegally;
Whereas United Mine Workers represented miners at the Cherry Mine in 1909 and 
        continue to represent workers throughout the United States and Canada;
Whereas according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration, there were 2,642 
        coal mining fatalities in the United States in 1909;
Whereas the main and secondary shafts of the Cherry Mine contained wooden stairs 
        and ladders;
Whereas an electrical outage at the Cherry Mine caused the workers to light 
        kerosene lanterns and torches;
Whereas a torch caught fire 500 feet below the surface in the Cherry Mine;
Whereas the efforts to redirect the fire caused flammable material such as wood 
        to ignite and rapidly spread the fire;
Whereas two shafts were closed to smother the fire;
Whereas the shaft closings cut off oxygen to the workers, and allowed ``black 
        damp'', a mixture of deadly carbon dioxide and nitrogen to spread 
        through the mine;
Whereas over 200 miners managed to make their way to the surface to escape the 
        fire;
Whereas a group of miners, lead by John Bundy, showed incredible courage by 
        journeying down the mine shaft 6 times to rescue their fellow miners;
Whereas on the seventh attempt the miners caught fire and burned to death;
Whereas a group of 21 miners, who later became known as the ``eight-day men'', 
        sealed themselves from the fire;
Whereas the ``eight-day men'' exhibited behavior that can only be described as 
        selfless when helping each other survive;
Whereas a team rescued these men after 8 grueling days underground in torturous 
        conditions;
Whereas 259 miners, including 4 children, perished in what became known as the 
        Great Cherry Mine Disaster;
Whereas the United Mine Workers pressed successfully for mine safety reforms 
        following this and other disasters like it;
Whereas the United States Bureau of Mines was created in 1910 as a result of 
        disasters like the Great Cherry Mine Disaster;
Whereas the State of Illinois reacted by passing stronger mine safety 
        regulations;
Whereas those mine regulations included requiring mine owners to maintain 
        firefighting equipment and require certain workers to pass safety tests;
Whereas the Illinois' Worker's Compensation Act of 1911 recognized the dangers 
        that mine workers faced and continue to face today; and
Whereas November 13, 2009, marks the 100th anniversary of the Great Cherry Mine 
        Disaster: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) honors the 259 miners lost in the tragedy known as the Great 
        Cherry Mine Disaster on its 100th anniversary; and
            (2) supports the important safety measures that were enacted as a 
        result of this terrible incident and others around the country like it.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.