The morning call., 1891-01-29
ONE HUGE CRAVE.
Burial Of Victims Of The NAM
moth Mine Explosion.
One Hundred and Fifty Men Lose Their
Lives in the Disaster.
The Cause Of The Terrible Accident Still
Shrouded In Mystery = Nins
Workmen Escaped.
Special to THE MORNING GAEL.

SCoTTDALE (Pa.), Jan. 2S.-One hundred
and seven bodies were taken from the i'll
fated mine of Frlcke & Co., at Mammoth,
up to 10 o'clock this morning. 1t is esti-
mated that there remain at least seventeen
more Of the victims of yesterdays explosion
still in the pit.
Nobody slept at Mammoth last night. In
every home in the little mining hamlet
there was mourning. The little eue-story
houses, seantily furnished. were all illumi-
mated with tallow candle, where mother,
wife, sister or sweetheart sobbed in silence.
After the explosion yesterday the news of
the awful fate of the scores of miners at
work in the shaft spread rapidly among the
mines and in tho miners homes. Couriers
carried the dreadful news hither and
thither. Families were dashed from the
comforts of home into the depths of grief
and despair. The scenes at these miners
cottages can readily be imagined. Within
an incredibly short time the entrance to the
shaft swarmed with an eager, anxious
crowd of men, women and children, some
of whom could only with great difficulty be
kept at safe distance.
BRINGING UP THE BODIES.
AS the bodies of the victims mangled by
the terrible force of the explosion or burned
almost out of human sembIance were
brought up from the yawning depths, the
crowd of watchers pushed forward to the
plymouth for glimpse of recognition. The
hearts of wives and mothers stood still in
fear that their loved ones were among the
dead. Tears coursed down bronzed and
bearded cheeks and were dashed away by
brawny hands that had swung the pick for
many years. The rescuing party proceeded
with the grim task and the crowd of watch
ers silently looked on.
Fifty collins arrived from Pittsburg this
morning. and another half-hundred will
reach here tonight An additional order
for twenty-five more was sent this morning.
The cause of the explosion is not yet de-
termined. The Coroner is on the ground,
aud thorough investigation will be made.
The roll-calI of the men was held to-day
and by this time the exact number of the
missing will be known.
The rescuing party is working with en-
ergy and the wreck in the shaft is being fast
cleared up.
THEORIES OF THE EXPLOSION.
An official of the Fricke Company said
this morning: sit may never be known
how or why the explosion occurred. The
accumulation of fredamp was probably
the cause, but it was never known to exist
in any quantity before; in fact, it may be
said the Mammoth mine has been free from
danger. There is theory that a
pocket OF natural gas was reached, and
the operation of the ventilating fans now
prevents any accumulation of it. 1t is not
necessary that every one in a mine should
be killed when an explosion occurs. The
explosive may stay In one particular section
and may not permeate the entire mine, un-
less the volume is SO great as to force it to
every part of the pit In this case the gas
was confined to one portion and the miners
who were In the other localities escaped"
AN UNPRECEDENTED ACCIDENT.
Never within the history of American
coal thinning has there been such an unex-
peeted accident with such complete ami
moth mine has been notable ALWAYS as
being particularly free from gas. Hundreds
oil safety-gauge lamps were provided for
miners by the company, but they were
never used, as they were regarded as un-
necessary In their stead the men wore the
familiar little open-fame lamps on their
hats. When the mine boss put the night
Shift to work lie found nothing to arouse his
suspicion.
STRICKEN COMMUNITY.
All the Connelsville coke region stood to-
day with bowed form and reyerept head
while sixty-three dead miners. taken from
the Mammoth shaft, were shrouded,
coffined and laid to rest for their
long sleep. The remains and the
mourners were carried to St. John
the Baptist cemetery at Scottdale in a spe-
cial train. Along the road hundreds of cit
liens turned out, and wherever the train
halted great crowds gathered. Over 5000
persons were present as the bodies were
placed side by side In common grave,
The coaches behind the baggage-car with
the cOrpses were crowded with sobbine
women and sad-faced men. The scenes at
the cemetery were very affecting. Not un-
til the. bodies were being placed in the
grave did the women and children seem to
realize the full extent OF their bereaye-
ment, and then pitiful chorus of cries and
means was heard.
All day long the work OF recovering the
bodies from the pit went on, and the work
is not yet concluded
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-oNE KILLED.
PITTsBURG, Jan. 2S.-H. c.. Prick. the
owner of the Mammoth mine. the scene of
yesterdays terrible explosion, SAYS there
were in all 160 men working in the
mine at nine of whom escaped with
their lives-the time of the accident.
some of them badly injured The rest.
over 151 men, were either killed outright or
suHocated by the terrible fire-damp