Evening journal., 1892-03-26
THE HILL FARM VICTIMS.
Their Illumination Develops Into
a Spectacle Of Horror.
A HOLE CHOPPED IN ONE COFFIN.

Miner BiEley's Frenzied Attempt 10 See
His Dead Brothers Face Prevented by
Torce-women Weep, Faint aud Pray.
The Names OF the Ide.tiaed.
DUNBAR, Pa, March % The twenty-three
victims Of the Hill Farm mine explosion
found after twenty months search, were
cofiined IN the mine after they had been
identified by their clothing and trinkets
found in their pockets, and were then
brought to the surface Twenty-one Of
them were buried in the Catholic cemetery
near the mine and two in Franklin ceme-
terry. One thousand people attended the
funeral
During the services in the Catholic ceme-
terry brother Of Richard Bigley, one Of the
dead miners, insisted upon seeing the face
OF his dead brother once again, but this was
refused. At this he grew frantic
"By heaven, win sec himr said he. and
seizing hatchet he attacked the rough box
and cut hole in it. He was seized by
several men and forced out OF the cemetery
Coroner Hubert and his jury decided
just before the burial that as two bodies
were not positively identified there was
reason 10 doubt that any were, and to sat-
isfy themselves they insisted upon viewing
the bodies again. Superintendent Lang and
others begged them not to dc 10, bnt they
went TO the graveyard where the people
were gathered They ordered the under
taker 20 open the oofin OF Martin Caya-
naugh. Scarcely was the lid removed when
every one in the cemetery rushed to the
place. Among them were Mrs Cavanaugh,
her daughter and the sister Of the dead man.
"stand back, ladies' said the coroner,
but he was too late
A Scene in the Cemetery.
The wasted form, almost a skeleton, was
seen by the mother. Mrs Cavanaugh and
her daughter shrieked Others crowded
around and the outburst Of grief was terri
BILE. Two women were Frustrated and had
10 be taken from the cemetery.
The coroner, after being satisfied that it
was the corpse Of Cavanaugh, had the coffin
closed and proceeded to another one. Hero
an effort was made 10 keep the crowd back,
/ but it was useless A similar scene was en-
acted. At this moment woman sank to
the ground and said, "Hush, let us pray
For a while the widowed and fatherless
stood quite as the woman repeated the
Lords Prayer, but at its conclusion their
grief broke out anew, and when the casket
containing the body of Courtney was opened
Mrs Courtney tainted ON H.
Mrs. JOY was also overcome and threw
her bonnet and veil in the grave Of her hus-
band, after which she fell upon the coffin
and hiding her face on the hard wood sobbed
piteously.
The coroner's jury brought in a verdict
that the men met their deaths on June 16
by suifocation from smoke due 10 an acci-
dental fire in brattice. No blame was at
tached to the Dunbar company.
The Identified.
Six more bodies are in the lower level not
yet opened. The names OF those positively
identified were.
John Cope, Andrew Cope. Elmer Dewey,
David Davis, Tommy Davis, boy; John De.
vaney, John Smith John Joy, James McCieary,
John Mitchell, Patrick Courtney. John Court
ney, Robert McGuill Thomas McCleary Pai
Devlin, James Shearin, Patrick Cahill, Martin
Cayanaugh, John Herman, William Cahill. Rich.
ard Bigeley.
Mine inspector Duncan says it viii be ten
days at least before the six bodies still in the
mine are recovered Much water has to be
pumped out, and It is not known how fan
down the others are. The search for the
bodies and their recovery has cost the Dun.
bar Mining company nearly t200, ,00o, accord.
ing to their own figures.