Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-13
THE LAST BODY OUT.
Three Bodies Found Lying Together
Yesterday Afternoon at
HILL FARMS CAVERN OF DEATH,
One of the Victims Was Struck Down Only
% Feet From Safety.
NEwsI NOTES FROM NEARBY TOWNS
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE pIspArcH.I

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATcH.I
UNIoNTowN, April 1.-THE long search
for the bodies of the 20 miners, entombed
in Hiil Farm mine June 16, 1890, was com.
pleted this afternoon by the finding OF the
last three bodies. Two bodies were found
yesterday, and one, that of Barney Maust,
was found week ago. All the bodies, ex-
cept that of Maust, were found in the slope
beyond the fatal bore hole, 5000 feet under
ground. They had retreated as far as they
could get, and were probably the last of the
20 victims to succumb to the effects of the
smoke and poisonous atmosphere.
On Monday evening, April 4, Mine Boss
Doran and several assistants were exploring
the slope, within 30 feet of the bore hole,
when they came unexpectedly upon the
body of a man lying prone upon his face in
the mud. Superintendent Hill was sum-
moned, and the body was carefully lifted
and placed in a rough box.
How Mausrs Body Was Identified.
The body was badly decomposed, but
from the coat it wore it was identified as
the body of Barney Maust. Four coal
checks in the pockets confirmed this theory.
They bore the number 20, which was
Maust's number on the company's books.
Maut's widow was notified of the finding
of his body by Superintendent Hill, and ex-
pressed herself satisfied to have it remain in
the mine until the remaining bodies were
found. The box containing the body was
hidden from view, and nobody outside the
mine officials and Mrs. Maust knew that it
had been found: Not even the workmen
no Inv I'm Of fha yI,aa afINy nrof
hidden in the slope.
The body of Maust was found so feet above
the bore hole, where the fire started. He
had made a desperate effort to escape past
the burning cars, and it is q remarkable fact
that ten steps more would have carried him
to the overcast in the manway and to lib
erty. He was evidently straining every
feet to go when he fell, stified by the blind
Ing smoke from the burning cars. His body
bore some slight evidences Of having
burned. His lamp lay beside his side.
The Only Man to Run Past the Cars.
1t seems that Maust was the only one of
the 90 who attempted to escape by the slope
to the manway. He took his chances of es-
Gaping past the burning cars, and had
reached the third car of the eight when he
fell. The remaining % men retreated as far
as they could from the fire and smoke, only
to met quick death by suffocation.
Maust's body is the only one of the six that
has been identified. The bodies found yes
terday and to-day are all far advanced into
decomposition, and it will be absolutely ime
possible to identify them, except by checks
or other articles found upon them. The
bodies have been placed in rough boxes and
will be brought out Of the mine tomorrow
morning, when Coroner Hubert and his
jury will view them. They will then be in
tered as quickly as possible.
The names of the six men are as follows:
James McCune, 80 years old, left widow
and one child; Peter Reagan, % years old,
left a widow and five children; William
Hayes, 81 years old, unmarried (this is the
whose lamp fired the gas): Mil.
ton Turner, 26 years old left widow and
two children; Joseph Bigley, 20 years old,
left widow and two children; Barney
Maust, 20 years old, left a widow, but no
children.