Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-12-29
IN AWFUL DEATH TRAP
Forty-One Dead as a Result of thu
Braznel1 Coal Mine Explosion
in Pennsylvania.
DEVELOPMENTS ONLY ADD TO HORROR.

It Was the Most Destructive Disaster OF
the Kind for Many Years-Criticism of
Managers for Allowing Men to Use
Open Lamps-Prssumption That Min
Ing Laws We're CarelessIy d isregarded.
Brownsville, Pa, Dec. 26.-The hor-
ror of the Braznell mine disaster Of
Saturday grows in intensity with
every hour. The number of the dead
| is now estimated at 40, and may pass
| that figure. At the same time there
is strong presumption that the laws
regulating mining were carelessly and
probably criminally disregarded. Yes
terday the first bodies of the victims
were brought out of the mine and
| never in the history of mine disasters
! were human beings SO horribly mutt
lated. 1t was nearly II o'clock before
the first five bodies were taken out, %
hours after the explosion. At $3.50
three more were brought to the sur
face, and again at $50 three came up
in the cage of the main shaft. At least
IL other bodies are in sight, but cam
not be reached on account of the
debris
The estimates Of the number OF the
dead are conflicting. A. 3. BraZnell,
president of the Stockdale Coal COM
pany, yesterday afternoon said he be-
Heved that but 20 to 25 men had been
| killed. Men who were working around
the mine yesterday morning give diff
| ferent figures. They say 35 to 40 men
| went down the mine shaft in the
cages, while about 20 climbed down
| the steps in the elevator shaft. From
SIS to 60 men were in the mine, and of
| this number IL have been recovered
alive. All the rest, whatever the num-
Der, are dead.
John, or as he is popularity known,
"Jonah" Meesc, is one of the 13 men
who escaped from the mine alive. He
is fearfully burned, and is lying at his
home with his head swathed in band
ages. He told his story yesterday:
81 was in the stable" Meese said,
"currying my mule when the explo-
sion occurred. My brother Sam was
by my side, and his boy Albert was
standing in front of him. Then came
the crack of the explosion. Never in
my life have l heard such 4 terrific
report. I thought my head had been
blown off. In about two seconds the
mine was filled with a dazzling light
as the fine coal dust in the air was
consumed. My brother Sam dropped
TO the ground as il sho. through the
heart. He must have been killed in
stantly. His hoy Albert swayed and
fell over upon his father. / began to
back out of the stable, that is why
my face is SO terribly burned. / was
afraid to turn my back upon the
| mules for fear they would stampede
and run me down. I did not know
then that they had all been killed by
the explosion, for our lamps were
blown out and we were in total dark
ness.
after I got out of the stable 1
heard Albert crying for help. I went
back and found him and Henry At
wood, a driver. 1 proceeded, half
leading and half carrying them, to
the foot of the mine shaft. They
were both delirious, and I believe [
was too. Both of them persisted in
standing up, and I began to walk
around. I Immediately forced them
to lie down, to get them out of the
path of the fatal after damp, which
hovers about four feet above the
ground. Then I felt myself going to
sleep, but I did not care, although
1CdAZCo was tnS steep OF
death. I laid down upon something
which I could feel, although 1 could
not see, was corpse, and fell asleep
as calmly as ever 1 did in my life.
When [ awoke somebody was forcing
me to swallow brandy and coffee, and
I was trying to explain that it would
be needless for me to drive wagon,
as there had been an accident in the
mine.
1.-THE force of the explosion was ter
rifle. My face and scalp is literally
filled with coal dust blown into it,
just as if it had been shot out of a
gun held within a few inches. An
other evidence of the force of the ex-
plosion was discovered to-day. On
the hillside, so feet back from the
main shaft, was discovered an arm
and foot. There were portions of
1 victim killed los feet below the sur
ACE and blown out of the shaft like
4 bullet from rifle
''It was awful said the fire boss.
The men were trapped there like
ats and there is no hope that a single
nan is alive. The two shafts were
both disabled and there was no other
Exit. I have never seen a more ter
ific mine explosion. Stone stoppings
'wo feet thick and cemented together
we're utterly destroyed. Not even
PARTICLES of rock remained. The stone
vas blown into DUST