The record-union., 1899-12-24
With Little Hope That ANY Will
Be Rescued Alive.
Separated From ihe Searching Part
les by Walls Of Debris.
The Result Of an Explosion Of Gas in the
BraznelI Mine, Near Browns
Vile, Pennsylvania.

PITTSBURG, Dec. 23.-A special to
the post" from Brownsville. Pa, says:
There is scarcely any hope that any
of the men in the pit are now alive"
These were the words of Mine In
spector James E. Blick, uttered by him
at 10 o'clock tonight as he stood at
the mputh of the Braznell mine. in
whose depths thirty men are entomb-
ed. That they will get out alive is ex-
ceedingly improbable, and tonight
mothers, wives and sisters mourn them
as dead.
Since early this morning the impris-
oned men have been without air and
food. They are separated from eager
when the explosion took place and
blocked the road to liberty
Al LOU lulS morning The Qedt1l ucdl-
ing blast was loosened. Owing to
shortage of cars, less than the usual
number of men entered the pit ine
mine is that of the Stockdale CONNER
cial Coal Company, and lies four miles
from Brownsville and fourteen miles
from Uniontown- 1t is known as the
Braznell mine, and lies near a station
of that name on the Red Stone Creek
branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
AT 5 o'clock this morning Fire Boss
James Radcliffe went through the mine
as usual, and found gas or fire damp"
in two places. He found about three
inches of gas in the main entry about
100 yards from the main shaft, and
about an equal quantity in room on
a side entry short distance away. The
fire boss reported the presence of the
gas, but informed the Superintendent
that it was all right for the men to
d SlitCl- hC LiCif NClS INV q GU iitO lIe
mine in the cage, descending the main
shaft, which is vertical From forty
to fifty men had entered the mine and
dispersed through it, when the gas was
ignited in some manner not yet ascer-
tanned.
A tremendous explosion occurred. It's
force must have reached every man in
the mine. The cage in the main shaft
which was at the bottom, was blown
into splinters, and the hosting machin-
cry wrecked. About 100 yards from the
main entrance was an air shaft also
vertical and brick lined. 1t was torn
by the blast, and the bricks were blown
to the very top.
Altogether there were from forty-five
to fifty workers in the mine. The men
descended in the cage of the mine shaft
from eight to ten at a time. A moment
after the fifth load had descended there
was roar that shook the immense iron
tipple above the main shaft. and rev.
erberated from the hillsides. There
Frantic women and frightened children
dashed out of their dwellings just
across the railroad track, and rushed
toward the mouth of the shaft They
were driven back by. the smoke that
poured up from the mine. "A minute
later everything was quiet. The big
engines stopped, and the fan was hush
ed. There was no possibility of aiding
the imprisoned men through the main
shaft. and g. rush was made for the
ventilating shaft, $50 feet away. This
is 112 feet deep, bricked inside to
strengthen it and has iron steps from
top to bottom.
A shout came from below, and 1t was
known that not all were killed, but who
had drawn the fatal prizes in the lot
terry of life and death? The anxious
ones at the top waited a few minutes
for the men to appear. They did not
appear, and an investigation was made
It was found that the explosion had
torn away the brick lining of the shaft
taking with it about twenty feet of the
iron steps. The men below were in