Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1899-12-26
TE.IuD.E EXPLOSION.
Many Lives Lost IN the Iraznell
Mine Accident.
FORTY FATALITIES.
And Perhaps More Result From the
Awful Catastrophe That Befell
the Miners Bodies We're
ShockinglJ Mutilated.

Brownville. Pa. Dec 25 The horrors
Of the Braznell mine explosion grows in
intensity every hour The number Of
dead is now estimated at 40 and may
pass that figure Al the same time
there is a strong presumption that the
laws regulating mining were carelessly
and probably criminAlly disregarded
Sunday the first bodies Of the victims
were brought ont Of the mine and never
In the history of mine disasters were
human beings - horribly mntilated II
was nearly Il o'clock before the first
five bodies were taken out. % hours
aftes the explosion
John Messe, one Of the l3 men who
escaped. is fearfully burned.
An evidence Of the force Of the eI.
plosion was discovered Sunday. On the
hillside 30 fees back from tho main shaft
were discovered an arm and foot They
were portions Of a victim killed iOs feet
below the surface and blown out Of the
shaft like a bullet from a rife.
From statements obtained il seems
clear that the presence Of gas in quaint.
ties in the mine was perfectly we'll
known and that naked lights were used
for several days before the explosion
According " ss.dible authority not a
single safety lamp was used Ia the mine
BY the working crews since last Tues.
day morning. four days before the eK.
plosion Fire Boss James RAtcliffs.
whose duty u was 10 look sitter the safe.
~ Of the mine. and upon whose cars
aud intelligence the lives Of tho miners
dependsd in large degree. said
Il belisve the explosion was caused
by a sudden fall which occurred Just
before the explosion. do not believe
there was enough air in the mine to BE-
dangerous As a matter Of fact the
coal itself gives of little gas. but the gas
comes chiefly from the roof of the pit
The mine was we'll supplied with
air The men were trappad there like
rats and there is no hope that q single
man Is alive have never seen such a
terrible mine explosion
At $50 three were brought TO the sur.
face aud Al 630 three more came up In
the cage Of the main shaft
The dead taken from tho mine 80 far
are:
Henry HAgAr. 30 years old. leave. wife
and siI children
Peter orosory. 49, leave. wife and
four children
" Thomas. 20. leaves a wife and four
children
Michael Rohtell. "a. single
Samuel Meese 80. leaves wife and
three children
Albert Meese. H. died after being res
cusd
Michael Mahio. %. leaves wife and
two children.
George Koyitz, 90. single.
Joseph Potsky. 29. single.
Joseph Magyar, 10. single
William Molok. 81. leaves wife and
two children
Paul Prolock. "a wife and ond child
At least twelve other bodies are in
sight but cannot be reached on account
Of the debris
William Pastorious. a driver In the
mine tells a sensational story. Pas.
torious. who has lived in Brownsville
for many years and IL regarded A. q
man Of intelligence. says that PIT Bo.,
Jones on last Tuesday morning issued
general order that all safety LAMPS
might be dispensed with and In their
stead the miners were permitted TO use
naked lights Pastorious also states
that the lamps were unlecksd. contrary
10 regulations
The miners always prefer to us,
naked lights. said Pasiorious when
ever possible. as they give better light
and are moro easily handled. hay,
been working here u couple Of month,
and used safety lamp until last Tues
day morning Atthat time mine safetie'
were IN use by drivers and others whc
were constantly moving about the min,
and therefore exposed TO greater risl
than a digger In room. Contrary {,
mining regulations the safety lamps IL
use were in many cases unlocked.
"On Tuesday tho pit boss issued Al
order that the men could use open lampi
and they Of course discarded the safeties
which made q poorer light About i0'
yards from the bottom Of the maiI
shaft thero was fall which had beer
boarded up aud in which the gas stoo,
against the roof think It was this "A
which exploded
A.