Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-25

explosion. Stone stopping two feet
thick and cemcnted together was ut
terly destroyed. Not even particles OF
rock remained. The stone was blown
into dust"
William Pastorious. a driver in the
mine. tells a sensational story. Pas
torious. who has lived In Brownsville
for many years and In regarded as a
man Of Intelligence. says that Pit Boss
Jones on last Tuesday morning Issued
a 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 unlocked. contrary
to regulation.
''The miners always prefer to use
naked lights" said passtorious. when
ever possible. as they give better light
and are more easily handled. l have
been working here a couple OF months
and used a safety lamp until last Tuos-
day morning. At that time mine
snfeties were In use by drivers and
others who were constantly moving
about the mine and therefore exposed
to grenter risk than a digger In n room.
Contrary to the mining regulations. the
safety lamps In use were In many cases
unlocked. The safetlcs were provided
by the company as usual and they
should be locked 70 that 1t " impos-
HlUlt lOT u fllntT 10 oDtu ln'In Wnlif
at work. My lamp was unlocked and
I frequently opened and closed II. on
Tuesday the pit boss issued an order
that the men could use open lamps and
they OF course discarded the safetles,
which made n poorer light. About 100
yards from the bottom from the main
shaft there was fall which had been
boarded up and In which the gas stood
against the roof | think II was this
pns which expioded"
Superintendent Boyer. who Is the SUI.
perior OF PIT Boss Jones. when told or
the above statement. said: Il know
nothing OF the order to dispense with
safety lamps" lie would make no fur
thcr statement.
Milne Inspector James Bilck. who has
been In the mine almost constantly
since last night. came out tonight and
gave a graphic account OF its condition.
Inspector Bllck said;
AT the bottom OF the two shafts the
mine IL complete wreck. only enough
debris has been removed to allow OF
the bodies beinb brought out. There
are more bodies In the mine. but how
the bodies being brought out. There
undoubtedly number OF corpsea un.
der the wreckagc. The lower parts OF
the mine IRE flooded and the water Ia
rising. as the pumps are disabled. The
pumps VIII not run for n day or two,
NJ the rix-inch pipes draining the mine
have been twisted and broken like
reeds. I penetrated to the face OF the
mine today and saw the bodies there.
but the aftor-damp was thick and l
had to return quickly. Nothing further
will be done to remove the debris until
the water has been pumped out. None
OF the men can possibly be alive. II
will require several days TO clear the
mine. The bottom OF It 10 wrecked.
bu, the roof and sides are Intact. There
N no IRE In the mine
Rough but rcverent hands carried the
bodies ot the victims when they reached
the top OF the shaft TO the temporary
morgue on the hillside. hundred feet
away. or one OF the men, Peter Cros-
by. nothing but n portion Of the trunk
and the hack OF the skull remained. and
that was virtually but n cinder. lie was
Identified by n shred OF his shirt that
had been blown Into his flesh. or the
twelve dead there WINS but one that
was not n hldeous spectacle. Among
the men at the Brnznell mine today
were many who had been Mt other cN-
ploeions. hut never had they seen such
mnnglcd, burned ana distorted bodies.
DIR. II. II. Taylor, coroner OF Faycete
county, arrived early In the morning
from tniontown. He lmpanelled Jury.
who Viewed the bodies az they were
brought TO the surface. The inquest
will be held at UnIontowr % soon as
all OF the bodies are recovered.