The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-12-25
Pitmen Used Open Lights by Permis-
sion, or, if They Had Safeties,
Worked with Them Unlocked.
STORY IS PROMPTLY DENIED
SUPERINTENDENT SAYS HE KNOWS
NOTHING OF THE ORDER.
Bodies Recovered Are Horribly Mu-
tilated-Other Victims i'm Sight
stories of the Survivors.

BROWNSVILLE, Pa, Dec 24.-The hor-
ror of the Braznell mine grows in intensity
with every hour. The number of the dead
is now estimated at forty, and may pass
the figure. At the same time there is a
strong presumption that the laws regulat-
ing mining were carelessly and probably
criminally disregarded. To-day 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
mutilated. 1t was nearly II o'clock before
eight hours after the explosion. AT $50
three were brought to the surface, and at
$50 three more came up in the cage of
the main shaft. The dead taken from the
mine so far are:
HENRY HAGAR, thirty years old. leaves
widow and six children.
PETER OROSORY, thirty, leaves widow
end four/children.
WILLIAM THOMAS, thirty-three, leaves
widow and four children.
MICHAEL ROHTELL, twenty-four, sim
gle.
SAMUEL MEESE, thirty-nine, leaves
widow and three children.
ALBERT MEESE, thirteen. died after
| being rescued yesterday.
MICHAEL MAHIO, twenty-eight, leaves
widow and two children.
JOSEPH POSTSKY, twenty-five. leaves
widow
JOSEPH MAGYAR, nineteen, single.
WILLIAM MOLOK, thirty-three, leaves
widow and two children.
PAUL PROLOC, twenty-four, leaves wild
ow and one child.
| At least twelve other bodies are in sight,
| but cannot be reached on account of the
| debris.
Among the men missing and known to be
dead in the mine are the following Hun
! garians: Michael Parahek, Andrew Fara-
HEX. brothers, Paul Lands, Thomas Kue-
| lax and Andrew Toursizki.
The estimates of the number of the dead
are conflicting. A. B. Braznell, president
| of the Stockdale Coal Company, this after
noon said he believed that but from twen-
| ty to twenty-five men had been killed. Men
| who were working around the mine yester-
day morning give different figures. They
say from thirty-five to forty men went
down the mine shaft in the cages, while
about twenty climbed down the steps in
the elevator shaft. From fifty-five to sixty
men were in the mine, and of this number
but twelve have been recovered alive. All
| the rest, whatever the number, are dead.
| John, or as he is popularity known. "Jo-
NAH Meese, is one of the thirteen men
who escaped from the mine alive. He is
| fearfully burned, and is lying at his home
with his head swathed in bandages. He
told his story to-day:
II was in the stable" Meese said, eur
rying my mule when the explosion oc-
CURED. My brother Sam was by my side,
and his boy Albert was standing in front
| Of him. Then came the crack of the ex-
plosion. Never in my life have heard
such terrific report. 1 thought my head
had been blown off. In about two seconds
the mine was filled with dazzling light as
the fine coal dust in the air was consumed.
My brother Sam dropped to the ground as
| if shot through the heart. He must have
been killed instantly. His boy Albert
| swayed and fell over upon his father 1
| 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. did not know then that they had
! all been killed by the explosion, for our
lamps were blown out, and We were in total
| darkness.
OF TERRIFIC FORCE.
| after I got out of the stable heard AL
| bert crying for help. ! went back and
found him and Henry Atwood, a driver.
/ proceeded, half leading and half carry
ing them to the foot Of the mine shaft
They were both delirious and L believe 1
was too. Both Of them persisted in stand
ing up and began to walk around. 1 i'm
mediately forced them to lie down, to get
them out of the path of the fatal after
| damp, which hovere3 about four feet
above the ground. Then 1 felt myself GO
ing to sleep, but did not care, although /
realized it was the sleep of death. / lad
| down upon something which 1 could feel,
| although / could not see was a corpse,
and fell asleep as calmly ever L did in
my life. When l awoke somebody was
| forcing me TO swallow brandy and coffee.
| and 1 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 terrific.
my face and scalp are literally filled with
coal dust blown into them, just as IL II
had been shot out of a gun held within
a few inches. Another evidence of the
force of the explosion was discovered to-
day. On the hillside. fifty feet back from
| the main shaft. was discovered an arm
and foot. They were portions OF a VIC