The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-12-25

blown out of the shaft like bullet from
rifle
From statements obtained to-day II
seems clear that the presence of gas in
quantities in the mine was perfectly we'll
known. and that naked lights were used
for several days before the explosion. Ac-
cording to credible authority not single
safety lamp was used in the mine by the
working crews since last Tuesday morning.
four days before the explosion. Fire Boss
James Ratcliffe. whose duty it was to look
after the safety of the mine, and upon
whose care and intelligence the lives of
the diggers depended in a large degree,
told his story. Ratcliffe has not yet re-
covered from his narrow escape from
death. The fire boss said:
II believe the explosion was caused by
a sudden fan. which occurred just before
the explosion. / do not believe there was
enough gas iii the mine to be dangerous.
AS a mater of fact the coal itself gives
off little gas, but the gas comes chiefly
from the roof Of the pit. After the explo-
sion L went into the mine with Jones, the
pit boss. / went from the entrance of
the main shaft toward the air shaft, 80
yards away. Everything was filled with
afterdamp and smoke. Jones gave out in a
few minutes and 1 dragged him to the
bottom of the main shaft where there was
little air. Ratcliffe said the explosion
must have occurred within two or three
hundred feet from the main shaft"
He says the mine was we'll supplied with
air.
at was awful" said the fire boss. ''The
men were trapped there like rats and there
is no hope that single man is alive. The
two shafts were both disabled. and there
was no other exit. 1 have never seen a
more terrific mine explosion. Stone stop
pings two feet thick and cemented together
| were utterly destroyed. Not even particles
of rock remained. The stone was blown
| into dust"
William Pastorious, a driver in the mine,
| tells sensational story. Pastorious. who
| had lived at Brownsville for many years,
and is regarded as a man of intelligence.
| says Pit Boss Jones on last Tuesday morn
| ing 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 lights were unlocked. contrary to reg
ulation.
-SENSAIlONAL SIOR1.
'The miners always prefer to use naked
| lights" said Pastorious, whenever pos
sible. as they give better light and are
more easily handled. / have been working
here couple of months and used safety
| until last Tuesday morning. At that time
| mine safety lamps were used by drivers
and others who were constantly moving
| about the mine, and therefore exposed to
greater risk than digger in room.
Contrary to mining regulations the safety
| lamps in use were in many cases unlocked.
| The safeties were provided by the COM
pany, as usual, and they should be locked
so that it is impossible for a miner to
| open them while at work. On Tuesday the
pit boss issued an order that the men
could use open lamps and they. of course,
discarded the safeties, which made a poor
| er light. About one hundred yards from
the bottom of the main shaft there was a
fall which had been boarded up and in
which the gas stood against the roof.
think it was the gas which exploded
Superintendent Boyer who is the superior
of Pit Boss Jones, when told of the above
statement, said: II know nothing Of the
order to dispense with safety lamps" He
IL.
| Mine Inspector James Blick, who has
been in the mine almost constantly since
| last night, came out tonight and gave a
| graphic account of its condition. Inspec-
tor Blick said: "At the bottom of the two
shafts the mine is a complete, wreck. Only
| enough debris has been removed to allow
Of the bodies being brought out. There
are more bodies in the mine, but how many
cannot be determined. There are undoubt-
edly number of corpses under the wreck
| age. The lower parts Of the mine are
| flooded and the water is rising, as the
| pumps are disabled. The pumps will not
run for day or two, as the six-inch pipes
draining the mine have been twisted and
broken like reeds. 1 penetrated to the face
| of the mine to-day and saw two bodies
| there, but the afterdamp was thick and ]
| 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. It will require
several days to clear the mine. The bot
tom Of it is wrecked, but the roof and
sides are intact. There is no fire in the
mine.'
Rough but reverent hands carried the
the top of the shaft to the temporary
morgue on the hillside, a hundred feet
away. OF one of the men, Peter Crosoy
but portion Of the trunk and the back
of the skull remained and that was vir-
tually but cinder He was identified by a
| shred of his shirt that had been blown into
the flesh. OF the twelve dead there
was but one that was not a hideous spec
tacle. Ampng the men at the Braznell mine
to-day were many who had been al
other explosions, but never bad they seen
such mangled. burned and distorted bod
les. DIR. N. H. Taylor, coroner of Fayette
county, arrived early in the morning from
Uniontown. He impaneled a jury. who
viewed the bodies as they were brought
to the surface. The inquest will be held
at Uniontown soon as all the bodies are
| recovered