The record-union., 1899-12-25
THE BRAzNELL
MINE DISASTER.
Horror Grows in Intensity With
Every Hour.
The Nnmhsr Of Dead Now Estimated at
Forty.
It May Yet Pass That Figure
Strong Presumption That the
Laws Regulating Mining Were
Care1essly and Probably Grim
ina11y Disregarded - Naked
Lights Used for Several Days
Before the Explosion.

inal1y Disregarded - Naked
Lights Used for Several Days
Before the Explosion.
BROWNSVILLE, Dec. 24-The hor-
ror of the Braznell mine disaster grows
in intensity with every hour. The num-
Der of the dead is now estimated at
forty and may pass that figure. AL
the same time there is strong pre-
sumption that the laws regulating min
ing were carelessly and probably GRIM
inally 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 Enu-
tilated. 1t was nearly II o'clock be-
fore the first five bodies were taken
out, twenty eight hours after the ex-
plosion. At $50 three more were
brought to the surface and again at
$50 three came up in the cage of the
main shaft.
The dead taken from the mine so
far are:
Henry Hager, 80 years old. leaves a
widow and six children.
Peter Orosory, sc, widow and four
children.
William Thomas, SO, widow and four
children.
Michael Rohtell, "a, single.
Samuel Meese 80, widow and three
children.
Albert Meese, IS, died after being
rescued yesterday.
Michael Mahio, % leaves widow and
two children.
George Kovitz, 40, single.
Joseph Potsky, %, leaves widow.
Joseph Mayer, 10, single.
William Molok, SO, leaves widow and
two children.
Paul Proloc, "a, leaves widow and one
child.
At least twelve bodies are in sight
but cannot be reached, owing to the
debris The estimates of the number
of the dead are conflicting.
Among the men missing and known
to be dead in the mine are the follow
ing Hungarians:
Michael Parahek, Andrew Parahek,
brothers; Paul Laundis. Thomas kue-
land and Andrew Toursiski.
been in the mine almost constantly
since last night, came out tonight and
gave graphic account of it's condition.
Inspector 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 undoubtedly a number of
corpses under the wreckage. The lower
parts of the mine are flooded and the
water is rising, as the pumps are dis
abled. The pumps will not run for a
day or two, as the 6-inch pipes draining
the mine have been twisted and broken
like reeds. I penetrated to the face Of
the mine to-day and saw the bodies
there, but the after damp was thick
and I 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. 1t will require several days to
clear the mine. The bottom of it is
wrecked, but the roof and sides are
intact. There is no fire in the mine"
Rough but reverent hands carried the
bodies of the victims when they reached
the top of the shaft to the temporary
morgue on the hillside, a hundred feet
away. OF one of the men, Peter Crosby
but portion of the trunk and the
back of the skull remained, and that
was virtually but a cinder. He was
identified by a shred of his shirt that
had been blown into his flesh Of the
twelve dead there was but one that was
not hideous spectacles Among the
men at the Braznell mine to-day were
many who had been at many other ex-
plosions, but never had they seer such
mangled, burned and distorted bodies
DR.. N. II. 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 as soon as
all of the bodies are recovered.
A. B. Braznell, President of the
Stockdale Coal Company, this after
noon said he believed that but twenty
to twenty-five men had been killed
Men who were working around the
mine yesterday morning give different
figures. They say thirty-five to forty
men were down the mine shaft in the
cages, while about twenty climbed
uOWH the StepS III the elevator Sna1t.
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,
Jonah 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 this story to-day:
II was in the stable" Meese said,
"currying my mule when the explosion
occurred. My brother, Sam, was by my
side and his boy, Albert, was standing
in front of him. Then came the crack
of the explosion. Never in my life have
l heard such a terrific report I
thought my head had been blown Off
In about two seconds the mine was
filled with a 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. / began to back out of the
stable, that is why my face is so ter
ribly burned. l was afraid to turn my
back upon the mules for fear they
would stampede and run me down. I
did not know then that they had oil