The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-24

Pittsburg, Dec. 23.-A special to the
Post from Brownsville, Pa, says:
There is scarcely any hope that any
man in the pit is now alive"
These were the words of Mine In
spector James E. Blick, uttered by him
al 10 o'clock tonight as he stood at the
mouth of Braznell mine. in whose
depths thirty men are entombed. That
they will get out alive is exceedingly
improbable, and tonight mothers, wives
and sisters mourn them as dead.
Since early this morning the impris-
oned men have been without any air or
food. They are separated from eager
searchers by walls of debris which fell
when the explosion took place and
blocked the road to liberty. At 7:30 this
morning the death-dealing blast was
loosed. . Owing to a shortage of cars
less than the usual number of men en-
tered the pit. The mine is that of the
Stockdale Coal company, and lies four
miles from Brownsville and fourteen
miles from Uniontown. 1t is known as
the Branzell mine, and lies near sta
ton of that name on the Redstone
Creek branch of the Pennsylvania rail-
road.
Fire Damp Was Found.
At o'clock this morning Fire Boss
James Radcliff went through the mine
as usual and found gas or fire damp"
in two places. He detected about four
inches of gas in the main entry about
100 yards from the main shaft and
about an equal quantity in a room on
a side entry, a short distance away.
The fire boss reported the presence of
the gas, but informed the superintend-
ent that it was all right for the men to
enter.
The men were lowered into the mine
in the cage descending the main shaft,
which is vertical From forty to fifty
men had entered the mine and dis
persed through it when the gas was
ignited in some manner not yet ascer-
tanned.
A tremendous explosion occurred. Its
force must have reached every man in
the mine. The cage in the main shaft,
which was at the bottom, was blown
into splinters and the hosting machin-
cry wrecked. About 100 yards from the
main entrance was an air shaft, also
vertical and brick lined. 1t was torn
to the very top.
How the Explosion Came.
Altogether there were from forty-five
to fifty workers in the mine. The men
descended in the cage of the main shaft
from eight to ten at time. A mo-
ment after the fifth load had descend
ed there was a roar that shook the i'm
mense iron tipple above the main shafa
and reverberated from the hillsides.
There was no need to tell what had
happened. Frantic women and fright
ened children dashed out of their dwell
ings just across the railroad track and
rushed toward the mouth of the shaft.
They were driven back by the smoke
that poured up from the mine.
A minute later everything was quiet
The big engines stopped and the fan
was hushed. There was no possibility
of aiding the imprisoned men through
the main shaft, and a rush was mada
for the ventilating shaft, $50 feet away.
This is 112 feet deep. bricked inside to
strengthen it, and has iron steps from
top to bottom.
A shout came from below and it was
known that not all were killed, but
who had drawn the few prizes in the
lottery of life and death? The anxious
ones at the top waited a few moments
for the men TO appear. They did not
come and an investigation was made
1t was discovered that the explosion
had torn away the brick lining of the
shaft, taking with it about twenty feet
of the iron steps.
Caught In Trap.
The men below were in a trap.
Promptly a rope and bucket was low
cred and the men hauled up. The first
one was Albert Meese. 13 years old.
,tapper He was unconscious and was
tied in the bucket. Tenderly he was
lifted out and remedies applied, but
without avail. He gasped once or twice