The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-25
BrazneII Mine Horror the Result
of Criminal Disregard Of
Laws Provisions
MINERS ALL CARRIED
NAKED LIGHTS
This Was Done in Spite of Fact
That Pressure of Gas in Large
Quantities Was Known

A special dispatch from Brownsville
says: THE number of the dead in the
Braznell mine is now estimated at 40
and may be more. There is a strong
presumption that the laws regulating
mining were carelessly and probably
criminally disregarded. Today the first
bodies of the victims were brought out
of the mine, horribly mutilated. 1t
was nearly II o'clock before the first
five bodies were taken out, 2S hours
after the explosion.
At $50 three were brought to the
surface, and at $50 three more came
UP IN a cage OF the main shaft. The
dead taken from the mine so far are:
Henry Hagar, 80 years old, leaves
wife and six children.
Peter Obosorri, SO, leaves wife and
four children.
William Thomas, SO, leaves wife and
four children.
Michael Rohtell, 26, single
Samuel Meese, SO, leaves wife and
three children.
Albert Meese, 10, died after being res
cued yesterday
Michael Mahlo, %, leaves wife and
two children.
George Kovitz, 40, single.
Joseph Postsky, %, leaves wife.
Joseph Magyar, 10, single.
William Moloko, SO, leaves wife and
two children.
Paul Prolos, "a, wife and one child.
At least IL other bodies are in sight,
but cannot be reached on account of
| the debris.
CONFLICTING ESTIMATES.
The estimates of the number of dead
are conflicting. President Braznell to-
| day said he believed that between 20
and rs men had been killed. Men who
were working around the mine yester-
| day morning give different figures
| They say 95 or 40 men went down the
main shaft in the cages, while about
| 20 climbed down the steps in the ele-
vator shaft; that from So to 60 men
were in the mine. OF the men entomb-
| ed but u have been recovered alive
| All the rest, whatever the number, are
| dead
| From statements obtained today ii
| seems clear that the presence of gas in
| quantities in the mine was perfectly
well known, and that naked lights
were used for several days before the
| explosion. According to reliable auth
| GRITTY, not a single safety lamp had been
used in the mine by the working crews
! since Tuesday morning, four days be-
| fore the explosion. William Pastori-
US, driver in the mine, who has lived
| in Brownsville for many years, and is
| regarded as one who is reliable says
that Pit Boss Jones on last Tuesday
| morning issued a general order that
all safety lamps would be dispensed
| with, and in their stead the miners
| were permitted to use naked lights
| Pastorius also states that the lamps
were unlocked, contrary to regulation
USED NAKED LIGHTS.
1.-The miners always prefer to use
naked lights" said Pastorius, when
ever possible, as they give better light
and are easier handled. l have been
working here a couple of months an !.
used a safety lamp until last Tuesday
morning.
MY lamp was unlocked, and 1 fire.
quently opened and closed it. On
Tuesday the pit boss issued an order
that the men could use open lamps and
they discarded the safety lamps which
made poor light"
Supt. Boyer, who is the superior of
Pit Boss Jones, when told of Partorius
statement. said: Nothing in the order
dispenses with the safety lamp" An
other evidence of the force of the ex-
plosion was discovered today. On the
hillside so feet away from the main
shaft, was discovered an arm and a
foot. They were portions of victim
killed below the surface, and blown
out of a shaft like a bullet from a ri
fie.