The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-12-29
Number of Dead Now Estimated
a Forty, and May Exceed
That Figure.
A NUMBER OF VICTIMS BROUGHT CUT.
Never in the History of Mine Disasters
Were Human Beings So Horri-
bly, Mutilated.
There Is "a Strong Presumption That
Mining Laws Were CareIessly
or CriminaIly DIsregnrded
at the BrazneH Nine.

ITOWISNllle, Ia, Pee. gu he nOT-
ror of the Braznell mine grows in in
tensity with every hour. The number
CT the dead is now estimated at 40,
and may pass the figure. At the same
time there is a strong presumption
that the laws regulating mining were
carelessly and probably criminally
disregarded.
Sunday the first bodies of the vic
TINS were brought out of the mine
and never in the history of mine dis
asters were human beings so horribly
mutilated. 1t was nearly IL o'clock
before the first five bodies were taken
out, 2S hours after the explosion. At
$3.50 three were brought to the sur
fIce and at 6:3O three more came up
in the cage of the main shaft.
The estimates of the number of the
dead are conflicting. A. B. Braznell,
president of the Stockdale Coal Co.,
Sunday afternoon said he believed
that but from 20 to 25 men had been
killed. Men who were working around
the mine Saturday morning give diff
ferent figures. They say from 35 to
40 men were down the mine shaft in
the cages, while about 20 climbed
down the steps in the elevator shaft.
| From 55 to 60 men were in the mine,
and of this number but ~ have been
recovered alive. All the rest, what
ever the number, are dead
John, or as he is popularity known,
"Jonah" Meese, is one of the 10 men
who escaped in the mine alive. He is
fearfully burned, and is lying at his
home with his head swathed in ban
dages. He told his story Sunday:
81 was in the stable" Meese said,
"currying my mule when the explo-
sion 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 I heard such a terrible
report. / 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 con-
sumed. My brother Sam dropped to
the ground as if shot through the
heart. He must have been killed in
stantly. His boy Albert swayed and
fell over upon his father. l being in
the back of the stable that is why
my face is so terribly burned. I 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 dark
ness.
"After l got out of the stable ]
heard Albert crying for help. 1 went
back and found him and Henry At
wood, driver. l proceeded, half
leading and half carrying them to
the foot of the mine shaft. They
were both delirious and | believe
was too. Both of them persisted in
standing up and being able to walk
around. l Immediately forced them
to lie down to get them out of the
path of the fatal after damp, which
lowered about four feet above the
ground. Then l felt myself going to
sleep, but | did not care, although
realized it was the sleep of death.
laid down on something which l could
feel, although l could not see, was &
corpse, and fell asleep as calmly as
ever | did in my life. When L woke
somebody was forcing me to swal
low brandy and coffee, and was try
ing to explain that it would be need
less for me to drive a wagon, as there
had been an accident in the mine.
"The force of the explosion was ter
rife; my face and scalp is literally
filled with coal dust blown into it
just as if it had been shot out of
gun held within a few inches. Anoth
) az evidence of the force of the eX
piosion was discovered Sunday. Oh
the high side, so feet back from tn
mine shaft, was discovered an arm
. and foot. They were portions of
: victim killed los feet below the sur
a &C and blown out of the shaft Xix
. tllet from a rifle"
from statements obtained it seem
n ear that the presence OF gas in guam
ties in the mine was perfectly wei
..rown and that naked lights wer
Used for several days before the eN
pIosion. According to credible au
thority, not a single safety lamp wa
used in the mine by the worllin
crews since last Tuesday morning
"a four days before the explosion.
Rough but reverent hands carrie
the bodies of the victims when the
reached the top of the shaft to tn
temporary morgue on the hillside IL
!" feet away. OF one of the men, Pete
= CROSBY, but a portion of the trun
. and the back of the skull RENAME,
= and that was virtually but a cinde
lie was identified by a shred of h
shirt that had been blown into h
70 flesh.
5. OF the IL dead there was but OF
r that was not a hideous spectacl
'e Among the men at the Braznell mir
n Sunday were many who had been 1
Il other explosions, but never had the
Is seen such mangled, burned and di
re torted bodies.