The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-25

OF the Braznell disaster grows intensely
with every hour. The number Of dea6
is now estimated at 40 and may exceed
that fgure. AT the same time there is
strong presumption that the laws reg
ulating mining We're carelessly and
probably criminally disregarded.
To-day the first bodies of the victims
were brought out of the mine, and
never in the history of mine disasters
ated 1t was nearly IL o'clock before
the first of the bodies were taken out,
% hours after the explosion. At $50
three more We're brought to the surface
and again at $50 three came up in the
cage of 1.-the main shaft. The dead taken
from the mine so far are:
HENRY HAGAR, 80 years old: leaves
wife and six children.
PETER OROSORY, SO years old; wife
and four children.
WILLIAM THOMAS, 35 years old;
wife and four children.
MICHAEL ROTHELL, "a years old;
single.
SAMUEL MEEsE, So s~years old; wife
and three children.
ALBERT MEESE 13 years old; died
after being rescued yesterday.
MICHAEL MATHEW. 2S years old:
leaves wife and two children.
GEORGE KOVITZ. 40 years old; sim
gle.
JOSEPH POTsKY. % years old;
leaves a wife.
JOSEPH MAGYAR, 10 years old: sin
gle.
WILLIAM MOLOK, "a years old;
leaves wife and two children.
PAUL PROLOC, "a years old; leaves
wife and one child.
Among the men missing and known
to be dead in the mine are the follow
ing Hungarians:
MICHAEL PAREHEK.
ANDREW PAREHEK.
PAUL LAUNDIS.
THOMAS KUHLEK.
ANDREW TOWSISZIKI.
At least u bodies are in sight, but
cannot be reached on account of the
debris.
The estimates of the dead are conflict
ing A. B. Braznell, president of the
Stockdale Coal company, this afternoon
said he believes that but 20 to % men
had been killed. Men who were work.
ing around the mine yesterday morn
ing give different figures. They say S5
to 40 men were down the mine shaft in
the cages. while about 20 climbed down
the elevator shaft. From 55 to 60 men
were in the mine and of this number
put II have been recovered alive. All
the rest, whatever the number, are
dead
John, or as he is popularity known,
Jonas Meese. is one of the IS men
who escaped from the mine alive He
is fearfully burned and is lying at his
home with his head swathed in band
ages. He told this story to-day:
Il 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. / thought my head
had been blown off. In about two sec
onds the mine was filled with a daz-
zling 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. Albert swayed and
| out of the stable: that is why my face
is so terribly burned. 1 was afraid to
turn my back upon the mules for fear
they would stampede and run me down
7 did not know then that they had all
been killed by the explosion, for our
lamps We're blown out and We were in
| total darkness.
After l got out of the stable 1 heard
| Albert crying for help. I went back
and found him and Henry Atwood. a
driver. I proceeded half leading and
half carrying them to the foot of the
mine shaft. They We're both delirious,
and I believe I was, too. Both of them
| persisted in standing up and began TO
| walk around. I Immediately forced
| them to lie down, to get them out of the
| path of the fatal after-damp which
| hovered about four feet above the
ground. Then I felt myself going to
| sleep, but / did not care, although
| realized that it was the sleep of death.
laid upon something which I could
feel although I could not see; it was a
corpse and I fell asleep as calmly as
ever I did in my life. When I awoke
someone was forcing me to swallow
brandy and coffee, and I was trying to
explain that it would be needless for me
to drive a wagon. as there had been an
accident in the mine.
''rhe 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 a gun held with
in few inches"
Another evidence of the force of the
explosion was discovered to-day. On