The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-25

CAHELEss DIsREaARD or MINING
REGULATIONS Is CHANGED.
OF the Bs or 90 Men 1t work, but
Twelve Escaped with Their
Lives-ThriIling Experience After
the Explosion ~ one survivor.

/ BROWNSVlLIlE, Pa, Dec. N.-The hof-
ror OF the Braznell mine disaster grows In
intensity with every hour. The number of
| dead IL now estimated at forty and may
pass that figure. At the same time there
Is strong presumption that the laws reg
ulating mining were carelessly and proba-
bly, criminaly disregarded.
| Today the first bodies of the victims were
brought out OF the mine and never in the
history OF the mine disasters were human
beings 80 horribly mutiated. 1t was near
| ly II o'clock before the first five bodies
/ were taken out, Is hours after the explo-
sion. 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 50 far ore:
Henry Hager. 80 years old. leaves wife
and six children; Peter Orosory, 49, wife
| and four children; VIM. Thomas 80, wife
and four children: Michael Rohtell, "a, sin
| gle; Samuel Meese. 80. wife and three chill
| dreh; Albert Meese, Is. died after being
rescued yesterday; Michael Mazio, %.
leaves wife and two children; George Ko-
vtz. 40 years OF age. single; Joseph Potsky.
| 70. leaves wife: Joseph Magyar, 10. single:
| VIM. Molena, SO, leaves wife and two chill
dren; Paul Proloc, "a. leaves wife and one
| child.
At least 10 bodies are in sight but cannot
be reached on account of the debris.
Number Of Dead Unknown.
| The estimates OF the number OF dead are
conflicting
! A. B. Braznell, president of the Stock
| dale Coal Company, this afternoon said
he believed that but twenty to twenty-five
| men had been killed. Men who were
working around the mine yesterday morn
| ing give different figures. They say IS to
10 men went down the mine shaft in the
cages. while about 20 climbed down the
steps in the elevator shaft. From IS to 90
men were In the mine and Of this num-
| Der but u have been recovered alive. All
| the rest, whatever the number. are dead.
John. or as he IL popularity known JON
an" Meese Is one of the Is men who es-
| capped from the mine alive. He Ia fear
| fully burned and IL lying at his home
! with his head swathed in bandages.
Account OF q SURVIVOR.
He told this story today:
IT was In the stable" Meese said, "cur-
| rying my mule when the explosion oc-
| Cured. My brother Sam was by my side
| and his boy. Albert, was standing In front
| of him. Then came the crack of the cx-
| plosion. Never in my life have ! heard
| such terrific report. thought my head
| had been blown of. 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
1 ground as IL shot through the heart. He
must have been killed instantly. His boy
| Albert swayed and fell over upon his faith
| er. began to back out OF the stable that
| is why my face is SO terribly burned.
| 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 all been killed by the explosion.
| for our lamps were blown out and we were
| in total darkness.
| Made Them Delirious.
After / got out of the stable heard
| Albert crying for help. went back and
| found him and Henry Atwood, driver.
| proceeded, half leading and half carving
| them, to the foot of the mine shaft They
| were both delirious and believe I was
| too Both of them persisted In standing up
| and began to walk around. Immediately
| forced them to lie down, to get them out
| Of the path of the fatal afterdamp, which
| lowered about four feet above the ground.
.'Then felt myself going to Sleep but
| did not care. although 4 realized that II
| was the sleep Of death. laid down upon
| something which I could feel. although
| could not see was corpse and fell asleep
| as calmly as ever did In my life When
| | awoke some one was forcing me to swal-
| low brandy and coffee, and was trying TO
| explain that 1t would be needless for me
| to drive wagon. as there had been an
| accident in the mine.
Terrible Force Of Explosion.
| '"The force of the explosion was terrific,
| my face and scalp Is literally filled with
| coal dust blown into 1t, Just as II 1t had
| been shot out Of a gun held within few
inches. Another evidence OF the force OF
| the explosion was discovered today. On
| the hillside fifty feet back from the main
| shaft was discovered an arm and foot.
They were portions of victim Killed los
feet below the surface and blown out Of
the shaft like bullet from rifle"
| Naked Lights Were Used.
| From statements obtained today 1t 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
| credible authority, not a single safety lamp
| was used in the mine by the working crew
since last Tuesday morning, four days be-
| fore the explosion. Fire Boss James Rat
| cliffe. whose duty 1t was to look after the
safety Of the mine and upon whose care
| and intelligence the lives OF the diggers
| depended in large degree. told his story.
| Radcliffe has not vet recovered from his
| narrow escape from death. The fire boss
said:
| story of Fire Boss.
1T believe that the explosion was caused
by a sudden fall which occurred just before
| the explosion. do not believe that there
| was enough gas In the mine to be danger
| Gus. AS matter of fact the coal itself
| gives off little gas but the gas comes
Chiefly from the roof OF the pit. After the
| exnlosion I went into the mine with Jones,
| the pit boss. / went from the entrance
| OF the main shaft toward the air shaft. $50
yards away. Everything was filled with
| afterdamp and smoke Jones gave out in
| few minutes and I dragged him to the
bottom Of the main shaft where there was
| little air."
Radcliffe said the explosion must have
occurred within two or three hundred feet
of the main shaft. He says the mine was
well supplied with air.
.'It was awful" said the fire boss. 1.-THE
men were trapped there like rats, and
there is no hope that single man is
| alive. The two shafts were both dis
| abled, and there was no other exit.
have never seen a more terrific mine ex-