The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-12-26
A pITIABhE
CHRISTMAS
Mine Disaster Causes General
Gloom in Brownsville, Pa.
PIT BOSS JONES FATAL ERROR.
lie issued an order Permitting the
Miners 60 Dispense with safety
Lamps, Declaring That He Uonsid-
cred the Mine safe.

lamps bfclnring ihat he tousid -
erred the Nine safe.
Brownsville. Pa. Dec. 2G Work az
Braznell mines where a terrible gas
explosion occurred last Saturday. Is
progressing very slowly. The country
roads from Brownsville to- the mine
are almost impossible and there is no
telegraph or telephone connections
with Braznell So all news from the
mine has to be brought overland Four
more bodies have been recovered. but
not identified This makes a total OF
is bodies recovered.
Some OF the families OF the doomed
men are In a suffering condition. and
provisions are being sent out by the
Brownsville merchants. as we'll as
from JniOntOwn. The men who have
been working since Saturday To re-
cover the bodies are almost exhausted.
yet they refuse TO give up. and keep
at the grim work doggedly, though
more dead than alive. The fact that
last Saturday was pay day at the mine
and that there were no empty wagons
to load, accounts for many not going
into the mine tnat morning Had the
accident occurred any other day there
would have been more than a hun
dred men in the mine. and the result
would have been even more appalling
The scenes about the morgue Sun
day and Sunday night were such as
10 bring tears TO many a stout heart.
As the burned and bleeding bodies
were carried from the shaft wives and
children would fight frantically TO get
to the corpse, and when held back by
strong arms would weep pitifully and
plead to be allowed TO enter the morgue
and find their lost ones. II is an oc-
currence that can never be forgotten
by any who witnessed Il. Some OF the
bodies have been removed TO their
homes and we're buried yesterday.
A pathetic story is told Of little Al
bert Meese, who died after being res
cued. He lived only a few steps from
the shaft He went to the window
Saturday morning and looked out, say
ing to his father; Papa, | guess there
is no use OF my going to work this
morning, as there is no loading"
The father said he had better go
and help him feed the mules. They
both started out together and never re-
turned to their nome alive
Sad, sad was Christmas day to many
a family about Braznell. In fact, the
excitement caused by the terrible acci-
dent drove all thought OF the holiday
festivities from the homes OF all who
live in the neighborhood, even those
who had no friends killed
The mine officials admit that two OF
more bodies are still in the mine. but
representatives of the Slavonic society
have made a house to house canvass
and report thai eight OF their number
alone are In the wreck, and how many
others they DO not know,
That naked lights and unlocked safe
~ lamps were used in a dangerous
mine was officially confirmed yesterday
by Pit Boss Thomas Jones. who made
statement which forms the most SEN
sational chapter on the management
OF the mine which has yet developed
Mr.. Jones was a~ked ii II was true that
on Thursday morning he issued gen
eral order that the miners could dis
pense with safety lamps He admitted
that he had issued the order. saving
81 considered tnat the mine was safe
as he break through had been fixed
up"
The revised Inst OF the recovered
dead and those known 10 he missing
and almost absolutely certain to be In
the mine Is as follows:
Dead-Andrew R0pship, John Po-
kelca, Michael Paradox, Andrew Para
bek, George Rosilko, Henry Hagyar
Peter Orosery, William Thomas Mich.
ael Rohall, Samuel Meese, Albert
Meese, Michael Magic, George Kovitz
Joseph Potsky, Joseph HaRyar.
Missing John Budas, John I.oges
George Was.lko, Andrew MuscheH
Paul l.Gundes, thomas Kuslak An
drew roursizki, Joseph Podolinski.
John Kokaleizky Andrew Yaminzky.
George Ncsyiko. Andrew Rapsch.