The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-25


sumption that the laws regulating min
ing were carelessly, and probably Grim
inally disregarded
Today the first bodies of the victims
were brought out of the mine. ano
never in the history of mine disasters
were human beings so horribly mutt
lated 1t was nearly II O'Clock before
the first five bodies were taken out
twenty eight hours after the explosion
At $50 three more were brought TO the
surface, and again at $50 three came
up in the cage of the main shaft.
List of the Dead.
The dead taken from the mine so far
are:
wife and six children.
Peter Orosory, sc. wife and four chill
dren.
William Thomas, SO, wife and four
children
Michael Rohtell, a. single.
Samuel Mees. 80, wife and three chill
dren
Albert Mees. 10, died after being res
cued Yesterday.
Michael Mahio. IS, leaves wife and
two children.
George Kovitz, 40 years of age, single.
Joseph Potsky. %, leaves wife.
Joseph Magyar, 19, single.
William Molok. SO, leaves wife and
two children.
Paul Proloc, a, leaves wife and one
child.
At least twelve bodies are in sight,
but cannot be reached on account. OF
the debris
The estimates of the number of the
dead are conflicting. A. B. Braznell,
president of the Stockdale Coal COM
pany, this afternoon said he believed
that hIlf fUenTU n txUanfU-fix-a lQ n
been killed. Men who were working
around the mine yesterday morning
give different figures. They say thirty
five 10 forty men were down the mine
shaft in the cages. while about twenty
climbed the steps in the elevator Shaft
From fifty-five to sixty men were in
the mine. and of this number but
twelve have been recovered alive. All
the rest, whatever the number, are
dead.
John Meese's Story
John. or, as he is popularity known,
Jonah" Meese, is one of the thirteen
fnen who escaped from the mine alive.
He is fearfully burned. and is lying at
his home with his head swathed in
bandages.
He told this story today:
Il was in the stable" Meeee said,
''currying my mule when the explosion
NY DlOlltI CdlIl was ny lily
side, and his boy Albert was standing
in front of him. Then came the crack
of the explosion. Never in my life have
! heard such terrific 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 consumed. NY brother
Sam dropped TO the ground as if shot
through the he2rt. He must have been
killed Instantly.
His boy Albert swayed and fell over
upon his father. l began to back out
of the stable; that is why my face is
so terribly burned. l was afraid to turn
my back upon the -lules, for fear they
would stampede and run me down. L
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
After l got out of the stable heard
Albert crying for help. / went back
and found him and Henry Atwood,
driver. 1 proceeded, half leading and
half carrying them to the foot of the
mine shaft They were both delirious,
and l believe l was, too. Both of them
persisted in standing UP and began to
walk around. l Immediately forced
them TO lie down, to get them out Of the
path of the fatal after-damp, when
hovered about four feet above the
ground.
Lies Down on Corpse.
.'Then 1 felt myself going to sleep.
but l did not care although l realized
that it was the sleep of death. l laid |
down upon something which l could I
feel, although l could not see. was a
corpse. and fell asleep as calmly as ever
7 did in my life. When l awoke some |
one was forcing me to swallow brandy (
and coffee, and l was trying to explain ,
that Il would be needless 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 fill /
ed with coal dust blown into il, just as
if Il had been shot out of a gun held I
within few inches. Another evidence
of the force of the explosion was dis
covered today. On the hillside fifty
feet back from the main shaft, was dis
covered an arm and a foot. They were
portions of a victim killed 10S feet be-
low the surface. and blown out of the
shaft like a bullet from rifle
From statements obtained today il
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 explo-
sion. According to credible authority,
not a single safety lamp was used in
the mine by the working crew since
last Tuesday morning, 1our days De-
fore the explosion.
$ Fire Boss James Ratcliffe, whose
DUTY it was TO look after the safety of
the mine, and upon whose care and in
telligence the lives of the diggers de-
pended in large degree, told his story
Ratcliffe has not yet recovered from
his narrow escape from death The
fire boss said:
Cause of Explosion.
81 believe that the explosion was
caused by sudden fall which occurred
just before the explosion. / do not be-
lieve that there was enough gas in the
mine to be dangerous. AS matter of
fact, the coal itself gives off little gas,
but the gas comes chiefly from the roof
of the pis. After the explosion / 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 filed with /
after-d damp and smoke Jones gave
out in a few minutes and l dragged
him to the bottom of the main shaft, +
Where there was little air" Ii
Radcliffe said the explosion must