Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-01-04
A MINE HORROR.
Twenty-three Men Killed by an Ex-
plosion Of Firedamp.
Fifty Wen Were I'm the Braznel SHAFT,
Near Brownsville, Pa, when the
Disaster rOccurred-WOrkmen
Claim that Mining Laws
Were Disregarded.

Brownsville, Pa, Dec. 25.-The ex-
plosion of firedamp at the Stockdale
Coal Co. IS Braznel shaft on Saturday is
the worst since the Hill mine disaster
at Dunbar. The explosion was terrific
and was heard plainly at Brownsville.
four miles distant. The main shaft
was totally wrecked.
Pittsburg, Dec. GA special to the
Post from Brownsville says: The hor-
ror of the Braznel mine grows in in
tensity with every hour. There were
fifty men in the mine when the eXplo-
sion occurred.
On Sunday the first bodies of the
victims were brought out of the mine
and never in the history of mine dis
asters were human beings SO horribly
mutilated. 1t was nearly II o'clock
before the first five bodies were taken
out, 2S hours after the explosion.
From statements obtained yesterday
it 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 au-
thority, not single safety lamp was
used in the mine by the working crews
since last Tuesday morning, four days
before the explosion.
William Pastorious, a driver in the
mine, tells a sensational story. Pas
torious, who has lived in Brownsville for
many years and is regarded as man
of intelligence, says that Pit Boss
Jones on last Tuesday morning issued
general order that all safety lamps
might be dispensed with and in their
stead the miners were permitted touse
naked lamps. Pastorious also states
that the lamps were unlocked, con-
trary to regulation.
THE miners always prefer to use
naked lights" said Pastorious, when
ever possible, as they give better light
and are more easily handled. | have
been working here couple of months
and used a safety lamp until last
Tuesday morning. At that time mine
safeties were in use by drivers and
others who We're constantly moving
about the mine and therefore exposed
to greater risk than digger in
room. Contrary to the mining regula-
tions the safety lamps in use were in
many cases unlocked. The safeties
We're provided by the company, as
usual, and they should be locked SO
that it is impossible for miner to
open them while at work. My lamp
was unlocked and | frequently opened
and closed it. On Tuesday the pit boss
issued an order that the men could
use open lamps and they of course dis
carded the safeties, which made
poorer light. About 100 yards from
the bottom of the main shaft there
was fall which had been boarded up
and in which the gas stood against the
roof. | think it was this gas which
exploded"
Brownsville, Pa, Dec. 26.-Work at
the Braznel mine is progressing very
slowly. The country roads from
Brownsville to the mine are almost
impossible and there is no telegraph
or telephone connections with Braznel,
so all news from the mine has to be
brought overland. 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 that morning. Had the
accident occurred any other day there
would have been more than 100 men in
the mine.
That naked lights and unlocked
safety lamps were used in dangerous
mine was officially confirmed Monday
by Pitt Boss Thomas Jones, who made
statement which forms the most
sensational chapter on the manage
ment of the mine which has yet devel-
oped. Mr.. Jones was asked if it was
true that on last Tuesday he issued a
general order that the miners could
dispense with safety lamps.
"Yes sir" was the reply.
"Why did you issue the order?"
II considered that the mine was safe,
as break through had been fixed up"
safely lamps were used before Tues
day"
Yes"
as it true that some safety lamps in
use in the mine We're not locked?'
''Yes, it is true that some were not
locked because | thought the men who
used them were competent to carry
them unlocked"
''Was that not contrary to regula-
tions?"
''Oh, there may be a regulation, but
men sometimes carry unlocked lamps
where it is known that they are expe-
rienced miners"
Brownsville, Pa, Nee. 27.-Search
for the dead was kept up at the Braz-
mel mine yesterday, resulting in the
finding of eight more bodies, making
90 victims of the explosion.