Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-07-19
LII DEAD; z RESCUED
Frightful Disaster in Cambria Mine
at Johnstewn.
EXPLOSION DUE TO FlRE-DAMP
Accident Occurred In Section Known
As klondike, and Survivors De-
scribed Conditions AS Frishtful.
Heroic Work of Reseiiers-


scribed Conditions AS Friahtful.
Heroic Work of Rescuers.
Johnstown, Pa, July 1.-Two hun
dred miners entombed by an explosion
In a mine whose main shaft opens
within the limits Of the city, was news
to check with terror the pedestrians
on the streets here yesterday. At
first the rumor said that all in the
rolling mill" mine or the Cambria
Steel company were dead or in dan
ger. But later reports showed that the
lower figure was correct and that 400
were safe. The mine is one OF the
largest in the country. and yesterday
600 men were at work there.
The scenes on the hillsides were
heartrendlpg. AS soon as the news
OF the disaster spread it was communi-
Gated from house to house where the
wives, mothers and children CT the
miners live, and in a few moments
there was a crowd of several hundred
persons gathered about the mine This
was augmented with almost every Sec
ond. as the awful news continued TO
spread. Wives OF the unfortunate vic
tins ran about wildly excited; moth
ers tainted, aud little children walled
as the extent of the horror became
known TO them.
The mining officials OF the Cambria
Company stated that the explosion was
one OF fire damp. The catastrophe oc-
CURED I'm the section OF the mines
known among the miners as "Klon-
dixie" The few survivors who have es-
capped from the depths OF the mine de-
scribe the conditions 30 be frightful in
their nature Outside OF the "Klon-
dixie" the mines are safe and unin-
iured.
Miners who left the mine by way OF
the Mill Creek entrance brought hor-
rible stories OF crawling over the dead
bodies of their comrades.
OF the 600 men who entered the
mine on Thursday morning Ill
are dead, 20 were rescued alive
and many others escaped from
the mine and reported at the
office OF the company. Thrilling expert
ences attended the efforts of the 40
brave and daring fellows who went
down into the bowels OF the earth
with a very faint hope to spar them
that still they might be in time to re-
store to life some OF those who are
entomhed. Death lurked everywhere
around them. but undaunted they surg
ed forward, swayed with the noblest
OF human purposes.
Early this afternoon cheering
word came from the innermost recess
es OF the mine that life yet fingered In
some of the bodies found. The res
cuers made first for No. 4, left heading,
which they had been unable to reach
the night before. Falls of roof almost
choked up the heading, but through and
over the debris the brave men pushed
their way. In the front Patrick Mar
tin, his brother Peter, Philip White
and several others made their way.
Suddenly in an open space they were
startled by the maniac laugh which
emanated from a blackened form that
rushed at them out of the darkness.
The man grasped firmly a pick handle
and tried in his frenzy to beat down his
rescuers. He was overpowered and
dragged back to the main heading to
were found in this chamber and physi-
clans were quickly taken to the spot
The remains of some OF the dead
were in terrible state, showing that
there had been slow death in each
case. One of the men had his mouth
and nose tied about by towel. The
rest of his face was burned beyond re-
cognition. The bodies of all were
twisted in horrible shapes, most of the
arms being crooked so as to shield the
face.