The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1902-07-17
Over ur-score Dead Bodies Taken
from Scene Of Nine Disaster
at Johnstown, Pa.
WERE EATING LUNCH wsEn STRICKEN.
rerrls,e s,sht. Near sh.ft-oaei.l
Statement Of superlnt,s.@eat Rob.
inson-Late Report Says Dead VIII
Number 175-List Of the Identined
r ~ DEAD &

ter at the Roll1ng MIL NINE OF, the
Cambria Steel company dawned with
renewed force on the. thousands wait
ing for authentic news as to the extent
of the explosion. Forty-seven., dead
bodies, all contorted and many black
ened and burned, lie stretched on
rough slabs in the improyised norgue
in the Armory building. Forty more
ere in cars in the, mine, ready to be
borne out as fast as room can be made
for them. Last estimates Of the num-
Der of dead reduce the fatal scope of
the calamity. But these, while fixing
It at around 100 are not conclusive.
General superintende lent g: J. Robtn-
son would not sayat this time wheth--
,er he thought there were 100 or 800
dead. He says there is no way of
telling until full investigation Of the
usinesis naadesssWhen that will be he
says he Has 40 ans Of telling. An
rests with the difficulty to be encoun-
tered in clearing the heading of after
damp.
It was $3.50 o'clock when the first
train load of victims were brought to
the mouth of the snaafhe Forty
nine cars were used III bfinaging 4det
46 dead bodies and four living injured.
The discovery of the dead. bodies was
made by searching party about ten
o'clock Thursday night. They were
lying in the main heading two miles
in from the main pit mouth. No at
tempt was made to remove them until
certainty was esta blished that NO more
living remained in the mine. From the
positions of the bodies the miners
were, evidently eating, their lunches
when suddenly STRICKEN down BY the
explosion. They were seated in groups
of,fve}and ten, with. their buckets and
the remains of their lunches scattered
over the floor. Evidently their lives
were snuffed out quickly and easily.
s.-.I-i Statement Of the Disaster.
The first of the statement 81 the dis
aster was given~a reporter by Gem
eral Mine Superintendent George T..
Robinson at seven o'clock Friday
morning.
He said:s ,-,...,.. .-....
I cannot exactly say. We know there was
an explosion of firedamp in the sixth right
heading of4 SECTION of theamipe commonly
known lsS4h1 Klon dixie, BoAfak as can
tsT s rs g ssa IN tss esboa Il
/ SET. Ths bxlsshe@ We're caused by tie after.
damp. 90
:::Our mine officials, the mine foreman.
yea.i Aetsaass;
my brother, and a Slav whose name do
ha aafinr .11uch When
the explosion occurred; They Immediately
went down to the point of the explosion to
put up to the slopings in order to carry the
air in its proper channel again. &, These
were blown down by the force Of these4
plosion- ~ SM
ant foreman and one of the hre4 bosyaa
were overcome by afterdamp. They were
found by rescuing party and the chances
are that all will recoYer With the excep-
ton of my brother. HssLs d E.S
eon As to th JUST 6 I'D lsI e
We Started started vsrkinsSdf 4iydean 81 Ut.
ting up brattices In order to carry the air
in with us. suppose 1t was ten o'clock at
s,nigN before We came acress@the bodies of
ss.hes wing. Dga. John ]. 4sEmsa and John
.tana Of Ts ssh # IA h ws4 sf .e
stiedwith xopd eaeef 6niM living. ~
I'VE found 25sdead oil oursway tostissse
four living. Twenty more we found later
on, They were scattered through that Sec
their way out Mhena caught by the fatil
afterdamp
Mining Engineer NJ G. Moore and my
self will organize another searching par
Ing: There Is damp III tie stefts hesxdli4g:s
which will make our progress toilsome.
Part 81 the mine IS SO filled With after
8 DAMP US, cannot get tp. until We turn the
current of air in " y
Bodies Taken to Morgue. ~.
When the bodies of the victims
came from the mine q long line of
undertakers' wagons and picnic
wagons were in waiting to = take
tkem on the roundabout route to the
Smorgue in tie City. There they. were
backd up to a door and large