Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1902-07-16
.||2 BODIES NOW RECOVERED
FROM JoHNsToWN DISASTER.
Result of Big Mine ExplOsiOn-Work
of Rescue Rapidly DOne-Nany
Caught i'm Mine Brought Ont Raw
ing Maniacs-Continuous Funerals
for Days-Distrcssing Scenes.

grasped. In spite of conflicting reports
as to the number of dead, a careful
and complete compilation by the Asso.
ciated Press shows that 112 is the ex-
act number of bodies taken from the
mine. Almost all the employees who
could have been in the mine at the
time of the life wrecking explosion of
last Thursday are accounted for. Very
few inquiries for missing have been
made to the authorities or the mine
officials, and this, better than anything
else, demonstrates the impossibility
of many bodies still remaining in
the death trap.
city Of Johnstown prepared to devote
its attention to mourning and obse-
quies. The inaugural Of this grim pro-
gram was given today, when more than
score of interments took place.
Inspector Evans said later as to fu-
ture investigations:
"Those of the company officials who
were in the mine at the time Of the
explosion and have survived will be
called upon to testify. Until these
men are able to be present at the
inquiry it will be useless to try to dc
anything"
Asked as to whose duty 1t was tc
take care of the gas in the mine. Mr..
Evans replied, "ihe fire boss, of
course"
After the consultation at the Office,
Evans went into the mine with Rob
inson and Moore. They did not
emerge until late in the afternoon
The work they did while in the mine
was to direct their attention to the
damage wrought and more critically
examine into the possible hiding
places for more bodies.
Prying about in the fourth right
heading in the Klondike, State In
spector Evans came across rooms 10
and 20, distributed between which were
the bodies which were brought at 2:30
D. m. Evans was alone at the time.
The bodies he found were in bad
state Of decay. The search went on
after the three were brought out and
still continues.
All day thousands of men, women
and children, drawn thither out of NOR
bid curiosity, fingered about the low
frame structure. Their appetite ap-
parently could not be satisfied by the
already vast horror. Hundreds stood
in baking sun nearly opposite on the
other side Of the Conemaugh river,
where the cars came down from the
mine entry. Most of these were in
terested in friends who were possible
victims. Down below, quarter Of a
mile, the streets of Conemaugh City
were clogged with funeral corteges.
At O'Clock in the morning the
charred remains of Is victims were
brought to tn Westmont pit mouth and
taken to the morgue. The bodies were
found in the upper end OF No. 6
rigth heading, where the explosion
occurred.
The bodies were all lying far in from
the point of the explosion and could
not be reached until the heading had
been entirely cleared Of the noxious
gases.
E'ar hacI in tho heading the search
ers came across the bodies of Is men.
This discovery was made shortly after
midnight. Mine Superintendent Geo.
y Robinson TODAY said thew would
have the mine ready for work by Mon
day.
Ha said there has not been the
sligbtest danger from explosion since
tho original and onlv one ON Thursday.
The mina he admitted esneciallv the
,oction knowp as tho Klondike always
contained pas II did not exist In dan.
conors Quantities be said and tn
oousa an axn,ooion soma ono must
hara violated the dulles as IN lights
Evarv nrocartion was taken to guard
oaainst accidents
eSuner;ntendent Rob,nson commends
tbe Iobnstown doctors for saving the
nyos a, a aoyen or more >"When we
n,ado orr f,rst daeb into the mine " he
s.id "wa were taking our lives into
our hands az mona knew what was
havond orr coursa The doctors came
or and fo,,owed us without the slight
oot tremor state Mine Inspector I
r Evans reached the nit mouth a,
3 o,clock This morning There he was