The suburban citizen., 1902-07-19
WOE IN JOHNST0WN
Shocking Calamity In Cambria Company
Coal Mines.


Johnstown Pa. (Special) Johns
town has again been visited by an ap-
palling disaster, only less frightful than
the awful flood of May 81, 1889.
Hundreds of homes are made desolate
by mine explosion which took place
in the Cambria Steel Company ROLLING
Mill mine, under Westmont Hill.
Just how many have been killed it may
take several days to determine, but that
it is long liskis certain. 1t may reach
200 or even rise considerably above that
number.
1t was nearly an hour after the eN.
plosion before any general knowledge OF
what had happened got abroad. Men
who came from the mines, escaping with
their lives, told the terrible news, and
soon 1t spread like wildfre all over the
city.
In scores Of homes there were pathetic
scenes Mothers wives, daughters, sons
and relatives were frantic with griet
Hundreds rushed to the point and with
sobbing hearts awaited news from the
mine that held their loved ones.
AT the opening across the river from
the Point the Cambria Iron Company
police stood guard, permitting no one to
enter the mine, from which noxlous gases
were pouring.
Two men who had escaped from the
mlne-Richard Bennett and John Meyers
went back two miles to see what as
sistance could be rendered, but the tlre-
damp drove them back, and they tell
PROSTATE when finally, after desper-
ate struggle, they reached the outside.
Doctors worked on the two men half
an hour before they were restored to
consciousness. Their story of the situa-
ton in the mine made it clear that the
rescue could not proceed from the West
mont opening Then hasty preparations
were made to begin that sad mission at
the Mill Creek entrance
Soon after the news of the explosion
reached the Cambria officials Mining
Engineer Marshall G. Moore and one OF
his assistants, Al. G. Prosser, made an
attempt to enter the mine They were
followed by Nine Superintendent Geo.
I, Robinson, but the deadly gases
stopped their progress and they were
compelled to return to the surface.
Mine Foreman Harry Rodgers, his as
sistant. VIM. Blanch, and Fire Bosses
John Whitney, John Retallick, and John
Thomas were overcome by the gases
and it is feared they perished in heroic
effort to rescue the miners A son OF
Harry Rodgers then tried to reach his
father, but he was quickly overcome by
the deadly gas and was carried out un-
conscious.
William Stibich spent several hours
at the Mill Creek opening. He said that
he believed as many as 45o men were
still in the mine. In his opinion, from
all he could CLEAN, not more than $50
men of the Goo had come out of the col
liery.
Officials Of the Cambria Company say
that the explosion was caused by fire.
damp.
The catastrophe occurred in the Sec
ton of the mine known among the min
ers as "Klondike" The name of the
section on the company's books is the
sixth west of the south main head
ing" 1t is about a mile and a hall
from the main entrance Of the Rolling
Mill mine.
The few survivors who have escaped
from the depths of the mine give
graphic descriptions OF the disaster
Outside of the "Klondke" section the
miners are safe and uninjured. Within
the fatal limits of the section havoc was
wrought by the terrific explosion.
Solid walls of masonry three feet
through were torn down as though
barriers of paper The roofs of the
mine were demolished and not a door
remains standing.
Johnstown, Pa. Especially In spite
of conflicting reports as to the number
of dead in the mine disaster, careful
and complete compilation shows that
1903 is the extent of the list of bodies
outside the mine
To this number future explorations of
the mine corridors may add few, but
it cannot be many
Almost all the employees who could
have been in the mine at the time OF
the explosion are accounted for. Few
inquiries for missing have been pre-
sented the authorities or to the mine
officials, and this, better .han ANYTHING
else, demonstrates the impossibilty of
many bodies still remaining in the
mine.
The mine officials say there is no use
attempting to estimate the number of
dead. They say they simply don't
know. They express the belief, how
ever, that all, or almost all, are out of
Ile mine