Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-01-27
Fifteen Victims OF the Lost Creek
Disaster Inferred at
Eddyville.
Enormous Attendance Despite
Intense Cold..Four Are Bur.
led Elsewhere.
Coroner's Investigation Exoner
ates Miners and Mine Owners
From All Blame.
Special to T4mes-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Oskaloosa, Jan. 27.-The funerals OIL
fifteen of the miners killed in the dust
explosion that occurred at the Lost
Creek mine southeast of this city Fri
day occurred at Eddyville Sunday at
ternoon. An enormous crowd was in at
tendance in spite of the intense cold of
the day, the thermometer approaching
10 degrees below zero. Twelve of the de-
ceased. were taken to the Congregation
al church where services We're conduc-
ted in common. Three were taken to
the Catholic church across the street
from the Congregational church ana
were buried from this place. The Gas
peri boys were inferred in Forest GEM
etery of this city. The funerals of Mike
Fox and his young son Mike Fox. Jr.,
was held today at Eddyville with inter-
ment IN the EddSville cemetery Inc
remains of Dave Walters were taken to
What Cheer via the Northwestern this
morning and funeral was held in that
city and interment made in What Cheer
! cemetery The Northwestern furnished
a funeral train for those desiring to at
tend the funeral.
Special accommodations We're furn-
ished by the Iowa Central and the
Northwestern companies Sunday for all
who desired to be in attendance at the
| funerals of the deceased and hundreds
We're in attendance not seeming to note
| the cold weather The Iowa Central
| ran an excursion from Hooking and Al
| bia and it was largely patronized by the
miners of that section. A large number
of people from Oskaloosa went to Lost
| Creek and Eddyville to the funerals. A
| large number of the miners unions
were represented in the funeral process
| sion.
The investigation of the coroner.
Charles Foehlinger, of this city was
held Saturday afternoon. 1t had been
| the intention to start the investigation
| SATURDAY, morning but 1t was found inn
possible to get all witnesses together py
| that time and hence the inquest was
postponed until l o'clock. The morning
was spent in getting witnesses sup-
| poenaed. The jury before whom the
/ evidence was presented were W. w.
Kentfeld and Pohn Witt, couple oil
farmers of the neighborhood and George
| w. Storey and old miner and FORMER
| pitt boss After hearing the evidence
presented and having considered the
same the following verdict was re-
| turned. That the men came TO their
| death from the result of an explosion
| of a shot fired by Andrew Pash that
caused the death of the twenty miners
| named herein and no blame is attached
to any person or party whatever. Inc
| verdict thus exonerates both miners ano
company from all blame in connection
with the sad affair.
state Mine Inspector John Werner
had been summoned to the mine by
the Lost Creek company and he maoe
a careful and critical examination OF
! the mine during Saturday forenoon
and evidence was found that proved
that the windy shot" or the scream
err that caused the fatal explosion &c
have been fired in the room OF Andrew
Pash. The condition of the room ano
the way the shot was left showed thai
tho shot had been windy The nre
from the shot had been belched fortf
into the mans room and thence nae
Iignited the dust in the entries and the
explosion in all parts of the east side
of the mine had been caused. Pasf
was one of the miners who was killed
The evidence of the state mine in
spector was presented to the jury
Among other things he stated that the
condition of the mine was good
ton of the property and had inspected
=, 1,,1 eli
one of the best mines for working tha
was to be found in the state.
| 1t was stated by some of the wit
inesses that dust explosions We're liable
to occur whenever there was a wind.
shot, but that the flare rarely Wen
beyond the room in which the she
was fired.
John Zeaber was the only miner OF
the east side to remain alive to tel
the story of the awful explosion. II
the course of his evidence he stated
that at the firing time just befor'
noon, as the miners were preparing t.
leave the mine, he heard several shot
fired from some where in close success
sion. This, by the way, is agains
both the rules of the company and tn
| Miners Association itself Then Their
as heard what seemed like distan
laundering, a sort of rumbling noise
Following this closely there as a MSS
ing sound and a sheet of flame swep
past him having much force. he wa
knocked down by the force of the wal
, lof fire and he fell forward upon nj
I face. He recovered himself immedi
ately and, tho hurt to some extent, h
sprang to the entry and to the shat
from which he afterwards made hi
way to the surface. In the room fror
which Zeaber escaped the bodies c
eight miners We're taken. He says n
knew that an explosion had occurre
and that he could not help those VIII
were behind him. If he saved him
self he would do well.
The damage to the mine propert
will not be nearly so great as at frs
. anticipated The damage to the shaI
has been repaired and the harm dor
in the interior of the mine is trivi;
> and of no consequence. The fire thu
, as started in the mine as easily con
trolled and no damage resulted frol
this source The fire as started
,, the mule stables Immediately follow
: ing the explosion. The stable fore
man happened to be in the stables an
being unframed by the explosion p'
out the flames with little difficulty.
An examination of the mine show
I that the force of the explosion was NJ
r great else the damage done to tt
mine must have been great. 1t
however most fortunate that IL