Waterbury Democrat., 1902-07-11

our way down by putting up brattics in order to carry the air in with us. suppose it was 10 o'clock at night De- fore we came across the bodies of the living. Doctors John bowman ana John Hannah went down with us. They earned tanks of oxygen with them, which were emptied to good eHect on the living.
 We found twenty-five dead on our way to these four living. twenty more we found later on. They were scattered through that section or the mine. Most of them were on thelr way out when caught by the fatal after damp.
 ..Minging Engineer M. c. Moore and myself will organize another search ing party and go in at 3 o'clock this morning. There is damp in the left headings which will make our progress toilsome Part of the mine is so filled with after damp we cannot get i'll until we turn the current of air ill.
 When the bodies of the victims came from the mine a long line of under takers wagons and picnic wagons were in waiting to take them on the round- about route to the morgue in the city. A large force of police were ready to check the great throng from. pressing in too close Body after body was dragged from tie wagons and borne in- side. All of them were blackened and unrecognizable, until the undertakers got to work The head of one man was crushed and the only means of identification will be by his "check number All of the bodies were cold and stiff The arms of most of them were twisted in front of them, as if to shield their faces from fire. The left hand of one man was torn off at the wrist. The bodies now recovered were all found about two miles in from the main pit mouth. The headings leading that region off to the left, where it is expected most of the dead will be got, may not be entered by the searchers to-day.
 The Rolling Mill mine has been worked for about fifty years. Five or six years ago the section where the disaster of yesterday occurred, was opened. It is said that for the past three years gas has been noticed in it and careful inspections were kept up. In the last three years safety lamps had been carried by the men. Frank Sabot, one of the boys who met death | in 8 heroic endeavor to save his com rades, was safely out of the mine after the explosion. After the explosion he hastened back into the vault of death | to do what he could to close the traps l and check the spread of the after damp. | His body was found lying near part 1 ly closed door leading off to one of the | left headings.
 Soon after the discoverey of the first corpses the mine officials began to make arrangements for the removal of the bodies from the scene of the dis aster. Nearly a score of young men were called in to assist the dozen un- dertakers of the city: dry goods estab- | lishments were opened and hundreds of yards of muslin, toweling and goods gotten out for the purpose of preparing the bodies for burial.
 Sleepless mothers and wives waited all night for news from the missing
 ones and peeped through drawn blinds the morgue. Many trips were neces-
 sary and dawn had come long before the last trip had been made. President Stackhouse and Superin tendent Price were on hand for the ar rival of the bodies at the morgue. and the wives. sweethearts and relatives Of the missing crowded around the build ling.
 ] Outside of the property loss this catastrophe will cost the Cambria Stee Go large sum.
 The company has for many year: past paid to the family of every per
 son killed in it's employ $1,000. outside
 of what it expended for medical pur
 poses. and it has paid every man wht
 has lost an eye, limb or became other wise partica1ly disabled. the sum o
 $500. It is understood this rule vii Inot be deviated from.
 The identified dead at 7:30 this . morning were:
 John c. Whitney fire boss. 5, mar ried: was caught in afterdamp whil, with rescue party; identified by sor at morgle.
 John Thomas. rescuer. : William Blanch, rescuer, lived a : Prospect. Pa
 Sava Vagos.
 . Frank Sabot, IS years old, younges
 one dead
 I Alex Hovel. 9 years old. John Yuminski. cripple boy.