Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-07-11
NEARLY 100 BODIES
ARE RECOVERED
Extent Of the Disaster in the
Nine at Johnstown, Pa, Not
Yet Known.
Now No Hope That Any of the
Imprisoned Miners Will Be
Rescued.
Lives We're Snuffed Out Quickly,
While the Men We're Eating
Their Lunch.
Number Of Dead Estimated
All the Way From 100
to 500.


Johnstown, Pa, July 11.-Eighty- sew
en- bodies have been recovered from the
Cambria Steel Company's mine up to s
o'clock this morning. While the heroic
work of rescue has not penetrated near
the seat of the disaster bodies now lie
piled in confusion aboard the cars ready
to be brought into the city. A tenn
porary morgue has been improvised in
the Johnstown armory, where all will
be brought as soon as they can be taken
from the mine. The latest estimate of
the number of dead fix it at 200. The
explosion mangled the poor wretches
horribly. Heads are missing from many
bodies, while all are burned beyond
recognition, grief stricken crowds linger
about the mine entrances. Up to this
time but seven of the dead have been
identified.
1t was 5: So when the first train load
of victims was brought to the mouth of
the main entry Tortv-nine cars were
used in bringing ou; the forty-six dead
bodies and four '..',ng injured. Dis
covery of the . ] bodies was made by
the searches rty about 10 o'clock last
night. They were lying in the main
heading. two miles In from the mouth
of the main pit. No attempt was made
to remove them until it certainly es-
tablfshed that no more living remained
in the mine. In a statement this morn
ing Mine Superintendent Robinson
said:
AS to the direct cause of the explo-
sion. / can not exactly say. We know
there was an explosion of fire damp in
the sixth right heading. So far as can
find out now there We're not more than
three or four deaths from the explo-
sion itself. The balance was caused by
afterdamp."
Outside of the property loss this ca
tastrophy will cost the Cambria Steel
Company large sum. The company
has for many years paid to the family
of every person killed in it's employ a
thousand dollars outside of what is ex-
pended for medical purposes, and it has
paid every man partially disabled $500.
deviated from.
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 five and ten, with their buck
cts and the remains of their lunches
scattered over the floor. Evidently
their lives We're snuffed quickly and
easily.
Distressing scenes are constant about
the temporary morgue and on the side
of the river at the foot of the descent
from the pit mouth, where the women
and children are awaiting the solution
Of the awful mystery Of the life or
death Of their relatives, yet unheard
from. Several thousands are congre-
gated at both points. No comfort is
extended them by the mine officials, as
It is now conceded no living soul who |
was In the mine after the explosion and
not heard from can possibly be alive !
DR.. Lownan said to the Associated I
Press reporter today that during his (
stay in the mine last night he counted T
sixty-five dead bodies, and that he did /
not have an opportunity to examine
many gas-filled chambers of the big
workings. Reports are now current
hat only eighty are dead
The Identified: John c. Whitney. fire
BOSS, 35, married; one rescue party,
John Thomas, rescuer; William Blanch,
'escuer; Sava Vargos, Frank Sabot,
aged 16; Alex Hovel. %: John Yumin-
Xxi. cripple boy; John Hooley, miner,
'S, married: Emery Basestlie, Andrew
xanotz, Anthony Lasareky, John
Arieger, Waldok Subsidy, John HulZ.
1t is now believed the victims will
lumber ITS. OF forty-seven bodies at
he morgue twenty-one have been
Identified as Poles. AS fast as identifi-
alton is completed the bodies are be-
ng taken to their houses.
1t was nearly an hour after the ex-
'losion before any general knowledge
f what had happened got abroad. Men
Who came from the mines, escaping
pread like wild-fre all over the city.
Iothers. wives, daughters, sons and
elatives were frantic with grief
No one was permitted to enter the
nine. from which noxious gases were
scaping. 1t was nearly o'clock when
II hope of sending rescue parties from
ne West Mont opening was abandoned. /
Richard Bennett and John Meyers,
tho escaped from the mine. went back ,
No miles to see what assistance could :
e rendered, but the damp drove chem /;
ack and they fell PROSTATE when they
cached the outside. 1t was clear that
ascue work could not proceed from the
Vest Mont opening and hasty prepara-
ons were made to rescue the impriS-
ned men at the Mill creek entrance
Soon after the news of the explosion
cached the Cambria officials, Mining
ngineer Marshals G. Moore and one
his assistants, al G. Prosser, made an
tempt to enter the NINE They were
,llowed by Mine Superintendent Geo.
Robinson, but the gases compelled
lem to return to the surface. 1t
Mine Foreman Harry Rodgers, his o