Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-07-19
AW Full NINE HORROR
Scores of Lives Lost in a Pennsyl-
vania Colliery.
Explosion of Fire Damp the Cause
Estimate Places Number at I.5
Money Loss to Company
Will Be Large.

Johnstown, Pa, July 11.-An explo-
sion Of fire damp in the Rolling Mill
coal mine of the Cambria steel COM
pany, under West Mont hill, just after
noon Thursday brought death or in
jury to great number of the 600
miners at work. Conservati tive esti-
mates place the number of dead at
It's, the mine officers admit that over
100 men are entombed in the mines,
while some miners declare at least
400 persons are still buried. The scene
of the accident is known as the "Klon-
dixie
Cause or Explosion Unknown.
About a score of American min
ers who were at work in the Klon-
dixie district noticed the presence of
fire damp in their apartment soon
after the explosion occurred, and
started at once for the main en-
trance. They were almost over
come by the deadly gas, but reached
the outside world in safety. One of
the men who got out safely said 1T
is not known what caused the eX-
plosion, and that it will probably
never be known, as he believed none
of the men at work in the Klondike
district can be saved.
Estimates of Dead.
Johnstown, Pa, July 12.-Just as
day broke through the pail of fog Fri
day the grim details of awful disas-
ter at the Rolling Mill mine of the
Cambria Steel company dawned with
renewed force on the thousands wait
ing for authentic news a to the extent
of the explosion. Forty-seven dead
bodies all contorted and many black
ened and burned, lie stretched on
rough slabs in the improvised morgue
in the Armory building. Forty more
are in cars in the mine, ready to be
borne out as fast as room can be made
for them. Last estimates Of the num-
Der Of dead reduce the fatal scope of
the calamity. But these, while fixing
It at around 100, are not conclusive.
General Superintendent G. j. Robin
son would not say at this time wheth-
er he thought there were 100 or 800
dead He says there is no way of
telling until full investigation of the
mine is made When that will be he
says he has no means of telling. All
rests with the difficulty to be encoun-
tered in clearing the heading of after
damp.
Great Money Loss.
Outside of the property loss this
catastrophe will cost the Cambria
Steel company "a large sum.
past paid the family of every person
killed in it's employ $1,000, outside
of what it expended for medical
purposes, and it has paid every man
who has lost an eye, limb or became
otherwise partially disabled the
sum of $500. It is understood that
the rule will not be suspended.
More Bodies Found.
Johnstowr, Pa, July -. = Between
daylight and nightfa1 Friday 81
bodies were taken from the Rolling
Mill mine of the Cambria Steel COM
pany, in which there was an explosion
Friday At midnight SO more bodies
were loaded on cars ready to be
brought out the first thing after day
light This increases the dead list to
143
Funerals of Miners.
Johnstown, Pa, July 14.-One hun
dred and fourteen are now known to
be dead from Thursdays explosion at
the Rolling Mill mine of the Cambria
Steel company. It is not probable that
this record will be swelled to any great
extent. Many funerals took place
Saturday, every undertaken in Johns
town having more than he could we'll
attend to. Down below quarter Of a
mile the streets of Conemaugh City
were clogged with corteges.
Left Destitute.
Johnstown Pa, July 14.-Friends Of
the dead miners and employees who
lost their lives on Thursday have been
going over the list of dead with a view
of learning the number of widows and
fatherless children left behind and
who will be made helpless by the catas-
trophe. According to the most reli-
able data there are GA widows and 13s
children.
No more bodies were brought out
or have been discovered, and the mine
has apparently been explored fully.
Nevertheless some miners claim that
many bodies will still be found there
in
Closes Splendid Year.