Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-13

49, hnHNNNh hNUnE GaAAN akANeH ANN
10 ana 20. distributed between which we're
the three bodies which we're brought out
at 1880 p. m. Evans was alone at the time.
The bodies he found we're In a bad state
Of decay. The search went on sfter the
three were brought out, and still con-
tinues. ~
Thousands mt the Mine
All day thousands Of men, women and
children, drawn thither out Of morbid Gu
riosity, fingered about the low frame
structure. Their appetite apparently could
not be satisfied by the already vast horror
Hundreds stood In a baking sun. nearly
opposite on the other side Of the Cone
maugh river. where the men came down
from the mine entry. Most OF these we're
interested for friends who were possible
victims. Down below a quarter OF a mile
the streets Of .Conemaugh City were
clogged with funeral .corteges. Father
Dembrowsky, pastor Of 81. Casimir's Cath
ollie church, stated today that forty men-
bers Of his flock were killed In the dis
aster.
Most OF these men," said he, were my
best practitioners, being thrifty. pfoviden-
tial, God-fearing men, who were pillars
OF strength to the congregation. The
catastrophe has Just about wiped out the
two societies conducted in connection with
the church, ST. Casimir's society and 81.
Martins Beneficial society. FoT the fu-
neral Of each one OF the dead men a $50
beneht -will be paid out Of the fund, and
In addition an assessment OF 81 will have
to be collected from each member the
blow will be q hard one, because our
church is Just being built and ought TO be
dedicated some time in October"
Blast Causes Disaster.
II. Is stated positively tonight by John
Retatlick, who was the Gre boss Of the
Seventh district and who was In the klon-
dixie mine at the time of the accident, that
the disaster was caused by blasting, set
ting off the fredamp. Mr.. Retallick, who
Is at Oonemaugh hospital, is improving
rapidly and hopes by the nrst OF next week
to be able to go back into the mine and
prove that his statement is correct
Speaking Of the accident and the cause
he said: 3.h '
For some time after 1 reached the hos,
| pital here I was unable to even think, pu,
this, afternoon all comes back to me anc
It seems as IL 1 had been in a dream. Wnet
1 get into the mine l will prove conclu.
sive1y hat the explosion was the resuI
Of one Of the miners putting of a blast
Blasting was common In the hlonolkt
section. 1t Is one of the wealtniest piecet
Of coal property In the state and as tins
coal is SO deep and OF so fine a quality, y
requires a great deal of shooting TO eel
down to the ansst parts; In iSI ii y
at times they were much deeper. All thi
trouble occurred in No; Q, right where tn
damp. Two hours before the. fatal one
/ was in the section. 1 heard the mer
talking about blasting ~ E. and nadv ! !, gsys then Tbi
slate at the place they INTENDED BLOWING
the coal out was very thick and presume
on this account that an exceptionally
heavy charge was put In the hole drilled
KIondike in Bad shape.
From all estimates 1 can make, theirs
was set on and the fire damp exploded
has been in. bad shape for sofne time
About two months ago 1t first became
noticeable that an extra amount Of ga
Of the Cambria Steel company at that tins
began to take the utmost caution. The>
talked for a while of closing 1t down, bu'
Of the best producers and from it is Sc
cured a greater part of the daily outpu
Of the mine. The mine grew Dangerous
decided that no novice miners would b,
allowed in. this section of the. mine at all
and the mine officials then selected twelv'
1 vi NAC DCcb alAf fAAOoA
they had to operate IT.. These men wer'
careful, but as a general rule you will no
find a miner who even has the least sens
when the accident happened there wef,
five OF US on the cars ready to go up thu
tSe eS 3p e 5rip' 70 w any 1iq great eSt H sxten e. 1 Ss
knew something had occurred. We hear
men scrambling in all DIRECTIONS for q placl
OF safety. Quickly / realized there was NJ
avenue OF escape, only to get to the al
somewhere, but l thought had plenty 2
immedIateiy Went down the main entrahc'
IN the Klondike. There were with me a
that time William. 'Robinson, wing, ha
RodEers' foreman Of the mine: william
Blanche, John Whitney, Joseph Tomllnsol
and q Hungarian miner, whom l did no
In Dangerous Place. 81
The after damp was then surrounding u
strong, and while we were going to No;
Right Whitney fell. We. tried to, assis
time we thought of our " safety; Tom
nnson was the second man to fall and
deIt my i knees giving at,nn way, .I but am MADE &c t an
ing in close touch to me and neither wa
at No. / Right, and II we had been able I
reach that we could have thrown Il dow
the mine and probably saved the lives 0
While waking, or rather .sTSoping. oS
breathing Of those miners, 1t was all tina
could be heard, except for an OCCASIONS
shrek or groAn. Men were walking an
crawling, everywhere. Many were crying
some were praying, others expressin
fore they died, and only half-consoious as
was only my death will blot that time fror
my memory. Then the after damp sweT
In about us stronger and the men beGa
dropping as beeves at a slaughter. Ate
they fell. they would make one or two hni
gasps and then die. From Nc. Rish
deal OF dif1culty, we headed back to No.
Right, near where the downcast fan IL Il
Gated, which sends the air through the Nj
Greek shaft.
While trying to gain this point, I los
CONSEQUENCES and do not know what o.
CURED until / was brought out OF the mir
and placed In the hospital. The last that
can remember was that l was extremel
agonizing groans of the dying men In m
ears worried me and l sank down ready I
die. att
Go Over Dead List.
Friends Of the dead miners and employt
who lost their lives on Thursday have bee
over the list Of dead with a view Of learn
ing the number Of widows and tatheries
children left behind and who will be mad
helpless by the catastrophe. There al
according 70 the data sixty-four and II
children. There are i've widows ana elgi
children living in the old country. Fly
Of the widows are brides Of a few month
and eight widows and twenty-four childre
are survivors Of American employees
the mines, which are numbered among II
dead. There are a number Of dead ful