The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-07-18
Over Four-Score Dead Bodies Taken
from Scene of Mine Disaster
at Jamestown, Pa.
WERE EATING LUNCH WHEN STRICKEN.
Terrible Sights Near Shaft-OmcfaI
Statement of Superintendent Rob-
inson-Late Report Says Dead VIII
Number 175-List of the Identified
Dead.

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 as 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
1t 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 300
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.
1t was $3.50 o'clock when the first
the mouth of the main entry. Forty
nine cars were used in bringing out
46 dead bodies and four living injured.
The discovery of the dead bodies was
made by searching party about ten
o'clock Thursday night. They were
lying in the main heading two miles
in from the main pit mouth No at
nj do 10
certainty was esta blished thatno more
living remained in the mine. 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 buckets and
the remains of their lunches scattered
over the floor. Evidently their lives
were snuffed out quickly and easily.
Statement of the Disaster.
The first of the statement of the dis
aster was given a reporter by Gen
eral Mine Superintendent George L.
Robinson at seven o'clock Friday
morning.
He said:
"As to the direct cause of the explosion
I cannot exactly say. We know there was
an explosion of firedamp in the sixth right
heading of section Of the mine commonly
known as the Klondike. So far as 1 can
find out now there were not more than
three or four deaths from the explosion it
self The balance were caused by the after
damp.
Our mine officials, the mine foreman,
Henry Rodgers; fire boss, John Retallic:
machine boss William Robinson, who is
my brother, and Slav whose name | do
not know, We're back eating lunch when
the explosion occurred. They Immediately
went down to the point of the explosion to
put up to the slopngs in order to carry the
air in its proper channel again. These
were blown down by the force of the ex-
plosion-
'They. with the exception of the assist
ant foreman and one of the fire bosses,
were overcome by afterdamp. They were
found by a rescuing party and the chances
are that all will recover with the excep-
tion of my brother.
GAS to the rescue work, directed 1t to
commence just as soon after the explosion
as possible. We started In at one p. m.
We started working our way down by put
ting up brattices in order to carry the air
in with us. suppose it was ten O'Clock, at
night before we came across the bodies of
the living. Drs. John Lowman and John
Hannah went down with us. They carried
tanks of oxygen with them and were emp
tied with good effect on the Living.
1--WE found Is dead on our way to these
four living. Twenty more We found later
on. They were scattered through that Sec
tion of the mine. Most of them were on
their way out when caught by the fatal
afterdamp.
Mining Engineer NJ. G. Moore and my
self will organize another searching par
ty and go in at nine o'clock this morn
ing. 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 in until We turn the
current of air in
Bodies Taken to MOrSue.
When the bodies of the victims
came from the mine a long line of
undertakers' wagons and picnic
wagons were in waiting to take
them on the roundabout route to the
morgue in the city. There they were
backd up to a door and large
force of police were ready to check
the great throng from pressing in
too close. Body after body was
dragged from the wagons and borne
inside. All of them were blackened
and unrecognizable, until the under
takers got to work. The head of
one man was crushed and the only
means of identifying him 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.
President Powell Stackhouse and
Superintendent C. S. Price were on
hand for the arrival of the bodies
at the morgue and the wives, sweet
hearts and relatives of the missing
crowded around the building.
Outside of the property loss this
catastrophe will cost the Cambria
Steel company a large sum.
The company has for many years
: past paid the family of every person
killed in it's employ $1,000, outside
of what it expended for medical