Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-07-17
DEEDS on HEROISM
REsCUINa PARTY FINDS IS MIN
ALIVE AND BRINGS OUT
NINETY BODIES.
SURVIVORS IN PIFIFUL PLIGHT.
One Man, Insane From Terror and
Suffering. Fights Those Who
Would Save Him-Fire
Adds to the Danger.

joHNsTowN, Pa, July fi.-This ha'
been q day Of heroic rescues at the fat
ed rolling mill mine of the Cambria
Steel Company.
Thrilling experiences attended thl
efforts Of the forty daring fellows wht
went down into the bowels OF earth
stirred by q very faint hope that still
they might be in time to restore Il
life some of those who are entombed
The reward OF their efforts was the
saving OF the lives Of twenty-three Of
their fellow-men and bringing then
again into the sunlight and back L
loving families.
FIRST EFFORT TO SAVE THE LIVING,
Dead and MANNED bodies were locat-
ed, but no effort was made TO bring
them out Of the vast theater OF death
until every human energy was put
forward toward seeing that no living
soul might escape their aid.
That done, the dead were put in
cars and brought up, then transferred
to wagons in which to be taken to the
morgue. Ninety-seven dead bodies
were recovered.
Still aparty OF officials and miners
battled on, three miles inside the
mine. Occasionally word would come
to the surface that another heap OF
bodies had been exposed to the vision
Of the searchers.
There remain dangerous headings
In the Klondike section of the mine
yet to be explored. No one knows how
many more dead will be found there.
The mine officials refrain from guess
work on the subject. The impression
prevails among the outsiders and GER
tain employees Of the mine that $50 is
q very low estimate Of the casualty
list.
HoRR0R-sTRIcKBN CROWDS AT MIN e.
Fated Johnstown spent the day
horror-struck. Great thrOngs surged
about the pit mouth, the lmprovised
moEgue at the armory and about the
stricken homes OF the dead.
Exaggerated reports OF ali kind
prevailed. One report gained cIrcula-
tion that disaster had oyertaken the
resculng party which entered the mine
shortly after . O'Clock. This was not
disproved until word finally came
from the men ia the mine.
Along in the early part Of the after.
noon cheering word came from the
innermost recesses OF the mine that
life yet fingered In some OF the bodies
found.
The rescuers made first for No. 4,
the left heading, which they had been
unable TO reach the previous night.
Desolate ven for the scene Of a
mine interior was the heading that
stretched out before them. Walls Of
roofs almost choked the heading, but
through and over the debris the brave
men pushed their way.
REsouERs EECoUEzER MANIAC.
In the front, young Patrick Martin,
his brother, Peter, Philip White and
several cousins Of the Martins made
their way.
Suddenly, in an open space, they
we're startled by the maniac laugh
which emanated from a blackened
form that rushed at them out Of the
darkness.
The man grasped firmly a pick
handle and tried in his frenzy to beat
down his Fescuers. He wa overpower-
ed and dragged back TO the main
heading, to the cars.
Thirteen other living men were
found in this chamber and physicians
were quickly taken to the spot One
man brought out with this crowd died
Just as be reached daylight.
BODIES HEAPEDoN COAL CARS.
At that time three more headings,
believed TO be filled with the dead,
were unsearched. Thirty-nine bodies
were lying In reach Of the main head
ing. There yer brought out at 4:35
p. n. The bodies were piled high In
the coal cars and covered with canvas.
One Of the volunteer rescuers who
came out with this load Of dead stated
that fire was raging in parts Of the
mine. Most Of those who were
brought out alive this afternoon had
saved themselves by crawling into al
chamber and turning a valve on the
compressed air pipe line which runs
along the entry.