Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-07-19
MAY REACH $50.
Eighty-Seven Bodies Of Cam
bria Mine Victims
Taken Out.

Johnstown, Pa, July 14.-Friday
was a day Of rescuing at the fated
rolling mill mine of the Cambria Steel
company. Thrilling. experiences at
tended the efforts of the forty daring
fellows who went"down into the mine
with the faint hope that they might be
I'm time to restore to life some of tho
entombed men. They saved the lives
of fourteen men by bringing then
again into the sunlight.
Many lead bodies were found, bu'
they were left In the theater of death
until every living person had been res
cued. That done, the dead were brough'
UP INC exposed to morbid gaze on the
way TO the morgue.
Eighty-seven dead bodies were re-
covered from the mine between day.
light and nightfall. Occasionally wore
would come to the surface by some
mysterious means that another hear
of remains had been exposed to tins
vision Of the searchers, three miles In
side the mine
Dangerous headings IN the Klondikt
section yet remain uneXplorcd. Many
more dead may be found there.
1t Is thought that $50 Is u low esti-
mate OF the casualty list. JohnstoWT
spent the day horror stricken. From
dawn to dusk flying ambulances
. courscd the streets bearing grewsome
burdens from mine to morgue and from
morgue to homes. Great thrDngs surgec
about the pit mouth, the improviseC
morgue at the arInory, and about the
homes OF the dead. Bulletin Doards
were eagerly for news IRON
the scene of the disaster. Exaggerated
rumors of all kinds prevailed.
Johnstown, Pa, July l4.-Eighty'
seven bodies had been recovered from
the Cambria Steel company's mine VI
to 8 o'clock his morning, and the
heroic rescuers have not yet penetrated
near the seat of the disaster. The
bodies now lie piled in confusion
aboard ears; ready to be brought Into
the city.
A temporary morgue has been i'm
provised In the Jamestown armory
where all Will be brought as soon as
they can be taken from the mine. The
latest estimate Of the number Of dead
fixes it at 200. Heads are miss
ing from many bodies, while all are
burned almost beyond recognition
Grief-stricken crowds linger about the
mine entrances. Up to this time but
seven Of the dead have been identified
First Load Of Victims.
II was 5:55 when the first train loaC
Of victims was brought to the mouth OF
the main entry. FOrty-nlne cars were
used in bringing out forty-six dead
bodies and -four living injured. The
first discovery of dead bodies was
made by the searching party about IL
o'clock last night. They were lying IN
the main heading, two miles in from
the mouth of the pit. No attempt was
made TO remove them until the GER
tainty was established that no more
living vpmaiued in the mine.
In a statement this morning Mine
superintendent Robinson said:
LAS to the direct cause of the eXplo.
sion | cannot exactly say. We know
there was an explosion Of firedamp in
the sixth right heading. SO far as J
can find out now there were not more
than three or four deaths from the Elk
piOsion itself. The balance was caused
by a~fterdamp."
Outside of the property loss this
catastrophe will cost the Cambria Steel
a large sum. The company
has for many years paid to the family
of every person killed in It's employ
81, eco outside OF what it expended for
medical purposes, an 1t has paid ev-
cry man partially disabled $500. 1t Is
understood this rule will not be devil
atcd from.
Stricken at Lunch.
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 or ten with their buckets
and the remains of their lunches were
scattered over the floor Evidently their
lives were snuffed quickly and easily.
Distressing scenes are constant
about the temporary morgue and on
the side Of h river at the foot of the
descent from It's mouth, where women
and children are awaiting a solution
Of the awful mystery OF the life OF
death OF their relatives yet unheard
from. Several thousands are congre-
gated at both points. Nc comfort is
extended them by mine officials, as 1t
is now conceded no living soul who
was in the mine after the explosion
and not heard from can possibly be
alive.
Counted Sixty-five Corpses.
DR.. Lowman said 20 IN Associated
Press reporter today that during his
stay in the mine last night he counted
sixty-fve dead bodies. AT that time
he did not have an opportunity to ex-
anime many gas filled chambers OF the
big workings.
The identified dead are:
JOHN c. WHITNEY. fire boss, 80
one of the rescuing party.
JOHN THOMAS, rescuer.
WILLIAM BLANCH, rescuer.
SAVA VARGOS.
FRANK SABOT, 16. +.
ALEX Howell, %. !:
JOHN RUEIINSKI, a cripple boy.
JOHN HOOLEY, a miner, aged 3S.
married. 4
EMERY BASESTLI1.
ANDREW KANOTZ.
ANTHONY LASARCK. /.
JOHN KRIEGER.
WALDOCK SUBSOSKY.
JOHN HULZ.