The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1904-01-28
cHARRED AND BLACkENED r.
MAINS OF MINERS RECOV.
Erred AT HARWick, PA.
NOT 4 SIGA OF LIFE IN THE PIl
ALL BODIES SO FAR TAKEN OUT
ARE MANGLED ALMOST BE-
YoND RECOGNITION.

Pittsburg, Jan. 2S.-The real day ol
sorrow for the residents of the village
of Harwick has arrived The charred
ard blackened remains of the victims
OF the explosion at the Allegheny
Coal company's mine are being found
In large numbers and are being
brought To the surface.
Forty-eight hours after the explosion
In the Harwck mine the first dead
body was hoisted to the surface. II
was SIS a m. when the first dead
body was hoisted from the bottom OF
the pit. Then. one at a time. twenty
one others were brought from the
black hole and carried to the morgue
at the schoohouse.
Headless, naked. charred beyond
recognition, disemboweled and horri.
bly, mangled is descriptive of the con
dition OF the bodies found by the
searchers. There are six mine inspec-
tors and twenty-five men at work, the
inspectors penetrating into unexplored
regions locating bodies, while the
main body of searchers came after
wards to eXtrcate and carry out the
blackened bodies.
Beds of the living were stripped OF
clothing and the clothing sent TO the
mines TO cover the CHASTITY corpses as
they were brought up.
4 baggage carload of coffins was
brought to Cheswick on the first train
and taken to the mines. They were
ordered by the company.
Doomed Men Foresaw Their Fate.
Everybody so far brought up is
bruised and crushed into shapeless-
ness and not one so far but has the
arms raised and the hands spread out
over the face, showing that the
doomed men foresaw their fate and
tried with their last conscious efforts
to ward ii OF. The fact that the legs
and arms are broken and disjointed
indicates that the force Of the explo-
sion must have heen terrific II is
presumed that il caught the men and
hurled them like straws before a gale.
battering them against the jagged
walls of the mine and crushing them
one upon the other at tne ends of the
headings and chambers. Scarcely one
of the bodies has any clothing on
and all are more or less burned, some
to crisp. There will be great diff
Guilty in identifying them on this ac-
count and about the only way it can
be done will be by the weigh checks
found on NEST of them. These are
small circular brass checks bearing a
number. which each man draws upon
going into the mine. A man known as
the checkman hands these out an
keeps a record of the number given
each miner.
No relatives were permitted in the
temporary morgue during the morn
ing for the sights there are too grue-
some, and besides it is absolutely nee
essary that there be no interruption
to the work of the undertakers and
embalmers
identficat Almost impossible.
II perfect discipline is not now pre-
served there will result irreparable
confusion and the full identification of
all the dead will be impossible. AS
eypected there will be trouble, for
some of the bodies are without cloth
ing and consequently the checks are
lost Moreover the faces are burned
and crushed beyond the possibility of
recognition Ii will be next to impos-
sible to identify by clothing. as is
often done in other accidents where
the features of the dead are not recog-
nizable, because the clothing of the
miners is very much alike, consisting
of coarse undershirts. rough woolen
trousers and coats and gumboots or
brogans Of poor quality.
In the schoolhouse where the bodies
are being brought great sheet OF
paper has been tackled on the wall
on which the names will be posted so
soon as identified. When all the bod
les are brought up that are now at the
foot OF the shaft and when they have
been prepared for view, the families
and friends will be allowed to file
through and assist in completing the
work of Identification.
The streets OF the village were de-
serted during the day, the women and
children having been made to under
stand that they better remain indoors
until the authorities are ready foi
them to come to the morgue.
Rescuers About Worn Out.
The difficulty which now confronts
the officials of the Harwick mine Is
to get enough men TO prosecute the
search for the bodies, now that the
mine lis in such a condition that this
can be done without the dangers anc
delays that were encountered previ
ously The little band of men who
have been at work for twenty-foul
hours, with only short intervals be
tween the descents which they made
into the shaft, are still on duty. but
there are not enough of them to carry
forward the work of getting out bod
les Some were so worn out thai
they could not stand another shift ant
were compelled 10 go to their homes
Another rescuer has met death II
the mine. David Lysle. volunteer
miner from Leechburg. Pa. went dowr
the shaft with Thomas Farrell ant
William Davis. When his companions
came up they reported that lySle hss