Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-03
Exact Cause of the Great Ex-
:: pIosion Not Yet Known.
FATALITIES ABOUT FIFTY
Doctors Kept Busy Reviving the
Rescue Workers.
DEAD ALL BADLY DIsFIGURED
Feared That Another Explosion
May Entrap the Relief Parties
at Any Time.

PITTSBCRG, Pa. December 3.-Twenty-
five of the miners caught by an explosion
of fire damp early Sunday night In the
Naomi mine Of the United Coal Company.
near Fayette City. thirty five miles south
of this city, had been reached by the
rescuers at 4 o'clock this morning. All
were dead and their bodies charred and
burned almost beyond recognition.
The rescuers are now nearing the end
of the workings. and they have found
no sign of life anywhere. In the opinion
of the owners Of the mine, few If any
more victims will be found, but among
miners and others in the village there is
q firm belief that the total number of
victims is between forty and fifty.
After finding eleven bodies near the
twenty ninth entry shortly before mid
renewed energy to explore the remaining
seven entries.
There are thirty-siX entries in all, and
until the last Of these has been searched
the full extent of the disaster VIII not
be known. Because Of the accumulation
Of the gas the work Of rescue In the re-
mote sections OF the mine is greatly
'impeded.
A second explosion is constant men,
ace and every precaution is being taken
to avert such catastrophe. Eleven bodies
were found at ENTITY twenty-nine shortly
before midnight. but were not brought
to the surface until morning because the
rescuers did not want to delay the search
by taking them up and because 1t was
desired to dispense the big waiting crowd
that surrounded the shaft.
Women Distracted.
Scores OF frenzied women constantly
surround the pit mouth and the special
detail Of officers have much trouble in pre-
venting them from interfering with the
work Of the rescuers. Many of these
women would go down the shaft and pen
citrate the workings of tine mine were
they not restrained by the officers.
A large force Of physicians was hurried
to the scene Immediately following the
services have not been needed for the men
In the mines. but they have not been idle
In fact. they have been in almost con-
slant reQufsttion on behalf of the res
cue-s, for despite the fact that they work
In relays only Q fraction Of an hour, they
are constantly being Frustrated by the
fumes OF the gas. A number Of the res
cuers have been taken from the scene
In a serious condition.
Fire Damp the Cause.
1t is feared that after all the bodies are
recovered many will occupy graves of
tho unknown" Those already found are
burned and charred almost beyond recog-
milton even by close friends. and the fact
that SO largo a proportion of the victims
are unmarried men. having no neal kin
here, leads to the prediction that many
Will never be fully Identified.
The cause OF the explosion has not yet
bean ascertained. One theory is that IT
Resulted from the explosion Of black damp
In an Unused entry when . miner carrying
an open lamp crossed the dead line An
other is that spark frefn tho trolley
line. ever which cas- are hauled from the
workings to the mouth Of the shaft, ig-
nited pocket of gas in the mines