Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-12-20
THIRTY BODIES
Only a Small Portion of ihe Victims of Yesterdays Disas.
 fer Has Been Discovered.
SOME FAINT HOPE

plosion at noon yesterday, the bodies of thirty this morning lie in the main entry where they were laid during the night by the brave rescuers, un- til they can be brought to the sur face. Some of the bodies are dis membered and disfgured and be- grimed by the concussion and the smoke and dust of the explosion.
 Faint though 1t is, hope is cher- ished by reScuers and grieving friends and relatives that some of the men may have survived the eX- plosion and are awaiting release far back in the mine. For this reason the rescuers did not take time to bring out the bodies as they. were found, but continually pressed for ward, their only aim being to as quickly as possible open a passage to and explore every. section of the mine.
 Beginning this morning, the bodies located during the night will be brought out as rapidly as possible,
 
 The foreign miners who escaped the disaster made night hideous in their little village. They had sus- pended work because of the holiday and most of them followed their usual holiday custom of drinking to excess. Many were intoxicated be- fore the catastrophe and afterwards put themselves in worse condition, some drinking in celebration of their escape and others drinking to drown grief over the death of relative or friend. All night long there was ca rOusing and disorder, at times bor- dering closely upon rioting, and by many conditions this morning are re- garded as ominous. The calling to the mine of a troop of the state con stabulary, as we'll as steps to stop the further sale of intoxicants, are being seriously considered.
 The Pittsburg Coal Co has ar ranged to provide Christian burial for all of the victims and will bear all expenses connected with the fu- nerals. A large number of collins were ordered from Pittsburg last night and will arrive early, to-day. The blacksmith shop of the mine has been converted into a temporary morgue and undertakers are being brought here from surrounding towns to promptly care for the bodies as they are brought out
 There were not many people around the entrance to the mine last night, the efforts of company officials to keep women and children in their homes, the foreigners behaving more like jollification crowd than griev- ing, distressed relatives of the vic tims of an awful calamity, the diff culty in reaching the place and the bitter cold, all combining to keep the people away and robbing this disaster of the usual scenes of anguish and suffering.
 It is believed that a majority of the victims are Americans. Such of the foreigners as belong to the Greek Catholic church did not go to work yesterday morning, that they might celebrate St .licholas day, an import. ant holiday in their church calendar.
 This and other like towns of the region have been overwhelmed by the crowds attracted by the disaster. Immediately upon hearing of the ex- plosion the men in all the mines hereabouts suspended work and many of them hurried here, many offering their services as rescuers. Many more are coming in this morning, for, as is usual following disasters. the miners within a wide radius will not resume work for several days. Hotel accommodations in every town near the mine were quickly reserved by company officials and others having duties here and private homes are being besieged with requests for meals and other accommodations.
 The rescuers report the interior of the mine badly damaged. As they advance they are compelled to re- build much of the bracing that was blown out and a great deal of bTattic- ing is necessary to make possible the ventilation of the remote sections. There is a shortage of many of the supplies needed for such conditions and the work of rescue will of neces- sity progress slowly. The distance from the mouth of the mine to the most remote sections is said to be about three miles. and it is thought many of the bodies will be found near the end of the workings.
 Nothing definite as to the number of men in the mine has yet been learned. Under the system of the company there seems 10 be no con- pIete record of all entering the mine to work. A miner is assigned a room and given a check, but he may take in one or more assistants of whom no record is made. W. R. wO0dford. vice-president of the con- pany said early to-day that he did not believe there were over 175 men entombed. He said he and his fellow officers felt that there was scarcely a possibility of any of the men still be- ing alive. but on the remote chance that some may have survived the greatest possible volume of air is be- ing forced into the mine and the openings made as fast as possible. Mir WOOdfoTd believes the explosion vas due to gas
 Up to II o'clock to-day but six bodies had been removed from the mine while many more had been To- ested and as the work of the rescuers is progressing veil. it is thought the recovery of all the bodies is merely a matter of hours
 Six members of troop A Of theI state oOastabuIary are ca duty at thel Efnex