The morning journal-courier., 1908-11-30
At Least 138 Men Killed in Pennsylvania Explosion, and Repetition of Disaster
 Is Feared.
0NE-F0URTH AMERICANS
Cousin of Company's President One of Nictims-Twenty-f Bodies Re- covered Up to Darkness
 Last Night.

Pittsburg, Nov, 29. Twenty bodies, all but two of them horribly mutilated, and number of them dis membered were taken to-day from the mine of the Pittsburg- Buffalo Coal company at Barianna, forty miles soutl of here, where an explosion oc- cured yesterday killing many men and casting gloom over what was un- til then considered the model mining town of the world
 There ls no doubt that the death list will reach 1SS men.
 Officials of the company, who, said last night that not over 125 had been killed, admit tonight that 13S men went down the shaft to work yestec- day morning. According to miners and others familiar with the number of men generally employed in the mine, the death list will exceed the company's estimate by at least 30.
 As in nearly all mine disasters there seems no way at present of knowing how many men went to work. The number check-off system nas again proved defective and from no source can an accurate statement as 10 the fatalities be secured. It is possible that the exact number of men killed will never be known. Up to darkness tonight twenty-five bodies have been brought to the surface in an iron bucket, Arms, legs and heads were missing from some, and the trunks of others were burned, bruised and cut.
 Two of the men taken from the mine to-day were suffocated and their bodies were not even scratched. One of these was John Ivill cousin of John H. Jones. president of the Pitts burg Buffalo Coal company, owners of the mine, who was employed as head | timekeeper. Wills body was found beneath coal digging machine and In vain effort to escape the deadly fumes. The unfortunate man had placed his face in a pool of water, which all the miners are advised to do when an explosion occurs, in a desperate attempt to fight off suffoca- tion until rescued.
 ! This afternoon the coroner of Wash- ington county held a meeting to or ganize a jury, and then adjourned until all of the bodies have been talk en from the mine.
 The opinion was expressed to-day by number of expert miners that the mine will not be cleared of victims for several days. Early to-day a small fire broke out in the mine. Several fire bosses, properly equipped, were hurried into tho mine and succeeded in extinguishng the blaze before any damage was done. Reports have been in circulation all day that sec- ond and more terrific explosion ia likely to occur at any moment The company officials assert that this Is not true. There is considerable gas in the mine, however and there is undoubtedly danger of second expio- sion.
 Conditions about the mouth of the mine were disagreeable to-day. A drizzlng rain fell and the weatheA grew cold. Many relatives of the vic- tims stood all day close to the ropes around the shaft, but there were few of the narrowing scenes usually asso- ciated with mine explosion. Most of the relatives are English speaking people who bear their grief In silence. It Is estimated that e-fourth of the victims are Americans. As rapidly as possible the work of recovery Is being carried on. At short intervals new men are sent into the mine to relieve others searching for the dead. Owing to the dangerous gases and the mass of wreckage in the mine the work is slow and Is being carried on with great precaution