Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-04-08

Fifty-four bodies had been recovered
up to s p. m. today from the Pal.oast
mine at Throop, where yesterdays
fearful disaster occurred. Mine officials
admit hat twenty or more men may
yet be in the mine. The fire did not
reach the entombed men, and the con-i
dition of their bodies shows that death
was due to suffocation from smoke or
asphyxiation from the accumulated gas.
! Forty-four of the dead have been
identified. Many of the victims were
foreigners and known only by a number
or nickname; their Identification was.
therefore, dicult. Heading the iisr OF
victims is Joseph E. Evans, of West
Scranton, foreman of the United States
car, which was hurried to tho
mine from Wilkesbarre. He was SIS
years old. DR.. j. A. Holmes, director
of the United States bureau of mining,
who arrived during the night. paid a
high tribute to the heroism OF Evans.
who was leading a rescue gang into the
smoke-laden mine filed with deadly
black damp. There are martyrs In
every cause he said. "Ours has poor
Evans for its first"
1t was the first time that the Federal
rescue system was brought into ac-
ton in the anthracite coal region. and
Evans is regarded as the real hero OF
the day. 1t has not yet been definitely
established how he came TO his death.
English Speaking Victims.
The revised list of the English-speak-
ing victims of the fire in addition to
Evans is:
Walter Knight, mine forman, mar
-s.l ( -HsII-1-- 49, 49, -
boss, married, 4 children; John Perry,
miner, married. 1 child Che was a
Scranton City councilman); John Nav,
company hand. married. 3 children;
John Gregson, company hand, single:
Edward Hart, foot tender. married, 3
children; James Wallace. company
hand. married. s children; Thomas
MacWaters, miner, married. 5 children:
Michael Gall, miner, married; Harry
Rothwell, miner, married; Lawrence
Ritz, doorman, married. / SON
Others among the victims are:
John Stroyak. who had five children.
two sons, Stephen and John. jr.. one a
door boy, the other a driver. persisted
with him.
Victor Wasdenik and his two broth
ers, Emil and John. all miners. were
also among the victims.
Rescuers Recover Bodies.
All through the night the ~rescuinE
gangs kept at their gruesome task OF
picking up the dead. who lay strewn
along the farthest parts of the Inflated
tunnel of the Pancoast colliery from on
which were the chambers and headings
into which they had entered for their
days toll. Before midnight twenty
one bodies. including that of Foreman
EvaIs. Of the governments rescue car.
had been placed in an improvise1
morgue in the engine-house near the
head of the shaft.
At 4 o'clock this morning there was
another garnering of twenty-one addi-
tional bodies. n these. one at a tins.
were hoisted to the surface and car-
ried into the temporary morgue erected
by the company. AS fast as an identi-
fication was accomplished. the body
was passed out into one of a score Of
dead wagons which undertakers from
all parts of the Lackawanna valley had
lined up.
Many Brave Deeds.
Brave deeds by rescuers are being
told of today. IT is related thai Coun-
Gilman Ferry, Milne FOREMAN knlght
and Fire Boss Dawes persisted as a re-
suit of their going into the depths OF
the mine to warn others OF their
danger.
Some mine workers believe that II all
men In the underworkings had been
Immediately notified that there was
a fire in the mine all could have gotten
out. others believe that 1t was impoB-
sibie for any man or boy in the blind
gangway to have made his escape. a.
the black damp, quickly penetrated