Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-08
Recent Mine Disasters
and Their Toll on Life

SCRANTON. Pa. April 8. - Seventy
three bodies had been recovered up to
1890 pm. today from the Pancoast mine
at Throcp. where yesterdays fearful dis
aster occurred. Mine officials admit more
bodies may yet be in the mine
1t is estimated the dead will reach
eighty-fve. a number OF missing work
men not yet being accounted for.
These are believed to have been in tha&
part Of tho mine where the fire ragged.
Weeping Women at Shaft.
Thousands Of people were about ths
mine SHAFT through the entire mornin0,
many Of whom were there throughout ths
night. Groups Of women seemed to pre-
dominate until all the dead found up -
noon had been removed. The immensely
Of the catastrophe seemed to palsy the
women until they were led away to their
homes near by. Then their shrieks and
cries were heard, adding further poig-
nancy to those who watched them go.
Many out Of the same home persisted
Victor John and Emil Wadzenik. broth
ers, and Leon Pozva, a cousin. living
together in the home Of John Schenko.
brother-in-law Of the Wadzeniks, are
among the dead. and when these four
bodies We're placed side by side in the
miners humble home there was the most
painful grief.
Begged for Sons Body.
In other homes occurred the same sad
scene. The grief-stricken mother OF
Steve Obrosky arrived at the mine
morgue to see her sons body loaded into
a death wagon. The frenzied woman
ran after the wagon demanding with
heartbreaking shrieks the return OF her
dead. but the undertaken, needless OF her
cries, drove on.
Squads Of state troopers We're on the
ground early today to assist the local and
Scranton police in holding the crowds
in check. Coroner Saltry accompanied
by an officer OF the district attorneys
Offices spent the whole morning at the
vestigation that is to determine the re-
sponsibility for the great loss OF life.
Fire Damage Not Serious.
The fire which started in one of the
hosting engin rooms in the China" vein.
7JO feet beneath the surface. the lowest
working in the mine did not do as much
damage as had been believed. The fire
did not reach the entombed men, and the
condition OF their bodies shows that death
was due to suffocation from smoke or
aSphyxiation from the accumulated gas.
None of the bodies which were found In
a heap in the blind gangway was in the
least mutilated.
A majority of the dead have been iden-
titled Many of the victims were foreign
ers and known only by number or nick
name, and their Identification was there
fore dificult. Heading the list OF victims
is Joseph e. Evans of West Scranton.
who was foreman OF the United States
rescue car which was hurried to the mine
from its station at Wilkesbarre. He was
thirty-five years old. DR.. j. A Holmes.
director of the United States bureau OF
mining, who arrived during the night.
accompanied by d. w. Roberts OF the
paid q high tribute to the heroism OF
Evans, who was leading a rescue gang
into the smoke-iaden mine filled with
deadly black damp.
Martyrs in Every Cause.
There are martyrs in every CAUSE"
he said: "ours has Evans for it's first"
1t was the first time that the federal
rescue system was brought into action
IN tn6 autNTdClto COdl TeBiOu diu 6Fdus
is regarded as the real hero of the day.
It has not yet been definitely established
how he came to his death. One theory
is that in adjusting his helmet after
humping it against the low roof OF the
smoke-filled gangway he released IL
slightly from his head and in doing SO
inhaled black damp. Another theory ad-
vanced by DIR. Holmes Is that Evans may
have died from carbon dioxide poisoning.
He said the air exhaled in the helmet
is regenerated by the oxygen and breath
ed again. A wearer OF the helmet, DR..
Holmes said. who exerted himself might
meet the fate that befeu Evans IL there
IS much gas In the mine.
II Is like a man running up hill. The
supply Of fresh air is not sufficient and
a man wearing q helmet dies from car.
bon dioxde.
Worked Through Night.
All through the night rescuing gangs
Kept at their gruesome task of picking
I'D the dead who lay strewn along the
farther parts of the ill-fated tunnel Of the
oancoast colliery. from or which was
he chambers and headings into which
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