Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-03-23
UNNATURAL funerals HELD
MOUNTAIN TURNED TO THE TASK
OF BURYING THE DEAD YES
TERDAY.
WAS another GLOOMY DAY
The Stricken Village Is Doing the Best
IL Can To Tako Care of Its tnror-
nate, but Needs Aid.
BY Vernon j.. Smith.

(Staff Correspondent for the World.)
MCURTAIN. Okla, March 22.-
Between last midnight and 10 O'Clock
tonight, the hole of death of the San
Bois coal mine No. ., IN which an eX-
plosion occurred last Wednesday
morning. gave up fifteen bodies. Since
the coming of darkness tonight, ac-
companied by a downpour of rain,
five additional bodies were recovered.
Ten bodies We're recovered during the
day. According to the best figures
nine bodies are still in the mine.
Seven mine experts from the gov
ernment station at Des Moines, Ia.
arrived here just before dark today.
and 1t is believed that bebre morn
ing the rest Of the bodies in the mine
will have been brought to the top.
From the list of men yet In the mine
was today stricken the maine of one
he edged his VIZ through the crowd,
startling scores of helpers by his APP
pearance.
Sixty-Ninc Bodies In All.
At an early hour this morning, the
body of W. NJ Brdsong was brought
to the surface. During the forenoon
seven others were recovered and this
afternoon two more We're brought up
Tonight five others were dragged to
The surface. This makes a total OF
fifteen dead bodies taken from the
mine since 12 o'clock last night, at
which time fifty-four had been
claimed.
The identified bodies recovered to-
day We're those of James, Sam and
Hale Phillips, brothers; Frank Martin,
Willis Andrews, Ernest Hankins, Os-
car Adams, Joe komiskey, W. NJ
birdsong. John Hicks. Nelson Barton,
Dan Daniels, Tom Kohot and Jack
Grudis.
From revised accounting made
this evening, there were 10S men in
the mine when the explosion came
Of that number, twenty-five came out
alive, and sixty-nine bodies have been
recovered, leaving nine yet to be
found.
Gloom O'crspreads the Town.
1t was another gloomy day in Me-
Curtain. The weather was cloudy
damp and chilly. Where last night
lanterns flickered here and there
lighting the way through muddy
streets for the dead wagons, there
moved today other vehicles, bearing
bodies to the little graveyard a mile
to the southwest. A hundred men
worked the latter part of last night In
digging graves. Their torches were
plainly visible from McCurtain as
they moved about, and when daylight
came, the piles CT yellow clay could
be seen.
A Queer Funeral Cortegc.
The first funeral procession wound
through the streets of McCurtain. at
O'Clock this morning. The hearse was
an ordinary farm wagon. This was
followed at intervals of but a few min
utes all day long, until late in the aft
ernoon when forty-three men had
been buried. The rest of the dead will
be buried tomorrow forenoon, as the
bodies lately recovered cannot longer
be preserved.
There were no funerals, no ceremo-
nes at the graves. and those whose
lives had been unnaturally taken awey
from them were laid away in man
ner which seemed equally unnatural
but 1t was the best that McCurtair
could do.
Many Offers of Aid.
Proffers Of financial assistance have
been pouring in almost hourly since
the disaster. but acceptances have
been sparlngly given. The $4,000 sen,
by the United Mine Workers of AM
erica, of course, will be accepted. fol
the relief of families whose chief pro-
wider was killed.
All nine of the bodies recovered to.
day were so swollen that the clothing
had to be ripped from them with
knives. Some of them were so badly
burned that skin and flesh gave way
through handling. and recognition
was more readily gained by the meta
check numbers found beside the bod.
les. Each workman checked his cal
with one of those after he had due
IL full of coal.
As Though From the pead.
II was curious eyes Nhich lookeu
upon Antonio Oyaiss. when he came
sauntering up to the mine this morn
ing. He made his appearance with hi:
good clothes on and clean shaver
face. Some at first shrunk from him
where did you come from" al
Italian miner asked him.
II have just come from home HI
replied.
"But they have got you numbered