The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-04-24
PITTSBURCH'S
 DEATH TOLL IS
 LESS THAN 75
Twenty-Tw Bodies Taken From Mine Up to Noon Ventilation May Be Re stored Before Night.

Pittsburgh, April 24-Thirty-four men, as many as could be worked in the mine with safety, spent the morn ing clearing away piles of debris and searching for bodies Up to noon 22 bodies had been brought out of the mine today, and it was stated that others had been located but would not be brought out until late this after noon when it is believed ventilation will be restored.
 The bureau of mines gave out the statement, today, that the loss of life would probably not exceed 75.
 With the coming of dawn, fresh crews took the places of the tired workers who had toiled unceasingly and braved death throughout the night in an effort to penetrate the dark recesses of the Cincinnati mine of the Pittsburgh Coal Company at F'inleyville, Pa, where an explosion of fire damp, yesterday, killed many men and wrecked the mine. Eighteen bodies had been brought to the mouth of the principal opening, this morn ing,s and from there transferred to Monongahela City to be prepared for burial.
 That the mine contains many more dead, even officers of the company admit while leaders of the rescue parties and some of the men who escaped from the workings are of the opinion that the fatalities will mum Der close to 100. However, it will be imp possible to determine the exact ex- tent of the catastrophe until the main and cross entries have been explored, a difficult task when it is known that these are choked with fallen timbers and rocks. Many men, working with feverish haste, are building brattices to carry the fresh air through the gas filled galleries.
 General Manager George w. Sch1ue- berger, of the coal company, early took charge of the situation in per son and directed the work of rescue. Crews from the Pittsburgh station of the United States bureau of mines were hurried to the little mining town to recover the bodies of the dead and rescue such as might have survived the explosion and 'tafter damp" AL ready parties of superintendents, fire bosses and mine bosses from other mines of the coal company and the
 mines of independent companies in the neighborhood had been at work in the mine but they were able to make little headway. The ventilation system had been paralyzed by the ex- p1osion, and before the workings could be explored it was necessary to con struct temporary passages through which the fresh air could be forced Long hours were consumed in this labor but in the meantime parties provided with oxygen helmets ha1 climbed over the fallen rock through some of the principal entries. They found many dead but few living and when the last of these reseuers ap- peared at the mouth of the slope, this morning, they gave it as their opinion that all men who had not been ac- counted for were dead. It is hoped, company officers said. that air would soon be sent through the workings and the exact number of dead known.
 A miner named Mccullough, who had volunteered for rescue work and was known as one of the best and most careful miners in the district was among the first to enter the mine af- ter the explosion and advanced farther than his associates. becoming lost. He is believed to have been killed by a falling roof.
 Rescuers, this morning, reported that the bodies of 21 mules had been seen, the majority of them having been killed by the explosion.
 Latest estimates of the dead are near the hundred mark as it is known that 179 men went into the mine and about 79 are known to have made morning, 1t was learned that the first had come upon other dead and the bodies were being brought to the opening. The telephone system in the mine is being repaired and reports from the most advanced parties will be received at the opening as soon as the Mnemen complete connections.