Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-02-03
BLAST FATAL
TO MINERS IN
CATESCOLLlERY
25 or 26 Believed Asphyxiat-
ed in Frick Mine,
Brownsville, Pa.
q BODIES FOUND
Remainder Not Yet Recovered Are
Buried Under Heavy Fall OF
Slate

Brownsville, Pa, Feb. 3.-Twenty-
five men-possibly 26-the entire
night force of miners in the Ross sec
ton of the Gates mine OF the II. I:
Frick Coal and Coke Company, -
miles from here on the MonongaheIa
river, were asphyxiated by gas fumes
following an explosion in the mine at
100 o'clock yesterday morning.
Although some of the miners were
buried under the falls of slate the posi-
ton of their bodies and agonlzed eX-
pressions on their faces Indicated that
all died before they were covered by
the debris.
Last night l6 bodies had been de-
livered to the morgue at Masontown,
four miles from Gates; six bodies lay
at the foot of the main shaft, ready
to be taken to the surface, and three
or four were still buried under slate
and coal in the mine, while rescue
workers were digging steadily to get
to them.
All the dead men had tried to I'M
provise masks with their handker-
chiefs, to prevent the acrld tunes
from entering their lungs.
The bodies not yet recovered are
buried under heavy fall of slate at
a point where the explosion is bellev-
cd TO have occurred. The seven bodies
first removed from the pit were found
at point nearly Il mile from the
scene of the explosion.
Thomas Borne, day boss, one Of the
victims, was working overtime to pre-
vent the night boss James Gillen, from
losing his job. When Borne was ready
to leave the mine last night at the
finish of the days work he learned
that Gilen had not reported for duty.
Borne volunteered to work double
turn so that Gillen would not suffer
for his failure to report for duty.
James Haggerty, a roper IN tne
mine, was working in the mine about
mile from the point in the smart
where the explosion occurred. He was
knocked down, cut and bruised ana
stunned bv the force Of the blast, but
recovered in few minutes and MADE
his way out of the shaft. He brought
to the mouth of the shaft first news
of the catastrophe.
Frank Guy, machine boss, work.
ing about a mile and a half from the
place Of the explosion, was knocked
down and stunned, but made his way
TO safety. He said that few minutes
before the explosion occurred he pas
sed the five men whose bodies were
first found and that they apparently
had finished their work and were pro-
ceeding in leisurely manner on their
,yoy IN tho surface
Hundreds of women and children,
many of them related to the victims,
clustered about the mouth Of the mine
today while the bodies were beng
brought out.
Three Investigations in the cause of
the cxplosion-one by the county, an
other by the mine inspectors and
third by the officials of the mine
will be made as soon as the mine is
safe.
The Gates mine is one of the largest
in this region. 1t has two main shafts,
each $50 feet deep. Neither shaft was
damaged to any great extent, when
facilitated rescue work. Ordinarily l.
900 men are employed in the mine, but
on account Of the slackncss in the
industry it has not been operating at
capacity, 1t was operating, however,
to a fuller extent than any other
mine of the region, and many expert
miners and officials Of other mines, de-
privcd of their regular positions were
employed as common miners.