New Britain herald., 1922-11-07
Thus Far, 1OS Workers are Accounted For No Others are Expected to be Found

Spangler, Pa, NOV '. (By Assoctat- ed Press) The bodies of 63 miner, who lost their lives in the Reilly mine explosion here yesterday lay in the temporary morgue at seven o'clock this morning. Thirteen more were in sight in the mine, rescue workers said and 32 injured were in the miners hospital.
 Leaders of the rescuers summarized the situation at that hour:
 Men in mine when explosion occur red, not more than 112.
 Bodies recovered. 6S.
 Bodies located in mine, IS.
 Injured in hospital, 32.
 Total accounted for, 10S.
 Efforts were being made to repair the pumps damaged by the explosion while a force of workers were cutting a passage way through the coal be- tween the eighth and ninth headings With this work completed they hop ed to reach the last of the unexplor- ed galleries by noon today.
 Spangler, Pa, Nov. z (By Asso. ciated Press). The gas-choked chan nels of the Reilly mine were giving up their dead today, said an early morning dispatch filed here.
 Forty victims of the explosion were brought to the surface early today as rescue workers searched through the treacherous water soaked pas sages for the remaining dead. 20 to 25, believed to have perished when the blast entombed more than 90 men soon after they reported for work yesterday morning.
 Officials of the Reilly Coal Co.. owners of the mine, were not cer- tain of the number of workers in the pit when the disaster occurred. They expressed the belief that the death toll would be between 50 and 60.
 B Are Rescued.
 Thirty-three men rescued last night are in hospital here and the physi- clans said they would recover
 The grim task of removing the dead started about o'clock this morning after the widows and chil- dren of the missing men had been induced to return home. They stood in the misty rain all through yester- day.
 Six state troopers patrolled the area about the mine mouth and kept the hundreds of curious persons away.
 Hall Used as Morgue.
 Miners hall little structure here. was the temporary morgue under takers here in Barnesboro and in Johnstown were ordered to prepare for the dead men Early today some were washing and em- balming the mire- soaked bodies in the hall here. Every delivery truck and wagon in Spangler was pressed into service as a morgIe wagon. Red Cross and Salvation Army workers from Pittsburgh, Altoona and Johnstown were on hand dis tributlng coffee and sandwiches to the rescue squads as they came to the surface with their burden of death or to replenish their oxygen tanks for a new exploration of the muddy pits.
 When rescue workers entered the mine soon after noon yesterday they bodies in the main way only 100 feet from fresh air They | halted only long enough to make sure there was no spark of life and | then hurried on into the gassy cham bers to search for possible survivors. |
 Dying Left Note.
 Their hopes were high when they came upon a rudely constructed brat ice on which was scrawled:
 There are 29 miners behind this"
 But the rescuers pushed on deeper nto the mine for men who had not ortified themselves. The gas was Jtrong at this point and they feared barrier the weakened condition of the nen could not stand the thrush of the leadly fumes
 Other rescuers later found more han a score of bodies huddled to- ,ether. It is believed that this group vas the one behind the brattice.
 Five times an explosion has oc- urred in this mine, but the other our did not register a fatality.
 Damage to the mine was not great, fficials announced They would not oSuG q, otdttIlClll ds u tllc Cduot OI | he explosion but they did say that he mine had been examined and re- 'orted free of gas just a short time efore the explosion An examination showed that the orce of the explosion lifted the fan from its foundations. It is ocated 200 feet from the tipple. his structure must be airtight and or nearly an hour 1t was not work ,g effectively. Mud was plastered bout the cracks hastily and it's perations continued. Movable bulkheads were being con- tructed today. These were at- ' ached to the front of mine cars and ; he rescuers were going deeper into 1 he mine.