The Washington herald., 1922-11-07
IS DEAD; 2S SAVED
Rescue Crews Unable to
Check Up Death Toll :.
Of Reilly Mine. c
11S MEN TRAPPED
BY GAS EXPLOSION
Pathetic Scenes at Shaft
AS Corpses Reach
Surface of Earth.

SPANGLER. Pa. Nov. 6-Thou-
sands OF men. women and children.
many nearly crazed with grief and
anxiety, waited around the shaft
of the Reilly mine here tonight as
rescue workers were removing the
bodies Of victims of this mornings
explosion from the pit
Latest reports are that out OF
lis men in the mine at the Time OF
the blast. twenty-eight have been
rescued alive. Many OF them are in
a serious condition in Miners Hos
pital.
At O'Clock the bodies OF nine
teen men had been taken from the
shart. Crews were proceeding care
fully with their work. ever watchful
that no living man Be left in the
mine. Their rule was to rush all
the survivors to the top first and
check up on the list CT dead later.
At p. m. IL was reported that
twenty-five men had been removed
alive. eighty-hve found dead and
eight unaccounted for.
Women I'm An-NiGht Vigil.
As the bodies were being raised
from the shaft women struggled
to get to the shafthouse TO see II
their husbands or sons were among
the dead.
A big bonfire casts u weird glow
over the place, and the surrounding
are dotted with fickering lamps OF
miners Red Cross workers. priests
ministers and mothers try TO prevail
upon the grief-stricken women and
children-many Of them newly
made widows and orphans-to re-
turn TO their homes. but their cf-
forts are of no avail.
The mothers. wives. sweethearts.
brothers. sisters and children OF the
| Reilly victims will remain at the
! shaft all night. one girl. a pretty
/ little miss OF is. found her fame
dead His body was one Of the first
| to be taken from the mine. As she
received the news men who had WITT
messed many sad accidents. turned
their heads away. The bridegroom
to-be was Charles Griffin. aged %.
I The bodies of Jack Logue. 81, and
Joseph Fritz. "a. who were married
last week. were taken from the
shaft at the same time.
Blast Cuts on Air supply.
The explosion occurred at about
7:45 o'clock this morning and was
heard a half mile from the mine.
Two men staggered from tho en-
trance Of the mine a few seconds af-
ter the explosion occurred. They
were Ed Mcdonald and Mike
whalen. who were just preparing -
go down into the mine when the
blast nearly knocked them of their
feet.
The extent Of the disaster was
realized at once as the explosion
had wrecked the big electric fsn
and all air was cut of from the
mine Calls for aid were rushed TO
Barnesboro. Patton, Carrolitown.
Ebensburg. Johnstown. Altoona and
Pittsburgh for rescue workers.
doctors, ambulances and nurses.
Volunteers started to work des-
perately on the fan. Rescue work
ers and mine frst-aid crews were
Pennsylvania Coal and Coke Cor
Company at Patton. Barnesboro ana
Gallitzin. These men were-on the
scene by 2 O'Clock. Equipped with
helmets and oxygen tanks they en-
tered the shaft. but for a time were
able to make but little headway.
Rescuerr Work I'm Groups.
At 10 o'clock repairs to the Fan
were completed and its loud whir as
Il again began to pump air into the
depths was a sound OF hope to the
thousands OF anxious friends and
relatives who gathered nearbs.
State Mine Inspectors Edward
. Williams. of sJohnstown. and
Thomas Lowher. Of Indiana. as
sumed charge of the rescue work.
The groups were divided and in
structed to. work in shifts. as the
gas in the mine ana foul air pro-
hibited any protracted stay in the
mine.
Red Cross workers arrived before
noon, making the trip overland and
Immediately began serving hot cof-
fee and otherwise administering 20
the needs of the men fighting to
reach the entombed miners.