Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-07

about the mine mouth, and kent The
hundreds Of curious persons away.
Miners Hall, little structure here,
was the temporory morsue. Undertak.
ers here, In Barnesboro and In Johns.
town were ordered 70 prepare for the
dead men. Early today some undertak.
ers were. washing and embalming the
mire. soaked bodies in the hall here.
Every. delivery truck and wagon In
Spangler was pressed into service as .
Red Cross and Salvation Army work.
ers from Pittsburgh, Altoona and
Johnstown were on hand distributing
coffee and sandwiches to the rescue
squads 40 they came 70 the surface with
their burden Of death, or to replenish
their oxygen tanks for q new explora.
tion Of the muddy pits.
Investigation will begin today. after
the bodies have been taken out, accord.
ing to oflcsrs Of the State Bureau Of
Mines and the U. 8. Bureau OF Mines.
The cause Of the explosion may never
In addition to the theory Of the open
theory that lighted cigarette may have
was strictly prohibited.
''It will be difhcult matter to de.
termine what caused the explosion"
said ]. J. Bourquin, Of Pittsburgh, az.
sistant chief of safety engineering Of the
Federal Bureau Of Mines.
There 10 90 much debris IN the main
headings that We cannot dnd out any.
thing now. An explosion may not show
itself at the place Of origin, but at some
place distant. perhaps even mile, and
then jump back again."
Although relief workers had been
coming n..t in all ys:tsr%SS' the nssd
county medical director Of Cambria
County, sent al, appeal for more help
last night. State Health Commissioner
Martin Immediately ordered six nurses,
ten State policemen and large stock
Of medical supplies to the scene. Ply.
sicians are being held in reserve at
Harrisburg II more help is needed.
Give Absolution to Dying
Less than an hour after the explo.
sion two priests went down into the
mine to give absolution to dying men.
They are Father James Pauling and
Father ]. D. Cochran. Ministers Of all
other denominations from the churches
Of Spangler and vicinity Joined the
throngs and did all In their power to
comfort the injured and their relatives.
Spangler 10 In the Allegheny Noun.
tains, Cambria County, twenty. eight
miles north Of Johnstown. It 10 the
center Of an important soft coal dis.
trict. The Reilly mine was closed last
summer by the strike. Il resumed op.
erations early In September. At full
capacity It employs about 100 men.
Monday Is generally considered BY
miners as slow day, and accordingly
not all Of them had reported for work.
Jacob A. Snyder, referee Of the Penn.
sylvania Workmen's Compensation
Board. opened headquarters in Spangler
to rule at once on all compensation
claims and agreements. He was ordered
to the scene by Harry A. Mackey,
chairman Of the board. All the workers
are covered BY compensation insurance.
Tho fact that the men in the mine
had time to fee before the deadly
afterdamp was indicated, rescue men
said, by the scattered dinner buckets.
coats. hats and other apparel lying in
the main heading as though they had
been cast Of or dropped by the men in
their fight. All the bodies except those
behind the canvas brattice were found
head toward the pit az they fell In
that position.
Most of the rescued men at the hos
pital are doing we'll and stand an
excellent chance for recovery. All
were overcome by gas fumes following
the explosion. Early this morning two
men were taken alive from the mine,
but died while being removed 10 the
hospital.