Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-07
80 Bodies Taken
From Mine Pit

FROM MJNe FIC
csa.lsusa from Pass One
mieht bs left for the families who
waited for news. 80.
Iishts shown In scattered houses and
e0ch light meant that some one-some
mother, children, some wife-was pain.
fy TatsniHs I,S!nts thps hprayns Sups:, ana dec.
tore not on duty at the mine, spent q
sieepisss % might, awaiting for service at
= moments notice.
In the fog along the railroad track
approaching the mine, figures loomed,
hssds down-sad, grim men, who have
io0ked at death today, who went back
8 homes with only grief and pain,
he bitter loss-a Eon or q brother,
or q ncighbor gone to his long last rest
The bodies, wrapped in sheets, were
laid out in rows in the temporary
morgue, which had been the town hall:
Weeping women and children clustered
about the little building a. Red Cross
pared tho blackened bodies for identi.
Acation.
Mrs. Laura Lawton, Of 2717 West
Lehigh avenue, Philadelphia, who was
here on a visit, volunteered her services
and worked with the Red Cross nurses.
She was on duty most Of the night.
Mrs. Tony Poclis and her daughters
Tina, twelve, and Bertha, thirteen, en-.
tered the morgue and walked slowly
along the grim line Of the dead. Tina
suddenly cried out in terror. She. had
recognised her father among the dead.
The child threw herself on the breast
Of her older sister and sobbed:
":'Why didn't they leave my papa for
At the mouth Of the mine there 10
today no violent emotion; only gaunt,
oil.blackened and weary faces Of men,
State troopers, hardened men stand by
with confusion and sorrow in their eyes.
whats the meaning Of thing like
this--what's the meaning OF all this
doath?" asked one, almost defantly.
The cause Of the explosion is not a.
yet definitely known. It Is believed
that gas filed a pocket In one Of the
recesses, and in some lnanner-whether
because Of an unguarded miners lamp
or because Of "shot''-the gas ex.
ploded.
Gas Collected on Sunday
'cThese things seems to always hap.
pen on q Monday" said one miner.
'.You see there's no work Sunday, and
the gases manage to collect"
Il Is believed that the explosion Il.
self, which was terrific enough, and
which disabled the fans which shoot
clean air to the workingmen, caused
but few Of the deaths. The asphyxia. I.
tions was the result Of the flooding Of
the underground galleries by the deadly
after damp.
Pat Flanagan, fire boss, who
made his usual rounds at 7 O'Clock
yesterday, reported tho headings safe.
He entered the mine again, with the
other miners. and he is belivd to have
perished.
Immediately after the explosion had
rocked the town, rescue work was be.
gun. There was no cave-in, but greatest
dimculty the bravo men encountered
After they had penetrated about
1000 feet along the main galleries they
came upon some Of the men. Those,
with life still in them, were feverishly
worked over, and some thirty revived.
The dead were carried back to the foot
Of the shaft, to lie there until last eve
ming. Six Of the miners are said to
have escaped Immediately after the ex .
plosion. They were Ed Mcdonald and
Mike Whalcn. "cage tenders" and four
others.
Penetration Of the depth Of the mine
was begun only after the fans had been
partially repaired. With the sweep Of
life: giving air inward, the rescuers
pushed their way, erecting wooden
braddishcs or barricades. As soon as
one compartment :, was erected and
fresh air pumped in. the rescucrs
pushed forward and built another brad.
dish: The work was slow. but telling.
While bracing up one Of these bar.
fiers the rescuers heard a faint Rroan.
Speedily they tore away the plank and
found one man still alive. stretched
mar was Jim Craig. He and his
brother, Abe, had tied handkerchicfs
nbout their faces. Abe and Tom
Welsh were found near the almost
lifeless form OF Jim. They were crawl.
ing fcebly but desperately forward.
"a bunch of men back there"
saspedl Jim Craig. 'Get them; I can
The fates played bitter trick upon
William Kelly. lie was one of the first
rescue crew to 60 into the mine, and
he stumbled across tho body OF his
father and brother, Hayden and James
Two of the nurses who have worked
since the hour of the explosion with
Ilttle or no rest are Ethel OStrande and
Cecilia Baker. They are harried by tho
constant realization that their brothers,
Ed and George, arc still missing.
Joseph Fritz. twenty three years old,
b believed to be among the dead. His
Soung bride, Salome. married only a
few Ccks ago. waited mt the mouth
Of the shaft until late last night. not
daring to give up hope. All through
the night, motortrucks and automobiles
thundered over the ruttcd, wet roads.
carrying equipment bearing the dead.
hnstening the living to the scene Of ahe
disaster.
AS the rcscuing party enters the shaft
their names are taken, and they are
checked off when they come out after
their two-hour shift. Three. Of the
rescuers were overcome BY the fumes.
but later revived. They were NJ. T.
Christoff. Crawford Nelson and Art
Shellenbergcr.
Mine Operator on Trip Abroad
The list Of the rescued issued by the
hospital includes the names of Thomas
Walsh, Allen Hughes, Mike Walsh.
Peter GallOw, Francis Wyland, Albert
Shrankcl, Joseph Palonick, John
Ialonick, Albert Kernitsky, joseph
Kernitsky, Abe Craig, james Craig.
Reuben Schlereth. Max Sebarnesky,
Max Sebarncsky, Max Sebarnesky, IT..
Sam Tronseo, George Popyitch, Nord