Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-27
BLAST-TORN MINE
YIELDS a BODIES;
3ST|LL MISSING
Four in HospitaI-0nIy 10
Unscathed of So Trapped
in Pennsylvania Pit.
WIVES AND CHILDREN
KEEP 1O-HOUR VIGIL
$50 Believed Fatherless as Result
of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Are Under Way.
BY the Associated Press.


men. With Al bodies recovered from
the blasted works, mine officials ex-
pressed the belief that others unac-
counted for were dead in the debris
swept ruins Of the mine.
Figures given out by A. j. Musser,
vice president and general manager
of the corporation. a subsidiary of the
New York Central Railroad. and DR..
Fred st. Clair. coroner of Indiana
County, revealed that So miners were
trapped by the explosion, which oc
Cured at 1870 o'clock yesterday after
noon.
Ten miners escaped with little in
Jury and four others are in a Dixon
vile hospital suffering from gas and
shock. Not all of the bodies had been
definitely identified at the improvis-
ed morgue, in machine shop one
mile from the scene of the blast.
Mine Being Cleared of Gas.
j. j. Forbes. supervising engineer
OF the United States Bureau of Mines,
Pittsburgh, emerging from the mine
after a long exploration. reported TO
Mr.. Musser that the mine was being
re-ventilated and cleared of poisonous
gases.
present to give cause for the blast.
because Of the general destruction In
the mine chambers.
Forbes was in charge of Federal
investigation started today. A second
investigation also was started by State
authorities.
Mine officials believed that $50 chill
dren were made fatherless by the eN-
plosion. the second IN this territory
N1sif 1,it
In January. 1923. Sc lives were lost
at the STAFFORD mine at Shanktown.
Wives Keep Vigil.
Late last night many of the wives
and children of the entombed men
left the mine mouth after vigil OF
10 hours. At dawn they returned to
the hillsides flanking the Inflated pit.
They were ignorant OF the fact that
80 bodies had been brought out and
removed to the temporary morgue. A
corps of Salvation Army lassies la
bored all night. without sleep. pre-
paring the bodies so that later in the
dav the stricken mine villagers might
be summoned to identify them.
Black damp. the deadly menace
which follows a mine explosion. took
the lives Of the first four men
brought up. Their bodies were uu-
marked. The others. however. were
burned badly. some beyond recOgni-
tion These victims. at work farther
inside the mine when the fatal blast
carried death and destruction through
the dark reCeSSeS. were trapped by
the wall of fire which came with the
explosion. The blaze spent itself In
a moment and the wrecked mine did
not catch fire.
Rescuers worked feverishly today
IN their efforts to recover the bodies
Of the three missing men.
Nine Found i'm Morning.
Nine bodies recovered this morn
ing were removed To the temporary
morgue, established In a tool shed
a mile from the mine mouth. Here
they were placed beside the bodies
of 80 fellow workmen. whose lives
were snuffed out by the terrific blast
yesterday afternoon.
The condition of the nine bodies
led the rescuers to believe that these
men were trapped in the very midst
Of the explosion for the remains were
in such condition that identification
was practically Impossible. OF the
II bodies recovered. only were
without marks of violence. These
were the who fell victims to the
deadly after damp which followed
the blast.
Today. as the noon sun beat down
fpon the mine mouth, rescue team
came from the shattered workings.
they brought with them a number
of mine cars. upon which lay the
bodies Of the nine victims. The great
throng of men. women and children,
many related to the victims, rushed
for the temporary morGue i'm the
hope OF learning the fate of some
loved one. But mine officials hesi-
tated to admit them.
Storekeeper Identifies Victims.
Marion Puts. the village store
keeper. who knew all the Clymer
workers. was taken into the death
house. Sad faced and with tear-dim-
med eyes, he passed slowly up and
down the line and before he departed
he had established the identity of IS
OF his friends.
Rescuers said they believed the
three missing miners were buried
under heavy cave-in and they
thought several days might elapse be-
fore the bodies could be dug out.
AS the mine yielded up its dead
Investigators went To work hoping to
determine the cause of the disaster
Gus blast. j. J. Forbes directed the
InteStlEdllOn IoE lne nllou states
Bureau of Mines. Joseph j. Walsh,
secretary OF the Pennsylvania de-
partment of mines. with his inspec-
tors as well as county officials and
representatives Of the Clearfield
bituminous Coal Corporation. owner
Of the mine. launched their probes,
81 the agencies cooperating.
Coal Loader Escapes.
Al least one man. Michael Seaman.
b coal loader. escaped unhurt follow
ing the explosion. and as he mingled
with the crowd before the mine
entrance he told his story.
Seaman said he was working with
several other miners in the third room
from the entrance, when. without
warning. a deafening explosion oc-
CURED. and that as they started for
the mine mouth there was another
deafening blast followed by a cloud
of smoke and dust.
The little group. battling for breath.
stumbled toward the entrance. the
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