The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-29
COAL COMPANY
NEGLECT BLAMED
FOR DISASTER
Cossacks Control All
Approach to Scene
(Bu a Worker Correspondent

started from Pittsburgh to visit the
Natber mine disaster and observe
personally the conditions there affef
The explosion that trapped nearly 300
miners working under the open-snop
system Of tho Mather Galleries 20. OF
Cleveland, Ohio.
got to Fredrickstown ard there !
met two striking miners and they took
me to the mine in a car. When we
got near the company's property we
met two state police and they asked
us if we had = pass to go in. l an
swered that we had no pass but | had
relatives in there. In reply they told
us to leave the automobile there and
proceed on foot. So we did.
We walked about 10 minutes and
came to a bridge. There we met other
state troopers and coal and iron po-
lice. I approached one of them and |
told him that I came a long way to-
see about one of my dear friends who
had worked in the Mather mine for
a LONG time. I gave him the name.
The police said that nobody could go
in without a pass. It was impossible
to convince them.
We turned back and planned to go
across the ten mile creek and try to
get in through the railroad. On our
way back we met a miner from Fred
rickstown who had worked in the
Mather mine, and he escaped death
because he got drunk the night before
the horrible disaster occurred. He
recognized me because l spoke in
few meetings in Frederickstown for
the heroic miners strike that has
been going on bitterly for the last IA
months. He approached me ard asked
what was I doing around there.
told him that tried to 90 into the
camp but it was impossible.
well" said he come with me-"
So we all jumped on the car and tried
second time. We reached the bridge
again. When we got there he showed
the cossacks his working card and we
passed.
In the Camp.
We are in the camp. 1t appears to
me military camp. Everywhere YOU
go you see coal and iron police, with
the criminal look, state troopers, with
brutal faces, soldiers, red cross and
even the starvation army" There is
an army of priests of different ma
tionalities to calm and Comfort" the
afflicted families. A real army camp.
with all the agents, the defenders of
the capitalist class.
They are all there to protect and
defend the interests of the company
and the master class in general. The
priests are there to tell the people, in
the name Of "god," that this explo-
sion was not because of criminal neg
ligence on the part Of the company,
but the "devii" caused it.
The Steel Shaft.
We walked toward the shaft, but
a state cossack pushed us back. l
tried to go into the hall transformed
into morgue But there was no
admission for those who have no pass.
The hall is the place were many
miners celebrated many marriages
and today is transformed into dead
house.
Horrible Scene.
The scene is horrible. Every place
you see men and women, children and
old people crying. They stay there
for hours and wait patiently for their
dead husbands, relatives or friends.
Everyone asks the other if he has
anyone trapped by the Internal ex-
plosion.
A casket was laid on the front of
the hall steps with q dead body in
side. A miner named Roby from
Uniontown, Fayette county, Pa. On
the top of the casI,et was bag with
his tools in it, 1t was unbearable,
horrible.
Speed-up System.
The speed-up system in this mine
end in all scab mines is used to a
large extent. The company has tried
to lay the blame on the scab machine
man. But the facts are that due to
the acceleration Of production, the
protective sy stem is neglected by the
company.
Due to these conditions there is no
doubt that the explosion was caused
by the speed-up system that violates
all the protection laws.
The accumulation of excess gas is
due to the defective ventilation sys-
tenn.
The payroll of the company shows
from TOO to $50 miners employed,
When the explosion occurred it was
at the time Of changing the two shifts.
All Improvements.
~he capitalist press talks SO much