Evening star., 1928-05-21
go Bodies Recovered From
Shaft in Mather, Pa.-13
Rescued Alive.
INVESTIGATORS UNABLE
TO FIX CAUSE OF BLAST
Several Victims Found Decapitated.
Four Brothers Trapped on Their
First Day in Colliery.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
MATHER, Pa, May 2l.-With bodies
of go miners discovered and taken to
the homes of their kin, rescue teams
from various sections of the soft coal
belt carried on today in an effort to
reach the 1873 men still entombed Ill
Mather mine. where an explosion on
Saturday trapped 211 workers behind
piles of coal and slate. Thirteen were
rescued alive.
AS the rescuers came from the shaft
bearing the blanket-covered bodies on
stretchers the huge crowd of spectators
rushed forward, but we're restrained by
State troopers and National GUARDS
men. Reports were that the rescuers
had located 40 additional bodies in the
far recesses of the mine and that prep
arationS were being made to bring
them to the surface.
A coroner's jury comprising six men
and augmented by inspectors from the
State Bureau of Mines was ordered to
delve into the cause of the blast.
Except for crowds of curious, Mather
today was the usual quiet little mining
town. Relatives Of miners still trapped
In the underground workings, while
foregoing their usual daily pursuits, did
not display any outward emotion. Dry
eyed and hopeful they awaited word Of
their loved ones.
Hope Is Abandoned.
Mine rescue experts gave up hope OF
returning any men TO the surface alive,
and while this feeling was secretly
shared by wives, mothers and children
OF the entombed miners, outwardly they
buoyed their hopes on other disasters
where men were taken alive from mines
several days after an explosion.
Two elderly people, who had stood at
the mine tippel since the news Of the
blast was broadcast let it be known to-
day that they had four sons inside the
mine Andy Bootz and his three broth
ers obtained work at the Mather mine
Saturday morning and reported for
their first labor with the Inflated shift
IL was their parents who awaited news.
The explosion occurred at what y
know as the fourteenth and fifteenth
butts of the main channel. Reports
that fire hampered the work Of rescners
were found untrue. Bureau Of Mines
refused to advance the ex-
act cause of the blast until further in
vestigation. One theory was that a
pocket Of gas had been struck at one OF
the working faces of the mine, while
others insisted the explosion was caused
by dust.
Several Of the bodies recovered we're
minus arms and legs, or In
other ways mutilated. Brass workers
checks In many cases were the only
means Of tdenti ifcattOn.
A feature Of the Mather mine was the
large number OF English-speaking min
ers employed Most mines In this re-
gion, since the open shop has ruled, en-
ployed foreign labor and majority OF
negroes. Mather was different In. this
respect. In fact, the entire village Is
different from the average mining set
tlement. Tidy little cottages, clean
streets, well dressed children and a gen.
eral air Of refinement are noticeable.
The mine was inspected March IL by
State mine inspectors and at that time
the general condition Of the working
was found TO be good.
Officials In charge today we're inclined
10 believe 1t would be at least 40 hours
more before the mine was cleared OF Its
dead.