Evening star., 1928-05-20
Bodies of Three Are Found
in Mather, Pa, Shaft as
18 Rescue Crews Work
FranticaIIy 10 Save Others.
NINE TAKEN OUT ALIVE
IN CRITICAL CONDITION
Gas and Cave-Ins Halt Group 5000
Feet From 0pening-Men Brat
tioed in Coop Telephone to Sur
face They Are Able to Get
Some Fresh Air.
r. ihe Assnciatnd press.

BY she Associated Press.
MATHER. Pa. May i9.-At least
400 miners were entombed in the
Mather CollierieS Co. mine here late
today by heavy explosion. AT least
is of the men wene known tonight TO
have hratticed themselves in an entry
5000 feet from the shaft. They were
alive and reported by the mine tele-
phone system that they were getting
some fresh air.
Nine other miners, most of them
stricken by gas. were brought to the
surface by rescue crews and rushed 10
q wayneShurg hospital Three oooies
had been recovered tonight.
Shaft is Blocked.
The shaft, $50 feet deep, was partly
blocked by q cave-in, as was ths MAN
tunnel. One rescue crew suceeoeo IN
reaching g point 5000 feet BACK wnere
their progress was halted by gas sno
serious cave-ins. Reports were tnat
the mine was on fire far nack Ii tsl@
workings. 80.
In 4 statement at midnight officials
of the coal company said that some
bodies have been located" by rescueTs
and that It was known that Tom CAL
laraan and Is companions. who brat
ficed themselves in at one Sectlon,
were safe. They added that more
than 100 men" were in the mine al
the time Of the blast and that "a few
escaped alive They we're optimistic
that others would be brought out safe
II. Eighteen rescue crews were on the
5ob.
The five men who we're rescued had
Just entered the mine They we're low
cred Ii the cage 20 the main entry. AS
tnrY stepped from the elevator q gush
Of wind fave warning OF the coming
explosion. Then came the shock OF the
blast. Luckily they were near the bot
tom Of TIE shaft and the first rescue
crew brought them out.
five Are Unconscious.
Volunteer rescuers from all parts OF
the Greene, Fayette ana washington
coal fields rushed to Mather, as did the
trained crews OF the United States Bu-
reau Of Mines from Pittsburgh Tne
bureau men went by truck, and bu-
Teau rescue car was ordered In from
Eanty-Glo.
Al the Waynesburg Hospital II was
said that the five men brought there
were in critical condition. They were
uncddseaous and doctors and nurses
were struggling TO maintain the spark
Of Efe with oxygen.
Shortly after the explosion rocked
the district. the mine telephone in
shed near the shaft tinkled. This line
carried word TO the surface from the
living tomb. CalIagaan, q veteran miner.
was On the inside end. He said 4
have IS men with me. We are brat
r;ced In nv little coop some 5000 Teet
back. We are getting some good air
bat We do not know how long II VIII
Tae scene about the mine mouth
was one Of utter confusion. The entire
population Of the village rushed out
Is they felt the quake. knowing the
ways Of mines, they understood, realiz-
ing thai an explosion had swept the
,,sEye ard ENDANGERED their kin. Some
v,~nen and children cried aloud.
Others stood mute. wondering wflat
fafe held in store for their loved ones
framed below. Mine officials rushed
eh6iIt in a frenzy, calling for volnn~
teerS 10 don masks and enter the work-
fnas They did not have 10 speak
4aice for practically every man present
wanted TO go down and aid MS ieiio"
check Of the tag board at the shaft
entry showed i55 men were inside, Dut
miners pointed out that IT was noe
definite check, many men goH4g 70
work in q hurry and forgetting 70 h@iAs
tnear tags.
Three Bodies Recovered.
-r,Yvee bodies tonight were brought
from the workings Of the mlne- .
yggasBe there were reports tnSt ZV
vaore Fodies had been located IN the
gag-fslled mine by miners on tne crews
these reports were not Yeflheo iaIs w.
nigqt. ...s,s.,, s,,o
TIE mine. bFsttlciDg OF tbe ilre as tnss
progressed and had succeeded IN cav
1n2 nine men late tonight. Inc Fs@~
ea,ed uen Were iii and injured by gas
and flames that made the inner cav
ems A. Inferno. a..
Other than the three dead ana the
handful rescued. the Tescuefs, n9emDefk
II ire families Of ent0nbec men and
other residents 81 this little village dlc
yao4 know ne fate Of tf9e scores of men
vfa9 were a. work wfIfn the explosion
occurred shortly after pm.
The estimates Of the number efi~
fomlf,ec ranged Upward 70 ~ hlgn Nj.
800 gaeu. and there Was no means of
n
crew vas about ~ lezYe the mine and
aEe a.gi4tBoYkeKs gere going III when
aqe blast happened.
Tire scared bodies " Fred kfegaf
~. joan Ersyitis. z5, ard George Stiles
Is, were found down IN the t0EaO Al
1fle rescue crews made their way int
tEae dangef~nlled chambers
short time before four mare for
aalnzte men were carried ~ the opfn
ana revived. These and i've others
gno were taken W hospital o.
WsynegoUfg. were the only ones u thf
sntoEnbed gigo were definitely KNOW
~ he alive
File experienced mine rescue efeW
1ste tonight we're creeping down lnb
the p.t. seeking 20 learn whether theTi
were nen down there covering from !
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