Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 June 1901 — DEAD NUMBER SIXTEEM [ARTICLE]

DEAD NUMBER SIXTEEM

Twelve of Them Men Who Faced the Grim Terror for the Sake of Others. TOTAL LOST IN THE PIT HORROR But Few of the Bodies Recovered and Little Prospect of Recovering the Rest Soon. Port Royal, Pa., June 12.—As a result of Monday night’s explosion in th* Port Royal mines of the Pittsburg Coal company sixteen are dead, seven injured, and thousands of dollars’ worth of property destroyed. The official list of dead and Injured was made public by the coal company’s officials last uight. The dead recovered are: William McCune, superintendent of the company’s mines along the Baltimore and Ohio railroad; Taylor Gunsaulus, Sr., loader; Fritz Kruger. Still In the Fiery Tomb. Those still entombed in the mine and known for a certainty to be dead: William F. Allison, assistant superintendent of, mines; Dennis Wardley, foreman mine No. 1; John Keck, foreman Darr’s mine; Michael Roy, foreman Euclid mines; Bernard Ball; Taylor Gunsaulus, Jr.; Jerry Daly, John Peeples and David James; John Canto, machine boss Darr mine; Samuel Hadley, assistant foreman mine No. 2; Peter Marchando, boss driver mine No. 1; John Stickle, pipeman mine No. 3. All these men leave families. Injured—Harry Beveridge, JSmith; Robert McKenny, pit boss; Charles Md'affery, superintendent Soaper mine; Clarence Setler, Daniel McCullough and Thomas Gleason—all badly burned and bruised. Harry Beveridge and Arthur Smith cannot live. Twelve of tlio Dead Were Rescuers. Twelve of the dead were men who went into the mine as rescuers. What caused the explosion and loss of life is something the mine inspectors of th* ninth and eleventh districts spent th* greater part of yesterday trying to find out. The otticials of the coal company declare that none but regulation mine lamps were used, while others are of the opinion that one of the men carelessly ignited the gas and caused one of the greatest mine catastrophes in the history MtJrebtnd county. Still Another Heavy Exclusion. The situation here yesterday again reached a climax when Mine Inspector Bernard Callahan, accompanied by seven men. descended the shaft and started upon an investigation tour of the mine. The men gave the signal to be lowered-down at 9:04 a. m., and about an hour afterward a terrific report was heard. It was another explosion, and grave feats were entertained for their safety. The experience of the men was told by Callahan. He said the escape of the party was a miracle. "1 never had been in a mine in the condition that this one is. 1 am nearly exhausted from swallowing so much after damp. 'there is no hope of saving any person in tlie mine, and it may be a year before the bodies are recovered. It will take two days to fill the mine with water, and twelv* months to pump it out again."