Ernest, Pennsylvania
Jefferson & Clearfield Coal & Iron Company Mine
No. 2 Explosion
February 11, 1916
TWENTY-FIVE KNOWN DEAD IN MINE EXPLOSION
AT ERNEST!
Most Harrowing Disaster in the History
of Indiana County. Nineteen Bodies Recovered at
4:30 A.M.
Today. Three More Are Still in the Mine
INVESTIGATION IMMEDIATELY
At least 25 men, four of whom were Americans
were instantly killed in most harrowing mine
accident in the history of Indiana County, which
occurred in Mine no. 2 of the Jefferson &
Clearfield Coal & Iron Company, at Ernest
yesterday afternoon at 3:20 o’clock.
Three others are supposed to be yet in the
mine and the rescuers are working to find the
bodies. Five miners were rescued alive, four of
who are in the hospital and the fifth at this
home in Ernest. The patients in the hospital,
all of whom were badly burned about the face,
hands and body and who are suffering from shock
are: James McGuire,
a member of the mine rescue team;
W.R. Nord, Mike Carrel and
Tony Wilish
THE KNOWN DEAD
Norris Allan,
aged 30, motorman, Indiana, Pa., leaves
wife.
William Balls, aged 35, mine foreman,
Ernest, married.
Carl Strandquist, aged 30, fire boss,
Ernest, married.
George Bunton, Fr., aged 25,
motorman, Ernest, single.
George Assick, aged 30, spragger,
Ernest, married.
Arthur Rossi, aged 39, Ernest,
single.
Frank Gasanerri, aged 38, Ernest,
married.
Joe Salvari, aged 28, Ernest, single.
George Guerrio, aged 26, Ernest,
single.
George Warino, aged 27, Ernest,
single.
Jim Patwine, aged 30, Ernest,
married.
John Vasil, aged 30, Ernest, married.
Mike Truse, aged 30, Ernest, married.
Tony -------, aged about 30,
unidentified.
--------- Warino, aged 20, Ernest,
single.
The time of the tragedy has been determined from
a watch found hanging from a pocket in the
clothes of one of the dead men. The watch was
smashed and the hands pointed to 3:20.
Thomas Lowther,
of Indiana, had charge of the rescue teams,
connected with the Lucerne and Graceton
operations and they were assisted by
Drs. C. Paul Reed,
of Homer City and F.F.
Moore of Lucerne Mines. All the
available physicians and three nurses from the
Indiana Hospital were rushed to Ernest following
receipt of the word of the explosion. Officials
of the Jefferson & Clearfield Coal & Iron
Company and the Buffalo Rochester & Pittsburgh
Railway Company were rushed to the scene on a
special train from Punxsutawney, arriving at
Ernest shortly before 8 o’clock. Superintendent
F.M. Fritchman,
of Indiana, was early on the scent and assisted
in the direction of the mine rescuers.
The explosion occurred about one mile from
the main entrance of the mine, where, as near as
can be learned 24 men were working. The miners
were changing shifts at the time of the accident
and the officials are yet unable to give any
conclusive estimate as to how many men were in
the mine. A number of the men had just arrived
at the entrance when the explosion occurred.
Ben O’Hara,
one of the employees, was just reaching the
mouth of the mine when he felt the force of the
explosion on his back. While on his way to the
entrance of the mine he had passed
George Bunton, Jr.,
one of the dead going to work and soon as he
realized what had happened, he started back. He
succeeded in dragging two men to safety and had
started back after Bunton, but was unable to
reach him. Bunton’s body was brought to the
surface shortly before nine o’clock.
The report of the explosion could be heard
about half a mile away and hundreds of men,
women and children rushed to the mine. State
Troopers were summoned and no one was allowed to
pass over the bridge leading to the power house
but those in authority. There was no great
excitement, the silently weeping women wringing
their hands and giving vent to little despairing
cries and the hushed whispers of the crowd was
all that could be observed.
The fierce of the explosion demolished
brattices in the mine, causing tons of coal and
earth to fall. Whether any of the missing miners
are buried beneath the debris is not yet known,
but it is expected that they are.
Bunton’s
body was found nearly a mile from the mine
entrance of the mine. It was burned and a bruise
on the right side of the head indicated that he
had been struck by flying debris hurled by the
explosion. Nord,
Carrell and
Wilish were found in a room a short
distance from the spot where the explosion is
believed to have occurred. They were unconscious
and were carried to the power house where first
aid was given them, after which they were rushed
to Indiana on a street car and from there in the
ambulance to the hospital. None of the men were
able to talk, but all of them were able to sit
upright without assistance.
The work of rescue was slow on account of the
wrecked brattices.
The rescue teams were compelled to dig
through the debris after clearing part of the
main load of the mine and rebuilding the mine
brattices as they advanced. Work was also
hindered by the fact that their airlines had to
be replenished frequently.
The nurses and the doctors in the powerhouse
made hundreds of sandwiches and barrels of
coffee, the food being sent at frequent
intervals to the rescuers. The three nurses,
Misses Dill, Howard
and Lee, all
from the Indiana hospital all worked nobly and
at 10:30 o’clock when it was determined that the
dead would not be reached for several hours,
they were exhausted and were brought in
automobiles to Indiana.
The rescuing parties were from all the various
mines of the county and it is estimated that at
least 200 were at work. The first of the dead
were brought to the surface about 1:30 o’clock
and the others at various intervals until
daylight. A special train was made up on the B.
R. & P. railway and the dead were brought to
Indiana and taken to the undertaking
establishments where they are being prepared for
burial. The bodies in almost every case are
burned and charred, but not sufficiently to
prevent identification. There was a steady
stream of men and women in the three undertaking
rooms today and the identifications were slowly
made. Aaron Craven,
one of the miners, would have been in the mine
heading, where the explosion occurred, had his
alarm clock gone off yesterday morning. The
failure of the alarm prevented Craven from
reporting to work. Another motorman left the
heading just five minutes before the explosion
occurred. About fifty of the men employed in the
heading were not working on account of attending
a funeral in Indiana.
At the time of the inauguration of the
Workmen’s Compensation Act the first of this
year the Coal Company was excused from taking
insurance, they, having satisfied the Board that
they had an insurance plan in active force. The
sums which they will be compelled to pay the
families of the dead and the loss incurring from
the explosion will make the disaster one of the
most expensive in the history of the state.
The explosion of yesterday occurred in the same
mine in which eleven miners lost their lives
under circumstances almost similar just six
years ago Saturday.
Word of the disaster spread like wild fire
throughout Indiana and the outgoing streetcars
were crowded to their utmost capacity. The
Indiana detail of the State Police were early on
the scene and had little difficulty in keeping
order. The crowds were massed on the hill just
across the hollow from the powerhouse and the
opening of the mine. With their customary
[illegible] the Foreign women did not make a
display of their grief, but their sad faces told
the tragic story as they stood watching for the
bodies of their men to be brought out of the
black hole that gave livelihood and took their
lives.
By nightfall the rescue crews were on the
ground and fighting their way into the mine. The
first crews to venture came back with tales of
great barriers of tangled debris and the
necessary implements were given to them and the
active work of rescue started. Fortunately there
was little fire. Nearly all that was started by
the explosion was smothered by the lack of air.
There was no general conflagration underground.
While the mine officials telephoned and
telegraphed for assistance and while the rescue
crews among the mine employees above the ground
rushed to bring out the oxygen helmets, the lung
motors, bandages and oils for burns, the women
came.
It was and is a terrible catastrophe and
Ernest is a town of mourning today. There is
hardly a home that was not touched either
directly or indirectly by the fatal results of
the explosion and there are the homes in
Indiana, where there is similar grief.
State officials are expected here this afternoon
and in conjunction with the local officials and
the officials of the Coal Company a rigid
investigation will be started at once. The cause
cannot be determined until after the
investigation.
Nord, one
of the survivors of the explosion and who is a
patient in the Indiana hospital, stated this
morning that he was about 1,400 feet inside the
mine when the first detonation occurred. He was
knocked about 20 feet away, landing against the
mine walls and that before he could get to his
feet a second explosion occurred rendering him
unconscious. He knew nothing more until the
rescuers had reached him. He is positive that
there were two explosions, but was not able to
speculate as to what the causes might be.
The mine was completely searched by 11:30
o’clock this morning and no more bodies were
found. If the three missing are in the mine it
is certain that they are buried under the
debris. The mine is now completely cleared of
gas.
LATER---2: 30 P.M.
At 12:30 today six more bodies were recovered
from the mine and taken to undertaking rooms in
Indians. It is not known whether all the bodies
of the victims have been recovered and the
search still continues. No further news was
received up until 2:30 this afternoon.
Indiana Evening Gazette, Indiana, PA 12
Feb 1916
Funerals of Explosion
Victims Held Today
Pitiable Scenes Enacted Today As Many of
The Dead Were Laid to Rest.
Official States that Majority of Deaths Were
Caused
By Strangulation, Efforts Made to Reach a Place
of Safety.
INVESTIGATION GOES ON
Developments in the examination tending to
determine the cause of the disastrous explosion
in the Ernest mine last Friday afternoon, in
which twenty-six miners lost their lives are
going forward slowly and as yet County Coroner
H. B. Buterbaugh
has not received enough tangible evidence to
proceed with the inquest. Dr. Buterbaugh stated
this morning that it would probably be two or
three days before the inquisition would be
started.
A Gazette
reporter was received at the Indiana office of
the Coal Company this morning and given a few
statements regarding the facts of the explosion.
According tot he official, all the reports that
the explosion were heard outside the mine, are
false. The explosion was merely local which is
attested to by the fact that no one outside of
the particular room where it occurred heard any
noise and is again substantiated by the fact
that the fans were not affected.
The officials stated
the bodies of
Strandquist and seven others were
found huddled in one heap. It was evident that
Strandquist was piloting the seven to a safe
place when they were overcome by the after-damp.
Nearly all the miners found were about 1,000
feet from the scene of the explosion and it is
not doubted but that death was due to
strangulation in practically every case.
Mine inspectors
Thomas Lowther, C.H.
Crocker, Thomas A. Furniss, Nicholas Evans
and Mr. Ross
are in charge of the investigation today.
The Hon. J. E.
Roderick, Chief of the Bureau of
Mines at Harrisburg will arrive in Indiana this
evening and will personally take charge of the
investigation.
One of the dead is
still reported missing but it is believed that
the body will soon be recovered. The families of
the dead miners are being taken care of by the
company which is furnishing them with food and
fuel.
The list of the dead
which was given by the company officials
Saturday evening too late for publication in the
Gazette. The list follows:
Noris Allen,
aged 32, wife and one child an American
residing in Indiana.
John Connelly, aged 37, American,
[illegible -- rock?] boss, wife and five
children
J. William Ball, aged 36, foreman,
American, wife and five children.
Paul Taggart, aged 30, loader,
American, wife and small child
James Herman, aged 19, loader,
married, no children.
Mark Schmidt, aged 36, American,
loader.
George Bunton Jr., aged 25, motorman.
Alex Broskin, aged 40, loader, wife
and 3 children
Fred Barcella, aged 30, loader, wife
and 3 children.
Ignally Valercuski, aged 22, single.
James Camorratte, aged 45, loader,
wife and five children
Charles Strandquist, aged 35, mine
foreman, single.
Frank Bonofhosk, aged 30, loader,
wife and 3 children.
James Bardeno, aged 35, cutter.
August Mageon, aged 21, loader,
single.
Dominick, aged 24, single.
George Guerrena, aged 26, cutter,
single.
Antonio Pauli, aged 23, single
John Asick, aged 30, wife and four
children.
Roth Artura, aged 32, single.
Antonio Bellari, aged 32, single.
Antonio Puzzani, aged 28, single,
loader.
Dominick Pana, aged 30, miner
Funeral services for
J. Uilliam Ball
[sic] were held at his late home in Ernest,
Sunday evening and the body was taken over the
B. R. & P. Railway this morning to Frostburg,
where interment was made today.
Funeral services for J. William Ball [sic -
probably this should be Noris Allen] were held
at the Allen
home on North Fourth street this morning
at 10:30 o’clock and interment was made in
Greenwood cemetery. At 2 o’clock this
afternoon funeral services were conducted over
the remains of George
Bunton, Jr., at the
Bunton home in
Ernest and the body was brought to Indiana on a
special street car and taken to the Greenwood
cemetery for interment.
Tomorrow afternoon
at 2 o’clock the funeral services for
Charles Strandquist
will be held and interment will be made in
Greenwood cemetery.
John Donnelly [sic - Connelly]
was buried in the Greenwood cemetery
this afternoon, following services at his late
home in Ernest.
Pitiable scenes were
enacted at St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic church
this morning and afternoon when funeral services
and mass were conducted for the remainder of the
dead, all of whom were members of either the
Catholic church at Ernest or the church here.
The services were in charge of the
Rev. Emilio Farri of Ernest and the
Very Rev. N. P. NcNelis,
of Indiana, assisted by several priests from the
county. A large trench was made in St. Bernard’s
cemetery and the caskets containing the bodies
of the victims of the explosion were placed in
the one grave. The surviving relatives of the
victims and the many little children made a
sight that will long be remembered in the minds
of those who witnessed. Despite the sadness of
the occasion there was little excitement, the
widows and children of the married miners and
the friends of the single men watching quietly
the last rites over the bodies of their beloved
dead.
Indiana Evening Gazette, Indiana, PA 14
Feb 1916
Articles transcribed by
Trish. Thank you, Trish!
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