A series of newspaper articles and other memorabilia describing the mining disaster at East Brookside Colliery near Tower City, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, that occurred on August 2, 1913, in which 20 men died as the result of two explosions that occurred in the mine.
Today’s post features the story from the West Schuylkill Herald, Tower City, August 8, 1913. It was the initial story that appeared in this local, weekly newspaper.
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EXPLOSION AT EAST BROOKSIDE KILLS 19, INJURES 1
Nineteen dead and one seriously injured the result of two explosions at East Brookside shaft, one and a half miles east of Tower City, on Saturday morning, August 2 [1913] has made a record for this valley that probably never will be forgotten.
Out of 19 dead, 10 were Americans, 1 an Austrian, and 8 Italians. The ten Americans were all prominent and highly respected members of their respective communities. Nine of the ten were married and leave families. Every one of the ten were widely known and the effect of their sudden death can better be imagined than written. That there was and still is gloom, sorrow and sympathy to this valley is positive. We would not be human if it was not. Not only was there sympathy in this valley but the whole United States sympathizes with us in our affliction.
The Austrian was a resident of Reinerton. He resided in this community for many years and was thoroughly Americanized. He was a good citizen and was well known in this section.
The eight Italians were in this vicinity for a short time and our people know but little of them., Seven of them boarded at Reinerton and one lived at Tower City. Four of them were married and leave families.
Four of the dead Americans were from Tower City with a population of 2500, 3 from Reinerton, with a population of about 500, two from Muir, population 700 and one from Tremont, thirteen miles east of Tower City. Te three first named towns are connected together and are almost one town as it were.
The names of the dead Americans are:
John Lorenz, aged 60 years, district superintendent of the Tremont district of the P. & R. colliery, Residence, Tremont. Leaves a wife and nine children, nearly all adults. His widow is a daughter of the late William Hechler of Tower City.
John Farrell, aged 48 years, 2 month and 17 days, inside foreman at East Brookslide shaft. Residence, Tower City. Leaves a wife and 9 children, the youngest less than a year old.
Daniel McGinley, aged 46 years, residence, Tower City, fire boss at East Brookside, leaves a widow and 7 children.
Henry Murphy, aged 54 years, 5 month and 2 days, residence, Tower City, fire boss, leaves a wife and three daughters, the youngest about 12 years.
Daniel Farley, aged 40 years, 7 month, and 12 days, of Tower City, fire boss, leaves a widow and 5 children.
John Fessler, aged 36 years, 4 month, and 10 days, fire boss, resident Reinerton, leaves a widow and three children.
Thomas Behney, aged 29 years, 3 month and 14 days, miner, residence Reinerton, leaves a widow and one child.
Jacob Koppenhaver, aged 27 years and 25 days, bottom man, residence Reinerton, leaves a widow and four children.
Howard Hand, aged 29 years, and 6 month, laborer, residing at Muir and single.
Harry Hand, aged 24 years and 10 month, a brother to Howard, driver, residence Muir, leaves a widow and three small children.
The foreigners are:
Alex Lishmet, an Austrian, aged 37, repairman, residence Reinerton, leaves a wife and several children.
Carmine Decampee, Italian, aged 26 years and married, clergyman at tunnel, boarded at Reinerton.
Victoria Zamin, Italian, aged 31 years and single, boarded at Reinerton. Body shipped to Hazleton.
Egrale Luchi, Italian, aged 21 years, 11 month, blacksmith helper, single, boarded at Reinerton. Body shipped to Hazleton.
Ricord Fedrinz, Italian, aged 34 years, laborer in tunnel, boarding at Reinerton, leaves a widow and children.
Anthony Oposcich, aged 27 years, Italian, laborer in tunnel, single, boarded at Reinerton.
Mike Depauli, aged 30 years, Italian, laborer in tunnel, married, boarded at Reinerton.
Joseph Grozioma, Italian, aged 31, laborer in tunnel, leaves a widow but no children.
Michael Defaida, aged 26, Italian, single, boarding at Reinerton.
ONE MAN SAVED
Harry Schoffstall of Orwin made the3 20th man to be in the explosion and he is the only man who escaped with his life, and his name may yet be added to the other 19. Although it was first thought that he was not badly burned, it is now believed that he inhaled considerable flame. Two trained nurses supplied to manager Richards of the P. & R. C. & I. Company, are constantly at his bedside, while his physician is doing everything to save his life. Schoffstall is married and has one child. He is a man about 26 years of age and bears a most excellent reputation. Should he recover he would not be able to tell anything more about the accident. He already has told what he knows and that was very little. He said that Murphy, McGinley and himself were outside the mine looking after a car of rock when they felt the shock of the first explosion. They procured safety lamps and went down the tender slope and had not gone far when the second explosion took place. That is all he knows. McGinley and Murphy were killed outright and it is nothing short of a miracle that he escaped, McGinly being badly burned and mutilated.
FUNERAL OF THE VICTIMS
The bodies first to be buried were those of inside foreman John Farrell and the fire bosses Daniel McGinley and Henry Murphy. The funerals took place at 8 o’clock Tuesday morning. All three were devout members of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church of Tower City, where the services were held. McGinley resided just opposite the church. His body was the first to be carried into the church. A few minutes later the body of Henry Murphy was carried to the church from his late home about four doors west of the church. As soon as the body of Murphy was in the church the remains of inside foreman John Farrell, who resided next door to the church, were brought in. The caskets containing the three men were placed in the center aisle. A requiem high mass was read by Rev. Vincent Corcorran of Lost Creek, a former pastor of Saints Peter and Paul. He was assisted by Rev. James Clark of Williamstown, and Rev. S. J. Smith, pastor of Saints Peter and Paul Church. The latter, who was a close friend and neighbor of the dead men, preached a consoling sermon at the close of the mass. Other priests were Reverends D. Melly of Tremont and William Kelley of Branchdale.
At the close of the services at the church the casket containing the body of John Farrell was the first to be removed. It was taken from the church and placed on board a trolley car in waiting. Four cars were soon filled with relatives and friends and shortly after were started for the Catholic cemetery, east of Williamstown where interment took place.
The casket containing the bodies of McGinly and Murphy were removed at almost the same time. Both were placed in a separate hearse to be conveyed to the Williams Valley railroad depot where a special train of six coaches drawn by two locomotives was in waiting. Both caskets were placed on board. Relatives and friends of both boarded the same train. At Tremont, the relatives and friends of Murphy left the train. The remains were taken to the Catholic cemetery where interment took place. The train, consisting of one locomotive and three coaches, having on board the remains of Daniel McGinley, his relatives and friends continued to New Philadelphia where interment took place at the Catholic cemetery at that place. Both trains returned to Tower City immediately after interment had taken place. Relatives and friends from all part of the state, as well as many prominent mining men of the anthracite region were present at the funerals.
The scene at the church cannot be described. It was the first time in the history of the church and possibly in the history of Tower City that three caskets containing that many bodies of full grown men, all all fathers and all well kn won in the community, had ever been brought into a church at one time. Many fervent prayers were offered that it might be the last time. The tears, sobs and wailing of the afflicted was heartrendering and the person who did not shed a tear or stifle a sob must have been without a heart. The rest may be imagined by our readers. Picture in your mind three caskets containing the bodies of three men who left three widows, 17 children, many brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, not to say anything about fellow workmen and associates, getting together under one roof and talking their last farewell. It is undescribable.
SECOND FUNERAL
The next funeral was that of Thomas Behney, which took place from his late home a few doors east of Knouff’s Hotel , Reinerton, at 10 o’clock Tuesday morning. The attendance was very large. The Reiner City Lodge K. of P.; Reiner City Junior O. U. A. M.; and the Local U. M. W. of A., turned out in a body to pay their last sad respects to their deceased member. After a brief service at the house by his late pastor, Rev. Ira. F. Frankenfield, the remains were taken to the Lutheran and Reformed cemetery at Orwin, where interment was made, after which the services were concluded in the Lutheran and Reformed Church adjoining, the deceased being a member of the board of trustees of this church at the time of his death.
HAND BROTHERS NEXT
The third funeral was that of Howard Hand and Harry Hand at Muir. It was a double funeral. After the accident both bodies were taken to the home of Harry Hand, opposite the Keystone Hotel, from where the funeral took place. Reiner City Jr. O. U. A. M., and Reinerton Local U. M. W. of A., of which organizations Harry Hand was a member, attended the funeral. A brief service was held at the house by Rev. Yergey of the Evangelical Church, after which the remains of both men were taken to the Fairview cemetery at Muir for interment. After interment the services were concluded in the Evangelical Church by the same pastor.
KOPPENHAVER FUNERAL
The funeral of Jacob Koppenhaver took place from his late residence at Reinerton at 2 o’clock in the afternoon. The Red Men of Reinerton and the Local Union of the same place of which he was a member, attended in a body. A brief service was held at the house by his late pastor Rev. Norman Fake of the U. B. Church, after which the remains were taken to the L. & R. Cemetery at Orwin for interment. After interment the services were concluded in the L. & R. Church by Rev. Ira F. Frankenfield assisted by Rev. Fake.
The scenes surrounding all the above funerals were pathetic in the extreme and can not be described.
FUNERAL OF SUPERINTENDENT LORENZ
The funeral of the late Superintendent John Lorenz took place Wednesday morning at 10 o’clock from his late home at Tremont. A requiem high mass was read in the Church of the Immaculate Conception at which many priests were pre4sent. Not one fourth of the people present could gain admittance to church. At the close of the ceremonies the body was placed on board one of the cars of a special train of 10 in waiting at the depot. As soon as the train was filled it pulled out for Pottsville, arriving at the 12th Street Depot at about 12:45 o’clock. From there the remains were taken to No. 2 Catholic Cemetery where interment took place. It was one of the largest funerals ever held in Schuylkill County. For a period of five minutes during the funeral every colliery under the Reading Company was closed down as a mark of respect.
ITALIANS BURIED ON WEDNESDAY
The funerals of six Italians and one American were held Wednesday morning and like all the other funerals were very largely attended. The body of Joseph Groziono, who resided on Wiconisco [Street] at Tower City, was the first to arrive at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. As the corpse was being taken from the house the scene was a sad one. The young widow, who is in a delicate condition, became unconscious and it was some time before she could be revived. The bodies of the other six were brought from Reinerton, four from the Kasutus Hotel, and two from the Kaufman property on the road from Reinerton to Muir. Many teams and hundreds of men and women on foot followed the six hearses. Six of the caskets were taken into the church at one time. The seventh had to be left outside on account of decomposition having already set in. Rev. R. DsStefani of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church of Pottsville read a solemn requiem high mass. The pastor, Rev. S. Smith and Rev. Clark of Williamstown assisted. At the conclusion of the mass, Rev. Stefani spoke words of consolation to the bereaved ones in the Italian language. There was not a dry eye in the church. At the close of the service the caskets were returned to the hearses in waiting and the procession started for the Catholic Cemetery south of Tower City, where interment took place. As the procession came down Grand Avenue, the sigh was one never to be forgotten. The seven hearses in a row, nearly a hundred teams following, the Mine Workers, Little Russian Union Society and hundreds of men, women and children following the hearses, made a cortege nearly half a mile long.
WHERE THE EXPLOSION TOOK PLACE
The explosion took place in No. 5 level not far from the tender slope and in a tunnel which is being driven from the gangway to make a short cut to the shaft. For the benefit of those who were never inside a mine, we would say that a gangway is like the main street of a town. The difference being that it is an underground street or railway and another difference being that it is nearer to hello than to heaven. It varies in width from 8 to 12 feet and in highth about the same. It starts at the bottom of a slope or shaft and continues for miles, or only a short distance as the coal holds out. The breasts or working places of the miners start out from a gangway. There are a number of gangways in every mine. As a gangway is the main traveling road for the men to and from their work and as all coal mined must be hauled through a gangway before it is sent to the surface, repairsmen are continually kept on a gangway to see that it is in safe condition and as free from danger as possible. A tunnel differs from a gangway only in that it is driven through solid rock or slate to make a shorter cut between two points. It does not follow a vein of coal. A gangway is also used as an airway.
The No. 5 lift at East Brookside was always known to contain gas. The pitch of the vein is about 70 degrees and at places is sixteen feet thick. The coal is dry, dusty and very fine. The gangway had to be kept in the best of condition to keep the coal from rushing away.
The air in the gangway was very strong and pure and always took care of any gas that might be made or might accumulate at some other point and might be forced into the gangway. That was the condition of the gangway on the day of the explosion. The foreman, assistant foreman, district superintendent Lorenz, the drivers and laborers of the tunnel used it all morning and there had been no signs of gas.
About 11:20 o’clock there was an explosion in No. 5 lift, not far from the tender slope. Charles Hechler, one of the engineers at the water hoist at East Brookside, saw a cloud of dust coming out of the fan hole north of the engine house. Daniel Morgan and his helper Joe Mendig, who kept the shaft in repair, were at the top of the shaft. They felt a shock. McGinley, Behney, Murphy, Schoffstall, Koppenhaver and Howard Hand were outside the mine at the top of the tender slope and also felt some shock from the explosion. The six last named at once procured safety lamps and after giving the engineer the signal were lowered into the mine. That was the last seen of them until their bodies were recovered in the the mine. In the meantime the engineers at the different hoisting engines on the outside tried to communicate with some one inside the mines over the telephone with which the mines are equipped but could get no response. Word was also sent to Patrick Berney, inside foreman at No. 4 slope, West Brookside and outside foreman A. F. Risinger, who has charge of both East Brookside and West Brookside outside workings. Both at once boarded a small mine locomotive which made a hurried run to East Brookside. In the meantime, Daniel Morgan and his helper Mendig went down the tender slope and after going into the gangway a short distance came across the dead bodies of McGinty, Hand, Murphy, Behney and Koppenhaver. Schoffstall was the only man out of the six that had any life left in him,. This was the first information that a second explosion had taken place. After making another examination to make sure that all were dead except Schoffstall they carried the latter to the tender slope and the three were hoisted to the surface.
Foremen Behney and Rissinger having arrived by this time they were told of what had been discovered. All the telephones were put to work. The colliery being idle the only men at work at the colliery outside of the engineers and firemen were the clerks and fire bosses at West Brookside. All were hastily summoned and brought with them blankets, stretchers, hose and safety devices. Word was also sent to Lykens to Mine Inspector C. J. Price who responded promptly. Messages were sent to Tower City for physicians, priests, ministers, undertakers, first aid corps and teams. Telephone messages were sent to experienced miners at Tower City and other nearby towns, who were familiar with the inside workings of East Brookside colliery, that their services were needed at once. Messages were also sent to Lincoln and Good Springs collieries, to the district headquarters at Tremont and the company’s main office at Pottsville. Everything worked like clock work. Teams and autos fitted with workmen, physicians, ministers, school teachers, businessmen, in fact people in all walks of life responded promptly. Within an hour and a half after the first explosion General Manager Richards and other officials from Pottsville and Tremont were on the scene. They brought with them first aid crews and mine foremen and others from different collieries.
Long before their arrival relief work had already started. There was no confusion. The only concern was for those who were inside the mines. Owing to all the officials and workmen, who knew anything about how many men were inside at the time of the explosion, being inside the mine it was quite a while before it was definitely known how many men were inside.
The first men to go down the tender slope after Schoffstall was brought to the surface was inside foreman Patrick Berney and his fire bosses from West Brookside. They had barely reached the bottom when inspector Price, outside Superintendent Joseph Lee, Charles Fegley, Hasrry Schreiner and Golden Schreiner, Charles Fegley, Albert Dubbs, Willoughby Geist, the two latter with Drager apparatus, also were lowered into the mines. The air being exceptionally good and the current strong along the gangway for quire a distance, men were hurried into the gangway to see what could be done. The sight that met their eyes in the dim light was one that never will be forgotten. Almost 330 feet from the tender slope in No. 1 vein, No. 5 level, the rescuing party found the dead bodies of McGinty, Murphy, Koppenhaver, the two Hands, Behney, and Victoria Zamin, the latter a blacksmith helper enployed by the tunnel contractor. The sight was sickening. The clothing and shoes were almost gone, some being almost nude. A close examination showed that some of the victims had the back of their heads almost battered in. Legs and arms of some of the men were handing by the skin only, the bones having been broken and crushed to a pulp. The bodies and faces of all were burned black. The faces or front bpart of the bodies showed few marks coutside of the burns. Mining men claim that this is proof that the explosion took place inside of the gangway and that the men walked into it. The force of the explosion blew them against the sides, which accounts for the injuries on the back.
While the rescuing party were making an examination of the bodies it was discovered that Zamin still have life in him. He was huried to the slope, where Drs. R. H. Stutzman of Tower City, and Fegley of Tremont, were in waiting and gave what attendance they could, after which the injured man was hoisted to the surface and later placed on a train which would take him to the Pottsville hospital. He died before the train reached Tremont and the body was brought back on the next train.
While some of the rescuers were takling care of the injured man, others started to gather up the dead. The bodies were placed on stretchers, covered with canvas or blankets and one by one taken to the tender slope and hoister to the surface. The work of getting the dead to the slope was not an easy one as the gangway was strewn with broken timber, plank and other obstructions blown there by the force of the explosion.
While one squad were at work with the seven men mentioned above, another squade went into the tunnel. Here the air was not so good, the after damp or smell of the burnt gas being strong and sickening and the men had to proceed cautiously. Some distance inside the tunnel, but not at the face where the men were working, the bodies of the eight foreign tunnel workers were found. They were all badly burned but their bodiew were not mutilated very much. As speedily as possible the dead bodies were wrapped in canvas and sent to the surface. Here they were taken tothe wash house near by and cleaned up, teacher, ministers and others assisting in the work. After being washed they were loaded on wagons and sent to their homes, boarding houses or undertaking establishments.
Sixteen persons were not acvcountged for. The missing were inside foreman Farrell, district superintendent Lorenz and firebosses Farley and Fessler. The force of the explosion having closed ths gangway beyond the tunnell some distance, making it impossible to go any farther and greatly interferring with the air in the rest of the mine, mine inspector Pierce called for volunteers to help him explore tyhe rest of the mines and search for the missing men. Many volunteered. He selected Charles Fegley, a well known miner and tunnel contractor of Tower City. They started out to get back of the break, but before leaving told those who were at the tender slope that in case they did not hear from them in a certain length of time that a relief party should be sent after them. Mr. Fegley told the Herald reporter that they proceeded very cautiously but that mine inspector Price proved that he was the right man on the job. He had the utmost confidence in him as the inspector showed not the least fear but used the utmost caution. They worked their way into the No. 5 or big vein on No. 5 level and had gone as far as breast No. 54 when they came across the form of superintendent Lorenz lying in the gangway. They spoke to him and he answered. He told them that he was not hurt much but that he was cold and thirsty. He was coatless and said he felt bewildered. He did not know how far Farrell was or anything that happened to the other men. Inspector Price stayed with the wounded superintendent while Fegley returned to the tender slope and told of their discovery. A stretcher and blankets with a number of volunteers headed by Fegley were started for the wounded man. Several physicians also accompanied the party. When they arrived Lorenz made a request that they carry him down a travelling road over a circuitous route to the bottom of the shaft. His request was complied with, although it was with great difficulty that the stretcher could be gotten through some of the steep and narrow places. Arriving at the bottom of the shaft he was taken to the surface and then to the wash house to be cleaned. As speedily as possible he was taken on a stretcher to the private car of General Superintendent Richards and was hurried to the Pottsville hospital where he died a 3 o’clock Sunday morning. He was badly burned about the body and head but was not bruised very much. His clothing were partly burned from his body. The internal injuries is what caused his death.
In the meantime inspector Price and Fegley continued their search for Farrell. They found his body at breast No. 65 in the same gangway where they found Lorenz. The distance between the two men was almost 100 feet. Farrell was cold in death and it is supposed that he died instantly. His body and face were badly burned. His body was taken to the surface by way of the shaft and after it was wasahed up was sent to his home in a wagon. It required six men to carry the body.. He was aqbout six feet tall and weighed over two hundred and fifty pounds.
Eighteen men had now been accounted for and two were still missing, Fessler and Farley. A consultation was held in which the Mine Inspector, General Manager Richards and other officials took part. It was decided to make a search of all parts of the mine. Squads were sent out in all directions, but all returned without having found any trace of the missing men. It was then agreed that the missing men were caught under the fall in No. 4 vein, No. 5 level, near their death. No time was lost to organizing working squads for the purpose of clearing up or opening this gangway. Three sets of men in charge of competent and experienced foremen are working day and night and will be kept at work until the gangway is cleared and the bodies of the men found. No man can tell when this will take place, the work being dangeroous and necessarily slow. Every precaution is being taken to prevent furhter accidents, yet the work is being pushed forward as rapidly as possible. Mine inspector Price and General Manager Richards are at the colliery night and day and will likely remain there until the bodies of the men are recovered. A number of mine inspectors, mine superintendents and inside foremen are also at the colliery.
NO CONFUSION ON DAY OF ACCIDENT
There was no confusion around the colliery while the rescue parties were in the mine or while the dead were being brought to the surface. Several hundred men, women and children were gathered about the works and nonone who was called upon to lend assistqance refused to give service. The entrance to the tender slope was roped off and C. & I. policemen would permit only those who had business there to go behind the ropes. The bodies of the men were carefully covered with canvas and only those who assisted in washing the bodies were able to view them before they were sent to their homes.
The first explosion was supposed to have taken place at about 11:20 o’clock in the morning. Whether it was a dynamite or gas explosion is not known, although experienced mining men believe that it was dynamyte. It is known that 175 pounds of dynamite was sent into the mine that morning for the use of the men who are driving a rock tunnel under the direction of contractor Portland of Pottsville. This is not a usual amount of explosives to be in the mine at one time, that much being used at times on one shift. No dynamite is used in the daytime, however, unless it was used by the laborers, known as muckers, to break large lumps of rock which had been loosened the night before. If these men used any of the dynamite it will never be known as all are dead. There is no other means of finding out if the first explosion was dynamite.
THE SECOND EXPLOSION
As near as can be figured out the second explosion took place about 20 minutes to 12 o’clock or just about 20 minutes after the first, though it may have been 15 minutes to 12 or 25 minutes after.
The time is set by the watches found in the pockets of two of the first six men that went into the mines. After the first explosion one watch stopped at 11:40 o’clock and the other at 11:45. The difference in time is believed to be due to the one watch being faster or slower than the other. That the second explosion was caused by some mine gas there is very little doubt. The theory is advanced that the first shock caused the fall of coal and rock that closed up the gangway beyond the tunnel preventing the proper circulation of air. The stock also disturbed some hidden gas. The air being diverted by the fall the gas is supposed to have backed and into the gangway, also into tunnel. It must have come in a volume to fill up the gangway in so short a time. What is perplexing the officials most is to find where the gas came from. Another matter that is puzzling is what set off the gas. Did some one walk into it with a naked lamp, strike a match or open up a safety lamp? Or assuming that the first explosion was from dynamite did this cause a fire in the tunnel which later set fire to the gas? It is a positive fact that gas will not explode on its own accord and that fire of some kind is the only thing that will explode it. What set off the gas? Those that could solve this problem are dead.
OTHER MEN IN MINE AT TIME OF EXPLOSION
The Herald was informed that in addition to the 20 men injured and killed, there were three other workmen in the mine at the time of the explosion, James Colbert, of Reinerton, Frank Farrell, a son off the dead inside foreman, and Hillery Zimmerman of Orwin. The two first named were making reports at a plane in another part of the mine. They say that the first explosion made a noise like the slamming of a heavy door, the second as though a train of cars were passing along the gangway. They were on the plane when this took place. Zimmerman was at the bottom of the tender slope and though he heard a noise he was in no danger.
NOTES ON THE EXPLOSION
The obituarues of the mine victijms, together with further items will be published next week. Spave nor time would permit this week.
On Thursday morning, the condition of Harry Schoffstall was reported to be very good and he will likely recover.
The bodies of Fessler and Farley had not been recovered up to Thursday noon and there is no telling when they will be found.
Hundreds of messages of sympathy were received fromout of town people by the relatives and friends of the dead mine foremen.
Brookside colliery will likely remain idle until after the bodies of Fessler and Farley are found.
Among the out of town priests that visited Rev. Smith during the week were Reverends Haley of Nebraska; McMahon of Philadelphia; Wilson, Morton, and Ward, of New Philadelphia; McGovern of Pottsville; and Bishop Dougherty, of the Philippine Islands. They did not assist in any of the masses.
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News article from Newspapers.com.
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