pg 25
The mine was inspected from March 12 to 15 by C.P. Byrnee of Charleroi, district state mine inspector. In his report Byrne stated:
"The general condition of the mine workings was found good. The ventilation is ample to keep the workings in a safe and healthy condition. In connection with the development work in the dip section where explosive gas is inclined to give off freely, I would advise this section be given careful attention and keep the air current as close to the working faces as possible."
The state inspector recommended that the walls and ceilings of the dip section be rock dusted.
This recommendation was carried out, officials of the mine stated last Sunday.
pg 26
Rescue crews coming out of the mine Sunday were of th ebelief that the blast occurred in the dip section. They had been unable so far to penetrate this section of the wrecked workings.
Lot Davis, a Negro, died a few hours after being taken out of the mine alive. Among the others rescued, several of whom were taken to Waynesburg hospital, were Jake Hockey, Mike Stefanic, Felix Tapinska, Albert Fowler, Field Whitney, Charles Bosward, Stanley Sakoskey and Tony Miller. Fowler and Whitney were injured seriously.
One theory was that a pocket of gas had been struck at one of the working faces in the mine. Veterans of the pit, including Leo O'Hara who had worked in the Mather mine four years as a cutter, disagreed with this theory and gave the opinion that it was a coal dust explosion. They believed a wreck had piled up a motor and a string of cars, stirring up a lot of coal dust, which had been ignited by a spark from a trolley wire. They clung to this theory even though the Mather mine, which was considered a model in modern methods of engineering efficiency, had been completely rock dusted, which is a method used in mines to avert explosion of coal dust.
Leo O'hara, a cutter, left the mine an hour before the explosion occurred, but on hearing of the disaster he immediately re-entered the mine as a volunteer rescue worker. Two miles from the main shaft pg 27
he came across the mangled body of his best friend, Johnny Wrobleski, a track layer, from a pocket of Wrobleski's coat O'Hara took a brass tapeline, which he declared he was going to keep as a souvenir. Johnny was as fine a fellow as any man ever worked with, said O'hara as he took a short rest Sunday afternoon. He was always trying to help someone. Many a playful argument I have had with him about this tape measure, for I often borrowed it from him and now, to think that he is dead, I can't believe it.
Mine officials said it would be difficult to compile a casualty list, for some of the men were known to have escaped through the fan shaft at a distance from the pit mouth. Numbered brass checks carried by the miners were being carefully checked up and the mine bosses said that there was unusual confusion in regard to the identities of the victims.
The explosion occurred about 5 o'clock daylight saving time when the day and night forces were changing shifts.
On the time-keepers' board at the mine office were 164 brass time checks which made it certain that the number had entered the mine, but it also was known that the actual number in the mine at the time of the explosion was much higher. Many of the night shift had not descended into the mine, but considerable number of the day men were still in the mine.
One of the unidentified men taken out late in the afternoon had only worked in the mine one day. His check was found in his pocket, but his name had not yet been entered on the payroll.
As the rescue workers continued their task, it became increasingly apparent that few if any of the men would be found alive. The thirty-fourth body brought to the surface was headless and many of the others were minus arms and legs. Faces were mutilated beyond recognition and in many cases the brass checks were the only means of identification.