Allegany County MD Archives News.....Sad Funeral Services of 23 Miners, 1911 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/md/mdfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Shawn McGreevy [shawnmcgreevy@geatz.com] "Piedmont Herald, Piedmont, West Virginia, 5 May 1911: "Sad Funeral Services-Over the Twenty-Three Miners Who Perished In No. 20 Mine, Elk Garden, W. Va., April 24, 1911-The Dead Are Buried-The dead are buried. The ghastly scenes that will remain in our memories while life shall last are now in the past. The heart still aches but submits to the awful stroke, and feels that some day we shall understand. It was stated last week that Festival and Moody's halls were converted into morgues, and Undertakers F. C. Rollman and Wm. H. Kight were given charge of the dead jointly. These undertakers and their assistants worked faithfully at their gruesome task. Hundreds of persons, home people and strangers, visited the morgues when conditions were suitable and thus realized to some extent the force of the awful calamity. Some of the dead were burned about the face and hands, some were bruised and faces scarred, while others showed no external signs of violence, but seemed to be calmly sleeping. Wm. Pearson's remains were taken to Lonaconing Wednesday morning to the home of his sister, Mrs. Wm. Reiber, for interment. His age is 32 years and he leaves a wife and three small children. On Wednesday afternoon at 5 o'clock four of the Wilsons were interred in Nethken Hill cemetery. Rev. J.W. Bedford and L.C. Messick conducted the church services. The remains in the four caskets which were all in the church at the same time were, John R. Wilson, aged 57 years, 5 months, 16 days. He leaves a wife and a number of children, all adults. Lester Wilson, aged 18 years, 2 months and 26 days, leaves a young wife. George Roy Wilson, aged 23 years, 6 months, and 16 days, leaves a wife and two small children. Lester and George Wilson were both sons of Jno. R. Wilson and Frank Wilson, his son-in-law. Thursday was funeral day. The undertakers did their parts exceedingly well, and worked on almost exact schedule time. The congregations gathered quietly and quickly, and while one interment was going on in the cemetery another funeral was being held in the church. The M.E. church, South, was used for all church funerals on Wednesday. The large crowds of people at the cemeteries, on the streets and in the church were noted for their quiet demeanor and orderly conduct. At seven o'clock in the morning Father O'Hara conducted the funeral services in the Catholic church of James Dempsey, aged 57 years, Leo Dempsey, aged 23 years, and James Brown, aged 38 years. James Dempsey leaves a wife, one married and four single daughters, and a small boy. His remains and that of his son, Leo, were taken to Barton for burial. James Brown leaves a wife and two small children. His remains and those of Wm. Buski, aged about 25 years, were take to Westernport for burial. At nine o'clock Rev. Geo. W. Yost preached the funeral sermon of Harry Tranum, aged 26 years, at his late residence. He leaves a wife and one small child. At ten o'clock the funeral services of John P. Prichard, aged 48 years, 9 months and 14 days, and his son, Arthur Prichard, aged 17 years, 9 months and 20 days, were conducted at the church by Rev. L. C. Messick. Mr. Prichard leaves a wife and seven children, some of which are grown. At eleven o'clock, in the church, the funeral rites of Charles Wilson, aged 21 years, and married, son of Floyd Wilson, was conducted by Rev. W. J. Bernard. At twelve o'clock Rev. J.W. Bedford conducted the funeral services of John White, Sr., aged 42 years and John White, Jr., aged 24 years, in the church. John White, Sr., is a widower and leaves two daughters, Mrs. Maude Shriber and Miss Goldie. John White, Jr., was single and was know by the name of "Geet." At one o'clock the funeral services of Ed Hershbarger were conducted at his late residence by Rev. L.C. Messick. His age is 33 years, 2 months, and 17 days. He was the son-in-law of Rev. W.S. Rau and leaves a wife and two small children. At two o'clock the funeral services of Hawthorne Patton, aged 20 years, son of Mr. F. C. Patton, deputy assessor of this county, was conducted by Rev. J.F. Leeper in the church. The Red Men of Elk Garden and Modern Woodmen, of Kitzmiller, Md., attended his funeral. At three o'clock the funeral services of Wm. Hetzel, aged 61 years, were conducted in the church by Rev. L.C. Messick. He leaves a wife and two grown daughters, one a widow and one single. The Mystic Chain attended the funeral. At four o'clock Rev. J.F. Leeper conducted the funeral rites of William Pugh, aged 24 years, and Frank Pugh, aged 29 years, at the residence of their father, Mr. John Pugh. Both were unmarried. Frank Pugh was a fireman on the B. & O. R.R. , and had been home on a furlough several months. At five o'clock the funeral services of Walter Runion, son of John Runion, aged 19 years, 11 months and 14 days, and Wilbur Shears, aged 31 years, 1 month and 23 days was conducted by Rev. L.C. Messick in the church. Walter Runion was unmarried but Wilbur Shears leaves a wife and five small children. At six thirty the funeral services of Thomas Yost, aged 29 years, 4 months, and 9 days were conducted in the church by Rev. L.C. Messick. He leaves a wife and three small children. Thus as the evening shades were falling the last of the ill-fated miners was laid to rest. Rev. L.C. Messick was assisted by Rev. A. B. Mann, of Bayard, Rev. Geo. Burgess, of Laurel Dale, and W.S. Rau, of Virginia. The choir was composed of Misses M.V. Arnold, Lizzie Grant, Olie Clark, Lou Barrick, Mrs. Maude Grant, Mrs. Rosa Dean, Mr. and Mrs. D.C. Arnold, Misses James Norman and David McKinley, of Elk Garden, Mr. Burns, and Mrs. Richard Markwood, of Kitzmiller. But what will the Davis Coal and Coke Company do for the widows and friends of the unfortunate victims of the explosion? In the first place $400 will be paid for each death which is the amount of miners insurance with the Company. This amount to $9,200. In the second place the company pays the funeral expenses, which amounts to $2,160.60, and further the widows are allowed to get goods at the B. & L. store to satisfy their immediate needs, and the price of goods is not deducted from the insurance. In giving credit for heroism displayed in rescue work at the mine we do not wish to detract any credit due the many faithful mine officials, but we do wish to commend the miners of the Elk Garden region, including Wabash, Oakmont, Kitzmiller, and from distant mines for their coolness, still and daring. It was their brother miners entombed and they toiled, they braved the dangerous gases, they reeled under the influence of the poison and when refreshed plunged into the mines again. The city __ drew on their imagination in stating that women and children were at the mines uttering heart rending cries. The women in nerely (sic) every case staid (sic) at home and there patiently bore the awful suspense until their loved ones lifeless forms were brought to them by the undertaker. It is difficult to tell which were the greater heroes, the women remaining at home in deepest grief, watching, hoping, praying, or the miners braving the deadly gases to rescue the bodies of their unfortunate comrades." This file is located at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/md/allegany/newspapers/minersfuneral.txt