Death Account of Joseph Cesari --July 15, 1937 Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Suzanne Cesari. cesarism@lycos.com. 4/04/04 USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. Obituary of Joseph Cesari, July 15, 1937 From the Shamokin News Dispatch Miner Killed by Black Damp 2 Others Overcome by Deadly Fumes in the Bootleg Mine Hole Joseph Cesari, 24, Kulpmont, Meets Death While Attempting Rescue of Two Companions Old Shaft Scene of Tragedy Trio Engaged in Examining Abandoned Mine Operation When Overcome; Dramatic Incidents Mark Rescue Efforts Use of Pulmotor Proves Futile One Kulpmont Resident is dead and two others of the same place are in Shamokin Hospital, the result of having been overcome by black damp at 8:15 this morning in a bootleg mine operation south of Kulpmont. Joseph Cesari, 24, of 518 Chestnut Street, was declared dead after a pulmotor had been used more than an hour in efforts to revive him after he had been raised from the mineshaft. John Geise and Steve Nagi, other victims of the damp are in the Shamokin Hospital and are expected to recover, although they inhaled great quantities of poisonous damp before they were hoisted to the surface. The death of Cesari came after he entered the shaft to go to the rescue of Geise, who had been the first to enter the workings. The efforts of Cesari were the first of a succession of dramatic incidents and rescues in connections with the latest in a long list of fatalities growing out of the bootleg mining industry in Northumberland and Schuylkill Counties. Workings Blown Shut... Large numbers of Kulpmont miners have been operating independent mines in the vicinity of Brennan's farm, located at the extreme southern end of Kulpmont. The property on which the men worked is owned by the Philadelphia & Reading Coal Inc. The workers were ordered some time ago to desist in their activities when company officials feared that working would menace legitimate operations at Alaska Colliery, located some distance from the scene of the independent operations. When the men disregarded the warnings, the company officers were sent to the working last night to blast them shut. Arriving at their operations that morning to find them destroyed, members of a party of miners set about to investigate previous operations or to ascertain the possibility of reopening the damaged holes. Geist Enters shaft Discovering a shaft 30 feet to depth, John Geise was lowered by a rope to make an inspection of the workings. Suddenly, realizing he was being overcome by poisonous gas, Geise returned to the bottom of the shaft and shouted for aid. He collapsed immediately following his cry of warning to the group on the surface. Joseph Cesari immediately volunteered to be lowered to rescue Geise and within a few seconds was lowered by hand down the old hole. Because of the ???original tipple and hosting apparatus had been shot away as the holes were blasted, it was necessary to use manpower in lowering men into the workings. Reaching the bottom of the shaft, Cesari looped the roper under he arms of Geise and ordered the man on the surface to hoist the victim. While Geise was being hoisted, Cesari shouted he too, was feeling the affects of black damp and sought rescue. Steve Nagi Lowered Steve Nagi was the first to volunteer to go to the rescue of Cesari after Geise had been raised to the surface to receive first aid treatment from experienced men. Reaching the bottom of the shaft, Nagi was adjusting a rope about the prostate form of Cesari when he become the third to ask aid as the deadly fumes began to overpower him. Joseph Nagi, the father of Steve demanded to be permitted to go to the rescue of his son and was lowered into the hole. Reaching the bottom and realizing Cesari had been there the longest time, Joseph Nagi carrying an extra rope, quickly formed a noose about Cesari's form and ordered men on the surface to hoist. Nagi Forced to Leave As Nagi was attempting to put another rope about the form of his son, he too, began to weaken from the black damp and directed he be hoisted to the surface to prevent his collapse in the shaft. He was hoisted from danger a few seconds later. The next volunteer to be lowered into the opening was Peter Toter, who also carried an auxiliary rope in which an emergency noose had been fashioned to permit of quick application about the form of Steve Nagi, who had been unconscious in the hole nearly an hour. Toter sent up the form of Steve Nagy within a minute after he reached the bottom of the shaft and was withdrawn himself a short time later before the damp overpowered him. Aid is Summoned News of the plight of the independent miners was conveyed into Kulpmont by a trucker while Robert Mummaw, also of Kulpmont hastened to the Alaska Colliery to notify officials of the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company of the plight of Cesari and others. Officials at the colliery accompanied by first aid men armed with pulmotors and other rescue equipment and company officers hastened to the scene and were there when the form of Cesari was raised to the surface. In the meantime, members of the Pennsylvania Motor Police were notified as a stream of humanity began to travel toward the scene of tragedy. Officers from the motor detail and coal company officers directed traffic about the scene and kept back large crowds. Physicians Present Coroner A.J. Ancerawicz, MD and Dr. Roy D. Bast, Kulpmont, also responded to calls to the scene and were on hand to administer to the early victims of the damp ordering two of them to the hospital. When Cesari was hoisted from the shaft, physicians worked over him for a time and directed the colliery first aid men in the operation of pulmotors. This continued more than an hour before the coroner officially pronounced Cesari dead. Included among those on the scene was the Reve. Dr. J.J.C. Petrovits, rector of St. Mary's Church , Kulpmont, who administered the last rites of the church to Cesari and gave religious consolation to others as they were hoisted from the shaft. Police Keep Order Great crowds encircled the scene of rescue work and at times murmurings of assembled independent miners were heard concerning the blasting shut of the independent operations last night by coal company officers which the miners contended caused the plight of the men caught in the old mine hole filled with black damp. The presence of Pennsylvania Motor Police and the effect of preserving order throughout the time the officers were on the scene to keep back the crowds. Experienced miners were permitted about the mouth of the old shaft to assist in hauling the rescuers and the victims out of the depths of the mine. The shaft in which Cesari's death occurred and from which others had to be hauled by rescuers, was very narrow and the prostrate forms of the victims of the black damp had to be hoisted carefully in a hand-over-hand process of being hoisted up the vertical operation. Joseph Cesari, the father of two small children, was among many WPA workers dismissed from projects early this week. He had never been engaged in bootleg mining and last evening even arranged with some independent miners to become associated in that means as a livelihood. It was his eagerness to find employment that prompted him to be the first to volunteer to enter the shaft when John Geist shouted for aid. Cesari was a son of Mr. And Mrs. Carmello Cesari, of Phillipsburg, NJ, where his father is said to be critically ill in a hospital. The young man was married three years ago to Mildred Altomare, of Kulpmont, and had been residing there since his marriage. He is survived by his wife, two children, Joseph Jr, aged two and Carmen, just 2 weeks of age (***my father), together with his parents, and four brothers and three sisters. Coroner Ancerawicz stated following death of Cesari this morning he will arrange an inquest. No date will be set pending the outcome of the condition of Geise and Nagi. Note** according to my grandmother, Mildred Cesari, my grandfather, Joseph was the only one who died.