The Daily Courier from Connellsville, Pennsylvania • Page 1

LAST EDITION SEVEN VOL. 61, NO. 23. CONNELLSVILLE, PA-; SOUTH CONNEUSVIUE, PA. SCOTTDALE, PA.

MT. PLEASANT, PA. FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 7, 1962. TWENTY PAGES. EXPLOSION ROBENA GOAL MINE ENTOMBS 37 EMPLOYES i a Heavy Drifts Complicate Seven-Inch Snow in City District Schools Closed NAMES OF MEN SOUGHT IN ROBENA MINE A seven-inch white blanket cov ered Connellsville by 7 a.m.

today with drifts measuring five to six feet or more in various parts of the city. But, it was light when compared to other spots in Fayette County such as Wharton Township where the snowfall was reported at 14 inches plus ihe drifting. City police reported only one accident attributed to skidding which caused nothing more than slight damage to the cars. That one came at 2:35 p.m.* Thursday as the snow began falling more heavily. According to the official record maintained at the Menefee Gulf Service Station, the snow -was three inches deep at 7 a.m.

Thursday and climbed the remaining four inches by this morning. Snows first blew into Western Pennsylvania a Wednesday, hitting Pittsburgh before knifing further east to pelt Connellsville and the surrounding area. Warnings of heavier snows to come were i by the Weather Bureau from time to time Wednesday and, Thursday. Rain and some small flakes preceded snow in Connellsville late Wednesday but the heavy stuff didn't come in until late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. By 7 a.m.

Thursday, the three inches here had been recorded with more still coming down. Every school in the immediate vicinity was closed this morning and many persons were unable to report for work in offices and plants. City streets and open highways were snarling a i throughout the area. Stare police reported several minor skidding accidents and said only those finding it "absolutely necessary" to travel should venture out. Troopers at the Uniontown barracks of the state police were concentrating most of their force around the mine disaster area at Robena No.

3 shaft where 36 men were trapped by a gigantic underground methane explosion. Road crews centered all of their efforts on clearing roads leading to- the disaster scene so rescue equipment could get through. By the time those roan's were cleared, crews started fanning out to clear major traffic arteries in the area. By mid morning many of the roads were "passable but dangerous." City firemen didn't a i for heavy snow. Chains were put on fire trucks early Thursday morning.

However, there were no-calls throughout Thursday or by late morning today. High winds complicated the snow picture by piling up drifts throughout the city, some as high as five feet and over. The winds pounded over the area most of Thursday, but reached their peaks after midnight to make the snows fall almost horizontally instead of vertically. The picture was equally bad -possibly worse in and around Mount Pleasant where many of Frick Community Hospital's staff were unable to report for work. Several stores were unable to open.

A group of Screw and Bolt Corp. of America employes found themselves stranded trying to get home at 11 p.m. Thursday. Unable to move their cars, the men gathered in car and ran heater until the fuel was gone. They transferred to each other's cars running the heaters until the fuel in eiich gave out.

The Weather Windy and cold with snow squalls today, additional accurmi- lalion of two to five inches, high 25-35: diminishing winds tonighl with snow flurries, low 20-28; Saturday cloudy and cold with snow flurries is the noon weather forecast for Western Pennsylvania. Record W2 7941 Maximum 30 54 Minimum 21 3fi Mean 26 45 One man, Wilbur Grace of 498 West Main decided he'd try to make it on foot and started out toward the borough bakery, but the going wasn't easy. Worried, his wife called police and Frick Community Hospital to report him missing shortly after 8 a.m. However, Grace walked into the house under his own power around 10 a.m. nearly "stiff as a poker," according to Mrs.

Grace who promptly took measures t'o prevent any illness from developing and rushed him off to bed, Elsewhere in the Westmoreland County area, highway crews had the Greensburg lo Mount Pleasant road opened by mid morning. Scottdale brought in extra equipment in a battle to keep its streets at least open, Borough Manager Jack Sine reported this morning. He said crews have succeeded in keeping traffic lanes open, but these remain "very dangerous." The Scottdale-Mount Pleasant road was closed, Sine said. By late morning there appeared no letup as snow flakes continued to bombard the area, threatening to worsen conditions that were already bad enough throughout the western part of the state. By United Press International Howling snowstorms struck with devastating tury throughout all of Pennsylvania but the eastern sector today, creating clogged highways and causing at least five deatjis.

A 45-mile section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike between Donegal and Kegg in the western end was buffeted by winds ranging from 50 to 60 miles an hour and i piled up to upwards of- three feet in the surrounding area. However, a turnpike official said traffic was moving well considering tne circumstances. "The temperature dropped from 25 to 18 degrees throughout the night but the' work crews are managing to keep ahead of the storm," the spoksman said. "The wind' is giving us the greatest problem. The wind Tuesday night blew out towards the sea but reversed itself and came right back at us." Charles Hoppes, maintenance superintendent of the western section of the turnpike said it was the worst storm he had ever seen, even surpassing the one three years ago.

Only emergency traffic was permitted to enter turnpike interchanges. Northwest Hit Hardest The heaviest snow was reported in western Pennsylvania Bradford reported 13 inches and Kane 11. Four persons were killed Thursday when their car collided with a tractor trailer on snow-covered Route 350, two miles north of the Bald Eagle intersection near Philipsburg. A Eecchburg man was killed Thursday when he lost control of his car and collided with a tractor trailer on slippery Route 66 in Armstrong County. Central Pennsylvania residents dug out of a snowfall that followed ram a drop in temperature to 30 degrees.

Washington County traffic moved at a snail's pace because of snow drifts. Most schools in the' county were closed although those in (he city of Washington were open Routes 19, 31. 40 and other roads were either completely blocked in sections or traffic moved along one Jane. Pittsburgh Airport Open Winds ranged from 20 to 45 miles per hour in Pittsburgh. The police traffic department said vehicles were moving at "half spoed." There were four inches of snow at Greater Pittsburgh Airport but the control lower reported planes were able Continued on Page Four Dunbar volunteer firemen are continuing their search today under extremely difficult weather conditions for William Smith of Belle Vernon, reported missing in the mountains above Dunbar by two hunting companions at 6:30 p.m.

Thursday. Firemen searched the area last night but were unable to locate the missing hunter. His companions, who remained in the area all night, said they had a prearranged signal of one shot every six minutes in the event that they became separated but that no shot was heard from the missing man. Poor visibility, high winds and deep'snow drifts encountered last night and tdoay are hampering attempts by the volunteer firemen to locate the missing man. Jeeps being used to take searchers into the woods to branch out on foot returned to Dunbar at 11 a.m.

to refuel. At that time thert had been no trace of the man. Dunbar Fire Chief John Dunaway is directing operations by Dunbar, North Union and Farmington volunteer firemen and other volunteers. Missing PITTSBURGH (UPI) names and addresses of the 36 'miners trapped in the Robena No. 3 mine explosion, as provided by the United Slates Sleel Corp.

here: 1. C. Laucher, 49, Box 28, Leek- rone, Pa. 2. E.

W. McCann, 48, 211 Cumberland Masontown, Pa. 3. C.J. Seper, 44, House 57, Ronco, Pa.

4. W.H. Wright, 55, RD 1, Box 199, McClellandtown, Pa. 5. S.

Rain, 47, RD 1, Box 165, McClellandtown. 6. G.L. Spellman, 58, Uniontown, Pa. 7.

A.J. Hvizdas, 47, box 339, New Salem, Pa. 8. A.J. Sauner, 49, Box 9, Hibbs, Pa.

9. H. Pitts, 37, 14, Jamison, Uniontown. 10. C.S.

Van Divner, 39, Box 655, Uledi, Pa. 11. M.E. Stanik, 60, Box 227, Crucible, Pa. 12.

F. Hudock, 51, Box 197, Oliver Pa. 13. V. Tokish, 43, 327 N.

Market, Carmichaels. 14. A. Cavalcanle, 48, 400 N. Main, Masontown.

15. N. Benninghoff, 57, RD 1, Box 125, McClellandtown. 16. A.

Andrews 45, RD 4, Box Unionlown. 17. J. Karlyak, 38, Box 218, Grindstone, Pa. Tito, Nikita Enter Final Day of Talks; Details Kept Secret MOSCOW (UPI) Yugoslav Prsident Tito and Premier Nikita Khrushchev today went into their third and final day of "frank and friendly" tafks, with Communisfcv China believed to be the major topic.

The talks began Wednesday at a hunting lodge outside Moscow and continud in the Kremlin on Thursday. of the discussions Have not been disclosed. Tass, the official Soviet news agency, said only that the two leaders covered Soviet-Yugoslav and international problems in a friendly atmosphere. Western observers believed, however, that the ideological dispute between Communist China on one hand and Russia and Yugoslavia on the other occupied the top spot on the agenda. Peking has stepped up i attacks on Yugoslavia since Tito's arrival here Tuesday, calling him a "brazen traitor" and "enemy of communism." By implication, the attacks included Tito's host, although Khrushchev was not cited by name.

18. J.H. Steech, 60, 200 I I Masontown. I 19. A.K.

Kanyuch, 55, Box Rt. 88, Carmichaels. 20. E.G. Zuzak, 46, Fairbank, Pa.

I 21. P.C. Zvolenski, 40, Box 88, Adah, Pa. 22. C.J.

Sebeck 41, RD stone, Pa. 23. J.E. Martoncik 45, RD 2, Box 197, Uniontown. 24.

N. Caromano, 57, Unionlown. 25. A. Marra, 62, 36 Kerr Unionlown, 26.

F. Hainzer 40, Box 386, Masonlown. 27. J.H. Boyd.

Carmichaels 28. F.H. Rifenburg, 51, Box 11B, RD 1, Masonlown. 29. E.

Mullica, 58, RD 3, Box 40, Unionlown. 30. H.C. Stalnaker, 50, 155 Palmer, Adah. 31.

William Blacha, 49, Box 322, Clarksville, Pa. 32. Oran McDowell, 46, Box 83, Smithfield. 33. Albert Bronakoski, 18, Box 213, Bobtown, Pa.

34. J.J. St. Clair, 42, maintenance foreman, RD 1, Box 156, New Salem. 35.

J.M. Santer, 53, assistanl mine foreman, 47 Mullen Unionlown. 36. J.W.' Hribel. 39, assistanl mine foreman, 326 N.

Market Carmichaels. 37. Arthur Labos, 37. Fairbank: 47 Others Flee to Safety From Frosty Run Shaft- Hope Fading for Trapped Stork Brings Infant In Ambulance Birth On Closed Road SCOTTDALE It took a lot of driving, digging, plowing and ingenuity, but Miss Hixson made it into the land of the living just the same. Ignoring adverse weather warnings, Joe Stork decided it was time to visit Mr, and Mrs.

Louis F. Hixson of Scottdale, R. D. 1, come what may. So, the.

Hixsons trotted out the family car a headed toward Frick Community Hospital in Mount Pleasant. By the 'time they got to Cunningham's bridge, approximately -k miles west of Scoltdale, the Hixsons could get no further and became stranded in a snow draft. Hixson made his way to a telephone and called Dr. Earl Gilbert of Scottdale. Dr.

Gilbert started out in his car about 2 a.m. after first calling the Scoltdale firemen's ambulance to follow him. The two vehicles made their way to the stranded Hixson car and put the couple into the doctor's auto. They plowed through as far as Cozy Corners midway between the two boroughs where Dr. Gilbert became stranded.

They transferred to the ambulance and conlinued. Then the ambulance got into trouble and had to return to Scottdale the birth coming closer. Ambulance driver Sprinkle of 36 North Grove and his companion, Edward Guest of 105 went to the Scottdale fire house where Guest got into the fire truck and the two vehicles started out a a i for Mount Pleasant. The truck acted as a snow plow to break through the virtually clogged road. By the time the ambulance got to Pleasant Lanes Bowling Alley, action started.

And, just before the ambulance got to Frick Community Hospital Miss Hixson had arrived: time, 4 a.m. Mother and daughter were reported fine. Epilogues to the story: firemen got back to Scottdale at 8:30 a.m. Urge Reservations For Chamber's Meeting Tuesday Reservations a night's Industrial Division dinner at Pleasant Valley Country Club are currently being accepted at the Chamber of Commerce office. Lester L.

Page, in charge of meals arrangements, called for early reservations today, Chamber members, their guests, club representatives and interested members of the general public may attend the dinner and talk by Dr. D. S. Newill. The physician, who is chairman of the Internee Committee for Connellsville State General Hospital, will speak on "A House Physician for Connellsville Hospital." To LeacJ Firemen.

Anthony Mauro has been reelected president and John McClure fire chief of Claridge firemen. Worst Tragedy In Coal Mines 55 Years Ago NEW YORK (UPI) The coal mine explosion at Carmichaels, Pa. Thursday was a grim anniversary reminder of the nation's worst mine disaster exactly 55 ago. On Dec. 6, 1907, a blast at Monongah, W.

killed 381 miners. The number of lives lost in seven mine accidents in the U.S. during the past 15 years has nearly equalled that figure. The world's worst mine tragedy took place April 26, 1942 in the Honkeiko Colliery of Manchuria. A total of 1,549 workers were killed.

In addition to the Monongah disaster, there were four others between 1900 and 1913, each of which claimed at last 200 lives. They occurred at Scofield, Utah (May 1, 1900; 200 killed), Jacobs Creek, Pa. (Dec. 19, 1907; 239 killed), Cherry, 111. (Nov.

13, 1909; 295 killed) and Dawson, N.M., (Ocjt. 22, 1913; 263, In the most recent previous mine disaster in the U.S., 22 workers- were killed March 2, 1961 at Terre Haute, Ind. Mine disasters struck the town of Bishop, Va. twice in less than two years. Fifty-nine were killed on Feb.

1957 and 22 on Oct. 27, 1958. Other recent disasters include: --119 killed at West Frankfort, 111., Dec. 21, 1951. --Ill killed at Centralia, 111., March 25, 1947.

--18 killed at Logan, W. March 8, 1960. --12 killed at Pittston, Jan. 22, 1959. FAA Discounts Theory Lost Truck May Have Crossed Over Runway WASHINGTON (UPI) The Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) Thursday discounted conjecture that a maintenance truck might have contributed to the crash of an Eastern Air Lines plane in New York City last Friday nighl.

The Iheory, raised by a source close to the investigation of the accident which killed 25 persons, involved a possibility that a ground vehicle driving through fog might have wandered across the runway in front of the airliner just as it was about to land. But an FAA spokesman said a thorough check of all ground vehicle movements at the time of the crash showed there was none near Ihe runway where Ihe plane was trying to land. By KIRK VOGELEY United Press International CARMICHAELS, Pa. I -Weary rescue workers battled against time today in an effort to reach 37 men trapped 680 feet below the earth's surface by an explosion in the Frosty Run shaft of a U.S. Steel Corp.

coal mine. Rescuers pushed to within 5,500 feet of an area where the men were believed trapped. At that point, progress was halted as a horizontal shaft was sealed off to permit further advances. Officials said there was a slim chance the miners had reached a safe area and survived the methane gas explosion and a fire which apparently followed. But no word had been received from the trapped men since the blast.

The blast occurred at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday in the Frosty Run shaft of the Robena No. 3 mine owned and operated by the United Slates Sleel Corp. Eighty-three men were in the mine at the time. Forty-seven fled lo safety. At 4:30 a.m.

EST today, a U.S. Steel spokesman said rescue teams had worked their way to within about 5,500 feet of where the men were believed trapped. The blast area was about 680 feet underground and between Ihree and four miles from the mouth of the shaft. Anniversary Of Disaster Thursday was the 55lh anniver sary of the worst mine disaster on record in the United States- one which killed 361 men Dec. 6, 1907, at Monongah, W.

Va. James B. Girod, assistant general superintendent of the Robena Mine, said it was "difficult to say" whether there could be any hope the missing miners' were alive. Girod said that two' assistant mine foremen who were among men were "crack Arrives In Florida. WEST PALM BEACH, i UPI) Former Ambassador Joseph P.

Kennedy, father of the President, arrived from New York Thursday for his annual winter visit. Republic Steel to Place New Coal Plant in Operation Early in 1963 A new coal preparation plant, Ihe first of its kind in the country aration plant is located Banning No. 4 mine cated at the each, the cleaning units also No. 4 improvement program at West New-, mit more economical maintcn- is a raw coal blending and the major unit in a $5,000,000 about 35 miles south of Pitts-iance. improvement a at Re-1 burgh, it will replace the prepara- 1 Banning No.

4 wi public Steel Corporation's Banning lion plant at Banning No. 1, six' Republic mine to mine in Western Pennsylvania, will go into operation early next year, T. F. Patlon, president, announced today. The improvements represent the largest signle expenditure in a modernization program started six ago in Ihe' company's Northern Coal Mines District.

In miles south of No. 4. The preparation plant will have a capacity to process 500 tons of i and storage bin where the coal is will be the first readied for feeding into the prepa- use a thermal ration plant. drying unil for reducing! Ground was broken for the new moisture content in the coal. The plant will be able to layer- coal per hour.

will be equipped load clean coal into freight cars with two American-made, Teska- typc, heavy-media coal cleaning units the first to be installed in preparation plant last March. Re- if there were any have the missing rescue men chance, those two would' accomplished something." Among the missing was 13-year- old Albert F. Bronakoski of Bobtown, a U.S. Steel student- trainee under a five-year engineering program operated jointly with Pennsylvania State University. Pennsylvania state Mines Secretary Lewis Evans said the explosion was caused "either by methane gas and dust, or methane gas alone." Workers Encounter Fumes The rescue workers, operating in relays of three eight-man teams, encountered traces of carbon monoxide fumes, indicating fire, and small amounts of methane gas which Girod as "below the safety level." The rescue workers had to dig through rubble from rock falls and timber cave-ins.

As they went along they shored up the walls and roof of the shaft and set up power lines to operate the ventilating system. At midnight, Girod said it would be a "great many hours" before the rescue workers could reach the blast area. Weather conditions at the site were bad. Strong winds whipped a sleady snowfall, hampering the movement of emergency supplies to the site. State police reported many trailers jackknifed along the main arteries leading to this soft coal mining area in south- vvu.ilern Pennsylvania about 40 miles south of Pittsburgh.

Families Wait Af Shaft Because of the bad weather the U.S. Steel Corp. at first asked the families of the trapped men not to go to the mine. But about eight hours after the accident the company began calling the fami- I'es to tell them they could go (o the site. The families waited in public has been working the Ban- 1 a large corrugated structure erating.

Shortly after that miners came rushing out of the shaft. Some of Ihose who escaped said they were working about Iwo miles from the blast area. Some said they heard a "thud," some felt a rush of air. Some said the blast waves knocked their helmets off their heads. The Robena No.

3 mine, together with its sister mines, Robena No. 1 and Robena No. 2, form a vast spider web of shafts under 69,000 acres in Greene and Fayette counties. They are called captive which are owned and operated by steel companies to provide soft coal for their mills. The Robena mines serve Steel's mills in the Pittsburgh area.

The state mine rescue truck, and state and federal mine inspectors were on the scene, Unit ed Mine Workers leaders, led by William J. Hynes, veteran president of UMW District 4, stood by. One of the UMW leaders was Alfred (Fricky) Cavalcante. His cousin, "Biz" Cavalcante of Masontown, was' one of the trapped men. Twenty of the 44 miners who escaped unhurt joined the rescue workers.

Frick District General Ralph C. Beerbower was at one of the other Robena mines when the disaster happened. He immediately entered the Frosty Run shaft and was still there after p.m. Jesse Core, U. S.

Steel' vice president for a operations, came to the scene. Kenneth HribaU a brother of one of the trapped foremen, explained that his brother is an expert in mine rescue work. He expressed the belief that there is some sort of escape route in the mine (through Secretary Evans wasn't optimistic on this score). "If anybody can get them out, Jim can," Hrihal said. Operations at the Robena 1, 2 and 3 Mines employing a total of 1,200 men ceased immediately upon word of the All of the mines are inter-connected underground, with Frostjr Run at the far southwest corner of the complex.

The Frosty Run shaft is 628 feet deep, and the face where the blast occurred is more than three miles from the bottom of the shaft. There was a possibility that there actually were two blasts instead of one. The first intimation of Frick District Asst. Gen." Supt. James Girod, came when the mine fan "went down." It was put back on the line, then ten minutes later it went out again.

This time it was 45 minutes before the fan could be started and ventilation restored. A cloud of dust boiled hack down the haulageway from the disaster scene. Mines rescue crews, carrying self-containing breathing apparatus, immediately entered the They were followed by other men restoring rails, cables and munications lines. There was no telephonic communication whatsoever from the trapped men. Narrow roads leading to the mine drifted shut in many places as the snowstorm increased in intensity during the night.

There were numerous i i accfi dents. State Police hurried to the scene from the Wayflesburg. Uniontown. Belle Vernon and Washington stations. Ambulances were sent from funeral homes Yoney, Dearth, New Saiem; and Carmichaels.

Other ambulance! the United Slstes. This cleaning 1 Western Pennsylvania. on four tracks with 24 cars in each loading movement 1he first Uile coal there for plant lo have this capability in 25 more years. The company has ning properties since 1M7 and ex-j which along one side houses the throughout Fayette pects to conlinue mining high vola- elevator leading down into were placed on sUmdbv lilft fftr TJun eVinff trorft 5 CMtinued Fife Pev removed some 10.500,000 tons of technique, widely used "i foreign, A special design feature will en- coal from the mines in the past 15 eluding the a i improve- countries, makes possible a great- able half of the preparation plant years menCs. approximately cr control of product separation to operate while the other half is Coal from th? mine' is in has been spent for Modernization and a full range of gravity control idle, thus providing a continuous coking operations af RerniMic in fhe district since 1937.

which permits a more efficient re- and flexible operation. plants in Cleveland. Mawllon, Five stories high, the new prep- covery of coal. Weighing tons; A principal feature in (he Ban-, Warren and Vowngstown, Ohm. Frosty Run shaft.

They were, mostly silent. There was no' weeping. Girod said that workers in the corrugated MniclHTC got Ihrir first indication that something wrong M. I A ST, Thurs- Before marriage, a when the ventilator fan in, yearns fdr woman. Mtgc ffo ithe Frosty Run shaft slopped op-', tnoniogt ffw Today's Chuckle.