Ritter, Burt

The death of Robert Ritter, 25 years old, at 8:50 o'clock last night brings the total list of fatalities resulting from the cave-in at the West Seventh Street Mine Friday night to six."Burt" Ritter, as he was known, was rescued alive from beneath the pile of rock within thirty minutes after the accident and was removed to St. John's hospital, where he lingered for twenty-four hours. He was conscious at intervals during that time, but could not talk. His wife was at his bedside until he died. The body was then removed to the morgue of the Joplin undertaking company, where it was placed in the row with his companions and that of Edward M. Allen, also killed Friday at West Hollow, Maidalaid Mine.

Frank Owsley, who was injured is much improved yesterday and no fear is entertained for his life. His right leg is broken near the ankle, but otherwise he is not hurt. William L. Owen, superintendent of the mine, who narrowly escaped being entombed with his men, was prostrated last night by the accident and the subsequent excitement.

An investigation into the cause of the accident was made yesterday morning by Coroner E. H. Bated, the Mine Inspector Charles Wallace and superintendent Owen. The party entered the ground at the mine and inspected the scene of the disaster. The place where the six men were crushed to death was at the extreme end of the drift and but a few feet from the face. The roof at this point was sixteen feet from the floor. Between the face and the shaft the roof was gradually higher until a maximum height of about thirty-Five feet is reached. The crib, for the support of the roof, was being built near the face. The dirt that fell consisted of a huge boulder, weighing many tons, had split from the roof and came down without warning. The fissure that had permitted it to separate from the roof extended back into the face and a large amount of dirt came out of the face. The men were caught in the pen, with the exception of Owsley, who was several feet to one side. The portion of the pen that was built was practically destroyed by the falling boulders, and it was the tangled mass of dirt and timber that obstructed the work of rescue. The slab broke into large boulders that were difficult to move, and the rescue party could not use dynamite to facilitate the work, because of fear of further mutilating the bodies. The last corpse was recovered at 4 o'clock yesterday morning.

When seen at his home where he was confined to his bed, William Owen, superintendent of the mine, told of the accident and described his own narrow escape from the fate that befell his men. "We had gone into the ground after supper," he said, "and commenced work on the pen. I had decided to construct the crib as a precautionary measure and to facilitate the work, Burt Ritter, my ground boss, had argued with me against the building of the pen on the ground that it was a needless expense. Several times during the last fifteen minutes before the cave-in, I was in the crib with the others, helping them put the timbers in place. Irwin, who is a shoveler, was cleaning at another part of the same drift. But before the dirt fell I had left the crew at the crib and went over to where Irwin was working. Intending to go out before long. Suddenly I heard a ripping sound, and turned toward the pen. As I did so, I caught a glimpse of the falling mass, and then a rush of air threw me to the ground, extinguishing my light. I got on my feet and called to Irwin, who was nearer the shaft than myself, and whose light had not been extinguished." "Give me a light," I said, "I think the men are killed." "Good Lord," he answered, handing me his lamp. I lit mine and we started toward the pen. Owsley, who was partially covered by the rock, asked for help, and Irwin and I pulled him out. We sent him up the shaft. By this time some of my men from another area came running in and we went back to see what could be done for the others."They're all dead," said somebody. At that the boys did not want to tackle the pile of dirt, feeling certain that all the men beneath were beyond human aid, and fearing more of the roof would fall. As they stood there Burt Ritter groaned. All the men grabbed picks, shovels and tackled the pile of rocks. I went to the top, leaving another man in charge, and called physicians and the ambulances. Burt Ritter was brought up soon afterward.

"The crew of men who were killed was composed of some of the best and most experienced miners in the district. None had indicated to me that the ground was dangerous. The pen was being built merely as a precaution. This is the first accident that has occurred in ground under my charge since I began to work 15 years ago."

Throughout the day yesterday a continuous stream of miners, composed of friends and acquaintances of one or more of the dead men, filed past the row of mutilated bodies in the morgue of the Joplin Missouri undertaking company. Every one of the dead men was widely known, and many pathetic incidents were seen during the day. It is conservatively estimated that 5,000 persons viewed the bodies. It is said that Ace Griffin, who was killed instantly, had a premonition of his fate, and had told his wife on Friday afternoon that he intended to stop working in the mine on account of the danger. At first he declared that he would not go into the ground again, but reconsidered the determination and decided to work the week out.

A quadruple funeral will be held at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon from the residence of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Ritter, No. 2220 Sergeant avenue. Robert Ritter, Harry Ritter and Gilbert Ritter and Robert Warren, whose wife is a sister of the Ritter brothers, will be taken from the residence to Fairview cemetery.

The funeral over the bodies of Joseph Morrison and Ace Griffin will be announced later. No arrangement have yet been made awaiting the arrival of relatives in both cases.

An inquest into the cause of the disaster will be held at the Joplin undertaking company at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning.

Funeral services over the bodies of Burt Ritter, Gilbert Ritter and Robert Warren, three of the six victims of a cave-in at the West Seventh Street Mine Friday night, were held from the residence of Mr. and Mrs. John J. Ritter at No. 2220 Sergeant avenue, Joplin, yesterday afternoon. Warren was a brother-in-law of the Ritters, having married Miss Minnie Ritter. The funeral of Harry Ritter, the third of the brothers who were killed, was postponed until 10 o'clock this morning, when it will be held from the residence of his parents, with interment in the Hornet cemetery. It was intended to hold this funeral yesterday afternoon with the others, but decided later to bury the body by the side of his child, who died last summer.

The funeral yesterday afternoon was attended by the largest assemblage that has ever been present at a Joplin funeral. More than 1,000 persons composed the crowd that congregated in front of the residence, and a number equally as large awaited the arrival of the cortege at the Second Baptist church, Nineteenth and Ivy streets, where religious services were held. The procession to the cemetery was many blocks in length, and it is said that the crowd around the graves was the largest that has ever gathered at Fairview on a similar occasion. Rev. J. W. T. Givens, pastor of the Second Baptist church, conducted the services at the church and at the grave. At the church the three caskets were ranged in a semi-circle before the pulpit and were piled high with flowers. The auditorium and several smaller rooms that opened into it were packed by the crowd. Those that were forced to remain outside obstructed the streets for a distance of a block in each direction. Many men were in the crowd who had been lifelong friends of one or more of the dead miners.

The members of Blendville lodge No. 235 Woodmen of the World, attended the funeral in a body, as did those of Blendville lodge No. 573 of the Odd Fellows. Burt Ritter and Gilbert Ritter were members of both lodges and Harry Ritter was a member of the Odd Fellows.

The funeral of Asa Griffin, who was killed in the accident Friday night was held rom his residence at No. 1518 Missouri avenue at 10 o'clock yesterday morning. Services were conducted by the Rev. Mr. Peters, pastor of the South Joplin Christian church. Interment was made at Fairview cemetery.

The funeral of Joseph Morrison, also a victim of the disaster, was held from the residence at No. 1427 Missouri avenue, a block from the Griffin home at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Services were conducted by the Rev. Mr. Peters. Interment was made at Fairview cemetery. With the funeral of Harry Ritter this morning, all six of the cave- in's victims will be buried.

Funeral services over the body of Harry Ritter, the six and last victim of the West Seventh Street Mine cave-in last Friday night were held at his residence, No 1702 Sergeant avenue, at 10 o'clock yesterday morning. The body was first taken to the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Ritter, and from there to his own residence, where services were conducted by the Rev. J. W. T. Givens. After the services, which were attended by a large number of friends and acquaintances of the dead man, the body was taken to the cemetery at Hornet Missouri, where it was buried beside the grave of his child, who died last summer.

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Buried beneath 100 tons of rock that fell from the roof of the drift forty feet above their heads, five men were instantly killed at the West Seventh Street Mine on the Schiffendecker land at 9:45 o'clock last night. Two others were injured, one fatally. Of the eight men in the ground at the time, only one escaped injury. The dead: Harry Ritter, 38 years old; Joseph Morrison, 33 years old; Gilbert Ritter, 34 years old; Robert Warren, 38 years old; Asa Griffin, 35 years old.

Fatally injured: Burt Ritter, ground boss, back broken.

Seriously injured: Frank Owsley, leg broken, internal injuries. The eight men, including Ray Irwin, who escaped, composed the night shift at the mine. They had gone into the ground after supper at 9:30 o'clock and were working on a crib of timbers, with which it was intended to strengthen the roof, known, it is said, to be unsafe. The construction of this crib was the only work on which the shift was engaged. At the time of the accident the crib had been built to a height of six feet, leaving thirty-four feet between its top and the roof of the drift. The crib, where the men were working, was immediately beneath the highest point in the roof. all the miners, except Irwin, were at the crib. Irwin was clearing boulders out of the way twenty feet from his companions. The fatal fall of dirt came without warning. Breaking away from the roof with a crash, an enormous slab, thirty feet square and several feet in thickness, weighing 100 tons, fell the forty feet to the floor, crushing the doomed men to death. Those who were killed were terribly mutilated by the rock. The two bodies that had been recovered up to a late hour this morning, those of Griffin and Warren, were hardly recognizable. Three bodies remained beneath eight feet of rock.

Irwin, who was separated from the others, was knocked on his face by the awful concussion that accompanied the caving. He rose to his feet, to find his companions, with one exception, buried. Owsley was erect, with his body covered to the waist by the rock. Irwin went to his rescue and soon uncovered the lower part of his body. Irwin then carried Owsley to the shaft, where he placed his unconscious comrade in the tub, climbed in himself, and gave the hoisting signal. The appearance of Irwin at the top o the ground, with his bleeding companion in the tub, was the first intimation that those on top had of the disaster. Quickly, Irwin related the story of his experience. A general call for help was sent out and the crews from the Paragon Mine and Osceola Mine near-by, came to begin the work of rescue. When the rescue party began its work it was seriously hampered by continuous falls of dirt from the roof, indicating that there was a danger of a repeat of the previous disaster with the rescuers as victims. The first body to be uncovered was that of Foreman Burt Ritter, who was found after the rescuers had been working for thirty minutes. He was breathing and was hurried to the top, where Hurlbut's ambulance carried him and Owsley to St. John's hospital. At the hospital it was said that there was little hope for Ritter to live.

The mutilated bodies of Griffin and Warren were next uncovered in the order named. The other three bodies are thought to be on the inside of the crib, where the fallen rock is piled highest. A force of twenty-five men worked unceasingly for several hours without locating them.

William L. Owen, superintendent of the mine, said after the accident that it was not known that the ground was dangerous. On account of the great height of the roof, he said, it was decide to build the supporting crib purely as a precautionary measure. Burt Ritter, the ground foreman, who was fatally injured, was in charge of the work. He is one of the oldest miners in the district. Several of the rescuing party had narrow escapes from falling rock while attempting to recover the dead and injured. Two men were slightly cut by falling boulders. Others saw rocks coming and leaped back barely in time.

As news of the catastrophe spread through the nearby Chitwood district, work in the many mines near there was practically suspended, while the miners left the ground and congregated at the top of the shaft where five of their fellow had met death, anxious to aid in rescuing the bodies. Friends and relatives of the dead men also came, and in some instances their grief was heartrending. Three ambulances were called to the scene of the accident as soon as Irwin reached the surface with Owsley, Warren's body was taken to Myall's undertaking parlors and that of Griffin was taken in charge by Hurlbut funeral home.

Burt Griffin, Harry Griffin and Gilbert Ritter were brothers, having worked in the ground together for several years. William Owen, the superintendent of the mine, who was in the mill at the time of the accident, is one of the most widely known superintendents of the district.

The mine is owned by the West Seventh Street Mining Company, an organization composed principally of Joplin Missouri stockholders. The ground has been mined for many years. None of the families of the dead miners were notified last night of the accident, although Mrs. Griffin and Mrs. Morrison were told that their husbands had been injured in the mine. Mrs. Griffin resided with her husband at the Crescent hotel at Fifteenth and Main streets, and was told about midnight that her husband had met with an accident in the mine, but it was believed his injuries were not serious. With the receipt o the news she became almost hysterical and pleaded to be allowed to go to his side. Friends endeavored to console her in her belief that he was injured critically, but without avail. Twice she attempted to leave her home and go to the mine where her husband had been employed, and with much difficulty was she prevented from doing so.

Griffin was a brother-in-law of Timothy Felton, who died about one year ago as the result of a mine accident in the Joplin district.

The news of the accident was related to Mrs. Joseph Morrison by her father, J. S. Irvin, who informed her that the miner's injuries were not believed to be fatal and that he would be brought to his home this morning. Morrison had intended giving up his position in the West Seventh Street Mine tonight, because he was a member of the night crew and his bride of two months was compelled to remain alone in her home at night. He is said to have recently informed her that the ground in the mine was dangerous and her friends says she often pleaded with him to give up is job and secure employment elsewhere. With her receiving the information that her husband was injured the young wife collapsed and screamed hysterically. Pleading to be permitted to go to the scene of the accident and attend the wants of her husband, whom she believed yet alive, she was finally persuaded to accompany her father to his home at No. 1723 Indiana avenue to spend the remainder of the night.

Mrs. Morrison is a sister of Ray Irwin, the only miner who escaped after the accident without being injured. She was wedded only two months ago. She is 18 years old and was in a critical condition last night from the accident which she learned this morning killed five men.

Relatives of the Ritter brothers were notified last night of the accident, but the wife of Harry Ritter was furnished no information whatever regarding the affair. Mrs. Ritter, it is said has been in ill health and the relatives refused to inform her of her husband's death, desiring to wait until today for her to learn the fact. Ritter is said to have been employed at the West Seventh Street Mine only since last Monday.

Mrs. Robert Warren, besides being a wife of one of the victims of the cave-in, is a sister-in-law of Harry Ritter. With her 11 year old daughter she spent the night in their home at No. 2116 Moffet avenue, and instead of greeting the husband this morning upon his return from work in the usual manner, she will received the sad news of his death.

The parents of Gilbert Ritter and his brothers, with whom he lived residing at No. 2220 Sergeant avenue, also spent last night in ignorance of the death of their sons. With the receipt of the news, when the son fails to return to his home today, will also be learned the double sadness the killing of Harry Ritter and the possible death of Robert Ritter.

Griffin came to Joplin Missouri eight years ago and has been employed in the mines during the entire time he was resided here. For the past five months he has resided at the Crescent hotel.

Joseph Morrison is said to have lived in Joplin for several years. Since his marriage two months ago he has resided at No. 1421 Missouri avenue.

Harry Ritter leaves a wife and three children, residing at No. 1702 Grand avenue. He had been employed at the West Seventh Street mine less than a week.

Gilbert Ritter, 24 years old, was single and made his home with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Ritter, at No. 2220 Sergeant avenue.

Robert Warren is survived by a wife and daughter 11 years old. The family resident is at No. 2116 Moffet avenue

The Ritter brothers are among the best known miners in the Joplin district. They have lived here practically all of their lives, and Gilbert Ritter was born here.