The following illustrates details of the Scranton connection to the Avondale tragedy, and why anniversary information may be used to shed light on family connections not found when the event was current news. Scranton Tribune-Republican, Wednesday, Sept. 6. 1911 - ANNIVERSARY OF AVONDALE HORROR - Forty-two years ago today, 110 men lost their lives in a fire in the Avondale mine of the Lackawanna company, and the village of Hyde Park, were scores of the men resided, was plunged into grief, similar in respects to the sorrow which prevailed six [five -ed.] months ago tomorrow, on April 7, in Throop and North Scranton as the result of the Pancoast disaster, where seventy three men lost their lives. In the Washburn Street cemetery, lying in two long rows, are the bodies of fifty-one of the victims, many of whom were never identified. Col. R. A. PHILLIPS, general superintendent of the Lackawanna Coal department, lived in Plymouth at the time. He was a boy of five or six years, and his father, Thomas J. PHILLIPS, was foreman of the Jersey mine of the Lackawanna, which adjoined the Avondale colliery. Colonel Phillips said last night that he remembered the women running to and fro carrying coffee to the relief parties which had been formed. "Scores of people from this section lost relatives in the disaster," said Colonel Phillips. "Walter REESE, one of our district superintendents, lost a father and two brothers. Harry HATTON lost a father and a brother, and there were others that I do not recall at the moment. Benjamin HUGHES was then general superintendent, and his brother, Evan HUGHES, mine foreman at the Avondale, was one of the victims." "Some of the best miners of West Scranton were taken down there to help in the relief work. Evan J. EVANS, district superintendent now, was one, and John H. POWELL, one of our mine foremen was another. Quite a number are dead. I remember Benjamin HUGHES, Thomas D. DAVIES and Richard H. WILLIAMS among others and Thomas CARSON, who died a few years ago." The Avondale mine is being operated now from a new breaker, the old one having been destroyed in the fire. Legislation promoted by Harry J. PHILLIPS now requires that there be two openings in a mine. Representative Phillips was a brother of Joseph P. PHILLIPS, former city engineer. [condensed] Scranton Tribune-Republican, Thursday, Sept. 7. 1911 - West Scranton news column - Notes and Comments: It will be many years until the Avondale is not a frequent topic in West Scranton, owing to the peculiar fact that the large majority of the victims were residents of this section of the city. The reference in yesterday's Tribune- Republican to the forty-second anniversary of the disaster caused the inquiry as to the reason that so many of the victims should have found their last resting place in the Washburn Street cemetery. There are eighty of the poor fellows who were entombed buried in this city, which was their home, although employed at such a distance away. There are many of the older settlers who will remember the old Luzerne slope, in the Notch, where Benjamin HUGHES was appointed foreman by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Company. In 1862 Mr. Hughes was commissioned by a New York syndicate to examine some coal lands in Nova Scotia, and the late Thomas D. DAVIES was appointed to succeed him as foreman of the Luzerne slope. In 1866 Mr. Davies was promoted foreman of the Bellvue Mine, succeeding Walter PHILLIPS, who fell down the shaft and was killed. Evan HUGHES, a brother of Benjamin Hughes, succeeded Mr. Davies at the Luzerne slope, which was closed in 1868, and thereupon Evan Hughes was transferred to the ill-fated Avondale mine. When the Luzerne slope was thus closed all the miners were practically out of employment, and Mr. Hughes prevailed upon them to accompany him to the Avondale, where he arranged to find work for them. Although they worked in the Wyoming valley many of them retained their residence in Hyde Park and Providence, coming home each week-end. When Benjamin Hughes returned from Nova Scotia, the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western company was glad to secure his services again and placed him in charge of the Hyde Park shaft, then known as Price's, which had been filled with water and rendered idle for a long time. There are many men who rendered heroic service in the Avondale disaster whose names are easily brought to mind. One of the most pathetic features was the dying effort of seventy-two men to protect themselves from the smoke by building a wall and making an inclosure. It was necessary, however, that one man should remain on the outside to close the aperture and then meet his death in the effort to save the seventy-two who were inside. The volunteer was Johnny BOWEN, whose relatives live in North Scranton. When the enclosure was reached Thomas DAVIES, Rees T. EVANS, and two others found Bowen's body near the wall and then, forcing an entrance, found the seventy-two bodies within the enclosure. The total number of victims was 110. Rees T. Evans did some heroic work. He was the father of Mrs. John E. BRADLEY and Mrs. Eleazer EVANS, of Lafayette street, and was one of the best known bards of his day. Another rescuer was John T. WILLIAMS, afterwards state representative and merchant of South Main avenue, who was at the time a foreman for the DL&W company. His widow resides on South Main avenue. His two well known sons, Palmer WILLIAMS and Elmer WILLIAMS, have passed away. Joseph D. LLOYD, father of Mrs. William R. LEWIS, was a rescuer and afterward foreman of several of the DL&W collieries. John HALE, who is still living and a comparatively young man, although retired from the foremanship of the Bellvue colliery, was one of the untiring workers. Among the other rescuers were: Lewis ROBERTS, now dead, foreman for years at the Central and Dodge mines, and one of the brainiest foremen in the employ of the company. He was the father of Robert ROBERTS, employed in the post office. Edward JAMES, father of the late Hon. Edward JAMES, and of John Rees JAMES, now of Kingston. He was an excellent poet and well known by his non-de-plume, "Iorweth Ddu". Morgan HARRIS, of Taylor, father of John M. HARRIS, and Supt. H. E. HARRIS. He was undoubtably one of the best read men in the community and exercised a marked influence among the men in the uplifting of their ideals. John L. LEWIS, of the Pyne, at which place he was foreman. His son, W. V. LEWIS, who is now in West Scranton on a visit form his home in Montana, where he has prospered. Thomas HOUSER, who was foreman at the Diamond, and was the father of Dr. HOUSER, of Taylor. "Mike" HOUSER, brother of the last mentioned, who was a foreman of many years. Henry P. DAVIES, father of John J. DAVIES, the druggist, who died about a year or so ago, and was a popular choir leader and bard. Thomas WATKINS, foreman at the Cayuga, and father of Daniel WATKINS, city assessor, and William WATKINS, formerly bank cashier of this city and now of New York city. Elijah DAGGER, of South Main avenue, and Frank ZIMMERMAN, of West Park, both of whom are still living and are retired foremen. Daniel PHILLIPS, now dead, an uncle to Col. R. A. PHILLIPS. Who was then a foreman. Morgan MORGAN, superintendent of the Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre Coal company, and Rees MORGAN, his brother. W. T. SMITH, former general superintendent of the lehigh and Wilkes-Barre Coal company. Gwilym M. WILLIAMS, now dead, the well known mine inspector and choir leader. John GORDON, father of T. P. GORDON. John FLYNN, now dead, who after leaving the service of the DL&W company, was a partner in the firm of Mears & Flynn. Reese G. BROOKS, then a foeman for the Lackawanna Iron and Coal company, rendered splendid aid. Patrick BLEWITT, mine inspector, who I regret to learn is seriously ill. Harry J. PHILLIPS, mining engineer, who returned to Wales and built a little home and called it "Lackawanna Villa." He died about four years ago. J. J. EVANS, the South Main avenue merchant, who is still alive and as youthful as ever. Mr. Evans has a wonderful memory and recites the stirring scenes of the Avondale disaster today just as clearly, vividly, and with as much detail as he did forty-two years ago. Joseph P. PHILLIPS, then in the engineer's department and afterwards city engineer, and his brother, Jeremiah J. PHILLIPS, mining engineer, were also among the rescuers.