In the days following the East Brookside Mine Disaster, funerals and memorial services began for the 20 men killed in Schuylkill County’s deadliest mining accident.

The following depiction of the first funeral comes from the West Schuylkill Herald, published on August 8, 1913. The image (courtesy of Marlin Umberger) shows East Grand Avenue in Tower City. The church steeple in the distance is where this funeral for three men took place.

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The bodies first to be buried were those of inside foreman John Farrell and fire bosses Daniel McGinly and Henry Murphy. The funerals took place at 8 o’clock Tuesday morning [August 5, 1913]. All three were devout members of SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church of Tower City, where the services were held.

McGinly resided just opposite the church. His body was the first to be carried into the church. A few minutes later the body of Henry Murphy was carried to the church from his late home about four doors west of the church.

As soon as the body of Murphy was in the church the remains of inside foreman John Farrell, who resided next door to the church, were brought in. The caskets containing the three men were placed in the center aisle.

A requiem high mass was read by Rev. Vincent Corcoran, of Lost Creek, a former pastor of SS. Peter and Paul. He was assisted by Rev. James Clark of Williamstown and Rev. S. J. Smith, pastor of SS. Peter and Paul church. The latter, who was a close friend and neighbor of the dead men, preached a consoling sermon at the close of the mass. Other priests were Rev’s. D. Meley of Tremont and Wm. Kelley of Branchdale.

At the close of the services at the church the casket containing the body of John Farrell was the first to be removed. It was taken from the church and placed on board a trolley car in waiting. Four cars were soon filled with relatives and friends and shortly after were started for the Catholic cemetery east of Williamstown where interment took place.

The caskets containing the bodies of McGinly and Murphy were removed at almost the same time. Each was placed in a separate hearse to be conveyed to the Williams Valley railroad depot, where a special train of six coaches drawn by two locomotives was in waiting. Both caskets were placed on board.

Relatives and friends of both boarded the same train. At Tremont the relatives and friends of Murphy left the train. The remains were taken to the Catholic cemetery, where interment took place. The train, consisting of one locomotive and three coaches, having on board the remains of Daniel McGinly, his relatives and friends continued to New Philadelphia, where interment took place in the Catholic cemetery at that place.

Both trains returned to Tower City immediately after interment had taken place. Relatives and friends from all parts of the state, as well as many prominent mining men of the anthracite region were present at the funerals.

The scene at the Church can not be described. It was the first time in the history of the church and possibly in the history of Tower City that three caskets containing that many bodies of full grown men, all fathers and all well known in the community, had ever been brought into a church at one time.

Many fervent prayers were offered that it might be the last time. The tears, sobs and wailing of the afflicted was heartrending and the person who did not shed a tear or stifle a sob must have been without a heart. The rest may be imagined by our readers.

Picture in your mind three caskets containing the bodies of three men who left three widows, 17 children, many brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, not to say anything about fellow workmen and associates, getting together under one roof and taking their last farewell. It is indescribable.

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The funerals of 17 more men followed in the days and weeks that followed the accident, bringing western Schuylkill County into a state of deepest mourning.

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