New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-01
CALUMET AND HECLA FIRED.
INDICATIONS OF AN INCENDIARY PLOT.
EIGHT LIVES LosT-sIGNAL WIRES CUT AND
THE WATER SERVICE DIsABLED-NARRow
ESCAPE OF NEARLY TWO HUNDRED MEN.
IBY rELEoRArH TO THE TRIBuNrv


Marquette, Mich. Nov 30.-The Calumet and
Hecla Mine is again on fire. This time the flames
started on the sixth level of No. shaft, and
burned with terrific force. Like the fire OF last
year, it started on Thanksgiving Day, when the
mine was practically idle. There were about 200
men on the seventeenth level on the night shift
About II o'clock they smelled smoke, and at once
understood the terrors of their position. An at
tempt to signal the surface disclosed the fact that
the signal wire was not working They were cut
of from communication, and but for the GOODNESS of
the men in charge from escape as well. Men
were at once dispatched to warn the men to dee
for their lives Faithful pilots set about leading
the squads of terror-stricken through different
avenues to the main engine-shaft, some distance
away. Two men started up No. shaft to locate
the fire. They found it on the sixth level, ana
also found the water connections and signal wires
cut above them. There was no hope except IN
Gight to lower level and escape through the
main engine-shaft. All doubt of incendiarism is
exploded. The fire is the deliberate work of
cool calculating, murderous fend, who would not
only destroy the mine but the lives of the miners
OF the 200 miners all escaped except eight who
are certainly dead and not even their ashes are
likely to be again. Their names are John
Vanderbilt, Antony Kalsl1e. Joseph Mossoghe,
Joseph Rowe, John Flick. Andrew Hanson, Gus
tav Tava and Antony Languin.
The men behaved with remarkable coolnesS.
They made their way TO the surface but none
too soon. as in short time the main engine
shaft was filled with hot smoke. 1t is probable
that the doomed men met their death somewhere
between the sixth level and the surface in that
shaft on their way up. Christ Rule. one of
the miners who were at work IN the fourteenth
level of No. shaft, says:
About IL o'clock last night saw and smelled
smoke I at once called the attention of the
others to it, Charles g. Sarson and Henry
Birkineyn|i, who were thoroughly familiar with
the Calumet branch OF the mine, at once started
up the ladder as far the tenth level. and then
went south to the main engine shaft ana roue
IN to what is called grand sixth level They
then crossed TO No. 8 shaft where they saw the
shaft all ablaze. The bedpank and mill tmbers,
GOD, bottom and Sides looked as if they had been
burning some time. BurlIineynki at once went to
the valve of the water pipe, opened it, stra ghtened
ont the hose, and was ready to fight the hre; put
there was no water there. He says however
that had there been water it would have helped
matters none Seeing this, Sarson, who had
narrow escape at the former fire led the way
hack 10 the main engine shaft and warned the
men to turn back. He pilOted the way for them
TO No. 5 shaft. and then came to the surface"
The scenes at the surface as the men came out
were terrible such as are TO be found only at a
great mine disaster If it is possible to hnd the
fepd who fred the mine. he would be hurled
headlong down the burning shaft by the people,
.bo are frantic with rage As vet there is not a
clew TO point even to a suspicion, except tne rae,
that he was evidently wei acquainted with the
m;no smoke Tonight was issuing from several
~ the shafts which are being covered with
timbers and earth 1t would be foolish to attempt
TO approximate the loss as the ilre Is IN eTefy 4;
way much worse than that OF last year anu IL
liable to burn for months.
The inevitable result of the fire Will be 10 seno
Calumet and Hecla stock tumbling toward the
njneties. The fire must burn itself out and IT may
take weeks or months unless the NINE mn Ca can I nI
not affect the South Hecla and that part OF the
mine is now in shape TO employ all the miners,
and the product can be kept up TO the syndlca'e :
Detroit, Nov 3O.-A dispatch to The JouranI
from Calumet says that the fire Will not aIIec1 an S
tbe product of the mine materially, and IL VIII ~"
kept up to the limit imposed by the French syhd-
cate.