The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-11-24
Four Men Lose Their Lives by a
Fire in the ST, Lawrence
Workings.
The Mine Still Burning and a Pos
sibility That Others May be
Entombed.
The Loss 10 the Company Very Heavy bu
Impossible as Yet TO Give Any
Estimate.


10y the report that the Anaconda and st.
Lawrence mines we're on fire. This report
did not reach the town until o'clock, and
at that time IL was understood that the st.
| Lawrence hoisting works were on fire. The
fire alarm was sounded and the city fire de-
partment started up to the mines, but
turned back before they had gotten half
way. A large crowd continued on up the
hill, and soon the vast buildings at the
mines and the surrounding country were
swarming with human beings. The
| Anaconda and st. Lawrence mines are
situated ON top of the hill just east of the
city, and perhaps half n mile from Main
street From all sides the paths and roads
leading up the hill were swarmed with ex-
cited men and women, eager TO learn the
fate of friends and relatives who were
among the many hundreds employed under
ground by the Anaconda company. Arriving
at the top of the shaft a large volume of
smoke was seen issuing from the vast three
compartment shaft Of the Anaconda mine.
The cages hung up in the sheayes and half
a dozen physicians were at work ON as many
half sufiocated miners whom they were
striving to bring back 10 life.
In describing the fire in detail, il is neces-
siry to explain the relative situation Of the
miners. The Anaconda is on top Of the
hill, while the St.Lawrence adioins it on the
southeast. The mines are connected in their
under ground workings, being owned and
operated by the Anaconda company. The
| 100 foot level of the st. Lawrence connects
with the 200 foot level Of the Anaconda; the
200 foot of the st. Lawrence with the
800 foot Of the Anaconda, and no on down
TO the 200 foot of the st. Lawrence,
the latter mine being 100 feet lower ON the
hill than the Anaconda. The Never Sweat
mine, located directly opposite the st. Law
renee, is connected with both mines in its
underground workings. The miners in
these mines work on ten-hour shifts. The
night shift goes of at . O'Clock in the morn
ing and the day shift does noI come until Z
O'Clock, consequently at . O'Clock this
morning all the miners H. bihcame TO the
surface, with the exception of twenty or
thirty, who were working on eight-hour
shifts on the 800 level of the ST. Lawrence.
Neil McCabe, a miner III the st. Law
renee, WIS one of the last to come out. lie
had brought up some empty cars 10 the 200
foot station, and went along the level and
and into .crosscut 10 get some TOOLS Ii
was In this crosscut, ON the 800 foot of the
st. Lawrence, that he first discovered the
fire. 1t WAS burning brightly at the time.
but had not spread tar. only three posts
being on fire. McCabe jerked of his coat
and made nm attempt TO subdue the flames
by beating them with the garment,
but he quickly SAW that he cond
make 10 headwny. He rushed back to the
station and summoned three or four of his
fellow-workmen. On every level of the
Anaconda mines hose is kept in reserve for
| just such emergencies, and big column
pipe runs down which is attached to the
enormous pipes which keep the mines clear
of water. 10 connect this hose with the
column was the work of a moment, and the
men rushed into the crosscut with the hose,
but il WAS already too late. In the brief
interval that had elapsed since McCabe's dis
coyery Of the fire, the flames had spread
with startling rapidity, and in the confined
passage the smoke was SO dense that the
men could not get near the fire. They
played the water into the oross-cut until
forced back 10y the smoke. At G:l5 gem
eral alarm was given and every man in both
mines was taken 10 the surface. As has
been stated, the two mines are connected in
their underground workings. The draught
caused 10y the fire started the smoke in
through the Anaconda workings, and out Of
the Anaconda shaft. Air WIS thus sucked
down with great force through the St. Law
renee shaft, creating draught which caused
the fire TO spread in the Anaconda work
ines with tremendous rapidity.
Before, however, the volume of smoke is
suing from the Anaconda shaft became
very dense number of men volunteered 10
60 down and bring up the powder which
had been taken down for use in blasting,
and which was lying loose in various parts
OF the mine. II was through this attempt
that four men lost their lives. Two of them
were oyerpowered by smoke on the GOO foot
level, and are lying there doubtless yet.
These two are Pat Murphy and Jerry
Sullivan. Murphy was married man with
a wife and seven children, who are residing
in Dublin Gulch in this city. The remain
der got on the cage and started 10 the top.
On the way up Harry Page and Tim kele-
her, were 50 uverpowered by the smoke that
they lost consciousness and fell from the
cage and nre now lying in the swamp a
Thousand feet below the surface just as
the cage reached the surface Jock Lyons
lost his head and was badly crushed be-
tween the timbers Of the cage. His
skull was fractured and his left
leg broken. He is still unconscious and
fatal result Of bis injuries are feared. His
body was caught at the surface by the cage
when il stopped and thus he did not fall
back into the shaft. None Of the men |
killed were married, 50 far as known. with |
the exception of Murphy.
In the cage from which the men fell were
Eve others. Dan Murphy. Dan Griffin, Dan |
Queen, Mike Mulcaric and Matthew Sulli- |
van. When they reached the surface they
were all more dead than alive. A telephone
message summoned all the physicians in the /
city and at least dozen responded 10 the |