The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-04-22
1t Soon Fills the Shaft and Levels
Full of the Densest
Smoke.
Five OF the Men on the 700 Level,
With No Possibility Of
Escape.
The Others Also Given Up-One OF the
Most Terrible Disasters In tho
Great Camp.
Special to The Independent

BUTTE April 21.-Probably tho most ter
rible mine horror in the history of Butte
occurred to-day, when nine men were i'm
prisoned in burning mine and in all like
lihood have lost their lives. The Silver
Bow mine No. q of the Butte g. Boston
company, have not been actively operated
for several months, but nine men have been
working there on each shift In development
work. At $3.50 O'clock this morning John
Kramer. pumpman at the 500-foot level,
went to tho surface for oil. He returned to
the station but almost instantly gave the
signal to hoist. He reached the surface
badly burned and blistered. He said he saw
one man on the 500 and called on him to
come to the cage If he would escape with
his life. The man called back to him TO
wait until he could warn his partners.
Kramer waited as long as he could stand
the flames. which were right around him,
and then went to the surface. Or the nine
men imprisoned five were on the 700 level,
the lowest level of the mine, two on the
500. where the fire broke out, and two on
the 400. There was no possible escape for
tho men on the 700 except by the shaft.
The men on the 600 and 400, however.
might have passed by the connections into
Silver Bow mino No. l. and thence reached
the surface. They must however, have
become bswi.dsred until escape was no
longer possible.
The attemps at rescue began at once. It
was i'm possible for men to descend lower
than the 300 level at first, on account of the
dense smoke. The cage was lowered to
each level md left at each station for few
minutes in the hope that some Of the i'm
prisoned men might reach the cage. But
there were no signs of life below. Streams
of water we're turned into the shaft. This
80 drenched the shaft that the fire made no
prog ess there.
The fire ia believed to be confined to the
pump station at the 500 and to have been
caused by the turning over or explosion of
q lamp. Tho services of the Butte city fire
department were secured. The nozzle of a
line of hose was fastened to the cage in
such way that when the cage was lowered
to the 800 the water would be thrown into
the pump station. All day water was
thrown in at the rate of 800 gallons min
ute. Meanwhile, the cage of the other
compartment was lowered to the 400, 500
and 700 levels repeatedly. but without re-
suit. Two streams Of water were played
down this compartment in order to force az
much air as possible down the mine. A
dog was lowered to the 700 level, kept There
q minute and reached the top again
alive. Numerous attempts wers made
to reach the scene Of the fire,
but without success until six
O'Clock this evening, whom two miners
made three or four trips to the 500 and used
chemicals on the IRE. They reported the
fro small the timbers cracking, and cave
to have started. The smoke was 30 dense
and suffooating that they ooald only re-
They wore unable to make any excursions
from the cage as that would probably have
resulted in further loss Of life.
The men who are in tho mine, and who
are probably dead. are: Edward Psscoe.
Richard Andrews. Samuel Rovetto. Frank
Gerard, Richard Trembath, Thomas
Gray, James Netto. Antonio Beara, E.
Peughs.
During the evening the work of fighting
the fire was continued with some progress
1t is now possible for gangs of mon to re-
main on the cage at the 5OO-foot level for
five minutes at time. playing on the fire
from limo of hose. Owing to the density
Of the smoke it ia impossible to fight effect
lively. but it is believed the fire ia being sub.
dued. Gangs Of fremen will relieved each
other in fighting the hre throughout the
night, or until the fire Is out. There ia
scarcely hope that any of the men are
atili Olivn