The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-09-08
FRIGHTFUL LOSS OF LIFE
Forty hliners Imprisoned Deep in a
Burning Mine
Beyond the Possibility of Escape or OF Human
Aid Their Fate Must Be suffoca-
tion or Cremation

CALUMET. Mich, Sept. AT ABOUT
s o'clocI, toda. FIRE broke ont in the
shaft of the Osceela mine and at this
time it is more than probable that forty
men and boys have been burned to death
or suffocate6.
The fire started in shaft No. 3, which
is used to carry the miners to the surface
from the mine, and when the fire broke
out all of the men and boys employed in
the mine, about 200 in mum Der, made q
rush for the shaft in the hope Of being
taken to the surface. The fire was too
rapid for them, however, and the chance
of escaping by the shaft was entirely cut
off by flames and moke. The majority
of the Imprisoned miners made break
for crosscut, and in this way managed
to reach another shaft from which they
were taken to the top. Forty were miss
ing when the roll was called.
Within short time after they had
reached the surface smoke began Issuing
from all the shafts. and the escape of the
men below was entirely cut off. The men
in charge now say II at there is not the
slightest chance for any ofsthe men now
in the mine the escape with their lives.
II they are not burned they must have
been cooked by the dense smoke within a
ly the mine is not as heavily mbered
aa some of the mines in this locality
and it will not take it q great whilo to
burn out. As the thing now stanus there
is not the slightest thing that can be done
for the men and no effort is being made
to extineuish the flames.
There is nothing known of how the fire
originated.
Charles Weare. drill boy, went to the
bottom of the burning shaft and told the
miners of their danger. They did not
think it was so bad and some of them
level, where they thought they would
have time to eat lunch. They were there
only three minutes when the smoke be-
came intensely dense. MichSel Harring-
ton took out some matches to- relight the
candles which had gone ont, but the
dies would not burn. Cropping their way
in the dark, they went up about 10 200
feet more, when they lost hope. but one
of the miners crawling on hands and
knees, reaching the bell wire and signaled
70 lower the cage. By the sound they
knew it was near and signaled Tor 1t to
stop. then they elm bed into it and rang
for the engineer to hoist. They reached
the surface almost suffocated.
Thirty-two men and boys are be still
under ground. 1t is impossible to give
the number exactly. as some of them,
supposed to be missing, may not have
been at work, but it is certain that over
twenty five persons who were in the
mine have not come to the surface.
1t was judged impossible to quench
the fire by ordinary MEANS and at 1
o'clock work was begun on the demo-
lition of the shaft house. The house
was practically torn down ina few hours,
and heavy timbers placed across the
mouth, over which dirt was thrown and
closely hacked This work was difficult
because of the great volume of smoke
pouring out of the shaft constantly in
creased as the flames licked their way
upward from the point whs-e the fire
began.
As natural ventilation was stopped,
the smoke and hot air forced its way
along the connecting drifts to the three
other shafts in the main mine, and soon
began to emerge from the other openings
in great clouds. Owing to the closing of
the mouth of the No. 3 shaft, access to
the mine through the other shafts was
cut off. the entire workings above the
twenty-seventh level being filled with
the deadly II. ixture.