The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-09-14
HORRIBLE FATE;
Over Thirty Men Lose Their Lives
in the Osceola Nine Near
Calumet.
Fire Started in No. 3 Shaft on the
9th Level Last Satur-
day Noon.
The Mine Was Filled With Dense
Smoke and Gas aud the Men
We're Suffocated.
Desperate Attempts by Rescuing Parties
to Reach Unfortunates .
Unsuccessfui.
Crowds Gather at Mouths of shafts and
Hsartrending Scenes Were
Witnessed.
The Most Appalling Calamity Which
Ever Occurred Ia the Cop
per District.


doubtless ever occurred in the copper
country or this portion of the upper
peninsula happened at the Osceola mine,
near Calumet last Saturday noon where
by o7er thirty miners met terrible
death.
Regarding the sad affair the following
account is taken from a specia! to the
Mining Journal of Monday morning:
shortly before noon Saturday Cap
tain Il. W. Edwards. of the Osceola,
smelled smoke and speedily located the
fire, which proved to be In some tagging
In place over drift near No. s shaft.
on the t0 enty-seventh level. When first
seen the fire was just getting fair hold
on the timber. Captain Richard Trem-
bath, the shift boss, reached the spot at
the same time as Captain Edwards and
after consultation the latter named gem
tleman came to the surface to get hose
with which 10 fight the FIRE. while Cap
tain.Trembath took soue miners and
the fire as was best possible at short
range. After securing the hose, which
was doue in short time, Captain Ed
wards found it impossible to go down
the shaft for any distance, as 'hig
wind was prevailing at the time and a
forced draught was thus created from
hn bnft NH nh he
the tagging. and considerable quantities
Of smoke were coming up.
SMOKE poURs FROM THE SHAFT.
Meanwhile the men in the mine had
smeled the smoke, aud while some went
in search Of 1t the wiser ones took no
chances and began climbing ladders for
the surface. The man-car in No. was
the only one carrying miners and the
| men were compelled to climb the ladders.
There were over two hundred men at
work In the mine at the time the fire
was discovered, and all of these but
thirtyihree reached surface safely, al.
though some OF those who came up last
met with considerable smoke.
When the smoke began to pour out oil
| the mouth of No. 5 shaft In considerable
volume it was seen that unless the fire
was smothered the shaft would be burned
out, as it was solidly ttimbered from the
| collar to the bottom ofthe mine. Worl
was accordingly begun on the demolition
Of the shaft house, a1d planks ard tin
bers were laid across the mouth OF th,
shaft, covered in turn by dirt which was
tamped as tightly as possible to preven
| the egress Of smoke and the access OF al
to feed the flames below. The tasl
proved difficult, as the dense smoke wa
hard to work iu, and 1t was found i'm
! possible TO seal the shaft tightly enongl
to prevent the smoke getting through
the covering, although the volume wa
materially reduced.
REscUING PARTIES FORCED BACK.
Shortly after the work OF sealing th
mouth Of No shaft was b.gpn Tin
chrls OF smoke we're observed comln
from No. 4, and little later from No.
shafts, the two openings adjacent to Nc
on either hand. Still later smoke cam
from No. 5, the southernmost shaft O
the main line, No. shaft, being
quarter Of mile south of No. 8 SHAFT
and as yet unconnected uhdcrgrouu,
with the older workings Rescuin
parties had started down the variou
shafts accessible to locate and bring t
surface the missing men, who were sup
posed to be about twenty 10 number
among them being Captain Trembatl
aud the crew remaining with him I
fight the fire where IL originated. bu
pone of the parties were able to get dow
deep enough to locate any of the miss
ing mep.
The last relief partv went under
ground shortly before 4 o'clock 10 No.
the southernmost shaft, from which onl
little smoke was ceming, but ON reach
ing the eight level was met by such
dense volume OF smoke and gas that !
was impossible to proceed further an
: returned to surface, regaining the mout