The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-09-08

Trenbert was mine boss, and the two
last named were drill boys. The fire start
ed 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 number, made a rush for the shaft in
the hope of being taken to the surface.
The fire was too rapid for them, how
ever. and the chance of escape by the
shaft was cut off by flames and smoke.
The majority of the imprisoned miners
made a break for a cross-cut, and in this
way managed to reach another shaft. from
which they were taken to the top. Forty
were missing when the roll was called.
Within a short time after they had reached
the surface smoke began pouring from all
the shafts. The men in charge say there
is not the slightest chance for any of the
men now in the mine to escape with their
lives. If they are not burned they must
have been choke by the dense smoke
within a short time after the fire started.
Ian HN
ly timbered as some of the mines in this
locality, and it will not taxi a great while
to burn out. There is not the slightest
thing that can be done for the men, and
no effort is being made to extinguish the
flames. There is nothing known of how
the fire originated.
Another dispatch says the fire broke out
in the twenty-seventh level. The Osceola
Is a copper mine located two miles from
Calumet. AS Capt. Richard Edwards was
making his way to No. 3 shaft he smelled
wood burning, but some of the miners
working in the levels there would not be-
lieve there was fire. in the mine. as they
could not smell smoke or hear flames
cracking. On nearing No. 3 shaft, Capt.
Edwards met Captain Trenbert and a
party of men who were looking for the
fire, and on reaching the shaft they found
a large quantity of logging on fire. Capt.
Trenbert and a party of men were left to
fight the fire below, while Captain Edwards
went to the surface to get a hose, but
when he returned he found that the smoke
had made an updraft instead of a down,
and in consequence he had to come back
to the surface as fast as possible. Word
was Immediately sent to all the men in the
mine to come to the surface. which most
of them succeeded in doing, but there still
remains in the dry house thirty suits of
clothes, and it is supposed that number
were unable to get out in time and are
entombed 200 feet below the surface with
no possible avenue Of escape. For
tunately there is very little timber in
this part of the mine. so the
fire must soon burn out, but If the miners
have not already been smothered to death
they surely will be if the fire has to be
left to burn out before they can be reached.
Ever since 1870 o'clock smoke has been
pouring out of the mine i'm huge volumes
from No. 3 shaft. The scene at the Opee-
cha shaft, where many of the men came up,
was heartrending, thousands having gath
] cred around the mouth of this shaft, many
being women and children looking for their
husbands an fathers. Besides the men
mentioned above, many more are known
to be entombed, but in the excitement il
is impossible to obtain their names. They
are mostly Austrian trammers. Searching
parties were sent down into Nos. land 2
shafts to try and reach the men from the
drifts leading to No. 3 shaft above the
twenty-seventh level, but were unsuccess-
full. The mouths Of the shafts have now
been battened up to stop all drafts, and
all hope is now given up of ever rescu.ng
life that has ever occurred in the copper