The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-27
BY THE INSPECTOR
G. s. Shoemaker Gives a Theory as to
the Hope Mine Disaster.
PUMPING OUT THE WATER
The Colonel VIII Conclude His In
vestigation After the Shaft Has
Been Cleared - 4 he I'm
answered Signals.

State Mine Inspector Shoemaker was
interviewed by a Standard reporter
yesterday in regard to the recent dis
aster in the Hope mine at Basin and
the cause of 1t and the progress that is
being made towards the recovery of the
bodies of the six entombed miners.
II have made three visits to the Hope
since the fire." said the colonel, "and
was there last on Thursday. / believe
that the shaft is caved in clear TO the
bottom and IL they get the bodies out
in a month they will be doing well.
When / was there on Thursday they
had two No. Knowles sinking pumps
In the stope below the 100 and UP to
that time they had got the water down
to IL feet below the 100-foot level. They
were getting ready then to put Ill three
more No. z Knowles sinkers and they
expected to handle the water very rap
idly as soon as they got them in. They
are pumping under difficulties, how
ever, on account of the numerous right
angles in the water column.
81 think that the poor boys who are
dead are responsible for the fire. The
blacksmith shop was connected with
the shaft about 80 feet below the coll
lar. There is evidence that there had
not been a fire in the forge an the
blacksmith shop for "a hours before the
fire. My theory is that the men went
into the blacksmith shop for some tools
before they went below and either lett
a light burning or dropp5d SNUFF and
that the fire was Started in that way.
l am not prepared tn believe that any
man could be so inhuman and brutal
as to start fire in the nine and place
the lives of the miners ia danger mere
ly to crafty a spite against the COM
pany or its foreman.
MY investigation has not yet reach
ed the point where l care to eXpIess
an opinion as to where the responsible
ity for the accident lies. 1 will con-
clude the investigation after the shaft
has been entirely cleaned out and after
that time I will be preodrad :" give
a definite statement. If find that the
company was TO blame / will not siicid
1t to the smallest degree. There is no
room for argum en-. on one point, how
ever and that is that the men took The
ladders out of the Slopes to facilitate
the handling of the pumps and that
the management of the mine should
have seen that they were replaced as
they afforded the only means of exit
in the event of the shaft becoming
blocked. / also understand that some
of the ladders had been taken out be-
tween the 200 and 300-foot levels. I
will find out about that after the shaft
has been cleaned out and If any new
ladders are put in / will know II.
THE signal which was given just be-
fore the smoke belched up out of the
shaft was five, two and one bells. This
was not one of the state code of sig
nails, but was a signal which had been
made up at the mine and meant send
up the cage If not in use The en-
gineer did not thoroughly understand
the signal and hesitated a moment. 1t
Is supposed that the bell cord was
burned off before a second signal could
be given. and while the engineer was
making up his mind what to do the
smoke poured up out of the shaft and
drove him out of the hoist. When the
engineer first noticed the smoke COM
ing up out of the shaft and discovered
that there was danger l think he
should have called on his own judg-
ment and pulled THE cage up. / know
that that is what ! would have done
under the same conditions"