The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-31
Butte Department.
WATER IN THE HOPE
The Report That the Mine Is Cleared
to the 200 Is Incorrect.
WHERE THE FIRE STARTED
c. }. Macarthur Believes 1t Orig
mated Nearer the Surface Than
the Company Officials VIII
Admit-heports From Basin.


The statements which have been made
that the disastrous fire in the Hope
mine at Basin started on the 200-foot
level, and that the mine is now cleared
TO the zoo and been explored, seem not
to be well founded. Charles j. Near
thur OF this city, brother of one of the
victims OF the disaster, read in one of
the Butte papers a week ago that the
mine was now clear of water to the 200,
took the first train for Basin, a week
ago to-day, and was surprised to find
four or five feet of water still on the
200 and that it had only been reached
by raft. Mr.. Macarthur waited until
Monday and then got through the level
by wading through three feet of water
On his return from Basin, Mr.. Near
thur was asked to give his opinion as
to the origin and location of the fire in
the mine, the representatives of the
company having published the conclu-
sion that the fire originated down in
the mine.
"As to the origin of the fire, am not
prepared to say at present." said Mr.
Macarthur. But as to the location of
the fire when first discovered and as to
its starting point, there is no question
read in Butte paper that the fire
started at the bottom. 1 think that in
ny's mine Office at Basin, and / would
suggest. that If the fire started on the
bottom. as the Hope company advo-
Gates, why a score or more of miners
who were present a few minutes after
the fire started, and seeing that the
fire was above the tunnel, called out to
bulkhead the shaft at the tunnel to
keep the fire from going down the
shaft. They noticed that there was no
smoke or fire below the tunnel. and
nothing only little smoke and some
small sparks of fire coming from above
and falling down the shaft.
IF the fire started at the 200, with
John Buckley on the 100, why didn't he
save himself? Is the public to believe
that he committed suicide? Why did
he not climb out and save his life?
There was good ladderway up the
shaft and If the fire was 100 feet below
him he could have escaped. The fact
is that the fire was above him and he
had no knowledge of Ii and no chance
to escape until it was too late. Before
John Buckley knew there was any fire
at all, the entire shaft above him was
In flames and cut off his only means
of escape. The only Underway in the
mine was that in the shaft. The COM
pany admitted at the inquest that there
was no Underway through the slopes.
The shaft was the only possible means
of reaching the surface.
1T was generally understood that my
brother and Barney Wall were on the
bottom. If the fire, as claimed by the
company, started on the 200-foot level,
how did they climb up from the 800 TO
the 200, where their bodies were found?
No one acquainted with the facts can
believe anything else than that the fire
started above the tunnel.
1T does not seem to me difficult to
a. q.
appear that the fire started below. If
1t could be proved that the fire started
below the company would hold that the
poor victims of the disaster below were
the cause of their own deaths, and were
solely responsible for the fire.
II am confident that the majority of
the people of Basin are honest and
ready to do their duty in the matter.
There are also some in Butte who will
try to the best of their ability to serve
the interests of the Hope company at
the sacrifice of their honor and man.
hood, but the blame will be placed on
whom Ii belongs. Justice will assert it.
self in the end.
81 read the article in the Butte paper
of May 20 which stated that the 200
foot level was cleared of water and
that an exploration of that level had
been made on May % by Martin Buck
ley, Pat Patton, James Burns, Billy
Lloyd and Fred Hutchinson. 1 believe
that information came from the Hope
company's office at Basin, and ii is not
true. Martin Buckley did not visit that
station on the 200 until Monday evening
when he did so with myself, it being
the first time he had seen that station
since April s. Neither had James
Burns, Martin Buckley's brother-in-
law, visited the station as stated. / un-
derstand, however, that the other three
did visit II by means of a raft, not with
the level clear of water as stated"
Mr.. Macarthur yesterday heard from
a friend in Basin who is keeping him
posted during his absence that the lev
Ell is not yet clear of water, there being
still about three feet there.
There was report from Basin yes
terday that in the course of explora-
ton an arm and part of shoulder had
been found in the Hope mine. 1t could
not be told who they belonged to.