The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-10
ALL HOPE is GONE
The Seven Entombed Miners Are Un-
dOubtedly Dead.
BASINS AWFUL CALAMITY
Efforts to Reach the Unfortunate
Men Prove UnavailIng and
the Stoutest Hearts Ac-
knowledge Defeat.
Special Dispatch to the Standard.

Special Dispatch to the Standard.
basin, April 9.-This has been a day
OF profound sorrow in Basin. During
the long night and the hours of early
morning hope buoyed the tireless
workers who thought that possibly
.ney might be able to save some of the
imprisoned miners. But as the hours
wore on, and il became apparent that
rescue was impossible. and that in all
PROBABILITY the men were dead. utter
despair succeeded to hope and the men
VINO had not slept or rested an instant
gave up the fight. 1t has been a day
Wheh men have sobbed who have never
sned tears since they were infants.
For moment this evening hope re-
vived in the minds of the brave miners
VINO were ready to face any peril II
there was one chance in a hundred of
saving their comrades. 1t was report
ed from the mine that rappings could
De heard from the men below, showing
| that some of them might still be alive
| naturally the report caused great ex-
citement, and in a few minutes the
scene or the disaster was thronged with
hundreds of men and many women
But the report did not seem to be well
rounded. Two or three of the workers
mad the impression that they had heard
rappings. Some sound that could not
otherwise be accounted for seemed TO
have come up from below. But every
eHort TO produce a repetition of the
rapplngs, II rappings they were, failed
utterly. Corresponding sounds were
made from the top, but no answer was
received, and it was finally agreed that
the workers must have been mistaken
ana that Ii was Imagination and moth
ing more. The men are doubtless dead,
+. j. Macarthur, formerly street com
missioner of Butte, arrived on this
mornings train. His brother is one of
the imprisoned men. Mr. Macarthur
mas worked with the rest indefatigabIy.
put like the rest he has about aban-
doned hope.
The fire last night was first noticed
by John Weber the engineer who
thought it was steam coming up the
smart from the mine. As IL became
more dense he was soon convinced that
there was a fire raging in the depths
he was at the time talking with G. c.
kimes In the hoist. Both went to the
shaft to make an investigation. when
the flames burst UP from the sbaft
knocking Kimes down as he was the
nearest to the collar of the shaft. We
Der grabbed the fallen man and pulled
him from the burning building, and by
the time he had returned the hoist was
a sheet of flame and fire. .Weber's vest.
Whlcn contained his watch and last
months pay, was hanging on a nail
but the fire was so fierce that he could
not reach ii. He caused the whistle TO
De blown and the fight with the fire was
begun. "a0
The seven men, with dinner pals in
hand' had gone down in the shaft soon
aIter O'Clock. They were putting in
, snelr Iast shift at the mine. and had
Deen bulkheading the drifts from the
800 to the surface tunnel level. to keep
any material that would tend TO drift
toward the shaft from floating into IL
whlle the mine was flooded, and also to
better preserve the property. 1t was
expected that all this work would be
completed last night, and ii was then
the intention to shut down the mine
completely, paint the big station pump
ana allow the mine to fill with water.
IL Is the general belief that the fire !
must nrst have caught in the black
smith shop. This shop is about half
way between the surface tunnel and
me collar OF the shaft, and about 40
.eet below the level of the hoist All G
hat part of the shaft from the shon mn
o the landing in the hoist. is of tim
Ders me shop was up against the a
smart there being an opening into il !,
o load and unload sharp and drill a
ools. Whether the smouldering fire left .
n the forge did the fatal work or not. !
; ! matter OF conjecture. but Ii is be- o
leved that the fire originated there :,
The seven men are all believed 10 he -
N the 300 foot level, where they were =
IN pulling out the two sinkers .
n that level, which are used to pump .
ne water from that level to the 200 !.
ne SMART from the 200 to the 300 has =
py peen completed short time The y
rltts on the lead both east and west -
re not very long or extensive and the -
'ater would raise quickly from this :,
evel to the 200. u
AFTER the fire had gained headwav -
nd the timbers began to fall. IL was \,
UT a snort time before the pump on ~
ne zoo stopped working. for a timber -
lust have struck the column nine ana ~
isconnected IL; or the men below may p
ave turned IL Off in the mine. though s'
is not at all likely By the stonninp te
the pumps water in the shaft will
lise very rapidly and there is no nos 81
binty or escape from the 300 without ..
le most hazardous undertaking. :.
here is an engine stationed on the 100 81
'ot level from which there is a wire bl
'pe hanging half way between the 200 IN
nd 300. There is a bare possibility that X
le men, II athletic enough, might OF
imb up the wall plates as far as to IN
here the rope was hanging and thence ~
the 200. where they would have WI
und ladders to the surface tunnel w
his was their only possible mode of IT
cape. ",
Several attempts have been made bv br
'roic miners TO make a descent into OF
e mine by way Of the tunnel but ali m
them were turned back by the 70
noke. A candle was lowered into the WI
aft when the fire had subsided SO bl'
to permit any one TO go near IL. ge
Il after lowering IL a short distance IL m'
ould flicker and go out. oc
Jim Dwyer was in Sullivan e. Leary's in
loon when the first alarm was sound
= He ran TO the surface tunnel and
mt into the shaft and looking up he 7
W that the fire was In the neighbor- do
Cd Of the blacksmith shop. He gave he
ne faps on the column pipe, the dan des
slshal 10 the men below and they fot
turned the answer 10 him. He said La
? smoke was then going down The da,
u cord used in the Hope was made AS
hemp. and il must have burnt or | as,