The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-11-15
DISASTROUS MINE FIRE
II May Shut Down All Silver
Mines in Aspen.
MEN OVERCOME BY GAS


Special Dispatch 10 the Staudard.
Aspen. Colo. Nov. A.-Thc greatest
excitement prevails in this city over
the burning of the Smugglrr mine. The
timhcrs in the lower workings caught
fir, nj o'clock this morning and. not
withstanding almost sup"rhuman cf-
forts have been made ali day Ia check
the flames, IL seems To b. gaining head
way. The damage cannot be estimated
at this time. owing Ia the ar-reaching
nature of the disaster.
The workmrn In the Smugglcr and
Mollie Gibson began to lnhale the oh
noxious gas about I o'clnck this morn
ing and imm. diat,ly began search FOR
its source. Three hours later II was
discovered that the large crib running
between the eighth and nth levels was
ON fire and within short time the
workings of the Gibson mine and the
Smuggler above the soo-fout point were
miners were driven out. The Mollic
Gibson people then attempted to get in
bulkheads In their connection between
the two properties. The air VAS 80
foul that 2s men We're overcome and for
time II was thought that wholesale
fatalities had resulted. Al one time
l2 Unconscious men were pulled out of
the mine and II required the utmost et-
forts of physicians for over half an
hour to bring them around Ed. Hog
son. a Mollie Gibson employe. was over
come and walked into chute. receiv-
ing fatal injuries.
The gas became 50 bad about 5
o'clock that the Moilic Gibson was
L.. "A. Ia. 81. Ill a l..
men We're unconscious ar partially so.
The Mollie Gibson people after "A strug
gle lasting l. hours. succeeded In hulk
heading their drifts. The bulkhead
scheme In the Smuggler was aban-
doned about 1880 "a. m. and now an al !
tempt In being made To run stem from
below through the Free silver mine to
the eighth level and try to smother
the flames by forcing stram into the
burning workings. In the meantime. n
two-inch stream of water IL playing on
the crib from above. for the purpose oi
keeping the fire from spreading.
The burning crib is 90 by iso feet and
800 feet high. II contains thousands Of
cords of timber.
IIaiiet stated that II was most doubtful
what the outcome would be. He Is
]
may have an effect. Hallet also stated
that flooding the mine with water
would be a last resort. In this event
II will shut down every big mine in
the camp. including the Mollie Gibson
\. j. Milliner, Deep Shaft and the As
pen Mining and Smelter company on
III. south and the Della :. and Free
Silver on the north.
The FIRE IL above the big pumps about
100 feet The air AT this point is kept
clear through the connection from ths
Free Silver mine. II Is feared that
within n short time the gas VIII be-
come heavier than the air and viii sink
/ In which event the most disastrous re-
suits will follow
4 Many hairbreadth escapes are ~.
! corded. Manager Cox aud Supcrintcnd-
ent Scott were each holding an un-
conscious miner ON the cage which was
being drawn out ~ the shaft. Halt
way up SCOTS man rogalnrd con-
sciousness Just In time Ia catch ths
/ SUPERINTENDENT as he became insensi-
/ bile. Manager Uall.t and Master Me-
chanlc carsons remained too long IN
the drift and Carsons had to be carried
to the cage by his companions. Just
ss they got into the cage. Hailct lost
consciousness also. hut in falling grab.
/ bed the signal rope, which signalled
| the engineer and he dropped them t.
] the ninth level, where the air was COM
/ ing In from the Free Silver mine.
All the physicians in the city are or
hand and more are summoned from
Ieadyille and Glenwood. The danger
] is that the affected men may contract
! pneumonia. which would prove fatal II
! the present condition ~ their lungs.
( The origin ~ the fire Is supposed Il
! have been spontaneous combustion.