The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-10
A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT
Two Men Buried in a Cave-In at
Basin.
ARE PROBABLY KILLED
The Ruby 1 Was the Scene of the
Disaster-Joseph Kusma and Harry
Andrews the victims-Had
No Warning.

News reached the city last evening Of
a terrible Accident which occurred yes
terday morning in the Ruby mine at
Basin. in which Joseph Kusma and
Harry Andrews. two of the employees
of the mine. were buried by a cave-in
and in all human probability were
killed.
The cave-in occurred about $50
o'clock yesterday morning in the main
slope, a little above the l50-foot level.
The ground between the $50 and 200
levels had all been stopped out and
filled in with waste. and the stope i'm
which the cave-in occurred was lust
being finished up. Kusma. who was
employed as a Carman, was filling his
car at the chute on the $50 level. With
out any warning the ground COM
menced caving Just above the level and
came so fast that Kusma had no OPP
portunity TO save himself. and was car
ried down with the falling timbers and
waste. The cave-in stopped at the 200.
but the great weight crushed two or
three sets below that level, and il was
here that Andrews was caught. He
was working in the stope just below
the 200 and was caught in one of the
SETS when gave way beneath that
level.
When the accident happened the mill
w2r>shut down, and all the forces of
mill and mine were put to work TO
try and rescue the two men. Tn to
last evening they had not been found.
and as the great mass of waste and
tllnbcrs came down with terrific force
II is regarded as highly improbable that
either will be taken out alive. The
cause of the cave-in is a great mystery
and no one seems able to account for
IT. Foreman Martin Buckley. in max
ing his regular rounds, went through
the stope only a few minutes before
the accident and saw no signs of dan
ger. Had the cave-in occurred a few
minutes earlier, he, too, would have
been caught.
President f. b.. Howell of the Gold
Mountain mining was at the
mine at the time of the accident and
brought the news to the city. Mr.. How
ell stated that he talked with Foreman
Buckley, who was unable 10 form any
conclusion regarding the cause of the
caVe-in.
We were just about finished in the
stope,' said Mr.. Howell, land had a
diamond drill in place ready to begin
prospecting for other bodies of ore. inst
as soon as the work that remained TO
De done in the stope was finished. Ow-
ing to this fact Mr.. Buckley examined
the stope more carefully than usual
ana he Informed me he saw absolutely
nothing 10 indicate that a cave-in was
imminent. OF course. the timbers had
to give way TO admit of the cave-in
but what caused them to do so is what
we do not understand. as they were as
strong as In any other part of the
mine"
Mr.. Howell states that when he left
the mine all the men in the companv's
employ were digging with all their
might to get TO the imprisoned miners.
II at that time they had not been
found. When asked If he thought there
was any possibility of either of the men
being found alive, Mr.. Howell was I'M
able to hold out any announcement.
and said it did not seem possible. for
even II the lie was not crushed ont
or them they would doubtless have
smothered before they could be
reached. Mr.. Howell stated that no
attempt would be made to operate the
diamond drill till the cave-in is cleared
away.
Very little is known of Kusma. but
Andrews is well known i'm the city and
mas a brother living here, who left last
evening for the mine upon receiving
Geographic notice of his brothers fate.