The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-20

tendent John Duncan n General
Manager s. Il. Whiting have no author
ity TO allow visitors to enter the mine.
This Is probably the only case i'm the
country where a $4,000 per annum SUI
p~erintendent and a S25, 900 per annum
general manager cannot take visitors
through the property under their
charge. Fire doors of cement and steel
have been built I'm the mine. by which
any given section can be cut OF from
the others on short notice, just as ocean
steamers nave water-tight and air
tight compartments. which can be
closed on a few moments notice In case
of collision or grounding. Water pipes
run through every level and hose on
reels Is placed at the functions OF shafts
and drifts, which correspond in the
mine to street corners I'm "a city on sur
face. Telephone and telegraphic COM
munication Is had from all parts of the
mine and the property Ii as carefully
guarded against fire as most metropolis
tan cities. While the Calumet g. Hecla
has suffered millions of dollars pecuni-
airy loss through mine fires the loss of
life has been very small.
This Was a Had One.
The greatest mining disaster ever
known i'm the Lake Superior mineral
district was at the Osceola mine.
which joins the Calumet a Hecla, in
September. 1895. A fire caught in the
'lagging" OF No. 3 shaft Just below the
nth level. 200 feet below the surface.
shortly before noon. presumably from n
candle tip thrown by some careless
miner. The Osceola Is an amygdaloid
mine and its lode is as firm as the
foot and hanging walls. which are of
trap rock. as unyielding as the granite
hills. hence there was but little timber
in the mine. only enough being required
to AFFORD a regular incline to the skip
tracks and stringers and ties for the
track itself. with side and roof pieces
"a hold the track in shape. The min
ers were warned of the fire while eating
their noon lunch. Many of them
laughed at the danger from fire I'm a
big mine containing so little timber and
continued to eat their luncheon. The
Osceola mine had a natural system OF
ventilation. the air going down No. 2
shaft and coming up No. 4. 500 feet to
the southwark. As the flames crept up
the steep shaft. licking up the wooden
timber. the current Of heated air forced
its way against the downward draft
from the surface and where air from the
mine had before assembled through No.
4 n down draft was created by the sue
ton OF the flames.
Chimney Half a Mile long.
The fire was more thar half a mile
below surface and the draft generated
by a chimney 400 feet in length can
scarcely be imagined nv those who were
not witnesses OF the fire. The change
in the natural system OF ventilation OF
the min was almost instantaneous.
and az n consequence great volumes Of
acrid smoke from the half-burned tim
bers were whirled into the drifts con-
Meeting the two shafts and thence into
all the underground openings. Half
blinded and partially surocated by the
smoke the miners who had stopped to
eat rushed for the ladderways in No. 4
and No. 5 shafts. Some escaped by rid
ing up to the surface on the skips.
which were run slowly for that pur-
pose: others reached light and safety
by the ladders. after n climb Of l.ieo
feet. in an atmosphere that would bare
IL sustain life In the most robust. while
other succumbed I'm the drifts. and yet
others died on the ladderways. One
man was found. i've days later. within
80 feet Of the surface. with arms and
legs wound about the sides OF the lad
der and teeth firmly clinched on the