The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1902-02-18
SHAFT HOUSE OF THE TREAD
WELL MINES ON DOUGLASS
ISLAND rs BURNED.
MINERS ARE SAFELY RESCUED
Fire Started in the Compressor Build
ing and Before Men in Mine Could
Be Notified It Was Mass
of Flames.
(By Associated Press.)

Seattle, Wash, Feb. 18.-The great
Treadwell mines on Douglass island were
assailed by fire on Tuesday, February IL,
and terrible holocast was prevented
by the almost superhuman attempts of
everybody who could reach the scene
to stay the progress of the flames. The
steamer Dirigo reaching port this morn
ing brought particulars Of the fire.
The Alaska Mexican compressor build
Ing was entirely destroyed. Thirty
eight thousand dollars on the stamps,
mill plates and 120-stamp mill, with
the engine room were saved.
1t took the concentrated efforts of so
two-inch streams of water to master
the flames and for hours the agonized
people worked under fearful suspense,
for more than 100 miners were in the
lower workings and in immediate danger
of meeting horrible death.
Building Burned Rapidly.
The origin of the fire was not known
at last reports. The first knowledge of
the conflagration was when II. G. Hall,
superintendent of the Mexican COM
pressor, discovered flames originating
from one of the corners of the huge
structure.
For some unaccountable reason, the
flames gained frightful headway and be-
fore even the hose in the compressor
room could be brought into service the
entire interior of the building was a
seething mass of flames.
From the compressor the fire spread
to the hoist and tramway and before
warning could be sent to the men down
In the mines-more than 100-the shaft
house was on fire and the lower end of
q mil hYr
The danger to the imprisoned miners
was noted by everybody and dozens OF
volunteers asked to be allowed to go
down through the burning shaft and
warn them.
such an act would have been suicidal,
however, and would have resulted in no
good to the apparently helpless men
below, so the combined efforts of the
first brigades were put to saving the
remainder of the vast mine buildings.
Go Through Old Workings.
There was apparently nothing to do
towards saving their lives. as the shaft
was closed and was fast becoming un-
tehable from the burning embers drop
ping from the woodwork at the mouth,
council was called hurriedly and the
men waited While the superintendent
on the levels grappled with the dark
and apparently helpless means of es-
cape. Several were old employees of the
company and had worked In the old
levels which We're directed from an
abandoned pit, and knew that there was
some means of communicating between
the new and old workings
Tne air was becoming foul and gas
laden fast, SO the scramble for life along
the levels towards the only possible
means OF egress was hurried and fraught
with intense excitement Of the situation
The race for life was such as none Of
the men will ever want to undergo
again.
Finally the right gallery was reached
and the first of the line of escaping men
reached the bottom of the old pit and
stood in the light OF day.
Got Fire Under Control.
Tn the meantime the fire had been
gradually gotten under control. When
the news reached the crowds, OF people
watching the blazing buildings that the
men from Below had come out through