Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1903-11-12
DEATH IN A NINE.
Fatal Fire In tho Kearsarge Mine
Near Virginia City.
NINE MEN ARE KNOWN TO Be KILLED
Amons the lvlesims Is he superintsndent
Of the lEins, Who Lost His Life In
Trying to Rescue the

Butte, Mont, Nov. IA Virginia
City special to the Miner says fire In
the Kearsarge mine. six miles from
Virginia City, early yesterday morning
killed nine men. The damage to sur
face buildings is slight Among the
dead 10 Superintendent R. B. Turner,
Of Butte, one Of the best know mining
men in the northwest Four bodies had
been recovered up to last night The
dead are: r. B. Turner. superintend-
emit Of the Kearsarge mine; George Al
len, stationary engineer; John Tobin,
James Powers, Edward Lahrdy. Will
liam Fleming and two unknown men,
all miners.
All the dead miners are from Butte
and were single men. The Kearsarge
ia one Of the principal gold mines Of
the state and Is considered very valu-
able. It IL operated by the Alder Min
ing company.
About I'VE O'Clock yesterday morning
IRE was discovered issuing from the
tunnel house on tunnel No. /. At the
time the flames were discovered the
timbers in the tunnel were ablaze.
How the fire originated is not known,
but at the first alarm all the miners.
carpenters and laborers, some 100 in
all, hastened across the gulch to aid
in subduing the flames. Superintend-
emit R. B. Turner, whose temporary
quarters are high on the hill across the
right fork of Alder gulch and only a
short distance from the burning tunnel
house, at once went to the scene and
assumed the direction Of affairs and
Of giving orders IN regard to the work
Of extinguishing the flames. With
others he entered the tunnel through
the fire and smoke to give warning
to the entombed miners and to aid In
their escape. Near the mouth Of the
tunnel they stumbled ever the dead
body Of John Tobin, who evidently had
made an effort TO escape, but was
driven back BY the flames and smoke.
They carried tho body TO the surface
and oncs more entered the workings
to rescue their comrades II possible.
According to the story Of miner, Hur-
ley by name, he with Turner and an
other man, entered the mine behind
him, but descended through the air
shaft Hurley was the last Of the three
to descend. After going down some
distance through the air shaft Hurley
heard q cry and then thuds, as OF
bodies striking the timbers, and fol-
lowed by smothered splash in water.
Hurley tried 10 go farther down the
shaft, but was compelled to retrace
his steps.
Mr.. Turner has been connected with
the company for several years as su-
perintendent Of the Kennel mine and
then Of the Kearsarge, and it was due
to his management that the latter mine
has become one Of the best known
mines In southern Montana. He is the
Junior member of the firm Of Mitchell
@ Turner, Of Butte. Mr.. Turner re-
Gently perfected new process to treat
cyanic ores and the papers making
application for q patent thereof left
Virginia City only yesterday morning.
As soon a. the news reached Virginia
city everyone hurried to Summit.
County Attorney Duncan and Acting
Coroner N. D. johnson, who started out
to hold an inquest on John Tobin, re-
NAMED to perform a like duty over
the bodies Of the others. Superintend-
emit Turner had wife and one child.