Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-11-11
NINE KNOWN
TO BE DEAD
Disastrous Fire in the kearsargs
Mine Six Miles From Virginia
City Saturday Morning.
SUPERINTENDENT is A VICTIM
While Attempting to Rescue His Mer
Is Overcome by Smoke-sodies
Are Being Recovered.

Virginia City. Nov. 6.-Fire in the
Kearsarge mine. six miles from Vir
ginia City, early this morning killed
nine men. The damage to the sur
face buildings is slight. Among the
dead is Superintendent r. B. Turner
of Butte, one of the best known min
ing men in the northwest. Four o.
the bodies have been recovered III
to tonight. The dead are:
r. B. TURNER, superintendent oI
Kearsarge.
GEORGE ALLEN, stationery engi
neer
JOHN TOBIN, miner.
JAMES POWERS, miner
EDWARD LAHERTY, miner.
WIN. FLEMING, miner.
ROBERT DONNELLY, miner.
Two unknown men, miners.
All of the dead miners are from
Butte and were single. The Kearsargs
is one of the principal gold mines ol
the state and is considered very val
liable. 1t is operated by the Alder
Mining company.
About 5 o'clock this morning fire
was discovered issuing from the tun
mel house on tunnel No. |. At the
time the flames were discovered tht
timbers in the tunnel were ablaze
How the fire originated is not known
but at the first alarm all the miners
carepnters and laborers, some 10 il
all, hastened across the gulch to aid
in subduing the flames. Superintend
ent r. B. Turner, whose temporary
quarters are high on the hill across
the right fork of Alder gulch, and but
a short distance from the burning tun
mel house, was at once on the scene
He assumed the directing of affairs
and after giving orders in regard tc
the work of extinguishing the flames
with the others entered the tunnel
through the fire and smoke to give
warning to the ento mbed miners. and
TO aid in their escae. Neai the mouth
of the tunnel they stumbled over the
dead body of John Tobin, who evi
IDENTIFY had made an effort to escape
but was driven back by the flames
and smoke. They carried the body te
the surface and once more entered
the workings to resume their work ol
heroism. According to the story of q
miner, Hurley by name, he, with Tur
ner and another man, entered the
mine by descending through the all
shaft Hurley was the last of the
three to descend. After going down
some distance through the air with
thick smoke. Hurley heard a cry and
then thuds of bodies striking timbers
which were followed by a smOthered
splash in water. Hurley tried to &c
further down the shaft but was com
PEELED to retrace his steps. Up to q
late hour this afternoon the bodies oi
Tobin, Powers, Fleming and Donnel
ly were all that had been recovered
Mr.. Turner had been connected
with the company for several years
as superintendent of the Kenneth
mine and then of the Kearsarge, and
II was due TO his management that
the latter property has become one
of the best known mines in southern
Montana. He is the junior member
of the firm of Mitchell & Turner cd
Butte. Mr.. Turner recently perfected
a new process to treat cyanide ores
and the papers making application
for the patent thereof left Virginia
City only thfs morning.
AS soon as the news reached Vir
yinia City everyone hurried to the
summit. County Attorney Duncan
and Acting Coroner N. d. Johnson
who started out to hold an inquest
on John Tobin, remained to perform
a like duty over the bodies of the
others. superintendent Turner had q
wife and one child, a boy, who were
living with him at the mine. Despite
the fact that Superintendent Turner
has been reported killed from the
mine and the miners have given uT
all hope of ever seeing him alive
again, w. B. Millard. the general man
ager, is confident that he will be
found in some stope or winze where
the gas and smoke cannot penetrate
and bases his confidence upon the
thorough knowledge the former super
intendent had OF the underground
workings of the mine. The Alder
Mining company is now constructing
the most extensive mining plant in
southern Montana, and with all the
new buildings, the piles of loose lum'
Der and the dry wood and shavings
everywhere, ii is a wonder that the
whole plant was not consumed by the
flames.