Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-01-06

KILLS TWO
Men Employed in the Michael Dewitt
Mine In Butte Meet Death
From Dynamite.
is THOUGHT TO BE MURDER
It is Alleged That Men Working In
the Rsrus Mine Are Responsible
for the Deaths.

Butte, Jan. 1.-Two men are dead
and a third is in serious condition
as the result Of an explosion that oc-
CURED last night at about $3.50 o'clock
in the workings of the Michael Dew.
lit mine The men who fell victims
of the explosion were at work In the
Pennsylvania. 1t is freely charged
that the dynamite was laid with the
purpose in view Of doing injury to the
Pennsylvania
The men who lost their lives as the
result of the explosion were Samuel
Olson and Frank Divel Olson was
killed instantly and Divel died this
morning at o'clock from his injur-
les. He never recovered conscious
ness from the time he was taken from
the mine. John Penaluna was seri-
ously injured.
Trouble Of Long Standing.
There has been trouble at the Penn
sylvania mine for some time as the
rresult OF the litigation about the
Michael Dewitt workings. The Heinze
men in the Dewitt and Rarus mines
are reported to have resorted to un-
precedentedly unlawful and indescrib.
able methods to push their way into
the workings to which no court has
given them title. They have, II is
said, been running ore bodies, de-
stroying good and generally carrying
on a process of wreckage, which, to
say the least, endangered the lives OF
the men at work In the Pennsylvania
mine.
Since Judge Beatty's order permit.
ting representatives of the Butte 4
Boston company to make an inspec.
ton OF the Michael Dewitt the trou.
BILE has been increasing and within
the past few days the terrific blasts
Of the Heinze men have been caus.
ing such smoke and gas In the Penn
sylvanla that IL was almost impossi
BILE tor the miners To work.
To Shut Out Smoke.
The result was that. In desperation,
The men at the Pennsylvania decid
ed 10 put a door to separate the
Michael Dewitt from the Pennsylvania
on the 600-foot level, and thus ex.
clude the noxious gases which were
such a menace to life. John Penal.
una, shift boss. directed Samuel Oh
son and Frederick Divel to erect q
door.
The place where the door was erect
ed is on the sill floor OF the 600-foOt
level. at the end of crOss-cut. There
is a raise there, and the 600-foot level
of the Pennsylvania corresponds
closely TO the S00.foot level of the
Rarus mine. The door had been very
nearly completed. In fact there was
no other work TO do than to nail on
cleat.
The noise OF the hammers was suffi.
cient TO show that the men we're al
work there, even If It had not been
already known that the Butte & Bos.
ton men were In the croBs-cut. Sud.
denly there was terrific explosion.
The force OF the explosion was SUM-
cient 10 throw Olson and Divel with
great force.
Is Instantly Killed.
Olson was killed instantly, death be.
ing due TO concussion. Divel was
hurled with such force that either the
impact or the conclusion was respon.
sible for the fracturing OF his skull.
penaiuna. who was approaching the
men at work al the time OF the ex.
plosion, missed the full force OF the
blast. He was knocked down. how.
ever. and overcome by the gas.
Diye died this morning.
a Few minutes after the senseless
forms Of Penaluna and Divel and the
lifeless body OF Olson were taken out
of the mine Coroner Egan and Dep.
uty Mine Inspector John Barry were
1otifed. They went at once to the
mine and made a thorough lnvestiga.
tion. The result OF Mr.. Barry's per.
sonal trip tc the scene OF the fatality
will be made known at the inquest
State Mine Inspector Byrne has been
notified OF the affair and is expected
from Helena,