The copper era., 1906-03-01

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They were:
JACK JAMES, timberman.
JOE KARPINSKY, pipeman.
JACK MOFFITT, tool nipper.
Little hope is entertained of the
recovery of their bodies, which, if
they were not consumed by the fierce
heat of the burning shaft, probably
lie buried under a great mass of
(rock, which fell into the shaft on
Tuesday night.
When the alarm was given of fire
in the disused shaft five men started
down into it with hose to fight the
flames. 1t was a risky thing to do
but the brave men thought first of
protecting the lives of others and
saving the mine from destruction.
The draught at the time was down
the Interloper shaft. which, con-
sequently was free from smoke and
gas. A few minutes later the air
currents changed, driving the smoke
up through the old shaft in dense
volume, in which no living thing
could survive longer than a few sec
onds.
The unfortunate men were caught
as in trap and only two of the five,
escaped-Leroy Ikenberry and Rich
ard Jones, the latter being near the
collar of the shaft at the time and
not in great danger.
Ikenberger was so exhausted that
he would have gone down had not
Jones turned and pulled him out.
Jack Moffit, the man next to him,
was almost to the collar of the shaft.
Another moment and a succoring
hand would have been outstretched
to save him, but fate had decreed
otherwise. Overcome by the deadly
gases he lost consciousness and fell
to instant death in the fiery death.
James and Karpinsky, who were
further below, it is almost certain,
shared the same fate. For a time d
faint hope was entertained that they
might haye reached a place of safety
on one of the levels, but that hope
was soon abandoned.
CALAMITY NIGHT HAVE BEEN WORSE.
The awful fate of these men caused
shudder of horror to run through
the crowd standing about the burn
ing shaft. The circumstances at
tending their deaths were certainly
distressing, but there is little doubt
that had the downward draught in
the burning shaft continued a few
minutes longer-carrying the dense
smoke and gases into the mine
many of the men at work there
would have been numbered among
the victims.
Within half an hour after the
alarm was given all the men on shift
had gotten safely out of the mine.
Mine Superintendent N. S. Berrav
and his assistants set about to devise
means of confining the fire to the
shaft in which it originated. There
are connections with the mine on so
many of the levels that the problem
was most difficult one. In places it
was found practicable to bulkhead
the levels. In others it was neces-
sary to shoot the openings with heavy
charges of powder in order to dis
lodge masses of rock and thereby
choke the openings. By these means
all important openings leading to-
ward the fire were closed. except on
the 18th level.
The fire burned fiercely for four or
five hours, the great column of smoke
and flame ascending high into the
heavens. Toward evening it gradual
bly, died away until hardly percepta-
table, and at about o'clock, the sup
porting timbers having been con-
sumed the walls of the old shaft caved
and thousands of tons of rock fell
into the abyss. The violent concus-
sion drove the gases into the mine
through every crevice compelling the
men still working on the bulkheads to
hurry to the surface.
GOOD WORK OF THE MEN.
The work performed by the men
underground has been of hazardous
nature and they deserve much credit
for courage displayed. Most of the
time the gas was so bad that they
could remain below only few seconds
and the mine physicians, Doctors
Holt, Kennedy aud Sturgeon, were
kept busy resuscitating those over
come by the fumes. A pathetic scene
occurred on Tuesday evening at
the entrance of the working shaft,
were a dozen or more women gath
cred and pleaded with husbands, faith
ers and sons not to risk their lives
in the mine. More than one hundred
were knocked out by gas, but in no in
stance was the direct result serious.
A distressing accident happened in
the shaft yesterday afternoon Ira
Wheat who was being hoisted with
two others, all affected by gas; having
one of his legs crushed between the
floor of the cage and shaft timbers.
The bones below the knee were broken