The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1916-02-17
1Wen|y-one Miners
Perish in
The Flames
Nine Bodies Are Taken From Burn.
ing Anaconda Company Mine
In Butte

Butte, Mont, Feb. 15.-Twenty.one
men probably have persisted, accord.
ing to the rescue workers at the Penn
sylvania mine of the Anaconda Cop.
per mining company in fire which
broke out in one of the levels while
220 miners were at work last night
Nine bodies had been raised from the
mine before noon and IL were unac.
counted for
The fire at the 1,2O0-foot level of
the shaft was still burning at noon,
but was under control.
A rescue party with oxygen hel.
NETS penetrated today all the work
ings OF the 1,0OO-foot level to dis
tance Of 1900 feet from the main
shaft and found no bodies.
They found the mine burning like
a volcano, with smoke rapidly filling
the 1000, 900 and 100-foot levels.
Rescue gangs descended to these
levels Immediately although 1t was
not known that anyone was left in
them.
Two of the dead, William Mitchell,
assistant foreman, and Mel Brennan,
were overcome by smoke and gas
while engaged in rescue work on the
GOO foot level.
The cause of the fire is unknown.
In the rush and excitement OF the
fire several miners failed to report
off shift. The fate of these men,
probably dozen, was in doubt.
Brennan and Mitchell were among
the first of the rescuers to go under
ground, and they came up several
times before they were finally over.
come. Their bodies were recovered
by Assistant Foreman Jake Bartlett
and a miner named Tunnel, who
were also engaged in rescue work.
John Gillie, general manager of
the Anaconda Copper Mining Com.
pany, said the fire might have origi.
mated from any of dozen causes, in.
Guiding careless use Of candle or
a short circuit.
Gillie and General Superintendent
b. II. Dunshee spent the greater
part OF the night at the mine direct.
ing the rescue work.
The mine is $500 feet in depth and
the air shaft is 1900 feet deep.
New Ventilating System
A new ventilating system was in.
stalled in the mine today which
changed the air currents and made
exploration of all levels in the eff
fected area possible. The mine Is
$500 feet deep.
There was still hope that some of
the IL missing might have escaped
into the workings of other properties,
Within a few minutes after the
fire was discovered in the timberinG
at the 1900 level near the shaft gas
fumes and smoke poured into the
higher workings of the mine. Station
tenders were ordered to warn the
hundreds OF miners, some Of whom
were as much as Q quarter of mile
from the shaft.
Signals to the engineer from the
cage came from a half dozen lev
e's at once. lnsistent calls came
from the 800 foot level. One cage
full OF men was taken from there,
but when 1t was again lowered to
this level there were no men at the
landing. William G. Mitchell, as
sistant foreman of the mine, and Jack
Brennan a miner who volunteered
we're quickly lowered to the 500 lev
e.. A few minutes later their dead
bodies were found by first aid rescue
crews. Both were overcome within
few yards OF the shaft. First ait
teams with complete equipment o.
rcspirators and oxygen helmets hat
great difficulty in penetrating thu
drifts.
Most OF the dead and missing mel
were at work on the 800 or adjoin
ing levels.
Officers OF the Anaconda compan'
gave out a statement saying they ha,
no means yet of determining tn
cause OF the fire.