Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-10
WORST DISASTER
IN HISTORY OF
BUTTE DISTRICT
Fire Which Starts in SpeCu-
lator Copper Workings
Quickly Fills Levels With
Smoke, and Gas.

Butte, Mont, June "a statement
by officials OF the North Butte COM
pany. issued just before noon today,
gives thirty-six known dead as re-
suit OF the Spectator mine fire. l67
missing and 2l2 known to have been
saved. The list of missing now in
cludes only such men as are believed
yet to be in the min:.
The fire broke out in the lower lev
els of the mine late last night, starting
from broken power cable that car
lied electricity to the underground
pumps.
Lower levels of the mine quickly
filled with smoke and gas. There
we're AIS men on the night shift. OF
these 2l3 escaped through levels con-
Meeting with other mines. The gas
spread to the, Diamond mine and took
= further toll of life in, that property.
Helmet Men at Work.
Helmet men mire rescue crews and
.atety-hrst squads from all the mines
in Butte undertook to penetrate the
pas-flled workings of the Speculator,
the Diamond and High Ore mines in
the hope of finding the larger body OF
miners, for whom hope Of escape was
rot given up today. Officials said
that il the l6 missing miners are not
found to have made their way to the
High Ore mine workings they are
doomed.
Suck All From Hose.
John Coffemetten and John Boyce,
who were the first two men to be
taken from the shaft alive, told
thrilling tale of sustaining their lives
by cutting the air hose and sucking
the air by turns until the rescue party
arrived. They were on the 700-foot
level at the outbreak of the fire.
The men were ordered to report to
the timekeeper as they emerged from
the mine. Two hundred and eleven
men had so reported soon after the
rescue work started out Of the Ais
who went down in the night shift.
Report Forty-eight Dead.
Two men who were working on
the 700-foot level reported that forty
eight had perished on the level where
they worked, they alone being saved
All ambuances in Butte and all
physicians i'll the city were summoned
10 the scene OF the accident imme-
Iiately to cooperate with National
Guardsmen and rescuers composed of
miners. Every safety-hrst expert in
the district has also been summoned
and it is estimated that within few
hours 220 safety-hrst men, trained to
mine rescue work, will be at the Spec
ulator and Granite Mountain shafts.
The Speculator is tramway mine
and runs through Granite mountain.
Men equipped with safety-frst he'll
NETS to withstand the effects of
smoke and fumes entered the Specu-
lator shaft first, but were compelled
10 retire soon after.
Fifty Bodies Recovered.
Fifty bodies had been recovered
rom the Speculator and Granite
mountain properties of the North
Butte Mining company late this alter
noon and 148 more of the Az miners
who went on shift last night before
the fire was discovered were still miss
ing. Hope of finding these men alive
has virtually been abandoned.
Starts for Carbide Lamp.
The Granite mountain shaft, where
the fire started on the 2,400-foot' level
from contact of carbide lamp flame
with the frayed, tar-soaked cambric
insulation and gas being famed out
Of the miles of underground workings
is pouring out of the collar of the
shaft
Rescuers Work Sixteen Hours.
The mines rescue organization OF
Butte has been in service now for
sixteen hours. Every agency of city
and county government has been
placed at the disposal of the mine
management. Flags are at half staff
and all public amusements have been
suspended because of the disaster.