Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-06-14
FIRE IN Mine
ENT0MbS2O0.
Gas Claims IS and 1877 Are
Missing, But They May Have
Found Safety in 9th
er Workings.

Butte, Mont, June 11.-With IS men
dead and 1917 men missing asAthe re-
suit of a fire which broke out in the
Spectator copper mine last night,
Butte wrestled today with the worst
mining diGaster in it's history. The fire
broke ont in the lower levels of the
mine late last night starting form a
broken power cable that carried cleo
tricity to the underground pumps.
Lower levels of the mine quickly filled
with smoke and gas. There were 416
men on the night shift. OF these 213
escaped through levels connected with
other mines.
The gas spread to tho Diamond mine
and took a further toll of life IN that
proper ty. Helmeted men, mine rescue
crews and safety first squads from All
the mines in Butte undertook to pene-
trate the gas filled workings of the
Speculator, the Diamond and High Ore
..ines, in the hope of finding the larger
BODY of miners. for whom hope Of res
cue was not given up today.
Officials said that if the 1877 missing
miners are not found to have made
their way to the High Ore mir work
Angs. they are doomed
Fire Half Mile Underground.
The fire, which started on the 400
foot level. communicated quickly to
other levels, cutting off All escape from
men on lower levels. Dense smoke
which poured from the shaft in great
clouds retarded rescue work. Miners
from adjoining properties, ordered up
from underground as %precaution. went
to work as rescuing gangs. aiding ma
tional guardsmen who had beer called
to the scene. Because of the smoke and
the danger, they We're able to do little,
until the arrival of safety first cars
from Red Lodge and Colorado Springs,
winch were ordered upon the outbreak
of the fire.
Warning of their danger came in
hme enough to permit men from the up
per levels to escape. They Immediately
formed rescue parties and attempted to
go down the shaft TO the men on lower
levels who are. it is thought, entombed.
Their efforts were fruitless, and little
could be done until the arrival of the
bureau of mines safety first cars, which
carry gas n smoke proof helmets.
One houl after the outbreak of the
fire l.. D.. ISrink, superintendent M. d.
comets, foreman. N. d. Brawley, gen
eral manager of the Granite shaft,
owned by the North Butte company, de-
clared they would account for 213 out
of Ais who were in the shaft when the
fire Started.
Suck Air From Hose.
John Coffemetten and John Royce.
Who We're the first TWO men to be taken
ifoIl l!le Snall allNc lOfd Il tnfljllNg ale
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 Spectator is a trafnway mine
and runs through Granite mountain
Men equipped with safety first helmets
to Withstand the effects of smoke and
fumes entered the Spectator Shaft
frst, but were compelled to retire soon
after.
Carbide Lamp Starts II.
According to miners who scaped
from the shaft the fire started from
flames of Il carbide lamp. The men
were ordered to report tt the time
keeper as they emerged from the mine;
I'll men had so reported, soon after the
rescue work started. out of the Ais who
went down in the night shift.
A statement by officials of the North
Butte company issued just before noon
today gives So known dead as the re-
suit OF the Spectator mine fire. 1877
missing and 212 known to have been
| saved.