The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-06-14

butte, June INSTRUMENTATION tHc
body, of Martin Duggan, boy hero of
the Spectator mine fire, will be found
a last message to the young wife who
became mother While her husband
was giving his life for his mates, ac-
cording to Albert f. Cobb. one of the
miners who was with Duggan during
the horrible hours underground.
Feeling that he might never get out
alive. Duggan wrote his will and long
letter while crouching back of the
bulkhead with which he saved the lives
Of his companions. While the men
We're dying of thirst and foul air Dug
gan said to Cobb:
''Tussie, have you got a pad?'
Cobb gave the young fellow paper
and. jokingly, asked him if he was GO
ing to write his will.
Yes, Tussie," the "nipper' said, Il
don't think we are going to get out"
Wrote Long Letter.
Duggan wrote for about an hour,
Cobb says, and then thrust the paper
into his pocket. When his body is
found it will be identified by this let
ter. presumably addressed to the young
wife.
Cobb tells a moving story of the
frightful hours which Dusgan and his
little crew spent in their buIllhead ref
Gge. Duggan, he says, was the only
man in the crowd who kept his head.
He it was who marshalled the miners
out of their panic and induced them
not to run to certain death in the gas
filled passages, but to seek good air
and bar themselves in. He directed
the construction of a bulkhead and
then lay down with the others to wait
for rescue.
Played Cards While Waiting.
Three of us took turns at watching
the bulkhead and played cards" says
Cobb, "but as time went on the ten
sion became SO great we lost all in
terest and had to quit. Some of the
men. mostly foreigners, went to SLEEP
as soon as they hit the drift and did
not wake up until they came out, ap-
parently. We had been in there .
hours when the air became so foul we
had a hard time to breathe. SO Dug
gan and | went up to the bulkhead ant
dug little hole in the top of It,. The
air inside was stronger than the gas
so the foul air went out for n while
We figured there would be good air OF
the floor, but when we made a hole
there the gas came in bad. We ha,
to plug this up again and also tho
hole at the top.
I'VE went back and tried the all
pipe again, but it was SO full of ga.
we had to use rags to plug it up. There
was a submarine q water tank OF
trucks, with about foot of water il
the bottom, and it was thick like soup
but it tasted pretty good and wet ou
lips. Duggan took a pail of it an'
went down the line Of men. giving eacl
man a sip He then came back ant
was nearly all in.
Groans Troubled Him.
when the men broke through tn
tnlkhcad ! did not go out with thu
rest. My idea was. the air would b.
better after all the men had left ant
that I had a better chance in their
than outside in the gas. John Nc
Carvey and Ed Heston were the nnl.
ones left with me and they wer'
nearly ali in. lay there for an hour
but the groans from these other tW'
men almost set me crazy. Ned woal'
holler:
".Oh, Tussie; oh. Tussie.' and die
not have strength enough to ansWe
him. So ! made up my mind to maxi
it out with the rest of them. Me-
Said
"'Where are you going, Tnssie" ant
said, With the rest He asked M
to wait for him and I said. NO. Tn
lucky il / make 1t: come YOURSELF
got to the bulkhead and lay down be
side it, as the air was pretty goo'
there. I had been there about half Fl
hour when l heard footsteps and knew
them to be too quick for the men VIII
had left. I sat and listened and ;
rescue man whistled and let out |
yell.
"McGarvey and Heston started t
veil. too. When l saw the lights com
ing around that drift could not he'll
hut cry because the suffering had beel
so terrible. They took us out to tn
station and then to the top.
Dugsan's Disappearance.
~ think Duggan's disappearance ca
be explained by his belief that rescu
was at the Rainbow shaft. That Wa
all he would talk about from the tim
we gave up hope of getting out unit
the bulkhead was smashed. He kne,