The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1917-06-22
God, if You are above us, as
we are told You are, look down
on me and my friends and save
us. God, be good to u.s.


on me and my friends and save
us. God, be good to us.''
This was the prayer of an alien
miner, who, with his friends, had
bulkheaded out the deadly gas, in
one of the lower workings of the
North Butte mines, when he thought
he was about to die. The great
Butte tragedy, which cost the neigh
borhood of 100 lives, developed
many heroes. But the outstanding
figure of the catastrophe was Manus
Duggan, humble nipper, who led 20
miners into a drift, and insisted on
the building of the bulkhead which
saved their lives. He also fought
cause of the condition of the air,
wanted to break down the protecting
barrier, let the gas in and end the
torture. He succeeded in making
the men listen to reason, and they
were rescued after being sealed up
for 20 hours. But, in the meantime,
Duggan, delirious from the effects of
the gas, had wandered off into the
mine workings, and is believed to
have persisted
Missed by Rescue Party.
All day the miners listened for
rescue party. A O'Clock Saturday
afternoon band of helmet workers,
when going through the smoke,
which was very bad then, actually
touched the bulkhead built by the
men, but they did not know it was
only temporary affair, because they
could not see we'll and were cropping
about. So one chance to release the
imprisoned men was lost. At inter-
walls the miners would take turns
hammering and shouting in the hope
OF attracting attention.
Torture to Sit Up.
AS the hours passed and no relief
came, the men became quiet. Some
started to write farewell messages;
others laid down to die. The air was
getting so bad men could not sit up
and found that by lying face down
ward in the ditch they were more
comfortable. At / O'Clock Sunday
morning some of the men agitated
the question of breaking down the
bulkhead and going out into the gas.
One miner made a speech and asked
how many wanted to do this. A ma
jority voted with him.
Once again Duggan showed the
headwork which saved their lives. He
pulled out a shirt and let the men
smell the gas and appealed to their
gameness to fight it out on the only
chance they had. His talk won the
day. At 2 a. M. every man in the
prison was moaning with pain for
the air was about exhausted. Men
crawled about in their agony. Pray
ers mingled with blasphemy; laugh
ter from those who were delirious,
with the crying of other men.
Duggan Keeps Command.
Lets rush the thing and go out
and die an easy death in the gas and
not suffer these tortures," said one
man, whose suffering was becoming
too great. The last water was hand
ed out at a. m. After that the suf-
fering increased hourly. Once Dug
gan stood in front of the bulkhead
and ordered the miners back.
At / o'clock Sunday afternoon
Duggan pulled out the shirt and |
smelled the gas outside.
"Now is the time. Boys, now is
the time. We can make it if you will
muster all the strength you have
left," sadi Duggan, who appeared
to be in the best physical condition
of all the men entombed.
Those who were too weak to get
up were assisted and it was decided
that to save their strength all hands
should crawl to the station. The or
der to break down the bulkhead was