The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-06-10
Fire and Poisonous Gases
Now Down Entrapped Men
Conagration in Spectator Property mperils Lives of
Over 400 Workmen-Ony 81 Bodies Recovered and 1t Is
Believed Us Are Still Within the Roaring Furnace
Continued From Page One)


AS yet there has been no organized
attempt to combat the fire. only to
the extent Of affording egress to bodies
and with the exception that it is wide
spread and appears to be extending,
little was known tonight as to Just
what property scale damage had rn-
suited. only that it was very large. 1t
is believed that the mine damage will
exceed 100000. with the liability
insurance which the No~-N Bu-'n
company carries itself of 81 600 fo~ tive
life of each man lost. this heirs a
statutory provision under the com
rensation laws of Montana.
Shaft Becomes Furnace.
That the workings in the immediate
vicinity Of the shaft, for 200 feet both
above and below the 2.4o0 foot level.
where the fire originated from contact
OF carbide lamp with frayed. tar
soaked cambria insulation of a huge
cable being lowered to connect venti-
lating fans. were for time a seeth-
ing furnace, is indicated by develop
ments Of the rescue work. Two sta
ton tenders were burned almost to A
crisp when caught in the Granite
Mountain shaft 200 feet above the ori-
Gin of the fire by reason Of the burn
ing of the signal bell system. Gas
and SMOKE in such volumes as to fill
practically every working resulted
from the burning shaft timhcrs before
the flames We're quenched. The faces
of bodies found hundreds of feet from
the Shaft itself on the 700 and 500
above the origin of the fire. were
burned
Few Resuscitated.
While the morgues We're being filled
with bodies. a dozen or more men.
overcome gas and rescued from the
workings. We're rosuscitated at tbe
mine itself by first aid methods and a
dozen more We're removed to the hos
pitfalls for treatment No few OF the
members of the rescue crews were
overcome
The American Red Cross tonight
volunteered its services.
An arnalling sight which caused the
strongest hearts to quail was the ere
nation of two men. Mile Conway
and Pete Sheridan. station tenders
who were trapped like rats in a double
decked cage. about 90 feet above the
collar of the shaft. with the flames
living from the shaft like torch
around them. The cage hung IN, II
consequence Of the fire disarrangfns
the hosting machinery. and With,
sight of the few spectators, who wer
power'ess to help. the unconscious me-
were burned to a crisp.
Flames Overtake Cage.
These men had just been lowere,
when the eneinter received hurrio,
signals to hoist. and the lifting of tn,
cage was speeded up. with the flame
CHASING 1t, The flames overlook tn,
cage and when it reached tho surfac,
ana sped past the collar the forms o
the men were in sight. with the lean
ing tongues Of fire preventing recoy
erv of the bodies.
with the shaft resembling some
what geyser of flames the signal O
'he depths below began ringing for III
engineers to hoist men. and a shuddc
passed through those. The SIGN
were repeated. then again. and agai,
Violently FINALLY they ceased and ;
sense of terrible dread seized III,
helpless snectators The signallns
was regarded as the last act Of tn,
entomhed men in frantic effort to con
NeE WORT of their plight before the,
su"cumhed to the fire and gas.
considerable time elapsed before tn,
nose limos pouring water into tn,
'iranit" Mountain shaft had forced
pack tn" fire and gas sufficiently I,
''ffhlt In" lowering of tho cage anf
'h' recovery of tho bodies The,
We're burned beyond recognition. Blu
Tor the the fact that it was know,
who was on tho cage it would have
been Impossible to have recognized
the remains.
Batter Way Through Concrete.
George MetCHlf and clarence Mile
at the head Of about zoo men mad,
their escape from tho /, >0U-foot lev @
of the Spectator Ivy bAttering thci
way with Sledgc hammers and hcaV,
tmbers through a 15-inch concret,
bulkhead into the Badger state work
ings.
Gas commenced to filter itnO thu
Badger state and picking UP tn" MN
crS from the Nurth Butlr tn" Badge
State men began coming to the sur
face. Rushing back Motcalf and Mile
rescued Gcortc Wheeler whom the,
found PROSTATE in the drift.
These rescued North emit" mon rap
idly recovered from TIN effects Of thu