The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1922-09-23
with the air filled with gas it could
not be used.

not be used.
Constant tests were made to ascer-
tain II the gas had diminished or the
flames ceased. but the experts were
not able to penetrate the smoke bar
rier. After ten days the fire appar-
emily died down to some extent.
The United States Bureau of Mines
Office In Berkeley was notified i'm
mediately, and Government and State
mining experts arrived with rescue
apparatus during the day of August
2s. They Joined with mine officials
in forming an official rescue commit
tee. and 1t was decided to cut through
to the Argonaut from the adjoining
Kennedy mine by means of two
abandoned tunnels which were closed
up In a fire in the Argonaut two years
ago. These constituted extensions of
the 36OO and 39O0-foot levels of the
Kennedy.
A crew from the Argonaut force
was put to work in the 3600-foot lev
ell and one from the Kennedy in the
3900-foot level. Their progress at
times was fairly rapid, at others
handicapped by loose and sticky
muck. The most serious setback was
mass of hard green stone in the
36O0-foot level which had to be
passed by making a detour of 100
feet, which took several days.
Miners coming of shift September
4 reported that they heard signals
which they were certain must have
come from the entombed men, and
the town was temporarily wild with
excitement. Experts of the California
industrial accident commission later
announced that no signals ever had
come from the imprisoned men and
said the supposed communications
must have been the products of nerve
strain and Imagination.
Vice President A. e. Stent of the
Argonaut Mining Company an
nounced on September that he and
other officials were convinced that
all the men were dead, but two days
later DIR. l.. R. Duschak of the indus
trial accident commission declared
that chemical tests revealed no signs
of dead bodies in the mine. This was
followed by q statement signed by
the entire rescue committee announc-
ing its belief that all the men were
alive. The Argonaut Mining Com
pany at the same time offered $4,000
reward to the first crew to break into
the burning mine.
What at first were reported as ex-
plosions from the Argonaut on Sep
tember IL were declared by DR.. Dus-
chak to be cave-ins of the lower lev
els of the mine resulting from the
burning out of the timbers.
The 3900-foot level crew reached
the end of it's tunnel on September
10. and began cutting through a 141
foot wall of quartz, using compressed
air drills for the first time. as condi-
tions prevented their being brought
into play before.
A belief that some of the men at
least were alive was expressed by C.
e. Jarvin, member of the State Board
of Control, who arrived on the scene
September IL as Governor Stephens's
representative, and on September 13
H. M. Wolfiin, superintendent of safe
ty for the Industrial accident COM
mission, announced in San Francisco
that the survival of the miners de-
pended ON whether they had had
time to barricade themselves against
the gas fumes accompanying the fire.
Since then the daily record has
been one of increasing and decreasing
hope. as Circumstances made progress
rather slow. AS the rescue crew on
the 3600-foot level, wearied of strug-
Cling with the mass of twisted steel |
rails, pipes, broken stone. mud and |
debris which filled that drift. aband- |
oned the work of clearing 1t while |
they yet were sixteen feet from its |
end, and drove up and ahead through |
solid rock, progress through the rock |
as they cut over the hilled-in drifts |
was faster than they had made in re-
moving the material.
September Is this crew, which is |
of men from the Argonaut |
mine, was conceded to have the ad-
in the race with the Kennedy |
men working from the 3900-foot lew
81 for the honor of first breaking |
through into the Argonaut. This ad- |