The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1922-09-19


miners were found dead and are be-
ing removed as fast as possible.
Jackson, Cal, Sept. 19-All AZ of
the miners entombed in the Argo-
naut mine August 27, are dead, it
was announced officially shortly be-
fore 8 o'clock last night.
A note found on one of the bodies
| indicated that all the men had died
within five hours of the beginning
of the fire August 27, officials
said.
A note found on one of the bodies
indicated that all the men had died
within five hours of the beginning
of the fire, August 27. officials said
The note found read as follows:
'S a. IN. Gas bad"
The same note bore a scrawled
figure "a" apparently indicating the
same man had attempted to leave
word for those who might come af-
ter the condition of the mine at that
hour.
Mine officials declared that the
condition Of the cross cut behind the
bulkhead was such that life could
not have been sustained there by the
entombed men for more than five
hours.
The bodies were found piled on
top of one another and decomposi-
tion had progressed so far that iden-
tification would be impossible, Pick.
ard reported.
All the miners were found behind
the second of two bulkheads they
had built in cross cut 1850 feet
down in the Argonaut mine. Byron
o. Pickard, chief of the federal bu-
reau of mines for this district. was
head and discover the bodies.
the first man to go behind the bulk
Pickard, on an earlier exploration
behind this bulkhead, had counted
AZ bodies and expressed the belief
then that there were others there
This third attempt to wall off the
death dealing gas was made at the
end of the 1850 foot cross cut i'm the
Argonaut, but the fact that only a
bare start was made at it proved,
the mine officials said, that the
deadly carbon monoXide and the suf.
locating carbon dioxide had reached
1T and performed their fatal office
before the At unfortunates could
raise even an excuse for a barrier.
Mine officials said that death had
come to the entombed men painless
ly. The gas they said, would pro-
duce first a lethargy, then a coma
and finally death.
Jackson as a whole took the trag-
The general topic of conversation,
except in the immediate family cir
cles of the dead, was arrangements
for the funeral which it was believ-
ed would be a joint affair.
After the first hasty news that AZ
men had been found dead in the Ar
gonaut mine. crowds flowed from
homes, stores and hotels. Small
groups gathered on the sidewalks
and discussed the possibility that
some, at least of the five others who
had been entombed since August 81,
were alive.
But news came soon that all the
men were dead and the little hope
still held by wives, mothers, faith
ers, sisters and sweethearts vanish
ed. Knots of people gathered and
gave or received news of this or
that dear one who had met fate
bravely and been overcome.
Relatives of some of the dead
could be seen walking slowly, calm
ly to the telegraph office to send
cities that there no longer was any
hope.
Jackson's long period of bitter
anxiety. desperate struggle and sus-
pense was over.
The mine officials declared the
mute evidence of the mems straights
showed they We're Al of the most
cool headed men imaginable.
Sixteen of the entrapped miners
removed their clothes to provide ma
terial for stuffing the cracks i'm the
wooden barrier, hastily constructed,
which was found early this eve-
ming.
/ Then another barrier was built of
rock, earth and debris. However,
the gas and fumes from the fire ap-
parently seeped through the first
bulkhead and the men fled from the
site where they were building the
second one to start a third, farther
on.
Formal announcement was made
that the crew on the 5000 foot lev