The copper era and Morenci leader., 1922-09-22

JACKSON, Cal, Sept. 1S-All 4i of the miners entombed in the Ar gonaut mine, August 27, are dead, it was announced officially shortly before o'clock tonight. 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.
 All of the miners were found behind the second of two bulkheads they had built in cross cut, 1850 feet down in the Argonaut mine. Byron Pickard, chief of the federal bureau of mines for this district was the first man to go behind the bulkhead and discovered the bodies.
 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.
 Mute Evidence of Struggle
 The mine officials said that the ac- tions of the men, as evidenced by the bulkheads they built and other mat ters, indicated they had died within five hours after being entombed.
 The officials declared the mute ev;- dence of the mems struggles showed they were 47 of the most cool-headed men imaginable.
 The entrapped miners removed their clothes to provide material for stuffing the cracks in the wooden barrier, hastily constructed, which was found only this evening.
 The barrier was built of earth, rock and debris. However, the gas and q ed through the first bulkhead and the men fled from where they were building the second one to start a third, farther on.
 This third attempt to wall of the deathdealing gas was made at the end of the 1850 foot cross-cut in the Argonaut, but the fact that only 8 bare start was made at it proved, the mine officials said, that the deadly carbon monoxide and the suffocatfne Ilioxide had reached it and performed their fatal office before the 47 un fortunates could raise even an excuse ! for barrier.
 Death Painless
 Mine officials said that death hat come to the entombed men plainiess The gases, they said, would produc' IlISl ICIhdl 6y, bhCh o SOAAAo SNA> finally death.
 Jackson as a whole took the tragl' news calmly and courageously. Th' general topic of conversation, excep in the immediate family circles c the dead. was arrangements for tn funeral, which it would be a jon affair.
 Jackson tonight takes it's greates raeedy in silence After the frs hasty news that 42 men had beei found dead in the Argonaut m.ne crowds, flowed from homes, store and hotels. Small groups gathere' on the sidewalks and discussed tn possibility that some at least of tn five others who had been entombe- since August 27 were alive.
 But news came soon that all tn men were dead and the little hop still held by wives, fathers, sister and sweethearts vanished. Knot of people gathered and gave or re ceived news of this or that dear on who had met fate bravely. Rela tives of some of the dead could 9 seen walking slowly, calmly to tn telegraph office to send word to othe relatives in distant cities that ther no longer was any hope.
 Prepared for Worst
 Jockson's long period of bitter am iety desperate struggle and, SUI pense was over.
 Officials thought it likely some, bu not all of the bodies. could be r' moved before morning.
 The sad scenes customarily a! sociated with removal of the dea from mine disasters wer lacking her tonight There was no crowd ( weeping widows and sorrowing rel; tiVes at the mine mouth. Anon those gathered at the entrance { the great gold workings, newspape men and miners and comrades ( those entombed predominated. Fo days the relatives have remained g home under the persuasions of min officials and Red Cross workers. an tonight it was the Red Cross an sympathetic friends under it's gnit ance that brokq the sad news them.
 The time elapsing since the me were entombed had given opportun ty to all to prepare for the worst an when that came it was accepte without demonstration.
 Most of the miners were of Au trian Italian birth.
 Bodies Found Lying Side by Side
 Two rows of corps, lying side | side, ranged along the drift behin the second bulkhead. The men ha stripped of their clothing to plug tt bulkhead.
 One row of bodies was in the mai drift and the other at the entry of fork or cross-cut departing from tf main drift at that point. To tn underground crossroads the entra ped miners had crept in their e deavor to wall themselves in safety from the fumes nf fire. ar that supposed place of refuge ocean their common grave.
 Note Scrubbed On rimbe=s