THE MINE ON FIRE. / Flames Break Out in the 500-Foot Level of the St. Lawrence. / FOUR MINERS MISSING. / Brave Men Lose Their Lives While Trying to Rescue Their Comrades. / SCENES AT THE ANACONDA. / Smoke From the Fire in the St. Lawrence Finds Its Way Into the Adjoining Mine With Terrible Results — The Flames Under Control.

# Transcription — The Anaconda Standard, 1889-11-24, p.4 **Source**: The Anaconda Standard (Anaconda, Montana), Sunday 24 November 1889, p.4, cols. 2-4. **Status**: Complete. **Method**: Read against the page scan (`archive/pages/1889-11-24_anaconda-standard_p04/fullpage.jpg`) at 3x, 21 Oct 2026. The article runs from the headline at the top of column 2 to the foot of column 3 and ends at the top of column 4, above "At The Churches." It replaces a stub of May 2026 that gave the headlines (with "800-Foot" for 500 and a doubtful "WOUNDED / MISSING"), the first sentence, and names and passages taken from a faulty OCR layer, several of them not on the page. --- # THE MINE ON FIRE ## Flames Break Out in the 500-Foot Level of the St. Lawrence. # FOUR MINERS MISSING ## Brave Men Lose Their Lives While Trying to Rescue Their Comrades. # SCENES AT THE ANACONDA ### Smoke From the Fire in the St. Lawrence Finds its Way Into the Adjoining Mine With Terrible Results—The Flames Under Control. BUTTE, Nov. 23.—The ominous blowing of the whistle of the Anaconda mine a little after 8 o'clock this morning alarmed the people of this city by announcing to them that some catastrophy [sic] must have occurred at the great mine east of the city. The whistle blowing at such a time in the morning was the cause of people gathering in startled groups about the streets, wondering what calamity could have arisen. The first intelligence of the nature of the disaster came over the telephone wire a minute or two later. The Anaconda office called up the Rocky mountain telegraph office and the words came distinctly over the wire: "Send up three or four doctors at once." "Is it a cave in or a fire?" "A fire," came the answer. Messengers were at once dispatched and Drs. Leanitt, Hough, Johnson, Cooper, Howard and other physicians, together with an increasing string of Butte citizens, frightened more and more as rumors began to reach the city of a terrible catastrophe at the mine, began moving toward the scene. It was at 6:30 o'clock this morning that a stationman went to Superintendent Michael Carroll of the Anaconda mine, at his office. and said to him: "Mr, Carroll, there is smoke on No. 7." Mr. Carroll, with the foreman and two others, lost no time in getting into a cage and descending. It took but little to convince Mr. Carroll that the fire was in the St. Lawrence mine, the 500-foot level of which is connected with the 800-foot level of the Anaconda. The superintendent then went to the St. Lawrence mine and descended that to fight the fire. Meanwhile a few of the Anaconda miners had ventured down that mine. It is said the first signs of smoke were discovered as early as 5:30 o'clock in the morning, but could not be traced. At first the miners, although they had been informed that no work would be done, had freely descended the mine in order to see the fire and endeavor to stop it. But it was not long before the smoke began pouring from the mouth of the mine in such dense, stifling clouds, that to descend became almost an impossibility. While there was no fire in the Anaconda, the draft came down the mouth of the St. Lawrence and drove all the smoke from the fire in the St. Lawrence into the Anaconda. As the smoke from the mouth of the Anaconda became so dense that it was a difficult matter to remain at the mine's mouth, it became whispered about that several men were down in the mine. Relief parties were promptly organized. Two cages of men started down into the gulf of stifling smoke, but soon the bell for return was sounded, and the relief men, almost suffocated with smoke, staggered from the cage, several of them completely overcome for the time. It was not known how many men were below, but it was believed there were some, and the miners, standing aghast at the top, mentioned the names of one and another of their comrades who were missing and who they feared were far down the shaft. Again and again different parties attempted the descent. Each time a return became necessary after a descent of a few hundred feet. At last, calmer counsels prevailed and more careful preparations were made for a last attempt. A party was organized and its members were provided with sponges to hold at their faces and keep out the stifling air. Four men, it is said, stepped into the cage. They gave a last look around at their friends, and one or two of them shook hands with their partners, uttering a last "good bye." The signal was given and the cage began falling like a shot. It seemed an eternity before the cage reappeared. Some of those who went down to rescue their comrades did not return, while a few were got out. The cage went down as far as the 800-foot level. Among the rescuing party were Timothy Kelleher, Jerry Sullivan and Daniel Murphy. Arrived at that level, the rescuers began dragging their comrades in the mine to the cage. The miners were lying exhausted and apparently nearly suffocated. Harry Page, Billy Queen, Leary, Mike Griffin and John Lyons were taken to the cage or rushed to it themselves. Another man was seen lying not far away, Patrick Murphy, but the men were all so nearly suffocated now that the signal was given and the ascent began. It was a most terrible ascent! Scarcely a man was conscious. The sad party who told the story to a STANDARD reporter in an awe-stricken voice hours afterwards, said that Harry Page was the first one to give way. The men tumbled on without securing a firm hold and in fact were too stifled to retain a firm hold. At any rate Page tumbled off and is supposed to have fallen to the bottom of the shaft, down in the sump. At about the 300 foot level Tim Kelleher fell and followed Page down to the sump. Kelleher was a hero. Four times had he made the descent of the mine through the dark smoke for the purpose of rescuing his friends. He was the brakeman and was called the most intrepid and fearless man in the Anaconda mine. How he fell from his post no one of the party knew. One or two were conscious enough to notice his fall, but were powerless to offer assistance. During the eternity that was required to bring the cage to the surface no one spoke; they scarcely breathed. When the fast winding rope told the anxious crowd at the top of the mine that the cage was nearing the surface the miners pressed nearer and nearer to the brink. The cage was up at last. But the party it contained looked like a party of dead men. It is said that but one of them was conscious. Strong hands instantly seized the men and carried them into the pure air. John Lyons, about fifteen feet from the top, had nearly fallen from the cage and had been badly battered, but some one had grabbed him and clung to him. To make another descent of the mine was an impossibility. The wildest rumors were afloat as to the number killed and the number in the mine. But diligent inquiry, and the reporting of one and another missing man, shows in all probability there are only four men in the mine, all of whom are doubtless dead. Of these four, Harry Page and Tim Kelleher fell from the cage. Jerry Sullivan was one of the rescuing party. He had fallen overcome at the station house of the 800 level and is supposed to be lying there yet. The fourth is Patrick Murphy, who could not be rescued. The saddest thing about the matter is that Daniel Murphy, brother of Patrick, went within two feet of his brother, without knowing that he was down there. Daniel was one of the rescuing party and with the others had begun carrying the almost lifeless bodies to the cage. He says he came right up to his brother's body, but helped carry somebody else away, not knowing it was his brother. Another trip was impossible and Murphy had been left. All the forenoon Superintendent Carroll with miners was down in the St. Lawrence. They went right up to the fire, since the smoke was going the other way, and the plan was formed of suffocating the fire by bulkheading all the drafts and avenues leading to it. This work was pushed unremittingly and by 1 o'clock this afternoon Mr. Carroll came up from the mine and announced that the fire was under control. That is, it has been confined by shutting off all air and it is believed that the fire must burn itself out in a few days. Mr. Carroll said to a STANDARD reporter; "The fire itself would not be so serious a matter were it not for the men who have been killed. I believe the fire is confined to the 500-foot level of the St. Lawrence. I don't believe there is any fire in the Anaconda mine. Of course there is a forest of timber down there. We can't do anything now. We have bulkheaded the fire and that is all we can possibly do at present. To-morrow we may resort to other means to put out the fire, but at present it is dangerous to let any air in." Superintendent Carroll said at 3:30 that all the St. Lawrence had been bulkheaded and the Anaconda had been bulkheaded at the 40-foot level, which was as far down as it was possible to go. He believed the fire would be smothered. Superintendent Carroll has no theory to explain the origin of the fire. Some of the miners say that candles had been left burning at the 600-foot level of the St. Lawrence by some of the men. Some of the miners talk freely of an incendiary origin, but no belief is placed in this theory. Besides the four men in the mine, several are injured. John Lyons is believed to be the most dangerously hurt. It is not believed he can recover. His head is smashed in three places. There is a terrible cut from the center of the forehead around to the left side; there is a hole in the right side, and another a little left of the back of the head. His left leg is broken in two places. At 4 o'clock this afternoon he had recognized no one and gave no sign of being conscious. At every half minute he would give a piercing yell and struggle violently. Four men were engaged in holding him down in bed at his home in Dublin gulchButte: companies, unions & placesDublin GulchThe Irish neighbourhood along the Anaconda Road, just above uptown Butte, under the headframes of the Anaconda mines.More in Key terms →. His wife tearfully was trying iu [sic] vain to get her husband to recognize her. Besides his other injuries, he was partly suffocated with smoke. He is 30 years old and has a wife and two children. Harry Hurley, the foreman, was taken to his home almost insensible from smoke. Daniel Murphy, James McCoy of the St. Lawrence, Matthew Sullivan, Mike Muldaric and Jack Shea were stifled so that they are now in bed. Of the four men in the mine, only Patrick Murphy is married. He has a wife and nine children. Page was considered the champion hammerman of Montana. Leary, who was rescued, is the man who buried three children in one funeral a few weeks ago. The fire was discovered by Neil McCabe, one of the St. Lawrence miners, who was working on the 500-foot level abont [sic] 5:30 o'clock. The fire was in a crescent [sic] on that level. He saw three posts burning, and taking off his coat, began beating the flames, thinking to put out the fire in that manner. Finding this measure to be unavailing he summoned his fellow workmen, got hose, connected it with one of the big water columns and rushed back into the cross-cut with the nozzle. But the fire had grown so rapidly that he could not get near it, although he kept playing on the fire until 6:15 o'clock. Then the alarm was given above. On account of the change of shifts between 5 and 7 o'clock only a few men were working in either mine at this time. The workings of the Never Sweat mine, just west of the St. Lawrence, were bulkheaded this afternoon, as they connect with the St. Lawrence. A dozen special policemen have been guarding the mines all day. So far as known only the four men in the mine are lost, with probabilities of John Lyons' injuries proving fatal. All was quiet at the Anaconda mine when a STANDARD reporter paid it a visit at 10 o'clock to-night. The excited crowds of citizens and miners had gone home and only six or seven watchmen were about the mine on guard. Superintendent Carroll had just returned from an inspection of the bulkheads and reported them air tight. "There is not a breath of air going down or coming up the mines," he said. "I believe the fire is out at this minute, but doubtless the timbers are still smouldering and I think it would be dangerous to open the mine before a week passes, since there is such a tremendous draught that any little fire would soon be fanned to a big blaze. All the drifts were bulkheaded by 12 o'clock and then we closed up the shafts on both mines. If the bulkheads hold the fire must soon be extinguished. if it is not now. It is not the fire, but those poor men that worries me. Had I been at the Anaconda mine at the time they never would have gone down, and then there would have been no loss of life, but I went down the St. Lawrence to fight the fire. While I was gone, about 7 o'clock, four men decided to descend the Anaconda to get out half a box of powder which had been left there. They descended, but only two of them came back. Then others started down to rescue the ones left and thus the disaster came about. For three-quarters of an hour after the last man came up the cages were sent up and down, stopping a few minutes at each station in order if any poor fellow was able to drag himself to the cage he could get up." Reports are around town to-night that others are missing besides the four known to be in the mine. Miners report friends missing since morning and say they can find no trace of them. One of the missing men is named Dolan. Nothing definite can be learned regarding these rumors. Supt. Carroll does not know of more than these four to be missing. When the cage made its last sad journey, bringing to the top its load of unconscious and suffocated men, poor Kelleher's hat and one shoe were still in the cage and blood and mangled pieces of flesh clung to it, showing that Kelleher had been smashed by the timbers as he fell. The physicians to-night report the men injured by stiffling [sic] smoke to be doing well and out of danger. Dr. Rough reports Lyons, the man whose head is cut and leg broked [sic], to be still unconscious. Telegrams have been received in large numbers from people having friends working at the Anaconda or St. Lawrence. A few men will be kept to watch, but only for a few days, while the rest of the miners will await the re-opening of the mines. *[Text checked against the page scan at 3x, 21 Oct 2026, starting from the tile-by-tile page reading of 20-21 Oct 2026. Printer's spellings kept: "catastrophy", "Leanitt", "abont", "crescent" (probably for crosscut), "iu", "broked", "stiffling". "40-foot level" is as printed, and so are the stray points in "at his office. and said", "Mr, Carroll" and "extinguished. if it is not now".]*