The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-12 00:00:00

THE TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE IN

VADA

It is thought that the fire in the Yellow Jacket
Mine, Nevada, was cAused by a candle left care-
lessly sticking against a timber by some one be-
longing to the party on work at night, who leave off
at 4 a.m. ; those for the- day commence at 7 o'clock,
three hours later. During the kterval, on April
7, no workmen, except carmen, were in the.mine,
but before the danger was discovered many had
been lowered into the Yellow Jacket, Crown Point,
and Kentuck Mines. As soon as the alarm was
given, the fire companies 'of Gold Hill and Virginia
City brought their engines, but the first effort was
to save those underground. At about 11 o'clock a
cage was sent down the Crown Point Mine to the
1,000 feet level, where it was known several miners
were at work, with a lighted lantern upon it, a small
box with candles,and the following despatch written
by Superintendent J. I'. Jones :—° We are fast
subduing the fire. Is is death to attempt to cme
up from where you are. We will get to you soon.
The gas in the shaft is terrible, and produces sure
and speedy death. WI ite a word to us and send it
up on the cage, and let as know how you are." No
answer war: returned, and those addressed must
have been all dead before it reached'thetn. The
scene that followed when the terrible news be-
came known was heartrending. The wives and
children of those imprisoned in the burning mines
crowded to the works ; but there was no comfort
for them, as a stifling column of smoke rose from
the shafts, charged with pungent gases from the
burning wood and heated ores below. By closing
the shafts and turning down into them the steam
from the hoisting works the fire could have been
extinguished almost immediately, but this would
have been equivalent to saying all were dead b-
low, for it must have caused the death of any one
who survived. At the Crown Point the men so
crowded the cage that it was detained five minutes,
the station man fearing to give the signal to hoist,
while so many were in danger of being torn to
pieces. One man, unable to find room to stand
upright, thrust his head between another's legs and
begged to be allowed to remain there and go up; his
He was thus saved; but as the cage ascended those
left behind were heard to throw themselves into the
shaft, and some were heard falling back on the
floors. At one lowering of the cage, a man who
had gone down to rescue the sufferers, finding that
there were morespersons than could be brought up
that trip, got off ti.:e drift, and put. a young
man on instead, who was already too suffo-
cated to stand. here was heroism ! his name
has not transpired, but it has been ascer-
tained that he was among those saved. The body
of one man in Crown Point was found doubled up,
his head resting on his knees immediately under a
trickling stream of ; another was embracing
a blow pipe, but all presented a shocking appear-
ance. The features were so swollen and distorted
that the wives and relatives were not permitted to
see the faces of the dead. Amongst them are John
Hallisey, of Wisconsin, aged 35, t elatives unknown.
John Hogan, of New York, aged 22, parents at San
Francisco. Joseph M‘L.2llan, County Derry, Ireland,
aged 36, relatives unknown. George Tompkins, of
Canada, aged 29, mother in San Franei-eo, a brother
in Virginia, and a sister in Gold Hill. Richard
Bickle, of Cornwall, England, aged 33, father and
mother living in Cornwall. George Peters, of
Crowan, Cornwall, England, aged 26, only relative
known is an uncle residing in Cornwall.