Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-04-09
The Great Gold Hin Mining CALAMITY


The Great Gold Hin Mining Calamity
Thc ftrc and kmoke ON the Increase
ThS Crown Point Works Stopped-The
Yellow, Jacket, kentuck aud Crown
Point SHAFTS Closed rs u Inst Resort
No More bodies Recovered-Lntcs
News from ths Scene of the Disaster.
At an early hour this morning a great
increase Of smoke was observable COM
ing through the Crown Point shaft, and
by Z o'clock the engineers, brakesmen
and all hands were compelled to stop
the machinery aud leave the building,
thick clouds Of smoke rolling out
through the ventilators in the roof and
from all the windows and doors. The
fire was evidently on the Increase, judg-
ing from this smoke, aud Knowing by
this time that it vas utterly impossible
for the eight or ten men still remaining
in the mine, and known to be in the
upper levels, to be yet alive, it was re-
solved to adopt the last resort and
smother out the fire.
TH8 CLOSING or Tux SHAFTS.
In pursuance of this plan, at IL A. N.
measures were taken TO close each u
of the shafts with planks, wet cloth,
earth, ETC., so rs to exclude all fresh
air or draft from above, aud then by
sending bodies Of steam down each
shaft it was thought the FIRE might be
smothered and extiuguishcd. The
Crown Point shaft was closed near the
top, mt the carpenter shop floor level,
and tho Ksntuck some ten or twelve
feet below the top, beneath the switch
floor, where il could DO made the most
efrectually air tight. The Yellow
Jacket shaft was closed ut the point
meets with it, 100 feet below the sur
face.
srEAN TURSgD oS.
About IL o'clock, by means of heavy
iron piping connected with the boilers,
u strong volume Of steam was sent
down the Yellow Jacket through the
large pipe OF the blower, conducting it
down into the 500 and 900 foot levels of
the mine, and from there it would go
wherever it could best find egress into
otter parts Of the mine.
NO MORE BODIES RECOVERED.
No more bodies of the unfortunate
victims have been recorded since the
last we recorded in yesterdays issue, as
the eight or ten still believed to be in
the mine are at the upper levels and
cannot be got at. II will probably be
some days now before they a be re-
covered.
EXcITRNESr.
With the increase Of the smoke and
FIRE there is a corresponding increase OF
the public excitement, and large crowds
are about the hosting works Of the
three mines, and mon are h%urrying to
and fro up and down the streets, eager
to get the latest Intelligence.
TuE FIRE.
II is well known that the fire has not
extended northward toward the Yellow
Jacket shaft, nor is it below the 500
foot level, but it has extended above
toward the 700-foot level. The iremen
and miners have been close to it on tho
north, and above il on tho T0o-foot
level, but no live soul has yet been at
the south of it, by reason OF the draft
carrying the smoke and gas in that
direction, therefore the true extent of
the burning space is not precisely
known.
%coRoSER's INQUEST.
Coroner Symonds owing to the con-
tinued excitement and recovering of
the bodies was unable TO hold any in-
quest until to-day. He has three differ
cnt juries impannsled, and will oe
busily occupied for the next day or Two.
FUNERALS.
Michael Mccormick was buried at
Virginia at 10 A. N. to-day, under the
auspices Of Mount Davidson Lodge, |.
o. o. F. George Tampkins was
buried at noon, from st. Mary's
Church, at Virginia. The funeral
o fGsorgc Bicdle took place from odd Eel
lows Hall, Gold Hill, at . P. NJ, and
was largely attended by both Odd Eel
lows and Masons, he being a member of
Wildey Lodge No. l, |. U. o. F., and OF
Silver Star Lodge No. 8, +. AMI A. VI.
Thomas Toland was buried from The
alter Hall, Gold Hill, at IL A. NJ, by the
Miners Union, of which he was q men,
Der. The remains of Patrick Buckley
will be forwarded to Grass Valley, Cali
foruia' tonight.