Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-07-21
Great Fire ut virginln !-Tetal Oestruc-
tion Of The new Cholln ..Po osl uoisiiuz
We ka nsd tho BOARDING Hoaso-Greut

Great Fire ut virginln!-Tstal 0estruc.
We ka asd tho Boardins HoasoNGrsa
Loss Of Property.
At presiselys o'clock this morning,
the extensive hoisting works building Of
the Chollsr- Po,osi Mining Company al
Virginia was discovered to be on fire,
and inside Of half an hour was totally
consumed, in spite Of the most siren
nous efforts to prevent it. The alarm
was Immediately sounded by The whistle
of the works, followed by the other
whistles in the vicinity and the FIRE bells
on the engine houses. All the machines
Of the Fire Department quickly rolled to
the scene Of the confagration, but
owing to a scarcity Of water they were
unable to get q stream on the flames 10
time to do much good. II it had no,
been for this circumstance the Chollar-
Potosi boarding house would have been
saved. for while the south end of the
building was just taking FIRE, Two's
boys stood there with their pipe, wait
ing amid the ~scorcbing heat for water
to come through the hose. Il had TO DC
passed from the cistern on the Divide at
last. By the most active n strenuous
exertions Of the firemen, who worked
like heroes with what water they could
obtain, the residence Of /. F. Thompson,
which was but u few yards distant from
en- ks~ kna rA,Dr hnnsa yvna CnyRn To-
gether With the small dwelling house
mex. north Of it, although the fronts OF
both were pretty well scorched.
ORIGIN OF rus yiag.
The roof Of the boiler DON was
close down within I've feet of the top
of the boilers, aud consequently
always pretty well hra,ed, independent
of the powerful heat Of the sun from
without; besides which, the wood work
was 10 too close proximity TO tie
amoke-stack, and q little extra heat
created just at that time in firing up
under the boilers, caused the roof
Immediately around the stack 10 take
fire. Il was discovered AT ouce by
people outside 10 the vicinity, and QUE
gentleman Informed US that with u
bucket Of water be could have put il
out /; but he did not know just where
the water was, although there were
fifteen buckets Of it always kept ready
filed in the engine room esp cially for
such emergencies. In addition TO this,
the employees about the works were
regularly organized into q Gre CON
pany, with II string Of hose always
ready 10 attach to the steam engine and
throw q heavy stream anywhere about
the works at Il minutes warning, II
large triangle being arranged by way OF
o FIRE alarm bell. Just rs soou AS the
alarm was given, this hose was attached
as quickly as possible, and II stream Ut
water brought t" bear IN the case ; but
we are Informed By those who did this,
that the FIRE within the space Of less
than TWO minutes had already spread
all over the north side of the roof, aud
was beyond their control. Seeing that
the total destruction OF the build
ing was inevitable, the engineer
opened the steam valves, thus pre'ent-
ing the boilers from rfterward exploding
from the intense heat. The noise of the
escaping steam was terrific ut n time,
but tho water MAS soon out, aud all was
allen, save the roar of the flames aad
the shouts Of the active hremen. The
main large building, together with the
extensive blacksmith and carpenter
shops and other buildings attached,
were soon one sea Of seethrng, rolling
fame, extending to the large boarding
house near by, and the huge piles OF
timber and wood on either side. But
O very small portion OF the bedding aud
furniture MAS saved from the boarding
house. The boarders, many OF whom
were in bed, all made their escape, aud
the building was soon u heap oil smoui-
dering embers. In just half IN hour
from the time the ere commenced Tue
framework Of the hosting works build.
ing fell 10. A row OF thrifty young
coItouwoods 10 trout Of Thompsou's
house protected it considerably iron
the intense heat, and although they are
ruined, they are the most profitable lot
of trees Thompson ever set out.
NIS IN rus NINE.
The ore extraction of the mine is
from the upper levels through the old
Chollar works and the Potosi tunnel,
aud in the deeper workings OF the miue
coming under the jurisdiction Of thess
n~cwshoisting works, there is only pros
pectiug going on, in drifts from tue new
shaft; consequent! ;here are but few
men employed below, ouly two working
in a DRIFT at the 50o-foot level, aud two
others at the 900. There was no time
20 get them out, or even to send them
word of their great danger, and the
frs. in'imation they bad that things
were going wrong at tue surface Was
from smoke coming down the big blow
pipe or air.tube, the patent blowing
machine in the works being kept run
ming until it was stopped by the hire.
These four men concluded to get out OF
that, 30 they climbed down the ladders
in the pump shaft TO the l,loO foot
level, and passed through 1t north iuio
the |, 030-foot level Of the Hale L Nor
cross mine, thus escaping by means o:
the connection made tour or FIVE weeks
aco-s providential circumstance for
them, perhaps.
LOSS AND DAMAGE
We were unable to readily obtain any
precise figures on the loss by this eon-
f~sgra,ion, or even u near approximation
thereto. It includes the extensive hoist
ing works and buildings connected, to-
pe,ber with contents, the large three
story boarding house, a pile OF some
three or four hundred cords OF wood,
and one or two huge piles OF timber n
other lumber. What the damage was
10 The shaft was not ascer,ained when
~. left /: the FIRE was extending down
into the ,imbering OF it, but the irenen
verc doing their bes. to get u stream OF
water to it, with good prospects OF sue
cess. We heard the damage ~variousiy
Estimated ct from 5000, 900 TO S25o, 900.
the orc production of the mine will no.
b. essentially iuterfered with by the loss
of these works u number Of men are
nsrbaps, DOW thrown out OF empioy-
msnt. bu, a far greater number will be
.mnloyed at ouce in the re-ereesion OF
the works. The machinery is, OF course,
materially damaged, but much OF 1T can
ha used again. We are pleased to Say
tbat ". did not hesr OF any one getting
personally injured, except that some OF
The 6remep got pretty severely seosehed