Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-09-22
THE GOLD HILL DISASTER.
Additional Particulars in Regard to the
Explosions and COnfagratiOns-
A Hot Place.
Bravery Of the Hands Employed
Efforts to Subdue the Flames
Names OF Dead and
Wounded.

SAN FRANCISCO, September 90
Fuller particulars of the mining disas.
ter at Gold Hill was received shortly
before three o'clock. The fire was dis
covered burning in thirteen hundred
feet Of the level Of the Yellow Jacket
mine, north of the shaft. Directly an
explosion of gas occurred, which nearly
knocked down the men standing at the
mouth of the shaft, and caused the cages,
which were raised to the point, to Jump
up several inches. Smoke came rush
ing up the shaft at the same time, and
knowing that there must be fire, or
something wrong below, the alarm was
given, and the engine sounded the
whistle of the works. The alarm was
quickly communicated to the fire-de-
partment, and in q short time the fire.
men, with the machines, were at the
scene, and had q stream Of water pouring
down the shaft. Captain Cosgrove, Of
the Sarsfield guard, Charles Kohler,
chief engineer Of the Yellow Jacket,
Jack DouOhue, and others were busy
putting in pumps to send water from
the fifteen hundred-foot level of the
Yellow Jacket mine to the Imperial
shaft, by a drift which connects the
mines at the thirteen hundred-foOt level
of the Yellow Jacket, and in few min
utes more would have completed the job.
The three men whose names were men,
toned were at the fifteen hundred foot
level when the explosion occurred at the
thirteen hundred-foot level. Those above
warned them of their danger, and they
saw heavy volume Of smoke pouring
from the drift into the shaft. They sue.
ceeded in escaping through the Crown
Point mine. The explosive force was felt
strongly at Crown Point and BelcheT
mines, and the alarm was commune
Gated with panic quickness. The
miners hurried to the shafts as speedily
as possible, and the effective hosting
works, with double cages, brought them
to the surface. The force of the explo-
sion blew out the lights in the one hun
dred foot level in contiguous parts of the
mines, and the men were thrown VIC.
lently of their feet. Several miners
were missing, and it was known that
some must be killed or so injured that
they could not escape. AS soon as the
great rush was over, parties went in
search of the killed and wounded, and
succeeded in finding six; two, Niles and
Cussick, were sent up fist, and were
soon followed by four others. Fire was
found in the eleven hundred foot level Of
Crown Point, where those working
were evidently killed, fatally asphyx.
lated by the deadly gas forced in by the
explosion. The sixth and last was from
the one hundred and thirty foot level Of
Yellow Jacket, and was the body Of
Louis Selle, q blacksmith OF Niles; be
lived an hour after reaching the surface,
Mudd lived four hours. Walters also
lived a short time, but neither of them
were conscious for a moment. CuSsics
died on the cage while being brOught
up. BroadRater was dead when found
George B. Mudd, q partner of james
Waters, in Crown Point, was another
victim Of the disaster, and was
sufocated by the gas passing into the
Observation-Disclosures drift. James Miles
was engaged in repairing the drift al
the Crown Point mine. When the gas
overlook him he was eating supper. He
was brought to the surface alive, and
survived about an hour. Louis Selle
the underground blacksmith at Belcher
lost his Life while herOically battling
with the destroying element. WheT
his body was recovered, his face anC
hands were found badly scoFched
Captain Cosgrove urged him repeatedly
to abandon his attempt to subdue th'
element, as his efforts were futile. but b.
would not leave his post. Hi
body was found about two hundred
feet from the locality where the fir
was raging. w. s. Broadwater was
found lying on his face, alongside Of th'
railroad track about forty feet, on tn.
east side of the depot from the JACKIE
switch. He was employed as a carman
snd, ,wason the Jacket switch with Jane
Langbam at the time the hrst explo
sion occurred. Thomas Cassick, a mi
ner, was working in Crown Point miu'
| and ia attempting to escape from the
mine was suffocated to death. Jane.
| Waters, another victim of the confla,
grafton, was also working at the
| time in Crown Point mine. HG
was suffOcated from the smoke and gas In
attempting TO escape. Albert Burt
another underground foreman at Belch.
er mine, worked heroically reaching
his men. On going down into the mine
q second time to see that his men
were safe and the lights out, he was
overcome by gas and was brought up In
the cage insensible, his hands graspine
the cross-baE Of the cage with a death
grip ;the services ofmen were required to
loosen his grasp. Albert Lackey, under
ground foreman at Belcher mine
while endeavoring to save the
lives Of his men, was badly
burned about the face and arms. Lackey
was one Of the last men who left Bel
ehers mine. Chief Jones, of the Gold.
Hill fire-department, had the middle
finger of the right hand cut off at the
first joint while going into Crown Point
William Jones, foreman Of Liberty en-
gine company No. :, while fighting the
fire was prostrated with asphyxiation
He is ia a fair way to recover. At lasi
accounts the fire was effectualiy hemmeo
in. Two hundred men are at work
lighting the fire in Yellow Jacket mine
The pews in a observation-disclosures
church ia New York rented for one hun,
dred and forty thousand dollars. The
amount Of money some people are vii,
ling 70 pay for the privilege Of worship
ing the Almighty where their clothes
/ can be seen b. advantage Is sometimes
M FOoiis