Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-09-10
WHAT MAN CAN ENDURE.
A Com.tock Miner Lives Twelve
Minutes iu - Temperature Only
Forty Degrees below That OF
Boil. or Water.

There are NO drawer men in the world
than can be found among the mines oil
the Comstock. Accustomed to face
dangers every day Of their lives they
never shrink from the call OF duty. An
instance Of personal bravery occurred
recently at the Hale & Norcross, which
is worthy Of record as showing what
men will do and dare.
When the pump column in the mine
burst. the fow OF water, which Is usually
pumped at the Hale l. Norcross, q large
portion Of which comes from that well.
known north DRIFT on the 1900 level OF
the Savage and is very hot was sent
through connections to the @. n. s.
shaft to be raised to the Sutro tunnel
level. One day this flow Of water was
unusually strong. The pumps labored
assiduously to keep 1t down but labored
in vain. Bailing tanks were added aud
still the accumulation could not bs kept
down.
When the 240O station at that shaft
was some three feet under water. infor-
nation was sent to the Hale i Norcross
Of the fact and q desire was expressed
to know the cause Of the increased flow.
The necessity OF an investigation thus
became imperative. superintendent
Deidesheimer called for the two shit
bosses at work in the mine and asked
them to assist him in an exploration OF
that 1900 level. which. with its swell.
ing food Of water. OF o temperature OF
1853 degrees Fahrenheit. had been closed
FROM ventilation.
The two men insisted that the Super.
intendent should not incur the risks OF
the exploration. They would make II
together. They attempted it. but the
great heat. although the water was boxed
aud the air dry. drove them Immediately
out. Volunteers were called for from
the men Of the mine Injured to work in
its hot drifts. and four were found ready
to face death by entering that terribly
hot drift. Even these men were unsuc-
cessiul in getting far enough in to solve
the mystery Of the unprecedented dow
of water from that level.
Superintendent D~eidesheimer, not
knowing what might have happened in
that confined locality to threaten the
safety OF the mine on the lower levels,
aud not wishing to send men where he
was unwilling to 60 himself, sent for
Foreman Kellogg, who was working on
the broken pump column. informed him
Of the situation OF affairs and asked him
to 90 with himself and see what was
wrong. Mr.. Kellogg would not allow
Mr.. Deidesheimer to incur the risks OF
the exploration, and set about preparing
to 60 alone.
He saturated o wooden shirt with ice
water aud bound it on and over his
head, leaving but q single eye exposed.
He then muflsd both hands, aud thus
prepared entered the drift, leaving with
the Superintendent q request that, II be
did not return in fifteen minutes. the
drift should be closed behind him, to be
opened no more. This could well be
done, as the Savage had bulkhsaded
that level, the air had been shut out and
the workings there practically aban.
doned.
After enduring that terrible heat for
twelve minutes Mr.. Kellogg came back
and reported nothing amiss. The extra
water was but an unusually large inter
mittent flow from that old north drift
In Savage. When stripped OF his mut.
Hings Mr.. Kellogg found that in some
way one Of his hands had become barred
while he was in the drift, and the back
of II had been burned to a solid blister
by the dry. hot air to which he had
been exposed. Water boils on the
Comstock at 1913 degrees. and he had
sustained for twelve minutes q temper
allure only forty degrees below that oil
boiling water. and sufficient to have
roasted him in q very short time.