Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1882-05-26
FIRE IN A MINE
BURNING OF THE SHOO FLY
WORKS AT EUREKA.

Two Miners Ascend q Shaft Through
Fire and Smoke, and Are Terribly
Burned-Two Others Miraculously
Saved.
Eureka tNev.) Leader, May GAL
The widest rumors circulated in
town yesterday over the fire in the
Shoe Fly mine. The affair is not as
bad as was first represented, as will
be seen from the following account
given by the Mining News to- day;
The Shoe Fly shaft house is stu
ated on the ridge south of the Jack
son works, and about half mile
from the town of Ruby Hill. About
1880 o'clock yesterday morning par
ties in New Town saw smoke and
flames issuing from the building,
and in q few moments the entire
structure was ablaze. Shortly after
two men were seen rushing wildly
out of the burning building, their
clothes on fire from head to foot.
1t was but few moments until
the alarm was spread, and ia a very
short time at least 200 men were on
the scene of the fire.
Those who first arrived found the
two men who had passed through
the fire-Peter Campbell and John
Barton-most horribly burned, and
with difficulty the fire in their cloth
ing was extinguished. They were
Immediately brought to town and
placed under medical care.
1t was shortly discovered that all
who were in the mine had not escap.
ed, and then began vigorous work
to rescue, if possible, the men i'm
prisoned in the shaft. Upon inqulr-
ing it was found that four men were
at work in the mine: Angus Nc
Auley, Lock Fraser, Peter Campbell
and John Barton. Barton and Camp
bell had climbed the ladders at the
first alarm and had fought their way
through the flames, McAuley and
Fraser were still in the shaft.
The perpendicular shaft Of the two
compartments is 100 feet in depth
winze 6S feet west of the shaft
runs down 100 feet, and there are
two small drifts running from the
winze. The shaft-house was small
frame structure, and was soon burn
ed to the ground. There was no
water near the shaft-the water com
pany's pipes being about 100 yards
away-but the eager crowd that as
sembled smothered the fire with
earth and snow carried from dis
tance. Very soon the water pipe was
tapped, and 100 men formed buck
ct line to the shaft, and, by working
with will, in a brief space of time
extinguished the fire on the surface.
As soon as the shaft could be
reached a lusty hallow was shouted
down, but no answer was received.
The smoke and gas was issuing from
the shaft in a perfect cloud, and it
was the general verdict that the i'm
prisoncd miners could not have sur
| viyed. Nevertheless the crowd on
the surface worked with untiring en-
ergy. Bucket after bucket of water
was dashed down the shaft, which
was smouldering for depth Of thirty
or forty feet. The debris was cleared
away and windlass carried from
an adjoining mine was quickly cree
ted.
1t was some time before the shaft
could be sufficiently cleared Of smoke
to permit of descent. a candle
was first lowered at considerable
depth, and continued to burn, when
a brave and resolute bystander, John
McIyer, volunteered to attempt the
hazardous undertaking of descend
ing the shaft through the smoke and
gas. A rope was made fast about
his body, and amid breathless sus
pense he was lowered away. There
was dead silence for few mo-
ments, when faint shout from be-
low announced, They are all right
It was re-echoed by a hundred voice;
on the surface, and a cheer went "
from the crowd that made the old
hills ring. The first man raised te
the surface was Angus McAuley
He was drawn over the brink by his
brother John, who up to moment
before had given him up as perished
and the meeting can be better imag
ined than described. Lock Fraser
was soon on the surface, and the two
men were at once surrounded by /;
crowd of congratulating friends, WHIT
were filled with wonder at their mi
raculous escape.
Our reporter interviewed Locl
Fraser, and received the following
account Of the situation below tn,
surface:
Campbell and Barton were work
ing in short drift at the bottom o
the shaft, about 100 feet from til,
. surface. Fraser was near the bottom
of winze. McAuley first discovered
the fire while Mt the bottom of tn,