The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1884-07-26
SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION. Or
THE VENGEANCE or GOD
The Star HOSTING Works Burned so
the Ground and this shaft Still
Burning.

About half-past two o'clock Thurs
day afternoon a dense smoke was OBJ
served issuing from Star Hill, and it
wa at once apparent that either the
hosting works or clearinghouse
were in flames. Watchman Harris,
who was in own at the time, imme-
diately mounted a horse aud rode in
great haste TO Star Hill. A team was
hitched up 10y several citizens w.o
also went up. The great black cloud
OF smoke that rose from the burning
works told plainly that the fire was
well under way before being discov-
cred. When Harris and Al. Rea
reached the works they were crunl-
bling into cInders, and any effort To
save them was out of The question,
there being no water in the vicinity,
and even if there had been, the fire
had got SO great a start hal nothing
could be done.
The impression OF those who first
reached the fire is that il must have
started iii the walchman's cabin. as
that was entirely consumed, and then
communicated To the works, the wind
blowing Ill just the right direction to
make such a result easy OF
pllshment. Mr.. Harris left the Hill
about ten o'clock N the forenoon for
town, and says he had no fire in his
cabin hat morning. He believes,
however. as does everyone else, that
the origin OF the conflagration was
purely accidental.
By great exertion on the part OF
those who Went up, Parker's board
ing-houss WAS saved, but about 500
cords OF wood, piled adjacent to the
works were consumed. Two.thirds
of tins belonged 10 Ben. Miller and
the balance To Ceratino aud another
Italian. The BIO lers aud machinery
in the hoisting works are thought not
TO be seriously damaged, but all the
wood- work was reduced Ia ashes, and
worse OF all the shaft timbers are
likely to barn down to the water lev
oil, which l. "A little below the 400-fpot.
Since writing the above Messrs.
Harris and Rea have returned from
The Hill, where they were SEM by
Mr.. CrOcker, to do all in their power
20 save the shaft from further dcstruc-
ton. They report that at The tunnel
Lowell (3%60-toot) tho heat "A so great
they could not go within fifty yards
of tns shaft. Failing rocks and boul-
| ftnpI ral hot 49, fatnttasr 1axva liza
SHAFT and birningtir1bers falling with
them. Since The fire The water has
risen some 80 feet, eaased doubtless
bv the debris of the raving shaft.
The destruction In and about the $50,
or tnnnel-level will he the greatest.
A. there was a great deal of heavy and
expensive timber work there, includ-
ing chuies, etc. The loss under
ground is greater than on top, and IL
seems TO be the general opinion that
the damage To the works and mine
cannot be replaced for less han S25,-
QUO. Whether the works were in
sured or not, no one here seems to
know, but IL is most likely they were.
The Star Company, by the mean
and stingy course they pursued, in
vited disaster of this kind, by taking
no precaulion to prevent 1t. When
the mine closed down. or at any time
since, an outlay of $50 would have
hulk-headed the shaft and put 1t be
yond danger. ever il the works were
destroyed, but hey would not spend
a dollar to insure the safety OF their
property.
The feeling here I'm regard to the
occurrence is that IL Is q very unfor-
tunate afiair-not hal we care a con-
tinenfal for tho losses sustained by
that band of swindlers who unblush-
inglv robbed our people out OF thou
sands of dollars OF hard earned
money-but for the feeling of regret
every good citizen has at the wanton
destruction Of property. And we
claim that most of this loss la di-
rectly the fault of its owners, for the
reason that they took no precaution
to prevent it. They will, however,
gain one advantage by this fire.
When they start mp again they will
not he hampered in their operations
with ricketv old machinery and a
gopher hole OF a shaft. They will
have to begin all anew. And II new
men take the reins, so much the
better.
ApportIonment of School Money
County Superintendent of Schools