Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-11-07
MINES on FIRE.
'' ,,;sea nhonsht to BE Respons,b,. e.
l,ses IN the Hooking Valley {, 10, y
serious Damage to Properv"'' Mil

'.r.Hers ihonght to BE Resporsu,
i,res in the Hooking Valley 10 Tor IA.
Serious Damage TO Proper,v"' Min.
NEW LEXINGTON. O., Oct.
worst feature of the strike in tho ~ ~ The
Valley is the black, curlinp oo locking
smok and the lurid flames that iss, ','ls Of
.our OF the mines at New Straitsyimues IRON
at one at Carbon Hill avn, ,ne Che
sand Kun. The fire at one min s'l one at
otfaitsTiile is reported to be raginc .. New
ouslS that the flames through an air 10 iuri.
INC Top OF the hill ascend to the haiin!,ple III
nifty rect. The theory is that 'n ths Of
was Knocked down in humps. VIE coal
IN piles, then saturated With coal-olp, iaced
the torch applied. The various o VI, and
rooms and air-holes in these erp, t,''tles,
MINES cause a constant draft Of co,s Seam
able power, which of course becomes nSloer-
increased and intensified after the nss.eaSly
became heated and the flames hr"s;sages
ascend. Qucnching these underground ns1! 10
rs both a tedious and dangerous hnS;, iiFe:
Efforts were made to fight tho 'DeSs.
in some OF the mines, but the lles
strenuous eNertions resulted in ""ss
perceptible success, and at oneof tbar no
at least, the main entrance and airIInnnteS,
We're all closed tightly with the hon. NOES
either smothering the flames or SO d a. o.
ing their volume and force as to rendm
fire manageable at a little later perind ue
New Straitsville, where two mines ara hn.AAs
ing, the syndicate has ceased mining aI.a
gether, abandoned their works. and ,%,"N
everything movable to other points in rs W.
mlung district. But when the ne me
spread thai the mines were OF fire a t r,;s
loaded with miners from other points .a
companied with aforce of Pinkerton g,,,rI ~
wasrnn to New Straitsville, and an inr,yoa.'
ual attempt made to cxtinguish the freS
When this train pulled into the town Al
those aboard of it were Kissed and iceros
BY portion of the residents, though it was
believed that the great majority of The nnn>
u!ation, miners as well as other citizens
%disapproved the burning of property. LnY''
pers or mines, and %apprehend that the result
of it will be an injury to the cause of ,Ms
Workingmen, as well as property-owncrs, in
the place and vicinity. 1t is estimated that
the mines now Oh fire are capable of a dajly
output of three hundred cars. and renrcSnn,
the labor of from two to three tlorSs"S
miners. These fires are in the heart Of ,la
very best coal region in the country, and
while the stoppage OF work is a serious
'S'ss N' VIII ~ olA1hlo1S do IllIltrS. thn
threatened destruction of the mjucr,l
wealth contained in them must be
regarded as no less than a great public en-.
lamity Many of the striking miners and
the linkerton police are on the worst a.
te.ns, and counter charges are freely made
The military was sent into the Hooking Val.
ley in response to the call of the proper off.
Ger, but the Sheriff of this county has 50 far
refused to call for troops, on the ground
that there has been nc public outrage or
%riotous proceedings, and that such il
legal acts as have been committed ara
not of such a nature as to be ]forcseeD or
prevented by a military force. What the
action of the Governor of the State and ,o
Sheriff of the county may be as Il conse-
Qucnce Of the fires now raging is not at
present known, and can not be conjectured.
All appears quiet N the surface now, but
the mine fires are still burning and smoldcr-
ing, while an effort is being made 10
smother them out, which can not have anv
immediate Success.