Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-04
a MINING SHAFT BURNS
Bid FIRE AT GRANITE LATE YES.
TERDAT AFTERNOON.

The Hoisting Works of the Bi-MetaIi,
Mine Burn to the Ground Fire
Il Caused BY An Explosion of Tar-Nar.
row Escape of the Hen Down In the
| Mine The Heavy Losses.
PHILIPsBURG, August LIS peciaI to the
Miner. lat 4:30 this afternoon the large
hosting plant Of. the Bi-Metallic Mining
Company at Granite was destroyed bv fire.
The fire ignited in the changing apartment
near the engine room OF the hoisting build
ing.
/ The foundation work for the engine
has lately been showing signs OF weakening
and in consequence the majority OF the
men were laid of and work commenced
towards repairing it, and few OF the men
regularly employed about the hoist were
retained TO help about the repairing and to
tar the cables. 1t was while these men
had bucket OF tar boiling in the changing
room that the tar exploded and scattered
the blazing infiammable matter all over
the room, which at once become
MASS OF FLAMES.
In four minutes time flames had reached
the ventilators at the top of the building,
and in ten minutes hopes OF saving the hoist
were at an end.
A. Q. Tibbets, bookkeeper at the office of
the company, who was on the ground, in
formed The MINER reporter that the fire
company, composed of employees of the
mine, had large stream playing upon the
blaze two minutes after it started, but SO
dry was the woodwork and the good start
it got from the burning tar that nothin
would save it.
The mine was rapidly cleared OF miners
by Engineer j. Clary staying close to his |
post and running the cage until the last
man had reached the surface, although he |
was greatly pressed by heat and smoke, |
and at the time the last man reached the
surface, the engine house was enveloped in |
flames and he had to make his escape
THROUGH THE WINDOW,
in order to save his own life.
Arrangements are being made with the
West Gronite Company to use their boilers
and run a line of steam pipe distance OF
about 600 feet to connect with the BIZ
Metallic pumps, which will keep the mine
clear OF water until the machinery can be +
put in working order, which, from present
appearances, have not suffered to any great
extent by the fire.
The loss is total, as far as buildings are
and if the machinery should
,e damaged 80 as to be unserviceable, the
IoRR Will, AGCREuATE 4
100000. The rebuilding will be commenced
ls soon as the ground is cleared, and it will ;
'e pushed to early completion, or as fast
Is money and laborcan accomplish it. The ,
most favorable feature is that no human :
lie was lost, which was owing, in great
neasure, to the management Of the mine /
aving had the foresight to take all neccs-
ary precautions. Ir
HELENA, M. T., August IA teleph onic !.
pecial to the Independent " from Philips r
urg says the fire at the Bi-Metallic mine \
tarted at about O'Clock, burned the o
naft house, hoisting machinery and upper u
art of the shaft, together with a lot OF Q
OGDEN failing, involving q loss OF several =
nousand dollars. One hundred men we're
the lower level and followed to the air
1aft, formerly the old working shaft, and !.
trough that avenue to the surface. All )
anne out safe. The BiMetallic belongs to
ne Granite Mountain stockholders, and is :
wned principally by st. Louis parties. 1t !,
operated separately from the Granite
fountain. Id