Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-06-06
A FIERY PHekomekcN.
The Thrilling Experience of Two virxinis
City Miners

City Miners
A phenomenal incident occurred on
the $50 level on the Chollar mine, the
particulars Of which have been dis
closed by two badly scared miners
who played leading parts in the sensa-
tional underground drama
George Murray and Tom Bailey
were engaged in running the main
drift north on this level which is In
several hundred feet from the station,
in new ground and newly timbered
from one end to the other. They had
fixed everything for the firing Of a
round Of holes in the face of the drift
and retired 10 the station 10 eat supper
and give the powder fumes a chance
TO work of.
On returning, Murray lowered his
candle in the mass of debris to ascer-
tain the result Of the blast, when he
lost his candle and portions Of his
eyelashes and eyebrows by the sud
den ignition Of volume of gas which
belched forth and roared like vol
cano.
The situation was appalling. The
flames covered the entire face OF the
drift and were driven back with terri
fc force TO the upper timbers several
feet from the face.
Murray and Bailey were so awe
struck and spellbound that for q few
moments they could do nothing. FL
ually ore Of them rushed back TO the
station and returned with his arms
full Of hand grenades. These were
thrown with great force and broken at
the face of the drift, but il seemed like
adding fuel to the flames. Pieces Of
broken glass could be heard jingling
against the top Of the drift, as il the
frantic element was laughing at all
efforts 10 check IT,
Seeing nothing but terrible catas-
trophe before them. one Of the miners
was dispatched for the shift boss
while the other stood guard over the
fearful fire at distance Of twenty
feet-the heat being so intense that it
was impossible for him 10 get nearer.
Re-enforcements shortly arrived
with more hand grenadss, which
proved fully as useless as the first.
An excited conference was held,
which resulted in a miner being sent
on top with "A Babcoek extinguisher,
while another was instructed TO have
every preparation made for blowing
out tjmbers and bulkheading against
the flames.
When the extinguisher arrived ON
the SCENE q stream from the machine
was turned on the face of the drift,
and in a few moments the fire was
subdued; but whether this result
was brought about by the exhaustion
of the gas or the efficiency Of the ex-
iinguisher is a question.
Butprobably the strangest part OF
the story is yet 10 be told. The spread
eagle fame was dazzling in ITS brill
iancy-more like that Of electric light
than gas light =
There was no smoke from il ? ,d M
smell, but the miners who f,Inght h
experienced partial blind, ,cSs and se
we're headaches. An e-eSmination ol
the timbers-which, 4 was thought
must surely be ksdlyS burned, although
grcen-revealed Che fact that, while
bhstering hok they were not even
scorched showing that the flames
huggcd the ground above pretty
closely.
/ Murray and Bailey estimate thai
enough gas wasconsumed in the forty
minutes 70 have supplied the whole o1
Virginia Citywith Light for six months
Had such thing happened In
old ground or anywhere adjacent b
old timber (which exhale gaseous sub
sfancos), the miners say they could
have accounted for it to some extent
but as above stated, both ground and
tmbers were new In this case. ~
No such phenomenon has ever b
fore been seen or heard Of in any q
the Comstock mines, and the ms
who witnessed II arc not eager for I
repetition Of their experience. Thsv
have passed over considerable erounS
IN the same drift since without snv'
thing Of the kind having again occu3>
rod and aie now waiting 10 hear nouur
q the hnoe |ng ones explain the rnvs
H.-virginia City (Nev.) Tcrritoe3sl