Tombstone daily prospector. (Tombstone, Ariz.) 1887-1891, 1890-11-06
A FIERY PHENOMENON.
Jhs Thrilling Experiences OF I've Virginia
City Miners


City Miners
\ phenomenal Incident occurred on
the $50 level on the Chollar mine. the
particulars Of which have been dis
closed By two badly scared miners
Uho played leading parts in the sensa-
iiona! uaa!eeg: a!eeg:.assFrss;;sfit! = drama
George Murray and Tom Bailey
we're engaged in running the main
drift north ON this level i which is in
several hundred feet from the station.
in new ground aud newly timbered
from one end 10 the other. They had
liked everything for the firing Of a
round of holes Ia the face Of the drift
aud retired 10 the station TO eat supper
and give the powder fumes a chance
20 work OFT
On returning. Murray lowered his
candle in the mass 9! debris 20 aseet-
tain the result of the blast, when he
lost his candle and portions Of his
cyelashcs and eyebrows by the sud
den ignition Of a volume Of gas which
belched forth and roared like vol
UauO.
The situation was appalling. The
flames covered the entire face Of the
drift and were driven back with terri
Gc force 10 the upper timbcrs several
feet from the face.
Murray and Bailey were so awe
struck and spcllbound that for a few
moments they could do nothing. Fl
ually one Of them rushed back 70 the
station and returned with his arms
fall OF hand grenades. These were
thrown with great force and broken az
The face Of the drift, but it seemed like
adding fuel TO the flames Pieces of
broken glass could be heard iingling
against the top Of the drift, as If the
fFsIutic element was laughing at all
efforts 20 check it.
Seeing nothing but terrible cGtaS
trOphe before them, one of the miners
was dispatched for the shift boss
while the other stood guard over the
fearful tire at . distance Of twenty
fcCt-lhc heat being 50 intense that i.
sas impossible for him to get nearer.
Re-cnforcements shortly arrived
with more hand Crenades. which
proved fully as useless as the Grst
An excited conference was held,
which resulted IN "a miner being sem
Oh top With a Babcock cxtiuguisheI
EMle another was instructed to have
every preparation made for blowing
out tImbeFs and bulkhcadiug against
the flames.
When the cxtiuguishcr arrived on
lise sceUc q stream from the machine
Was turned on the face OF the dIFfi
and Ia "a few moments the fire was
subducd. but whether this resllt
was brought about by the exhaustion
Of the gas or the efficiency Of the CX-
IuguisiIcr is q question.
But probably the stTangest part Of
the story l. yet TO be told. Tie spread
eagle fame was dazzling In its brill.
Isncy-moTe like that of electric light
than gas light
There was no smoke from it and no
suleli. but the miHcrs who fought !.
experienced partial blindness and Sc
we're headaches. An examination Of
lie timbcfs- which il was thought
must surely be badly burned, al;hoI -h
greCn-revea!cd the fact that, v.liic
blistering hot, they were rot cyCL
scUrchod, showing that the fame
iugCed !he ground abo.c pretty
closely
Murray and Bailey estialato that
enough ggs was consumed in the fort Y
minutes to have supplied the whole o.
Virginia City Eith light for six raoalAs.
Had such a thing happened 10
J,d ground or anywhere diaccut 10
old timber (which CNhale gaseous sub
stauces}, the miners say they could
have accounted for 1t to some cxtlut,
but as above stated, both ground ana
tIuIbeFs were new III this case.
No such phenomenon has ever be
fore LceH seen or heard Of in any Of
the Ccus.Ock mines. and the men
u lio witnessed il are not eager Tor =
repetition 81 their experience. They
have PASSED oyer cOH5iieFaJIe ground
IL the same drift since without any
thing OF tie kind having again coe---.>
red, ami are now waiting 70 hear some
OF tie knowing ones explain the ulsS
terry. 90 NIrCiuia Cily New Te'rito.iEl
Enterprise.