Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-04-22
Fire in the Homestake Properties.

The most disastrous consequences oi
the fire in the mines Of the Homestske e
Company were ayerted last Morday
morning when the opening betweeL the
Highland and Deadwood was
sealed up with a wall Of stone and
cement, and the possibility Of the hames
spreading to the Homestake anC High
land mines was thus removeo. The
miners, led by Supt. Grier, made a
heroic struggle to accomplish tlis, and "a
little after midnight, Monday morning,
the last crevice was closed up and it was
known that the fight was won. The
men worked their way through 500 feet
of tunnel, fighting back the smoke and
poisonous gases with streams Of water
thrown from fire hose. 1t was impos-
sble for the men to Withstand the
effects of the gas more than fifteen min
utes at time, and at the end of each
period of that length they were relieved
by fresh shifts. Over hundred men
were carried to the surface in an uncon
scious condition while the work was
going on, but the best of care was given
them and all survived. After the drift
had been shut off on the Lead City side
of the fire, the several levels Of the
Homestake and Highland were cleared
of smoke and gas by air fans, and it was
intended to put the usual force Of men
at work in these mines on Thursday OF
Friday of this week. Tuesday night
the miners who were at work in the
Deadwood-Terra succeeded in reach
ing the entrance to the chamber where
the fire was burning and in few hours
had sealed it up, thus combining the fire
to one cross cut and stope. Deprived OF
air it is believed that the fire will
shoulder and finally die out. The earth
above it will probably caye in and al
low the smoke and gases to escape to
the surface. Mining in the De Smet
and Deadwood-Terra will be resumed
in day or two, and by next week Ia
entire force Of the great conpany's EN-
ployess will be at work.
The fire was discovered in the 30(
foot level Of the Deadwood-Terr 8
week ago last Thursday night, and the
smoke penetrating all the workings o.
the Homestake. Highland, Terra anc
De Smet drove all the miners out, anc
for a "a dayu pnt m oupna nf nra IN.
taken out of the group. The origin o.
the fire can only be speculated upon
The management of the company ex
pressed the belief several days ago, tha
a burning candle had been left sticking
in the timbers and that burning down il
had ignited the wood. However, tha
was only a surmise. Some idea Of the
serious consequences Of the fire, had i
not been controlled, may be had wher
it is known that there is about 40,000,00t
feet of timber in the mines, Had thu
men been unsuccessful in their effort
TO confne the fire to its original lOca
ton it would have consumed the creates
part of this timber, and the mines coul(
not have been entered for months. per
haps for years. The loss to the Home
stake Company would have been in
| estimable. the business interests of tn,
northern Hills paralyzed, and the town
and cities depopulated. During tn,
few days the mines and mills wer,
shut down the company lost nearl,
$500, 900, and the results were sufficient
ly serious to give the people faint ide'
of what long season of inactivity
would mean. Every man, woman an,
child who is in any way interested il
the Black Hills should feel thorough,
grateful that the fire is under control
and that further damage from it is im
| probable.