The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-08-14
LICKED Up BY FIRE
The Katie Mine and Hoist the Scene
Of a Fierce ConhagrahOn.
ALL THE MEN ARE SAVED
BASINS Pride Lies In Ashes-The
Flames Spread With Lightning
Rapldity and It's a Miracle
Everybody Got Out Alive.

Basin. Aug. l3.-The Katie mine and
hoist. the pride of Basin. was de-
stroyed by fire at . o'clock this after
noon. The fire was discovered over the
Corliss engine room and no cause can
be given as to how II occurred. The
big engine runs the machinery In the
mill and there was no fire about this
building other than an occasional spark
that was very seldom noticed. On ths
west and adjoining were located tho
boilers, and by many II Is thought that
the fire may have caught from flying
embers from the stack. There had
been no vent for the hot air that accu-
mulated over the boilers. Though the
roof had been cut some time ago for
one. II was never put In.
The fire was fought hard for some
time. and 1t was thought once that the
boys had gained control Of 1t. There Is
a partition between the boiler rooms
and the engine room, and the fire had
gotten between the ceiling of the boiler
room and the roof. fact which made
1t very difficult to extlnguish the
flames. and gradually they gained
headway. Almost unobserved the fire
slowly made its way and gradually en-
veloped the whole structure. 1t wound
its way along the tramway that con-
meets with the hoist. The station ten
der had come to the surface and he
was told to return and tell the men be-
low that the mill was on fire and they
must get out at once. He returned to
the 900 level. but the fire had gained
4, ,,NtI ha, l,.,a Ea ha
who remained at his post of duty as
long as the fire and smoke would per-
NIT. was compelled to leave.
The station tender gave the signal OF
three bells. three different times. but
the cage failing to start. he looked up
the shaft and could distinctly see the
blazing and burning hoist. What men
there were were on the 300, but
there were among them men who were
not Of an excitable nature. For somo
time after the mill had been built a
long delay in profitably working tho
mine occurred, due to the running Of a
drift In the 30O-foot level to connect
with a west shaft the company had
sunk on the west end line. dividing It
and the Hope. 1t was this shaft and
the drift that saved every man that
was working in the depths Of the Katie
to-day. Alex Glass. one of the owners,
was on the surface at the time OF the
! fire. and he distinguished himself by
going down the west shaft without hes
itation and climbing to the 100 where
nine men were working. and notifying
them of their danger. All Of them
rItr,h bod - h.
drift and up the shaft to safety. Ev-
eryone Of the men working there had
not heard Of the fire and they are
freely expressing their gratitude to Mr..
Glass tonight.
| The east shaft of the mine Is an up-
cast. while the west one Is a down cast
fol- the ventilation Of the underground
working. Had II been the reverse ther,
would not have been a single life saved
from the depths Of this mine. The fire
gained progress very rapidly and in
side of half an hour what was once the
pride and glory of the town was a COM
plete pile OF burnt embers.
]. j. Brooks, one of the men who was
below at the time, said that no one on
the 800 knew Of the fire until about 4
O'Clock. He went out on the station
| to get timbers when he discovered the
burning brands falling down the shaft.
'The pump was working when left,
| but 1t worked very weak and the water
was Just coming over the turn sheet"
| c. B. Urbube was one of the cool heads
among the many below and he knew
every part of the underground work.
| al ~
cool and collected and he would pilot
them to safety. There are five ma
chimes that were working on the 800.
two men to a machine and seven shov-
elers, seven carmen. one station ten
der and one coal packer The nine
men on the 100 who were notified by
Alex Glass. were the last to escape.
While the works was burning the peo-
pie of Basin would not risk their pres
ence about the vicinity Of the fire for
fear of the boilers. and it was reported
that there were large quantities Of
powder. This kept them at respect
able distance. They crowded on the
surrounding hills and watched these
magnificent works as they slowly
crumbled to ashes. The fire spread to
all the adjoining hills south of the
mine and soon the high mountains
were one vivid sheet OF flame and fire.
Had the wind been In the contrary
direction no human hands could have
stayed the destruction OF the town.
The mill Is a new one. having been
built the past summer at a cost OF
100000. all OF which Is a total loss. un-
| less It be the boilers. as they were
! pumped full OF water when the men
discovered there was no salvation for
the buildings.
Only one-third OF the property is
vested in the Basin G. Bay State com
rany. IL having been purchased from
NJ. O'Donnell of this town for $4,000
and paid for. The other two-thirds is
the property OF the American Mining
company, until the balance OF $4,000
Is paid. which Is in installments OF
5000 a month. What the company
will do as 10 the future working OF the
mine canno; be ascertained to-night.
Il is a rich one and has been very re-
muneratiye ever since the m!il COM
menced TO run. The company had kept
adding to its capacity until X was
about able 70 work about 500 tons OF
ore every "a hours. There is an lnsur-
ana. - cen nda .-l