The record-union., 1897-11-17
The SMUCCLER
MOUNTAIN FIRE.
Situation Reported to be Becoming
More Alarming.
The Entire District May Have to be Tenn
porariIy Abandoned.
Many Narrow Escapes in the Cow
enhaven Tunnel-SeveralW Work.
men Rendered Unconscious
From Inhaling Gas-The Fire
Gaining Headway and the Gas
Spreading.

DENVER, Nov. 16-A special to the
Times from Aspen, Col, says:
The situation here grows hourly more
alarming, and unless the seat of the
Smuggler fire is soon reached there Is
every reason to believe that the entire
district will have to be temporarily
abandoned This morning every prop
erty en- Smuggler Mountain had to be
abandoned on account of the gas.
Many narrow escapes are reported
from the Cowenhaven tunnel About
10 O'Clock one of the mules that hauls
the ore trains fell, just as it reached
the open air, overcome by the gas.
The driver was found unconscious in
the bottom of the car. Engineer Irwin
on the Park Regent was brought out
insensible and several other men were
found wholly or partially unconscious
and brought out.
The exact number of men driven out
this morning is estimated at 200. This
makes a total of about 600 now thrown
out of work by the gas. Between for
ty and fifty miles of workings have
been abandoned on Smuggler Noun
tain, eight of which are in the Snug
gler mine.
The gas seems to be penetrating
through the seams in the contact to the
south, and is plainly noticeable in the
Argentum Juanita workings. Last
night it was thought the bulkheads
put IN between the burning mine and
this property would prevent the latter
from being affected, but the indications
this morning are that the gas cannot
be stopped in this manner. Some are
inclined to the belief that the gas in
the Argentum Juanita is that which
found its way into the Mollie Gibson
Sunday morning before the bulkheads
were Put in. If this is the case, no
permanent evil will result.
The Mollie Gibson people are doing
but little more than running their
pumps and watching the situation. The
gas does not seem to be penetrating
this property 30 any alarming degree,
and the hope is strengthening that it is
secure. The lead stope of the Smuggler,
which is worked through the Smuggler
tunnal had to be abandoned this
morning after two trips with the mule
train. This virtually means the clos
ing down of the Smuggler mill within
a day or two.
Manager Hallett was seen as he
stepped from the Free Silver cage this
morning He had just come UP from
an examination. He stated that the
men were making most satisfactory
progress toward reaching the fire, but
the water could not be got on before
or 5 o'clock.
hox ~c1 In estcr rJ,ft y, nd
seventh levels" he said. I'VE have a
steam, air and water line to the crib
on the seN nth, a few feet above the
level of the fire. The eighth has been
bulkhcaded, also the seventh, and the
gas and smoke are now finding vent
through the fifth and sixth The re-
lief pumps on the fifth have not been
recovered. but the danger of the gas
going down and driving out our pump
men on the ninth is much less than yes
terday. We VIII now force air into the
sixth and drive the gas out of the fifth
and up the shaft. This will enable us
to know how to tackle the seat of the
trouble. The pumps are lifting $500
gallons of water to the fifth, and 1900
gallons to the surface. At the fifth
we are taking out 700 gallons per min
ute and running it down over the crib
to prevent the fire from spreading I
think we now have the fire confined
to that particular place. We will have
cut through the crib this afternoon and
hope to commence some satisfactory re
suits a few hours after this is accom-
plished."
The steam used in fighting the fire
has driN en- the gas into the water and
large portion Of it is being carried to
the surface in this way. The water
from the pumps passes under the en-
gine house. So strong are the fumes
rising from this water that the engi-
neer was completely overcome.
AS a whole, the situation is more Sc
rious than yesterday. The fire is still
gaining headway, and the gas is still
spreading.
DENVER, Nov. ia special to
the Republican" from Aspen. Col.
says:
The suspense over the Smuggler fire
is as great here tonight as ever. In
fact, ii is increasing. The gas is PEN
etra-irg a remote territory. and the
seat Of the fire is as much a mystery
as ever. This is the situation in a.
nutshell.
The deadly fumes continue to pene-
trate new territory. and more men are
being driven out. Every property on
Smuggler Mountain, with the excep-
tion Of the Mollie Gibson and Free
Silver is abandoned. and can only be
recovered after the fire is extinguish
ed. This includes the Cowenhaven
tunnel and all properties worked
through it. The Smuggler mill Will
close in a. day or two.
The fear is strong tonight that the
Aspen Mountai nproperties will soon
he affected. Since morning the gas
has been quite strong in the Argen-
tum Juanita, and the theory is en-
tertained that 1t IS finding its way into
this property through the seams in
the contact. Should this prove correct
ii is only q question of a short time
when the entire working force of the
district viii be walking the streets. As
10 the fire itself, nothing more is
known regarding it than on yesterday
1t has not been located.
High Water at St. Petersburg.
ST. PETERSBURG. Nov. 16.-All day
long a fierce wind from the sea has