Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-11-16
SITUATION ALARMING.
SmuggIer Mine Fire IN Colorado Grows
Worse.
SEVERAL NARROW ESCAPES REPORTED.


Denver. Colo, Nov. ia special to
the Times from Aspen colo, 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 VIII have to be temporarily
abandoned. Today every property
on SmuSsler mountain had to be ADAM
dohed on account Of the gas Some
narrow escapes are reported from the
Cowcnhaven tunnel
About 10 O'Clock one of the mules
that hauls the ore trains fell just as 1t
Icuchcd open mir. overcome by gas.
inc driver was found unconscious in
the bottom of the car. Engineer Irwin
on the Park Regent was brought out
lnsensiblc aud several other men were
FOUND wholly or partially unconscious
ana brought out. Tho exact number of
men driven out this morning is esti-
mated at 200. This makes a total of
about 900 now thrown out of work by
the gas. Between forty and fifty miles
OF workings have been abandoned on
SmuEgler mountain, eight of which are
IN the SmugEer mine.
The gas seems to be penetrating
through the seams in the contact to
the south, and is plainly noticeable in
the Argentum Junita workings. Last
nut in between the burning mine and
TINS property would prevent the latter
from being affected, but indications
TINS morning are that the gas cannot
be stopped In this manner. Some are
inclined to the belief that the gas in
the Argentum Junita is that which
which found its way into the Mollie
Gibson sunday morning before the
bulltheads We're put in. If this IL the
correct theory no permanent evil re-
suits will follow
The Molie Gibson people are doing
but little more than running their
pumps and watching the situation.
The gas does not seem to be penetrate
ing this property to any alarming de-
gree and the hope Is STRENGTHENING that
II is secure. The lead stope" of the
Smuggler, which is worked through
the SmuEgler tunnel, had to be aban-
doned this morning after two trips
with the mule train. This virtually
means the closing down of the Snug
Eler mill within a day or so.
Manager Iiallett was seen as he
stepped from the Free Silver cage this
morning. He had Just come up from
an examination of the fire situation.
He stated that the men We're making
most satisfactory progress toward
reaching the fire but that water could
not he got on 1t before or o'clock.
I'VE have recovered the Sth and 18th
levels" he said. I'VE have steam,
air and water line to the crib on the
18th, a few feet above the level of the
fire. The Sth has been bulltheaded also
the eth, and the gas and smoke are
now finding vent through the 9Th and
9Th The relief pumps on the 9TH have
not been recovered but the danger to
the gas going down and driving out
our pumpmen on the gth is much less
than yesterday. We viii, next force air
in the 9Th and drive the gas out OF the
9Th and up the shaft. This will enable
US to know how to tackle the seat of
the trouble. The pumps are lifting o.
500 gallons Of water to the 9TH and i,S0o
gallons to the surface. At the 9Th we
are taking out 200 gallons per minute
and running II down over the crib
to prevent the fire from spreaGing. l
think We now have the fire confined
to that particular stope We will cut
through the crib this afternoon and
hope to announce some satisfactory
results a few hours after this is accom-
plished."
The steam used in fighting the fire
has driven the gas into the water and
q large portion of It is being carried
to the surface in this way. The water
from the pumps passes under the en-
CINE house. So strong are the fumes
rising from this water, that the en-
gineer was completely overcome.
As n whole the situation is more
serious than yesterday. as the fire is
Ftill raining Roadway and the gas Is
still spreading.