The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-11-15
A Calumet And HeCla
Shaft House Burns
to the Ground.
Origin Of The Fire q Mystery.


By lar the most ulsdbtTOus COuudSrh-
( on that has visited Calumet for several
years was the fire which occurred early
last evening and resulted in the total de-
struction OF the combination shalt and
ro,khouse at Nos. 9 and 10 shafts at the
South Hecla branch oil the Calumet and
Hecla mine. The shalt house was one OF
the old style ones and hosting for both
the shafts was done at the one shalt
house, although only one has been in use
for some little time. 1t was an immense
structure nearly one hundred feet In
height aud beside the main building a
large addition where the steam hammer,
used TO crush the heavier rock. was kept,
was also destroyed.
The origin OF the fire il apparently
mystery and is likely to remain such.
When the fire was first noticed 1t was at
the top OF the building and the entire
structure seemed ablaZe at the time. No
one had been seen about the building ex-
cept the Waterman whose place was at
the brace of the shaft. The men had Quit
work az usual at midnight Saturday and
no one but the engineer who ran the
small engine in the shafthouse was seen
about the building all day Sunday. he
came around in the forenoon, az was his
wont, TO look after the engine and see
that il was in good working order. A
young man named Rlcca was the watch
man at the mouth OF the shalt. When
he first saw the fire the blaze lighted no
the whole OF the inside OF the building.
Ii was ALSO sudden that he hardly knew
what happened. Some Of the surface
watchmen at the South Hecla also saw
the fire and as soon as the flames burst
out. Mr.. Jerry j. Murphy, one OF the en-
gineers employed in No. ID, the new
shaft, ran to the engine house where the
whistles were blown and an alarm OF fire
was at once turned in.
The South Hecla department was out
almost before the regular alarm was
turned in and the other departments re-
sponded in short order. But the fire had
gained such Roadway that it seemed al
most futile to endeavor to put out the
fire at the shafthouse and the firemen i'm.
mediately directed their efforts to saw.
ing the other buildings, for a high wind
was blowing at the time and sparks
and cinders were flying in every direction.
The old building went like tinderbox
and made very hot fire. 1t was all
wood, and very dry at that, and the
timbers were vertically soaked in oil.
The shaithouse was ninety feet in height
and the addition OIL the south side was
fully fifty feet high.
short time after the fire alarm was
turned in thousands OF people congre-
gated at the place watching the fire. IL
was greatly feared that it might get into
the mine. az the current OF air In this
shalt was downward, but the mouth OF
the shaft was covered over az best could
be done and three streams OF water we're
kept pouring into the shalt. A party OF
men went down in one OF the other shafts
and securely blocked the shaft at the Sec
ond level. so that IL the fire did make it's
way down at all it could not get very far
below the surface.
To the unconcerned onlooker the fire
made a rather picturesque scene as the
blazes leaped higher and higher and
when the three heavy rock crushers
which were held up by high braces Of
timbers at last gave way and came down
with a terrible crash, it caused considera-
BILE OF a sensation among the large crowd.
1t took from. a short time before 5
o'clock until $50 for the fire to complete
it's work OF destruction and the big build
ing was total wreck. The firemen did
good work in saving the adjoining build
ings which were several times threatened
by the flames.
The rock taken out OF the de troyed
shaft was usually Of a heavy charac-
ter and as the crushers were somewhat
smaller than in most OF the shafts, the
steam hammer was necessary, which was
also totally ruined in the fire.
The men were put to work last night
cleaning up the wreck and 1t is probable
that work will soon be commenced on
new building to take the place OF the ore
destroyed by the fire, which no doubt
will be built on the style OF the more
modern shaithouses put mp by the CON-
pany. The burning Of the shafthouse
will interfere but little with the mining
operations, as the rock can be hoisted
through No. shaft. The loss to the
mining company by the fire is consider
able although it can be OF no moment to
30 rich corporation.