The herald., 1897-08-18
A Thousand Miners Out of
Work
RUMoRs OF LOSS OF LIFE
AND CERTAINTY OF HEAVY
DAMAGE
The Famous Old Utica Mine Burning
for the Second Time Within
Two Years
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
ANGELS CAMP, CAL, August 1.-THE
Utica mine, the largest gold-producing
property in California, is on fire. The
Utica is owned by Alviuza Hayward,
C. D. Lane and the Hobart estate. 1t is
said to produce 100000 worth of gold
month.
Flames and smoke were discovered is
suing from the S00-foot level, Station No.
4, at o'clock this morning. 1t waswith
difficulty that the shift made their es-
cape. Six men were cut off, but made
their way out through the south end OF
the new shaft The fire is supposed to
have originated from spontaneous COM
bustion, caused by lard and coal OIL IL
is impossible at present to estimate the
extent of the loss but it is safe to say
that it will lamount to hundreds of thou
sands of dollars Not only are the mine
owners affected, but the whole town OF
Angels, which has population OF 6ooo
ent upon the miners employed in the
Utica group There are 1000 men em-
ployed, and, should the fire prove as dis
astrous as reported, these men will be
left in destitute circumstances Every
effort is being made to quench the fire
as rapidly as possible, but gas and smoke
are esca ping through all the shafts,
1o,v q.
While stopping up the Utica shaft five
men were suffocated. The mine is pelng
rapidly flooded with water, and all the
main pipes have been cut and about 1000
miners inches are pouring down the
shaft. 1t will take at least four days TO
flood the mine, and it Is estimated that
it will take at least two months to pump
out the water and fit the mine for regu-
lar operations.
On July Il, 1895, similar fire occurred
and it was seven weeks before work
could be resumed. The shafts are deeper
now and will undoubtedly take much
longer time.
The Utica mine, which Is the largest
quartz gold mine worked by the chlorin-
alton process, contains 200 stamps ana
fourteen roasting ovens, besides an I'M
mense amount of necessary machinery.
1t is estimated that the net profits Of the
mine exceed 81, 100000 per annum.
THE FIRE PUT OUT
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. ia spe-
cial to the Chronicle from Angels Camp
SAYS: For the second time witnn
little over two years the Utica NINE
the most famous gold-producer on the
mother lode, caught fire TO-DAY. Ine
first thought Of all was for the nlght
shift, which was at work when the piaze
was discovered spreading from the oil
tank to the timbers. The men had es-
caped early, and no one had been IN the
least injured.
The first iutimation that anything
was wrong came from a car-man VINO
was passing station 4, on the S0O-foot
level, at p. m. The whole WOODWORK
was on fire. He attempted to beat II out
with his jacket, but soon found 1t was
useless, as a large cask OF OIL was III
flames. The men in the Stickles smart
were notified at once and were holsted
TO the top. One of their number had
been to the station only fifteen minutes
before to fill his lamp, and is supposed
to have set fire to something in close
proximity to the oil tank
All of the men in other sections OF the
mine were taken out and placed at work
bulkheading the two drifts in the Sickle.
One runs from the north and the other
from the south and connects the Utica
with the Sickle shaft. With these
closed up watertight the hydraulic moni-
tors were put to work throwing water
.l,o
thousands of gallons of water pouredinto
the mine while the hopes of the miners
that it would be extinguished speedily
fell.
At o'clock the water was shut on and
all openings closed air tight in the hope
that the fire would be smothered with
out further trouble, but no one was
capable of saying at this time whether
or not the work has been successful. To-
morrow afternoon the shaft will be
opened and men sent down to learn just
what has been accomplished
Should there be no fire tomorrow when
the miners go below to investigate the
pumps will be put to work removing the
water pumped into the big hole in the
ground The miners estimate that it will
be fully a month before work will be
resumed in this shaft, even if the first
attack on the fire has proved successful.
No estimate of the loss by fire can be
made until the extent of damage in the
shaft is known. The superintendent
stated this evening that he could not
give out any figures as to the approx
mate damage, but hoped they would be
far smaller than at first named when the
figure was placed at several hundred
thousand dollars. At 8 o'clock p. m.
there was no indication that the fire had
not been completely extinguished and
the miners were taking heart They
were anxiously waiting the opening of
the Sickle shaft tomorrow afternoon,
when their doubts will be set at rest.
Fresh Fruit Show