The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1899-01-06
AN0LD LANDMARK GONE
The Algonquin Mill and Hoist Totally De-
stroyed by Fire.
WIPED FROM THE FACE OF EARTH
a Heap of Smouldering Ruins Greeted the
New Year at Hasmark-The FOunda-
tiOn and II Heap of Iron All
That Remains Now.

With the closing hours of the old year
one of the oldest and most
prominent landmarks Of Granite coun-
ty About s o'clock last Saturday even
ing the Algonquin mill and hoisting
works at Hasmark We're discovered to
be OH fire and within a short space Of
time the entire plant was reduced to
ashes and nothing remained but the
stone walls and ID heap af ruined
machinery. The blaze was seen = long
distance and the mountains for several
miles around were lit up as bright as
day. The night was comparatively
dark, but fences and buildings across
the valley were almost as plainly dis
ce-nable as in bright daylight. The
heat around the burning buildings was
intense, as the woodwork was very dry
and burned like tinder. Live trees
some distance up the mountain side
caught fire from the heat, but they
ceased to burn after the fiery element
had ended its furious spectacle of de-
struction at the works.
The property was owned by the Hope
Minip company and is total loss,
with leo insurance. The Algonquin
mill and hoisting works were built dur
ing the fall and winter of 1S79-S0, and
the mill was first started up in Feb
ruarv, 1880, Mr.. John Ainsley being
master mechanic and chief engineer.
1t originally consisted of 90 stamps,
dry crushing; six amalgating pans,
three settlers, and one revolving cylin
der roaster, and had an engine of $50
horse power. The machinery was con-
structed in Ohio by Griffith & Wedge
and when stared the Algonquin was
the model mill in Montana. The cost
of the mill was about $50, 900 and the
hoistlng works about $15, 600, as every
thing had to be freighted in and wages
were high at that time. About 85 men
were employed by the company, which
was originally organized in 1915. The
officers of the company at the time the
works were built were H. A. Stiles,
President; j. H. Williams, Vice Presi-
dent; J. K. Pardee' Superintendent and
General manager; H. S. Showers, AS
sistant Superintendent. Mr.. Hopkins
was foreman of the mill and H. K.
Fairgrieve the bookkeeper. About 32,
600 tons of ore were crushed during the
year 1880 and the mill was kept running
at intervals until December, 1888, when
it closed down. During the year 1892
Mr.. John McKechney, then operating
the Puritan mine, procured possession
of the property and set about putting
it in thorough repair The shaft house
was partitioned off for living rooms and
office and equipped with steam heat and
electric light. Some new machinery
was added, including small engine
and DYNAMO When the panic over
took the country in 1893 the Algonquin
mill, together with the Puritan mine
were among the Granite county enter
prises that suspended operations an(
since that time the property has re
mained closed down. About two year'
ago it was sold under execution an(
ownership passed to the Hope MINING
company.
Just how the fire started is not known
but it was first discovered in the hoist
which was about ten feet distant from
the mill, and there being no waite
about the premises the entire plant wa
soon roaring furnace 1t is about tn
cleanest wreck ever seen-every par
ticle of wood was consumed by the fir
and nothing but ashes and iron re
mains. The shaft has caved in and fo
several days after the confagratiol
smoke was seen issuing from the pit.
The town of Hasmark seems deserte
since the disappearance of the works
but the old residents who never hav
lost confidence in the future Of thei
camp feel that while the fire has playe
, serious havoc some time in the nea
r future custom smelter will adorn tn
!, sight formerly occupied by the AlgoI
quin and the ores from the many prom
ising mines around Hasmark will b
successfully treated at home.