The Elbert County tribune., 1899-07-06
a BIO ARIZONA FIRE.
xv~.ybody rsr-sd out % s.vs sAs vnss.<

/ Evogybo6T 1uruH0 Out - AVE tno Vudtu4
vsr6r Mlns-
Jerome. A. T.. June 20.-since the NJ
| Ing Of the last Associated Press dis
pntch wednesday night Jerome has
| been a scene Of Wild excitement with
out interruption. The great copper
+, camp has not experienced sbch Wild
turmoil In Its weird and charmed ca
rcer. fJ FHt. ft.
| The disorder had Its incipiency with
1 the breaking out Of the nre In the large
reverberntory at the smelter works OF
/, the United Verde Copper Company on
4 Tuesday night and has increased at q
| frightful ratio since. The reverf,era-
tory IL one OF the principal buildings
OF the copper company and within easy
rench Of every other building belong
Ing to the great plant. Twelve hun
dred men are employed around the
smelter. This force OF men fought the
flames with desperate courage born
OF knowledge OF the fnr-reachinx
consequences OF the destruction Of the
property.
To the east OF the reverberntory Is
the smelter and the great copper fur
naces, the power house with 1900
square feet Of floor space covered with
| CorlIss engines, electric light plant.
etc. vnlued nt $3.50. 1000, coke bins CON
tanning 1000 tons Of coke, nbove the
trestlc works to the United Verde and
Pacific railroad with n train Of cars
one Of which wns londed with ginnt
powder. South were the company's
Offices.
From Its point OF vantage the fire at
the start proved to be the master OF
the situation and In a few minutes
consumed the outer walls OF the bins
constituting the coke, precipitnting
this mass Of Infiammable material into
the flames, and the great heat general
ed from this was something beyond the
power OF human beings to cope with.
and set fire to the tfestle work under
the rnIlrond and the string OF ears
thereon. Islalas sI4..- ..,..
The car loaded with powder was not
thought OF until the car next to II was
on fire. A trnIn crew took out nm en-
gine and went through the binding
smoke and over the burning trestle to
the car and pulled II safely out of
harms wny. not. however. until the
brakeman who coupled the car to the
engine had LIS hair slnged, and five
minutes after thescarload OF powder
was removed the remaining cars feii
ON the fire below. iti
The company's officials were deter
mined to snvc the power house at ali
costs. To accomplish this all the
water OF the city was shut or and
5000 people were without water In the
drycst climate in the world. To fur
ther nggrnvnte this cnuse OF trouble the
river cnn he seen flowing quietly at the
foot OF tile mountain. seemingly not q
quarter OF n mile away. so clear Is the
atmosphere. but 1t Is seven miles away.
Few complaints were heard. however.
from any. and mighty cheer was
given when break vas finally made
In the coke and It was realized that
there was good chance to save the
mine and cmelter. t5l
While this contest was at Its height.
tons OF live coke fell through the shaft
to the 300-foot level and before II could
be told. great volume OF smoke rolled
out OF the mine. Volunteers were
called for to go down and fight the
finmes In the bowels of the earth. and
the response was prompt and hearty.
1t was with tie utmost difficulty that
they made their way through the great
shaft leading Into the mine proper.
The fumes from the burning sulphur
were simply impossible for common
men to cope With. 1t took eight hours
to get the flre In the mine under con.
troll.