The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-28
A s25, 900 FIRE.
The Largest Fire in Years Occurs at
No. 3 Shaft.

At . o'clock yesterday morning an
alarm was turned in from Box IS, stu
ated at the Lookout. a second alarm
followed in five minutes. calling out all
the flremen and apparatus In the city.
Fire had been discovered In the shaft
of No. 3 mine, owned by the Delaware
and Hudson company, just below the
Lookout crossing, and before the flames
we're gotten under control they had
swept through the engine room, black
smith shop and all other buildings on
the surface and burned out the shaft
and timbers.
George Dawson, ~ miner, had a few
minutes before the fire was discovered,
gone down into the mine to do some
carpenter work. He was accompanied
by Michael Garvey. a pump runner,
and another man. whose name could
not be ascertained. A few miners were
celebrating the day of rest by sitting
in the blacksmith shop. smoking and
telling stories, when their attention was
simultaneously attracted by a gust of
flame and smoke issuing from the
mouth of the shaft. Quick as men
could run, these men turned in an
alarm. The Cottage Hose company,
located near there was soon on the
scene with their apparatus, and short
ly afterward the Columbias arrived.
1t was seen at once that the fire was
going to be a tough one to fight and
"A second alarm was turned in, sum-
moning the Mitchell Hose company.
These three companies of volunteer
firemen made IA brave fight against
overwhelming odds, for the day was
bitterly cold, the buildings endangered
were old and of unpainted pine and
dry as match-boxes. They stuck game
ly to their posts, however, and did all
they could to prevent the spreading Of
the flames. The force of water thrown
on the blaze was inadequate and about
half the required pressure was lack
ing.
BY II o'clock the buildings We're a
mass OF ruins and the flames had been
confined to the shaft, which was still
throwing out dense volumes OF smoke
and steam. The nozzles OF the differ
ent lines OF hose We're directed against
this. At IL O'Clock another alarm was
rung, but this was interpreted as a
mistake, as two taps should have been
rung. A few minutes later these taps
were given.
At o'clock another alarm was rung
in from the same box and big crowd
assembled in front of the Columbia
hose house, on Main street to see the
horses turn out. But the spectators
had to be gratified by seeing the
Mitchells' fine black team gallop past.
The Columbias had correctly inter-
preted the signal to mean that they
should come and get their hose, which
had been left to pour a stream down
the shaft. They obeyed the signal
after the crowd had dispersed.
In the engine room thus destroyed
four large engines and three bull
pumps were ruined. One of these
pumps had capacity of 5,400 gallons
minute and the other two $3.50 gall
Ions minute each. Their destruction
means the flooding of the mine, thus
throwing 500 men and boys out of
work.
Foreman Rose estimated the total
loss at $4,000. He says that the shut
down will not last more than a week.
as temporary pump will be rigged I'D
at once, and mule power will take the
place of the endless rope.
The firemen suffered severely from
the cold weather, and the specta tors
We're drenched a number of times when
quick shifting of the hose took place.
The three men who had descended into
the shaft just before the outbreak or
'ne 1ire made their exit by means of
another shaft