The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-09-03


ing left behind the homes Of the most
industrious. thrifty hospitable, and
Certainly the most maligned people on
the entire eontinent-the Mormons.
Stepping onto the platform at Caliente
The first salutati0n is the cry all
aboard for Phoebe" Drawn close by
the depot is u stage to take passen-
gers and express 10 the famous old
mining camp. / Immediately determine
TO stay over here and visit De Lamar
and Phoebe. Piochei What a host of
recollections it cOnjures up, what tales
OF comedy and, alas, OF tragedy are as
ISOLATED with its brief history! Phoebe
which San Francisco paper stigma
tized as the slaughter house Of Nevada,
on account Of the many murders COM
mitted on it's streets.
Phoebe. another San Francisco jour
nal accusingiy said where men kept
store by day and robbed stages by
night.
This, OF course, was a gross libel on
as good and law-abiding citizens as
could be found in any community, and
as representative as were the mer-
chants OF Phoebe Nevertheless il must
be admitted the camp was wild and
Woolly' in the hey-day OF its prosperity.
Where else on Gods earth could there
De a home for the demi monde built
by public subscription but in Phoebe?
Yet there was a chivalrous justification
Tor the same. In the early days of the
camp when only few families found
their way 10 the place. while yet the
hillsides were dotted with tents where
In miners found shelter, business places
IN 81 "a nF fVas 81
the tent TO the weather board, stone or
brick building, everywhere bearing the
inconvenience which Characterizes a
new mining camp, it is hardly neces-
sary 10 state that anything like
homes" or family residences had not
as yet appeared. There were, how
ever, few houses whose appearance
betOkened externally "AIl the COM
forts of home The largest most COM
modious and prosperous looking estab-
lishment was presided over by a Ger
tain Nelly Johnson. 1 give a fictitious
name here on purpose as she is still
living, in a far away state, married
Ahappiiy. and highly respected in the
community In which she moves. This
house contained a number of female
boarders, young and attractive both in
their behavior and looks.
In the evenings the place was quite
Tor music and dancing was INDUCED
in, and "a sound of reNsslry by night
could always be heard by the passer-
by. Anyone living for any time in a
mining camp VIII notice that certain
corners or centers IN q street are the
resort OF crowds Of men, who stand
around and retail the gossip OF the day.
As If by tacit understanding will they
cOngregate daily at certain hours on
hat toni f.r-
their Rialto. Wen, one day IN the aft
ernoon, when the street was most
densety crowded, there was @ sudden
crash, terrific in its sound, appalling In
its magnitude. The very mountains
seemed TO split asunder, and spit forth
fire and smoke while gigantic boul-
ders were hurled into space and pull
verified into n0thingHess,
The heavens We're hidden as by a
combination of earthquake and eclipse.
There was Il mighty wind arose, and all
was darkness. but mightier than the
noise of all combined was the piercing,
agOnizng vail of the dying and the
mutilated In that terrible explosion of
giant powder which killed and wound
ed nsarly l50 human beings in d few
seconds. Right in the very heart Of
the principal business street, a mer-
chant who did a considerable business
convenience. and it may be added for
the sake Of greed, stored away several
kegs of giant powder. The explosion
took place. OF course an inquest was
held. The criminal was as duly ac-
quilted by that mOnstrosity of our up
tO-date civilization, that travesty
called a cOroner's jury.
Rescuers Immediately set to work in
exTicating such as showed life from
the ruins of buildings, etc, in the vi
entity. Relief parties were immediate
" organized. Many of the men manned
in this sad disaster and at deaths door,
had no other home than a blanket
spread on the hillside.
Mostly ali of the victims were in
the flush of young manhood. Few doc
tors were there available, but those few
upheld the grand philanthropy Of their
profession, and worked 10 the very
limit of endurance. There was then
no hospital mo- fraternal organizations
as yet located, but there was that
zone touch of nature that maketh the
whole world kin" and found its eX-
preston IN grand wave OF Christian
charity. and the command OF the mas
ter was carried out, Love ye one an
other"
wounded. assisting the doctors, making
bandages, dressing the wounds. lifting
with gentle force the weary head, min
istering medicine TO the lips already
sealed with deaths paliidity like an
gels of mercy. Nelly Johnson and her
female companions were around. They
gave all they possessed in the way of
house linen and wearing apparel, tear
ing into shreds for the making of lint
brOths and stimulants as would give
relief while those in most immediate
danger We're nursed day and night as
long as self-sacrifce could preserve life.
These girls in after times never ap-
pared in the public streets but miners
and merchants tipped their hats in re-
spectful salute
Many months after the above oc-
currenee in the dead OF night there was
a scream from the Raymond and Ely
whistle. The Meadow Valley immedi-
ateIy belched forth a response. The
IIermes shrieked out In shrillness and
then that pandemOniUm Of sound which
can never be heard outside of
large mining camp, fire
alarm. filled the Yeay air. Guns
firing off, pistols and every kind of
firearms. the ringing OF bells, the
beating of gongs, etc, all simultaneous
", besides the shouts of the people. now
crOwding the streets. make a scene of
excitement not easily described, nor
easily forgotten. Right at the upper
end of Main street an old stable took
fire. the flames spread TO an adjacent
building, and so on from one to an
other until all upper Main street was
a sheet of flame. But an hour before
the stars shone forth In all their efful-
gence. but now they paled their In
effectual fires" for the sky overhead