The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-24
NEAR DEATH. SAVING
MINT AND MILLIONS

rItflASA1CSAt . r.
Saving OF the United States mint which is
the marvel OF MI who know how the nre
ragged about II, goes to the credit Of forty
brave mint employees and a company or
acknowledgement The mint al1le.tof All
the buildings in its district. was spared
destructionj and It now stands alone IN
a district Of black ruin. tbs damaged,
but In its treasure vauts It's one hundred
millions OF specie lie safe. 3.
The mint did not merely escape burning
1t was saved at, the risk OF life itself by
the corps sof defenders. for they were for
hours surrounded on all sides BY fire so
widespreadng that not a. MAN. could have
escaped alive * the mint, too had burned.
With fames% that often shot two hundred
feet pressing on all four sides and ire
iquently sweeping clear over the building.
the men fought In floods OF sulphuric acid
to-, as one putt, t'snatch the building safe
from the jaws of he'll. " &.
More than 3lQ0, 900 900 In coin and specie
are stored In the vaults Of the mint, and
fors the preservation Of this Nprlze the
guards fou Dlt ,.for seven hours 5continu-
ously a SCI. o. fire surging around the
mint all the time and the garrison cut
of from ret eat for hours ct a time ~.
gave q graphic account to-day: of how, the
flames were successfully fought OF from
the old granite building at Fifth and
Mission Streets: w ss
Faced Fires Return
AFTER the nre had swept past the Mis-
sion Street side! and the certainty OF its
returning from the north became appa-
rent plain Of the Watch Laws ordered
everything enath G. roof that would burr,
thrown into the yard. Soldiers and mint
MI mn Ind hIgt most haste.
throwing great kmbersa and tank staYes
into the coilrt!f Here were thirty tanks
Of bluesvitri6l,1tl ,a surfaces OF whtchiwere
soon covered with debris, into which In
creasing lshowers OF cinders fell. AK + or
tuna tely, tho mint possesses, a good we'll,
and Brady. the engineer, pumped water
to tho fire fighters assembled on the
roof g,r{ IS y55y y.4E3s'
''As the fire swept up Fifth Street the
heat Increased to n dangerous degree as
one by one. the Metropolitan Hall and the
historic Lincoln School burst into flames.
reinforced by the roaring furnace of, the
Emporium. On the west. the block ;bound-
ed by Sixth and Market Streets on the
north. gave the gravest concern, TOR from
this quarter the fire was certain to rage
In Its fury. Famed by a roaring north
erly wind, the flames rioted through the
structures. stretching from the Windsor
Hotel to the Emma spreckels building.
Sheets Of fire Of, 200 feet high licked up
the Intervening houses In Mint Avenue.
Augmented by these finder boxes the blast
OF the fire burst flercely on the north
west corner Of the mint. :tt3
"a few desperate fighters under former
Fire Chief Kennedy, Of Oakland were
driven from between the tottering CHM
neys. where the determined men had been
/ -, -, - $art ~, a
blazing roof over the gold refinery, which
was on top Of the copper roof OF the
mint. 1t is largely due tofthe experience
OF former Chief Kennedy that the tar
covered roof, the weakest spot Of all,
was saturated with sufficient water to
stay the flames.
Stood to Posts. IS.
when the fire leaped Mint Avenue In
solid masses Of flame the refinery men
stuck to their windows as long asf@the,
glass remlncd In the frames
.'Seventy-nve feet OF n onc-lnch hose
played slender stream on the blazing
window stills, while the floor was awasll I
with diluted sulphuric acid.
ANKLE deep in this, soldiers and en-
ployes stuck to the floor until the win
dows shattered and the inner walls began
to burn Binding and suftooatlng smoke
forced them to abandon the hose and re-
treat to the floor below. Down IN the
treasure vaults nrtillerymen. ringed with
blanket rolls and leaning on their rllleH,
coughed In the strangling smoke .7 Then
came a lull the walls Of a dozen pricR,
buildings across the street had fallen IN
There was yet lighting chance 50 back
to the upper story the fire-hghters re-
turned. led by superintendent Leach, VINO,
by example and words, encouraged his
men to cxtingush the fbhzins inner
woodwork OF the refinery,
1.-THE roof was next swept ~ q nose.
cooling the copper-sheatl7ed surface until
It became passable for wet, acld-soaked
feet, An army officer, axe In hand, tore
up sections OF blazing tar ROOF, beneath
which stream OF water was directed.
At length. aa dawn drew near, the mint
was pronounced out OF danger and =
handful OF exhausted, but exultant, ems
ploycs stumbled out on the hot connie
stones TO learn the fate OF some OF NOR
homes,
"The mint presents scorched and
slassless front on the north and west,
and the towering smokestacks arc % pc
torn down, hut the building Is intact and
tho plant Is unframed and ready Tor
resumption 0f work.