Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1906-04-27
How the Mint was saved.

San FHAHcI=Co, April pa landmark
OF San Francisco that escaped d~cstruc-
ton though every building surrounding
1t WAS destroyed, is the United States
mint, at the corner Of Fifth and Mission
streets. Harold French. an emplo,e of
the mint, gave Il graphic account OF
how the flames wcr" succ, ssfully fought.
He said:
Nearly two hundred million dollars
in coin and bullion are stored in the
vaults Of the mint ard Tor the prcscrva-
ton Ot this ptIZs ii devoted band %
emp.O! as, reinforced By regular soldiers,
fought until the battlsd Il imcs lid to
the conquest 81 stately blocks Of So
called tire proof buildings.
~tor seven hour= "a sea Of tire surgrd
around this grand old federal cditirp.
attacking 1t on all sides with waves Of
fierce heat. lis little garrison WIS cut
oil from rcirrut Tor hours at a time, had
such Il course been thought 81 10y those
on guard
The United States mint was ron
structc: in 1874 Of granite and sand-
ston blocks, massive monolith~ well
calculated to rcG.st tire from without.
Within, however. were enough Iutium.
mhble materials tn feed Il lively con
Migration. Iron shutters shielded the
lower floors, but the Windows Of the
upper story on which are located the
refinery and ASSAY office were exposed.
Also It tarrcd roof over the refinery
constituted a weak spot III the defense.
Tank ur wool and other inilammablc
material scattered about til" roof and
upper story were a serious menace,
"Aiter the fire had swept past the
Mission street side and the certainty OF
It's Running from the north became
apparent, Captain Of the Watch flaws
ordered everything ON the roof tina
would burn thrown into the var |. Sol.
dlers and mint emplOyc s worked with
utmost haste throwing great timber and
tank 7taves into the court. Here are
located some thirty tanks OF blue %vitrIol,
with dchns, into which increasing
showers of cindcrs fell. Fortunately
the min POss' ssrs IA good well and
Engineer Brady. at his post, pumped
water To the ii5c fighters assembled ON
the root. .! these, forty were mint
crnployc s and they were aided 10y a con.
phny OF coast artillery.
AS the fire swept up Fifth street the
beat increased tu u dangerous degree
ms u by one the Metropolitan Hail
and the hlstrouic Lincoln school burst
into flames, reinforced toy the roaring
furnace % the Emporium. On the west
the block hOmTdcd hy Sixth and Marked
street, on the north, gave the grayrst
concern, for from this quarter the tire
was certain tU rage III it, worst fury q.
Famed 10y u roaring unrthcrly wind,
the flames rip'ed through tho structure
stretching from the Windsor Hotel Ia
the Emma Sp~recklcs building; sheets OF
tire 20 feet high licked up the inter ven.
ing houses on Mint avenue. Augment.
ed by these timber boxes. the bla 4 Of
IL" burst on northwest corner ~ the
mint like a breath Of II second Police
~ Tow desperate lighters under
Chief Kennedy Of Oakland were driven
from between tho tottcrIng chimney :
under whose twin tcrrOrs they had
struggled to the last, throwing buckcts
"f water upon the blazing roof over the
refinery. II ~ largely due to the OK
]pcricuce of Former C,irt Kennedy that
this ~tar.covcrcd roof. the wclk"st spot
OF all, was saturated with suiIicicn,
water to- stay the flames.
"Whcu the tire Icapcd Mint avenue N
solid maEsCs II iiimo tho refinery men
stuck 80 their Windows as long IA the
glns9 remained ~ lie" frame. Seventy.
lis" loot Of ono Iurh hose pInycl n
slender stream on III" blazing window
ellie. while the floor was a wash with
diluted sulphur acid. Ankle deep in
this spldicrs aud rmiirycE atnCk Ia the
Nupr until the wiudpwa mrItci. With
mn "xul'|nt roar the tongues ~ fire
licked gr"cdly the inner walls. Blind.
my, authorizing smoke ucrceHitatcd the
Abandonment 81 the hose aud the ii,h.
tcrs reiterated I" the iluor bcIuw. Tho
roar OF falling wnlla, the thunder Of
bursting blocks Of stone. the din Of
crashing glass, swcllcd to nm uncnrlEly
diaraeon.
~ thirteen inch sh"lla wore Crnshinv
HenrnHi the mint vale the drnfrniug
d"'"nationa and the jrr of their impact
uH-..fl