The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1907-06-14
GREAT MINE FIRE OUT AT LAST.
Homestaks Mine Has Been Ablaxs for
Two Months.

Homestaks Mlne Has Been Ablzzs for
Two Months.
One OF the greatest fires that ever
occurred In q gold mine In this coun-
try has just been overcome by the
Homestake Mining company at Lead.
For owe two months the company
struggled with this fire, and 1t was no.
until it had burned for thirty days
that 1t was found necessary to turn
into the mine all the available water
and to flood the scores OF miles Of IN
derground workings. The most re-
markable feature In connection with
this event is that although for days
men were carried out OF the mine un-
conscious from the effects of the dead
ly gas, though caveins occurred and
redhot rock was mined from the
fire. though the shafts are full of
water and are hundreds OF feet deep,
yet there has not been a single fatality
and the death OF two horses has been
the only loss Of life.
On the evening Of March rs. just AT
ter the night shift went on duty. the
people we're startled by the ringing OF
the fire bell and in a few minutes tho
word had been carried through Lead.
Deadwood. and ever into the outside
camps that the Homestake mine was
on fire. The blaze started on the
ninth floor of the 600-foot level. and
consequently was very near the 500
foot level. 1t was supposed to have
ignited from the blasting out Of some
old timbers by the day shift just be-
fore they went OFF duty.
From the very beginning the flames
were beyond control. The great diff
ficulty was caused by the forming "i
| the deadly carbon dioxide gas, which
made it impossible for the men to APP
proach nea the fire and which over
came them by the dozens, 80 that they
were carried out either unconscious
or raving in delirium.
Fire helmets were secured and with
the help Of these the little army Of
workers pushed somewhat nearer the
blaze. Brattices were built and follow
ing along ono side with compressed
air and water the fighters made an
other attack upon the blaze. Steam
was turned In, water vas sent down
through the open cut with the hope
that 1t might reach the infected spot,
tunnels were reopened and entrance
to the burning slopes sought in this
way. All was useless.
On the morning Of April 2, after q
night of great danger, Supt. Grier or
dered all men out Of the mine and the
fight was continued for a time
through upper tunnels by means Of
small streams Of water through the
open cut, underneath which the fire
was supposed to be located, and by
repeated efforts on the part OF the fire
brigade to reach the blaze by the help
Of their helmets and the brattices.
On April % the order to flood went
forth, the last resort, n everything,
oven the few mills which were still
operating, were closed. The work
ings of the mine are 1850 feet deep
and there are over 100 miles Of under
ground channels. The natural flow
Of water into the mine filled 1t to the
1,100-foot level, and from there up. tho
work of filling was accomplished In
an unexpectedly short time.
The space to be filled amounted to
6S, 1893, 621 cubic feet and required 570,.
100000 gallons of water. In order to
effect this flooding, water vas turned
in through the Ellison shaft, the open
cut, and even the old Lincoln shaft
was opened up for this purpose. BY
means Of a nume water was brought
In through a tunnel at the north end
and a great part of the Whitewood
creek was turned in through the Saw.
age tunnel by 4 flume 5000 feet long
20 inches wide and 80 inches deep.
This gave a volume of water equal
to about 1900 gallons a minute, and
this, in addition to the water the miro
makes and the additional supply
caused by heavy rains and SHOWS
brought the flood to the highest pos.
sible point, about 80 feet on the 800.
foot level by the 2sth Of May, only
thirty-seven days from the commence.
ment When this was accomplished
there was no question that the fire
was out.
1t is impossible at this date to esti-
mate the actual loss to the company
The greatest item, Of course, comes IN
the loss Of product, which can be
reckoned very fairly. From April 3 to
April %, only 600 out Of the 1000
stamps dropping and from April % to
May 80 there was no output whatever
The average monthly bullion output OF
this company Is about $40, 900, and
hence the bullion loss for this time ap.
proximates $94s.16 There must be
taken into consideration also, the fact
that when the mills began work on
May 20, only 440 stamps were drop,
ping out OF the 1000. This means that
the monthly product will be dimin.
ished by over one-half while this con.
tinues, and how long that will be it ID
impossible to say. The loss in bull.
ion may, however, be placed very con.
servatively at $1,000, 900.
The cost Of flooding the mine was
| hit 1{t<IA ~oN~A fLo~ -@roS-o1 u,lE1z A.