Gilpin observer., 1907-11-21
CHESTNUT COLUMN
From tho Files of The Observer, Week
Ending November 23rd, 1887.

ClLlZcilS VI ScHIrdi SlIy IOudy WcIc IiSA
residents of Nevadaville, and these few
lines will recall to their memory night
of terror. 1t was between two and three
o'clock in the morning and the wild and
irregular chorus of the steam whistles,
the ringing of fire bells of the three
cities, struck terror to many heart.
The firemen of this city and Black Hawk
answered promptly to the call of distress
from their sister city, and hurried up
over the dusty and rough road as best
they could with their trucks and hose
carts. The Nevadaville people were
loud in their praise of the Central and
Black Hawk fire departments and the
private citizens of these towns, and said
that but for the promptness with which
they came to the rescue and the heroic
manner in which they fought the de-
vouring elements, there would have
been very little left of the town.
Where water could not be carried
through hose, bucket lines were form
ed and water carried from number of
barrels on Main street which were sup
piled from the Hubert mill, to houses
that were beyond the reach of the hose.
In this way, and by the use of wet car
pets and blankets spread on the roofs,
several houses were saved. In this way
also, the house occupied by Patrick
Tuck, deceased, and his family and in
which his dead body lay at the time of
the fire, till it was carried up the hill
into some house out of the way of the
fire, was saved. The house was con-
siderably scorched. w. j. Lewis, who
had charge of the Hubert mill, had but
100 feet of hose which was not sufficient
to reach the house where the fire start
ed, or he could probably have put it out.
AS soon as he saw the fire he sent to the
California mine and got $50 feet addi-
tional with which he was enabled to do
a great deal towards keeping the fire
under control.
From all accounts it appears that
good many citizens of the imperiled
town acted in a shameful manner, many
of them refusing to do thing in the
way of fighting the fire, and some of
them even helping themselves to any
thing that was loose and portable. Sew
eral of them were caught in dark al
ley drinking keg of beer, filling them
selves in good shape, and when asked
to lend helping hand replied that 1T
was none of their fire." Others were
caught stealing candy, apples, etc.
Mrs. Phil Hicks caught man stealing
silk dress from her bureau. Many
reported that what they had saved from
the flames was carried away by these
vandals. They took whatever they
could lay their hands on, and some of
them were pretty roughly handled by
the firemen and others. Mrs. James
Clare set up good lunch with hot coffee
to the fire boys for which they felt very
grateful. Evan Morgan of the Rescues
came near being crushed under build
ing that was pulled down in order to
stop the progress of the fire. j. S. Bea-
man had the back of his neck burned
but did not know it at the time. Thos.
Warwick came near being buried in the
ruins of a house. Fred Bolsinger lost
pair of pants with considerable money
in one of the pockets, $40 of which was
bet on the election. Mr.. and Mrs.
Clear were probably the heaviest losers
on furniture, fuel, ETC., besides money.
A representative of the Observer, in
corpnopv with Dap,t, Char;H I,r,a,
Collins, visited Nevadaville the next
day, which was very cold and raw, and
it was sad sight to see men, women
ard children standing around the smoul-
dering ruins of their former homes and
digging in the ashes for something of
value and carrying what was left of
their household effects to any kind of a
shanty that would afford temporary
shelter. Following is a list of those
who lost nearly all they had: John Slat-
terry, Thomas Noy, Samuel Thompson,
James Dohoney, James Gillespie, Pat
rick Murphy, Otto Sauer, Mrs. Kate
Floyd, Mrs. E. C. Thomas, l. M. Par
sons, Edwards estate, George Rowe,
S. H. Andrews, S. S. Martin, A. N.
Tucker, Thos. Doyle, Jas. Foley, Mrs.
Mary Williams, Mrs. Emma Bolsinger,
Mrs. Ellen Doyle, Robert Fallon, J. p.
Bartle, Will Harvey, Richard Hall, Pat
Tuck, Henry Mayhem, Mrs. Mary Carey,
Mrs. James Wilson, Michael Stedman.
The students of the School of Mines
of Golden were visiting the mines and
mills in this county.
Senator Teller and Tom Patterson had
a lively set-to before Judge Hallet.
They gave each other the lie like COM
mol people.