The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1907-06-13
aRgAr MINE FIRE OUT AT LAST.
Mine Has Been Abiaxe for
Two Months.


Ous OF the greatest fires that ever
occurred In a gold mine In this oouu.
try has Just been overcome by the
Homestake Mining company at Lead.
For over two months the company
struggled with this fire, and 1t was not
until II had burned for thirty days
that 1t was found necessary to turn
into the mine all the available water
and to food the scores OF miles OF un'
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 cave-ins occurred and
redhot rock was mined from the
slopes in the hope OF getting at 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 %. Just AZ,
ter the night shift went on duty, the
people were startled by the ringing OF
the fire bell and in a few minutes the
word had been carried through Lead,
Ceadwood, and wen into the outside
camps that the Homestake mine was
on Are. 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 of duty.
From the very beginning the flames
we're beyond control. The great dit.
ficulty was caused by the forming nj
the deadly carbon dioxide gas. which
made it impossible for the men to ap-
proach near the fire and which over.
came them by the dozens. so 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 one side with compressed
air and water the fighters made an.
other attack upon the blaze. Steam
was turned In, water was sent down
through the open cut with the hope
that it might reach the infected spot,
tunnels were %reopened and entrance
to the burning slopes sought in this
way. All vas useless.
On the morning of April Q, after a
night of great danger, Supt. Grier or
dered all men out CT the mine and the
fight was continued for a time
through upper tunnels by means OF
small stream Of water through the
open cut, underneath which the fre
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, and everything,
even the few mills which were stu
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 IL to the
1,1O0-foot level. and from there up, the
work of filing was accomplished in
an unexpectedly short time.
The space TO be filled amounted to
IS, 393. 621 cubic feet and required 570s-
900, 900 gallons Of water. In order to
effect this flooding, water was 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 fiume 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.
az. tunnel by a fiume 1920 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 food to the highest pos
sible point. about 80 feet on the 300
foot level by the 10Th of May, only
thirty-seven days from the commence
ment- When this was accomplished
there was no question that the fire
was out.
II Is impossible at this date TO esti-
mate the actual loss to the COMPANY.
The greatest item, OF course, comes Al
the loss OF product, which can be
reckoned very fairly. From April 3 to
April %, only 500 out of the 1.0G0
stamps dropping and from April 22 to
May 80 there was no output whatever.
The average monthly bullion output Of
this company Is about s440. 900, and
hence the bullion loss for this time ap-
proximates $s43,160. 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 dimir.
ished by over one-half while this con.
tinues. and how long that will be 1t ID
impossible to say. The loss in bull
ion may. however, be placed very con.
servativsly at $1,000, 900.
The cost of flooding the mine was
but little more than nominal, while the