Carson City daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1907-1930, 1909-02-03
A Correction


titled "Old Fires in Comstock," is
wrong In so far as it attempts to
describe the manner in which the
fire in the Consolidated Virginia
mine was eXtinguished. In short.
you state that man named Price,
q famous chemist. secured a big
bunch OF whisky barrels and filled
them within carbonc acid gas and
drilled holes through the bulkheads
and attached pipes to the barrels he
had tapped. and turned the gas into
the burning stope and checked the
fire and after time put II out entire
ly. The foregoing is the sum and sub
stance OF your version of how the
fire was put out.
The truth is different. | was a re-
porter on the Enterprise at the time.
and had access to the mine and often
visited It. w. n. Patton was Super
they were doing in their attempts
to put ont the fire. They built fur.
mace on the 1000 level. within about
100 feet of a buikhcad and bored a
hole through the bulkhead and intro
duced from said furnace to said bulk.
head q pipe Of about IS inches In
diameter, md buried said pipe in a
trough containing running cold wat
or in order to keep il from melting.
They filled the furnace and burned
about three tons Of coal every "a
hours, and inserted q fan In the pipe
To- force the smoke from the Cumbus-
tiOn of coal into the Slopes contain.
ing smoldering fires. and this
smoke was the carbonic acid gas
with which they expected tn put out
the fire. This furnace was kept red
hot for over three months, and until
they believed every nook and Granny
was filled with il. Then they allow.
ed matters 10 stand in such cOndi-
tion for several weeks. and then
opened air ways for the carbonc acid
gas To escape, and then opened their
bukhead, and men went in to oh
serve the result. Within a short
time after the air was permitted tC
enter the slopes the fires rclighted
SO, the carbonic acid gas did NJ
good. II would put out flames al
right. but had no effect on smodcr
ing fires, and the Introduction of ali
would relight them and set then
ablaze
ID. Is. Lyman, very modest and re
firing gentleman, and very backward
IN claiming credits. succeeded Mr.
Patton as Superintendent of tn,
Con..Nirginia mine. and he adopta(
system of his own to retrieve tn,
ores contained In the region formcrl,
acld by fire, He used water for tn,
purpose. He would open a bulkhea,
ana Introduce water, and plenty OF ii
and advance as far as safety woul,
permit, and build new bulkhead
and repeat until he retrieved the en-
'il' il'u uOIIllIldltU by Hlt
have been down IN said min
many times with Mr.. Lyman and II
showed me what h had accomplish
ed and how.
The idea Of tapping urrc1s file
with carbonic acid gas (smokeD. an
pouring heir contents into the vas
openings, should be referred to Mes
srs, Annanias. Baron Won Munchau
sen, Jules Verne and Other notable
ms committee to report on the feas
pihty thereof
! hasten to make the correction i
fear that the Nevada Historical Sc
ctety might incorporate your accom-
OF the manner in which said fire wa
rxtinsuished. and make it a rrcor
In the history Of the State of Nevada
ALFRED CHARTX.
I'VE are glad To be set right-Ed.
Or. A. ). Southworth passe
through Carson yesterday on Il visi