Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-07-20
THE PORCUPINE TRAGEDY.
Authentic Account By Prof. b"r'
whose Son Persisted in Fire,

whose Son Persisted in Fire.
Tho following authentic account OF tho
recent fro In the Porcupine mine distr'ct
OF Canada, written by Professor d. a.
Burt Of Middlebury, whose son ana
dsughter-ir-law persisted In the fire. VIII
be found to be OF general interest
Angus II. Burt and wife persisted IN
the shaft Of the West Dome mine In the
terrible fire which swept over the Porcu-
pine gold mining region Of Northern
Ontario. Canada. July ii. Angus T. hurt
aged &c years, was the oldest son OF Prof
Il. A. Burt OF this place, attended the
Middlebury public and high schools, was
three years in Middlebury College and
then studied mining engineering for three
years In the Massachusetts, Institute OF
Technology
During his summer vacation of 1907 and
1908 he worked in the Nipissmg and la
Rose mines of the newly discovered
Cobalt silver mining region. At the close
of his study in the NJ. I. T.. lie returned
TO the LaRose mine, at first in charge of
the surface explorations on their univer-
sitv claim and became assayer for the
company on the approach Of winter. In
February, 1910, he was severely injured
he was descending shaft in sampling
work and came to his home I'm Middle
bury. fer what has proved to be the
last time, as soon as he could be out of
the hospital.
/ ON July Il, 1910 he married Miss Rose
! Wallinsford of a good Cobalt family, a
/ very attractive and highly esteemed
/ young lady who had been his nurse in a
] lOGpitll Ip .bo
| gold mines just opening up in the
| Porcupnc region 100 miles farther north
| might AFFORD opportunities for rapid adj
rancement in his profession, so last
/ August he went there as sampler at the
! iIalnger mine and became this year as
! saver for the Wes; Dome
II seems strange that this forest fire
was not put out when it began, but in
| that northern region there is no regard
! for trees rs trees fires started by careless
| prospectors or by sparks from locomotives
/ shoulder in fibrous matter about the
! bases of trees until rain extingushes
| them or they threaten some ones be-
| longings. In fact I counted nine such
! fires at various points In the journey Of
/ a hundred miles through the wilderness
! south Of Cobalt and some We're still
! burning when returned
on July II the large volume of smoke
rising from the forest southwest of Por-
/ Cupine indicated serious fires in progress
| and the various mines got their forces
! out to fight them and prevent their
spread over cleared areas, for several
weeks without rain. The wind blew from
, the southwest with velocity estimated
at ca miles an hour and the fires ad-
vanced through the forest seven eight
miles an hour. n wall Of fire 40 feet high,
shooting up to 200 feet.
The 20 miners working to prevent the
fire from sweeping over the cleared area
of the West Dome. an area about half
that covered by the village of Middle
bury soon found that the flames from
the forest were scattering burning mat
ter far into their rear faster than they
could extinguish, and that it would be
impossible TO save all the mine buildings.
Manager Weiss concentrated his efforts
Upon saving the blacksmith shop and the
staft as the most important structures
for restoration of the mining plant.
The blacksmith shop was metal cover
cd for fire protection against cndcr at
Just such time and was piped with good
water supply. Manager Weiss and his
foremen Of several kinds and their fami-
lies and more reliable miners to the num-
Der Of IS souls gathered into their build
ing, to save 1t and their lives. The pumps
were started and streams of water werc
played against the walls of the black
smith shop from the inside to keep them
cool and wet SO they would not ignite.
| shot Gun King, the mining captain. n
very intrepid character famous in the
| region. did the Same for tho shat house