The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-07-17
MANY CAMPS HAVE
BEEN BURNED DOWN
Unwritten Law That Mining
Towns Must Get Baptism
of Fire.

The loss by fire at Porcupine is one
of the most deplorable tragedies in the
history Of mining. From early reports
1t appears to have been the most dis"
astrous, 30 far as loss OF life is con-
ccrned There IS nothing in the records
of the country to show any loss OF life
that even approximates the tragic end
inEs Of so many brave pioneers at Porcu-
pine. Mining camps have come and gone.
and almost all OF them have had their
baptism of fire. Those that have not
experienced that visitation are to be con :"
graduated. as fire is almost an inevitable
consequence OF the reckless construction
Of mining camps that spring into exis-
wise They nre not subject to laws or
municipal control. and naturally the
mushroom growth brings In It's trail con-
sequences that cannot be avoided says
One OF the unwr!tten laws OF the un-
derwriters Is that every mining camp
must be wiped out by fire before 1t gets
singular fact that the proverb has sell
dom failed OF verification. Nevada, not
withstandiDg It's blistering heat and dry
climate, has been almost exempt from
disastrous vistations for the reason that
the men who came Into the southern
country were men from other mining
camps. who had gone through the re-
necessity or taking precautionary meas
ures at the very outset OF existence TO
save their property from being swept
away by the one dread destroyer that
has swept mining camp after mining
camp into the back pages OF history.
Western history brlstles with such ex-
the ravages OF fire are the exception
rather than the rule. In Colorado they
have had serious fires at Leadville, ko-
komo. Fairplay and Anaconda. The most
INN TOW Loo tlfNy,
Creede, gulch town. that was wiped out
in the twinkling of an eye. Victor went
up In smoke in spite OF the substantial
construction OF most buildings In the
twice devastated by fire. with losses ae-
gregating millions. None of these fires
did any damage to the mines. which We're
situated at some distance from the scene
Of trouble. This feature lends another
sensational element to the fire at Por-
cupine, which billowed over the mines
and suffocated men, IN the underground
workings. whence there was no escape,
They were trapped and gave I'D their
lives without really knowing what exe
tinguished their lives.
Arizona suffered at Douglas. Globe,
Bisbee and Tombstone. and across the
Mexican border they have had fires OF
some magnitude at Caporte and Cananea.
California records affirm the wiping out
OF Angels Camp, and Michigan suffered
the loss of Houghton. The far north
teens with examples OF fire losses in the
cases OF Dawson City, Fairbanks. Nome
and the recent case of Iditarod, which
reached the outside world only last week
Nevada has been singularly immune
from fire losses. the most remarkable cx-
ample occurring at Virginia City in the
sixties when that town struggled down
the side OF Mount Davidson and mean
dered down Six Mile canyon. The fire
| ragged for two days. during which an
area OF nearly mile square was burned
over, Since that time there have not
been any fires Of consequence with the
exception of blazes al Pioche Pioneer
Rawhlde, Palomar, Union City, Candle
laria. Eureka and three more or less
serious blazes at Virginia City.