The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1913-03-15
BIG FIRE At MINERAL HILL
Company's Store, Offices and
Stables and About 80 Sacks of
Mail Are Burned

] The Mineral Hill Consolidated Mines Com
pany suffered q heavy loss by fire Friday
night, March z, when the company's merchan-
disc store, office, dwelling house next door.
and stable were burned ct Mineral Hill. The
stock Of merchandise, office furniture, ETC.,
were entirely destroyed, as vas also all but
six sacks Of mail Of some 80 or 40 sacks that
were deposited over night in the post Office in
the company's office building. The company
saved its horses, harness and wagons. 1t Is
stated the total loss will approximate $4,000.
with insurance Of a little better than two
thirds Of this amount. The cause Of the fire
is unknown.
Mineral Hill, Eureka County, is about so
miles north of Eureka, and as the Geographic
instruments were destroyed in the fire, moth
ing was known Of the disaster here until the
arrival Of the stage from there late last Satur-
day afternoon.
From letters and information obtained from
arrivals from Mineral Hill it is learned the
fire broke out q little after midnight, and was
first discovered by Mr.. Jones, the company's
time keeper, who with his family occupied J.
dwelling house across the street from the
store building. He Immediately gave the
alarm, and several of the company's employees
at work in the mill were soon on the ground.
Hose was attached to a nearby hydrant, but
no water could be obtained, as the pipes lead
ing from it to several large water tanks were
found to be frozen. All the buildings were of
frame construction, and with the Roadway
the flames had gained, and no water, nothing
could be done to stay the progress of the FIRE.
While it is said no powder was stored in the
store, there were countless numbers of ex-
plosions through the night. but these are said
to have been caused by the bursting OF the
canned goods.
The SENTINEL learns that it is the intention
Of the company to put up a new store and
office building, and that it is hoped to start
this new building work within the next ten
days.
Causes Eurekans Loss and Much Trouble
The FIRE at Mineral Hill has also caused
loss and much trouble to a number of Eu-
rekans and others in this section. Since the
railroad washed out nearly three years ago
Eureka has gu fered from about the bumest
mail service given in any section of the coun-
try. Eureka is given a 80 hour schedule on
all mails from the main line at Palisade,
which permits all mails coming in or going
out from Eureka to remain over night at Min
eral Hill. Although many efforts have been
made to obtain q shorter sche1ule that would
compel the cutting out of this clay over" at
Mineral Hill. nothing has so far been accom-
plished, and since the railroad has resumed
operating into Eureka the hope that an ar
rangement to have it carry the mails could be
brought about, all efforts to obtain a shorter
schedule over the present route has been
abandoned.
As the Postal Department lost some 30
sacks of mail, 500 of its own funds in cur
rency, and the guaranteed insurance on a
number of registered letters and packages, it
may now look at the situation in a different
light and insist that the mails be kept moving
and cut out the all night lay over at Min
eral Hill.
All the mail that left Eureka on March z
was destroyed by the fire at Mineral Hill, and
all the mail leaving Pslisade that day but six
sacks. Five of these sacks were for Eureka.
and one for the Romano post office. Forum
ately one of these was Eureka's letter sack,
and none of Eureka's incoming letter mail was
lost.
Unfortunately, the mail leaving here on the
9TH was heavy with treasure, and all of it was
burned in the fire. at Mineral Hill. Post
master Broy sent out 500 of postal funds in
currency, besides a number of registered let
tiers and packages. Some $4,000 or $1,000
had just been paid out in checks to Windfall
creditors here, and the most of this money
was sent out tina day by Eureka merchants
aud others in settlement of bills due, etc.
While no loss through the destruction of these
checks is anticipated, endless trouble and de-
lay, and much correspondence will ensue be-
fore everything is satisfactorily Strengthened
out. Tie banks ON which these checks were
drawn have all been notified of the reported
loss and ordered to stop payment on them, and
duplicate checks will be issued in their place
a. soon as the different banks can be heard
from. All those sending out post Office money
orders on March 7 will have to wait about two
weeks for the return of their applications from
Washington.
All the Parcel Post mail en- route to Eu-
reka that day is thought to have been burned.
Postmaster Broy figures that Eureka lost
about 10 sacks of incoming ewspaper and
package mail.
Eugene johnson and Willis Bradley, two
Eureka boys, who were working on the night
shift in the mill at Mineral Hill. were among
the first to reach the FIRE. They broke in the
post Office door and succeeded in dragging out
the six sacks of mail that were saved, but on
account of the dense smoke were unable to OBJ
tain more of the mail.