The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1916-01-22
Yuba Mill Destroyed BY Fire
Leasing Company
Suffers Severe Loss

A fire, supposed to be of incens
diary origin. destroyed the new mill
of the Yuba leasing G Development
company last Thursday evening. and
while perhaps the greater, portion
of the mill buildig can be repaired at
comparatively small cost. there is
very little of the machinery in con-
dition to even be used again. SO the
loss to the company will be heavy
but fortunately the property was in
cured for about one-half of the or
,i3inal cost and that will go a lonS
way toward, the rebuilding of the
plant; which President A. Y. Smith
informs the Record his company will
probably under axe without delay
However. the future plans of the com
pany will not be known definitely
until after the arrival on the. 25th.
Alst. of Mr. J. w. Furness. one of
the directors and largest stockholders
in the Yuba company Mr.. Furness is
in California.
Speaking for himself. MIA. Y.
& nith said he fe.t sure that the
plant would be reconstructed. ''Wd
lflve the Gre in the mine." he said
and feel that the company should
go right on and rebuild and provide
facilities for the handling Of great
err a0nnage than was possible here
tofore. Nevertheless. such experien-
ces as this fire are mighty discourag-
ing.
I'VE had decided Mr.. Smith went
on. to install additional concentrate
ing tables. Callow, screens and ether
equipment to increase the capacity
c. lle plant at least 25 tons per day
lad were. prepa. ing to carry this
work into execution while the re-
pairs in the No. mine shaft were
under way"
There appears to be no question
but what the destruction of the
Yuba mill was the work of an in
cendiary. The mill had been closed
down since the accident at No. 3
shaft on the evening of the End inst
no fires were placed in the heating
stoves and the plant was in care of
watchmen.
Angelo Bissio was on watch at the
fire and had made the rounds of the
building only few moments before
it was discovered to be in flames. At
ped across the road to, the assay Of
flee to warm himself and it was
while he was there that the fire
In the mill was kindled Bissio
first noticed the flames bursting
Though the elevator shaft of the
ore crushing department and by
the time he had sounded the alarm
and reached the. building again the
whole interior of the upper unit ap-
peared to be enveloped. Further evi-
denod Of incendiarism was found in
the loweN unit of the plant which
contained the battery of cyanide
watts. Here. fire gained good head
way under one of the watts. but
was extinguished without serious
damage having been done. The
work was well planned and whoever
is reponsible for the dastardly deed
evidently kept close tab ON Watch
man Bissio and at the opportune
moment stuek the match which
wrought destruction.
Considerable time was lost in get
ting the frozen valves and pipes in
to-working. order so that lines OF
hose couldt he trained onto tn '
flames. Some could not be loosened
so holes were bored into the tanks
and connected up with lines OF
hose. Meanwhile the main mill
buildina went tp it's doom; but ell
forts We're directed to saving the
cyanide department. and preventing
ths spread. Of. the fire to the Goa.
chutes Of the Amalgamated Phoebe
company beneath the approach to
the mill ore bins. The fact that
this property was saved was due
; only to the heroic work of nearly
a hundred men and boys: who volun.
b teered their services and formed q
. bucket brigade. They fought like tro-
jams in the wet and cold.
An unsuccessful attempt was made
several weeks ago to destroy the
Yuba plant and the plot was frus.
trated by one Of the mill employees
!. The. Yuba company has played In
tough luck since the beginning ol
the year. The accident at the mine
lin which two lives were lost. and
now the burning of the mill. The
management has certainly the sym
paIthy Of all and the Record hopes
that the company will soon overcome
it's temporary embarrassment san'
that it will emerge with plan
which will be bigger and better thai
the one reduced to ashes The plan
destroyed represented an 'investmen
il is said, of about $40 1000.