The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-12-27
EXT|NGU|sH MINE FIRE.
BY HYDRAULIC FILLING
FIRE IN LEONARD NINE, BUTTE,
HAS BEEN RAGING FOR
TEN YEARS.

Stamping out the fires in the upper
levels of the Leonard mine, which nave
been raging for the last 10 years, is
remarkable piece of mining engineer
ing cut out for the forces OF the Ana
conda Copper Mining company during
the coming year.
Practically all preliminary arrange
ments have been made for attacking
the fire region and extinguishng the
fires by the hydraulic filing method.
Within a comparatively short time
the results of months Of preparation
will be known and the success of the
final method of clearing the levels Of
fire will be ascertained.
If the Anaconda company is sue
cessful In extinguishing the Leonard
fire 1t viii establish the record Of be-
ing the first metal mine in the world
to use the hydraulic system of fire
lighting and to accomplish the desired
results by it.
The Leonard fire started in 1907
from some unknown cause, 1t gained
Roadway Immediately and ragged for
some time. The fire is above the 1900
that it covered a large area and would
be difficult to fight, the fire territory
was walled off with bulkheads. Later,
in place Of the temporary bulkheads,
permanent concrete ones of two foot
thickness were installed.
Sealed by Bukheads.
The fire grew worse, but burned
within a region which was found pos
sibe to wall off. This was done and
the fire area was sealed by the bulk
heads, Ever since then the flames
have been active, After the spread of
gas from the fire had been stopped, the
company set itself to the task Of extin-
gushing the flames.
Diamond drill holes were set
through the concrete and water In
This method was unsuccessful. since
the power of pumping the water
through the holes was limited In
addition. the water only seeped
through the rocks and came down on
the lower levels without achieving any
good.
Investigation revealed the hydraulic
filling system. This method had been
used in coal mine fires and worked out
entirely satisfactorily In several of
the large Pennsylvania mines thous-
ands of tons of coal were saved by
hydraulic filling. Mines which had
burned for dozens of years were sue
cessfully eombatted.
Fill With Fine Tailings.
BY hydraulic filling thousands of
tons of fine gravel mill tailings, prop
erly mixed with water so as to flow
freely when forced through pipes, is
pumped into the fire region The
gravel flows easily and can be pumped
with great force, reaching a long dis
lance. The gravel gradually fills up
the burning area and the water seeps
out and is carried off by natural
drains. Eventually, the gravel smoth-
ers the fires. When the fires are en-
tinguished, the gravel is hauled out
and the work of clearing up the debris
for resumption of mining operations Is
started.
Fighting the Leonard fire will be
carried on with mill taillngs from the
Butte & Superior Mining companys
mill. A long flume has been built
from the mill to the old Reins shaft.
This flume took six months to con-
struct and has just reached compile
ton.
The water pipe columns which for
merly We're used in the Reins shaft
are to be utilized to carry the filing
material to the corresponding levels OF
the Leonard fire region. ON the sew
eral levels piping will be laid to the
bulkheads which separate the fire re-
gion from the working parts of the
mine,
Fill From Bottom.
The pumping engines viii be located
on the various levels and the pipes
will fit into the diamond drill holes.
When the final work is completed the
pumps will be started and the hy-
araulic mixture will be sent into the
region. II has been decided to start
filling from the bottom levels first and
move up as the fire is
stamped out.
The water is to be drawn off and
sent to the Leonard pumping station.
The water win be heavily mineralized,
engineers fear, and several expert
nents now are being conducted to
adopt the best system of clarifying
t. When this is determined. the final
obstacle to carrying out the work will
,e removed.
The mineral deposits in the burning
rea are not affected by the fires In |
he least, it is declared. The sulphur /
umes are being removed in the burn
ng process and when the fires are fin
lily extinguished much valuable min
raj deposits can be blocked out for
ctive work.
Cantonments throughout the coun-
~ are being searched to secure all