White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1921-06-16
NEVADA NORTHERN
HAS NEAR FIRE Loss

The Nevada Northern shops ind
| roundhouse in East Ely We're threat
; oned with damage by fire about mid
night Sunday by a blaze starting in a
pile Of ola ties in the rear of the
shops. The flames broke out shortly
tefore midnight and when discoy-
cred by Waterman George Tsuchids
they were licking up the ties in dan
gerous proximity TO nearby buildings
Word was telephoned TO Ely and the
alarm sounded on the city siren.
The Ely volunteer fire depart
nents big auto apparatus. in charge
of Chief Matthias and Assistant Chief
Earl Bath, was quickly on the way
end made a record run 20 the rail
road town. where the glare OF the
flames was making a sinister show
ing. Meantime others in East Ely
had been notified of the IRE. and
pending the arrival of the fire de-
rartment from Ely Fred {. pons.
who has charge Of the railroad shops
fre-fighting force, together Nth Gen
eral Manager G.. = Hickey. H. II.
Amens, Conductor l.. NJ House,
Frank Boes and others. were on the
eeene and a line of hose had heen
run from a fire hydrant when Chief
Matthias and his men swung into
action and took charge of the stu
alton.
The location of the fire vas such
that it vas necessary 20 lay about
400 feet OF hose. but the water, onee
turned on, soon put the blaze under
control, although a stream vas
played on the burning ties Ior an
hour or more before the fire was
completely out. Aside from the
burned ties, which were used as en-
CINE fuel. no other damage was doEe
TO railroad property. The railway
officials are appreciative of the good
work done by the liremen. as the IRE
started in a locality that might have
caused serious damage. the big car
penter and paint shop being particu-
larry close TO the danger zone
An unusual feature % the IRE was
that no alarm was sounded in East
Ely and many citizens in that part
OF the district knew nothing about
the midnight excitement until the
next morning. At the present time
the railway shops use electric power.
taking the current from the city
wires. and there is no steam on In
the shop boilers and consequently no
whistle is blown. In times OF usual
business activity there are generally
locomotives with steam up dt all
hours of the night ar the East Ely
terminal, and past experience has
shown that a locomotive whistle
makes a irst-class fire alarm in the
night hours. But just now even the
locomotives are mute.
Several in East Ely who attended
the fire had not retired when the
flames burst out. and Fred Pons. who
resides on Avenue G.. which is a part
of the residential district located on
high ground. says that he was
aroused by the siren on the city hall
tower in Ely, nearly two miles dis
tant.
1t is said that plans are being con.
sidered toward providing a fire alarm
for East Ely. Aside from such a
safeguard to property. at the present
time excitement OF any sort il such r
rarity hat the citizens residing in
the suburban city feel they are losing
something when they miss a real
night fire.
Ii is recalled that there is in East
Ely a fire alarm in the nature of a
big gong attached to a pole near the
southwest corner OF the Steptoe no.
tel. No n OF present times appears
TO remember what the gong sounds
like or whether or no Ii has ever
been used for alarm purposes. A
frayed and weather-stained rope Ian.
giles from the gong, but in order 10
reach the rope a ladder would first
be necessary, and it might require
some time 10 hunt up a ladder in the
email hours OF the night.
OF course WHARF fhara lie a tata-