The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1922-07-15
NEVADA CON. MILL
DESTROYED BY FIRE

Inc Ely TIMES Vi July ~ gives tnc
following ccoun Of the burning OF
the big concentration mill at Ely:
The mill of the Nevada Consolidat-
ed Copper Company. with a capacity
of IL. o tons per day, vas complete
ly destroyed yesterday by fire. which
started at six O'Clock. The fire caught
in the small timbers of the r bins
in the extreme south end of the
building, and within fifteen minutes
the flames had reached the north end
of the building and were breaking
forth from all parts of the mill. The
strong wind, paralleling the bins. to-
gether with the exceedingly hot and
dry weather that has prevailed of
late, gave an impetus to the flames
that no power could check. 1t was
impossible for an ordinary fire SER
vice to make any Roadway against the
wind swept flames, the heat from
which was so intense that the fire
fighters could not approach close
enough to effectively play water on
the flames. Nothing less than a bat
terry of big 6-inch hydraulic giants
would have been of any material val
ne in combating the fire. The COM
pany's pump and pumping circuit,
although more than 200 feet back of
the mill building, was oon put out
of commission by the terrific heat.
The fire is believed by many to
have been caused from an overheated
motor or defective wiring, although
no one actually knows the reason.
Smoking was not allowed in the mill.
The rapidity with which the fire
spread was amazing, and had it not
been for the fact that the wind was
blowing from the west, the entire
business and residence sections of
the city would have been wiped out.
As 1t was the flames leaped to the
mountains east of the mill causing a
forest fire that was spectacular. in
deed.
The mill in flames and with it's
mass of steel beams extending in ev-
cry direction resembled the burning
of a great ~battleship. and when the
steel began to twist and bend down.
ward it presented a sight that gave
the spectator some idea of the amount
of steel used in the construction of
the big plant, which covered 20 acres
The coarse crusher plant, which
was practically all steel and con-
tanned many big motors and electri-
cal equipment was saved with little
damage ON the west end. The mem
bers Of the Ely volunteer fire depart
ment, Is in number, rendered most
valuable assistance in preventing the
crusher from being destroyed.
The electricians. pipeitters, car
penters, heads Of various depart
ments and other employees worked
diligently in saving the crusher plant,
and everything possible was done by
all hands. The loss is estimated at
between $1,000,000 and $1,000 600
exclusive of insurance, or about SO
cents per share. figuring it on that
basis. The improving and remodel
ing of the mill recently accomplished
had been extended 20 only o%ne-third
of the plant. in order that 1t could
handle the required production since
the resuming of operations last April.
General Manager C. B. Lakenan.
In an interview with the Editor of
the Times said that the smelter will
continue to run on inventories of ore
ON hand, under a reduced output,
supplemented by high grade ore
taken from the underground work.
ings in the Ruth mine. According
to Mr.. Lakenan, the ore shovels in
the pit will stop mining ore, although
stripping Of the over-burden will con-
tinue uninterrupted. Work in the
Ruth mine will go ahead-three or
four hundred tons of high grade
smelling ore will be mined daily, and
other development work will be done.
No low-grade porphyry ores will be
mined for the present, at least.
Rebuilding of the mill on the same
site will begin almost Immediately.
and a number of the men who we're
employed in the mill will be put on
salvage and reconstruction work. The
first unit of the new mill. capable Of
handling 5000 ions of ore per day,
will be built on the exact spot where
the remodeled and improved section
Of the old mill was located. 1t is
estimated that 1t will take from six
to nine months to complete this sec-
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