The daily star-mirror., 1923-07-14
FLAMES LEAVE mining TOWNS OF
BURKE and MACE BLACkENED RUINS

Wallace, Ida.-(A. P.)-The fire
that swept up Burke canyon yester-
day and last evening, destroying the
little mining town of Mace and most
of Burke, was under control at $3.50
a. M, having wrought damage esti-
mated at one million and five hun
dred thousand dollars. The homeless,
estimated at over four hundred per-
sons, have only ruins of their towns
but are thankful no lives either of
the fire fighters or the miners were
lost. Two persons were burned,
neither seriously. Four hundred men
on the thousand foot level Of the big
Hecla mine were cut off from the sur
face when the fire above them de-
stroyed hoists, power lines, and light
wires. The first attempt to climb
out was blocked by flames. Retrac-
ing their steps the miners raced
safely through No. 3 tunnel after two
hours Of arduOus climbing over lad
ders. The women were panic stricken
until the miners reached safety.
Danger of the flooding in OF the
Hecla mine was seen when 1t was an
nounced that water is approaching
the two thousand foot level, where
valuable motors are located. Unless
the pumps are started soon, 1t was
said, that great damage was feared.
The power company crews are endea-
voring to establish connection to make
It possible to start the pumps. Pre-
sident James Mccarthy, Of the Hecla
company, announced that reconstruc-
tion work would be started immedl-
ately at the mine.
Loss Placed at $1,5OO,0OO
Burke, Idaho-The entire business
section of Burke is destroyed and
virtually every home is in ruins. The
loss is put at $1,50O,O00.
Mace, adjoining Burke on the west,
is only partly destroyed, the flames
having been famed by west wind
away from the conflagration's start
Ing place.
Surface Works Destroyed
At o'clock last night 1t was an
nounced by officials of the Hercules
Mining company that the Hecla sur
face works were entirely destroyed,
though the Hercules plant has been
saved. Loss to the Hecla people is |
estimated here at 100000. The cleo
tr1c mine hoist of the Hecla, one of
the largest In the world, was burned. |
The fire was checked at the Tiger |
hotel and the Hercules works; fire
fighters recruited from the men OF |
the towns, supplemented by apparat-
us from Wallace, are staying the
flames advance, though the whole
hillside is a mass of fire and smoke.
Red Cross officials from Wallace
have been rushed to Burke with food
and clothing for the homeless.
1t is said that it will take several
days to quench the fire, as the huge
piles of timber cribbing under the
Hecla, nearly a quarter of mile IN
length, are mass of flames. These
timbers are used as reserve supplies
for mining purposes.
A miner tells of the discovery OF
the fire as follows:
"I was sitting in the house" he
said, "just getting ready to go to
work when I first noticed some smoke
coming from a building in Mace. AS
I rushed down toward the town the
fire alarm was sounding and we were
all called to save the town. People
came rushing out of their houses and
while they hesitated about carrying
out their belongings, flames seemed
to dart up in every direction.
1--WE at once realized we had TO
fight for our lives and all the folks
were warned to get as far away from
Mace as possible.
cit was useless to pour water on
the flames because they were making
such headway and the wind drove
them right through the end of Mace
and into Burke"
Consensus of opinion was that
sparks from a train caused the fire.