Plumas County CA Archives History - Books .....Historical Reminiscences - Fire In The Green-Mountain Mine 1882
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Book Title: Illustrated History Of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties

FIRE IN THE GREEN-MOUNTAIN MINE.

   One of the most horrible calamities which ever happened in the county
occurred at the Green-Mountain mine, above Crescent Mills, on Sunday morning,
October 6, 1878. About nine o'clock it was discovered that the timbers in the
mine were on fire, and the most active operations were at once commenced to
notify the men at work; but the smoke and gas were driven rapidly through the
mine, and in less than ten minutes it was filled completely. The fire caught
from the smoke pipe which led from the engine. The engine was situated a
thousand feet under ground, and some nine hundred feet from the surface. The
smoke and steam escaped through a pipe—10-inch stove pipe—about 600 feet in
length, and then through wooden boxes to the surface. The fire probably
originated from the soot accumulating and taking fire, probably some forty feet
above the engine. Several men were at work in such places as to make their
escape easy, but four were in a stope, from which it was impossible for them to
leave after the fire started. The names of these were James Cashman, George
Beeson, Richard Cornelius, and Michael Cullen. Frank Rodgers, the foreman, made
almost superhuman efforts to save the men, and carried one man some sixty feet
down the ladders to a place of safety. The man was insensible, but recovered as
soon as he was brought to fresh air. It seemed as though the mine was filled
with the poisonous gas and smoke almost immediately after the fire was
discovered; and as the candles would not burn in it, of course the men were in
total darkness, and had to grope their way through the tunnels. To get to the
place where the doomed men were at work, it was necessary to go in about 1,000
feet, then raise up 175 feet, then back and down about fifty feet, and then on a
level probably thirty feet more. Of course, the fire being below them, every
chance of escape was shut off before they were apprised of the danger. When it
was found to be impossible to save them, and every chance for them to be alive
was exhausted, the mine was closed up to smother out the fire. On Wednesday it
was opened, and the men who went in found the body of Beeson, part way out,
lying on his face, close to the car-track. He had evidently come as far as he
could, and when overpowered had put his mouth to the ground to keep the smoke
from entering his lungs. The smoke was still too thick to go farther; and
nothing more could be done until Thursday morning, when the other three bodies
were recovered. Cullen was a very strong man, and had evidently made a desperate
struggle. He had managed to get up the raise some fifty feet from his comrades,
there was overcome, and fell. Cashman and Cornelius had not left the "breast"
where they were at work. Cashman was found sitting or squatting on his heels,
with his hands over his face. Cornelius was lying a few feet from him. Beeson
and Cornelius were taken to Greenville for burial on Thursday, and the bodies of
Cashman and Cullen were brought to Quincy and buried in the graveyard about ten
o'clock Thursday night, the rapid decomposition of the bodies making it
necessary to bury them as soon as possible.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties

San Francisco: Fariss & Smith
(1882)


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