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Show Operating Plant of Union Pacific Paci-fic Property Entirely Destroyed De-stroyed by Flames. ACCIDENTAL DROPPING OF LIGHTED MATCH THE CAUSE Three Hundred Men Thrown Out of Employment for Indefinite Period. Special to Tho Tribune. WINTER QUARTERS, L'tah, Sept. 2S. About 9:15 o'clock this morning an employeo of tho Union Pacific Coal company, at Scbficld, while lighting his pit lamp in tho boiler-house, accidentally accidental-ly . dropped a spark into a five-gallon can of coal oil, causing an explosion which ignited tho framework of tho boiler-house, almost instantly turning it into a seething furnace. Tho boilers wero soon put out of commission, thus cutting off the water supply, which was pumped from a reservoir res-ervoir fiomo 200 yards distant, through the means of the boilers generating tho steam. Aa soon as tho firo was discovered runners were dispatched throughout tho mine, notifying all inside men of their great danger. By this menus all tho men escaped without in.iur.y. That this proved a wiso move developed later, as tho flames, fanned by a stronc wind, soon communicated with tho timbers ut the mouth of the mine, which were soon blazing fiercely. The firo-fighters vcre then massed on the hill nbovc the onto' and about twenty feet back, nnd used evnr- endeavor en-deavor to cave in the mouth. In this thev wore only partially successful until un-til giant powder was brought into commission. com-mission. This accomplished tho purpose pur-pose and the ignition of the coal waB prevented. The actual loss can hardly bo determined, as No. '1 mine will bo shut down indufinitcb, or until new boilers, hoist and tipplo can be in-1 in-1 stalled, while- No. 1 mino will bo run by horso power, if at all, as tho hoist will be useless until n power plant is nrain established. Tho loss to tho Union Pacific Coal company in buildings build-ings and machinery will bo in tho neighborhood of $3000. fully covered by insurance, and will throw some 000 men out of employment for nn indefinite indefi-nite period. |
