Plumas County, CA History

Transcribed by Sally Kaleta Jul 2009

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Illustrated History of PLUMAS, LASSEN & SIERRA Counties
with CALIFORNIA from 1513 to 1850, Farriss & Smith , 1882, San Francisco.

Historical Reminiscences


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 underground, 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 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 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.