This cache is dedicated to the eleven
victims of the Fremont Mine Disaster.
|
L. E. Wilson
James Drew
O. Zanzucchi
M. Casaleggio
V. Mazzetti |
D. O'Brien
Joseph Manley
Tedy Buzolich
A. Martinotti
Lugi Manni |
| and one other miner of unknown name. |
On November 30, 1907, thirteen miners were lowered to the 1,000 ft. level of the Fremont Mine into a raging fire. It had ignited with the mine empty and the smoke had been drawn into the adjoining Grover Mine, so it was not noticed from directly above. Eleven miners perished. The remaining two escaped by climbing out.
The ten victims named above were buried in a mass grave at the Plymouth City Cemetery and the remaining victim (the one I don't have a name for) was buried at Diamond Springs Cemetery.
According to a local, this is the headframe of the Fremont Mine, while the topo map shows the Fremont Mine about 1/4 mile east of here, up the hill on what is now private property. About 1/4 mile north, across the road, the map shows a "Gopher Mine" which has also been called the "Gover" and "Grover" mine. Who knows which is really correct?
The Fremont Mine was active in the 1860's and from the 1880's to 1918. The laser-straight Fremont shaft, begun in 1900, and sunk 2,950 feet, was inclined 51 degrees. Thus, in May and August each year, sunshine illuminated the shaft to it's bottom for about 2 1/2 minutes. The mine was worked again in the 1930's and closed for good in 1940.
According to the local, the fire that twisted this headframe occurred in 1961, but that doesn't make sense if the mine closed in 1940. I want to visit a library and try to find a book with a more complete history of the Fremont Mine.
Production of the Fremont and Gover Mines exceeded $5 million in gold. Ore was treated in a 40-stamp mill.