Placer Creek Near Wallace Idaho is a photograph by Jeff Swan which was uploaded on June 14th, 2013.
Placer Creek Near Wallace Idaho
The Edward Pulaski Tunnel and Placer Creek Escape Route are two adjacent sites used by firefighter Edward Pulaski in the Great Fire of 1910 to save... more
by Jeff Swan
Title
Placer Creek Near Wallace Idaho
Artist
Jeff Swan
Medium
Photograph
Description
The Edward Pulaski Tunnel and Placer Creek Escape Route are two adjacent sites used by firefighter Edward Pulaski in the Great Fire of 1910 to save the lives of himself and his crew.
Pulaski and his crew were fighting the fire in area around the west fork of Placer Creek when they became trapped by a backfire from Wallace, Idaho. The crew entered a prospect mine opening near the water level of Placer Creek and waited out the fire. They then followed Placer Creek to safety.[2]
The tunnel was actually an entrance to a prospect mine. The mine opening was six feet high and five feet wide.[2] There are cedar floor planks in from the entrance and squeeze caps (logs put in place to prevent spalling) placed further in from the entrance.[2] After 120 feet, there is an offset of 10 feet and a widened area used for storage.[2] Because this mine was built using hand drills and wheelbarrows, the length of the mine was only about 250 feet. It was enough to save Pulaski and his crew.[2]
Although the mine followed a vein, there was no ore, and the mine was abandoned.[2]
The tunnel (actually a prospect mine) was listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its association with Ed Pulaski and also for its potential to provide information on mining in the Idaho Panhandle.[2]
Uploaded
June 14th, 2013
