Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1853-03-17
A Burning Mountain.

the pen of a Mr.. Silas S. Steel, on what
he terms the 'Barning Mountain at Coal
Castle, in this State The existence of a
burning mountain in our own State, we
must confess, is something quite new to
US. Yet the writer states that this stu
pendous mountain-bed of burning an
thracite has been for the last thirteen
years, glaring and smoking through the
hot and cavernous crevices, formed by its
outward combustion, and casting forth its
coulds of vapor and sulphurous lava.
This mountain embraces a portion of
Broad Mountain, at Coal Castle, small
mining settlement about five miles north
of Minersvlle, and about fifteen north
west from Schuylkill-Hayen. The writer
adds:
The approach to this vast couldron of
Anthracite, from the lively borough of
Minersville is exceedingly romantic and
sublime. You follow the narrow rail track,
built by the Delaware Company, exclu-
sively for coal cars, through Mine-Hill
Gap, lengthy and stupendous gorge,
lined with rocky tables, caves and tur-
rets, which seem to reach into the clouds,
and in some places almost o'ereach your
winding way.
Upon arriving at Coal Castle, any of
the obliging mining operatives viii point
out to the visitor the Fiery Mountain.-
Should the day be dark and cloudy, the
indications of combustion will themselves
be fully sufficient to point out its location.
1t is here necessary to apprize the travel
ler and the curious in general, that an as
cent to this mountain is deemed an ex-
ceedingly dangerous adventure, from the
fact that many portions of its surface are
consi dered mere superficial cretSt, or
shell crevices and chasms are continual
ly opening, and in many places where
there is no visible sign of combustion, the
coal consumed, up to the very superstra-
tum of earth, which is liable from the
. slighsoet pressure to fell IN, aud thus pre-
cipitate everything upon its surface, down
into its unfatholfable cave of fire.
Perhaps, the most secure way to effect
an examination, is to cross the narrow
gap, over to one of the opposite eleva-
tion, and by the aid of spy-glass sur
vey its cracked and smoking points,
However, Notwithstanding the warning
of some of the friendly inhabitants of
Minersville and Coal Castle, intense Gu
riosity impelled me onward, and posses
sing less ponderosity and perhaps more
folly than my advisers, I resolved to take
a naked eye observation of this vast fur
mace of anthracite, and set out on the
toilsome ascent, pulling my corpus up
ward rock by rock, clump by clump, and
tree by tree. At about thirty feet from
/ the base; found small stream of wa
ter, which came bubbling and smoking
through an irregular opening in the earth,
and of a temperate sufficiently hot to
scald my fingers. The stream at this
place was perfectly clear, yet, upon climb
ing few feet further upward, lava-like
fluid came Kissing and oozing out, en-
bedding the gravel of the soil in its sui
phurious ingredients and scorching such
few traces of vegetation as happened to
lie within its course. My attention was
here particularly arrested by an indistinct
rumbling, and, on applying my ear to
the aperture, roaring and cracking was
sufficiently audible to indicate most ac-
tive, if not violent state of combustion
within, supported by current of air from
some unknown quarter.
! Upon gaining the summit of the tower
ing mountain, most desolate yet inter-
esting picture presents itself. The sur
face, as far as the eye can reach, is eth
er cracked, burnt, or broken into enorm-
Gus and fearful depths by the approach
of the fires to the upper stratum;
and trunks Of the lofty trees are charred
and blackened, mingling their pyroligine-
Gus odor with the sulphurious vapors
from the hot caves and erevices around.--
The calcined bones of birds, reptiles, and
small quadrupeds, lie here and there, half
mixed with the mineral ashes, to fill up
blasted view, while amidst the vast scene
of desolation may be seen a solitary wood
flower, springing from this perpetual
'hot-bed, and presenting in the uncon-
genial atmosphere, mockery of bloom.
Towards the southwark brow of the
mountain, observed deep and lengthy
opening, formed by huge rock, having
been rent asunder by action of the fire;