Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-09-03
The Miners Waters Of the Burning
Mountain In PennsyIvania.

The Mineral Waters Of the Burning
In P~ennsyIvania.
Nearly twenty years ago, q coal mine at
Coal Castle, 10 Schuylkill county, Pennsy!-
vania, was set on fire by the carelessness OF
some miners, who were engaged in working
it, but who paid the penalty Of their fault
with their lives. Yet ever since, has that
fire Continued to burn in the deep recesses of
its cavernous heart, and the mountain that
contains it still continues to emit the smoke
sad gas of an active volcano. IL does
not belch forth streams of melted lava, nor
! will it ever do 90, but the probabilities are
that it will continue to burn for a hundred
years to come, unless the adventurous min-
ers of that State excavste the coal. wnlca
leeds the FIRE, before that period arrives; and
in fact the process OF excavation Is DOW go
ing on and the miners are at work, hundreds
of feet below the base Of the mountain, and
the lowest point to which the FIRE has yet
reached. 1t has extended on the vein OF
coal. which is known as the Great Mammoth
or '.jugular" vein, ranging from 80 to 100
feet in thickness. over a mile from East TO
| West. The water running from the mouth
of the old mine is as hot as the waters OF the
Hot Springs, 10 b eth county, Of this State,
and forms as bold q stream as that f)wing
from the White Sulphur Springs of Green
brier. The gases which the water contains
are carbonic acid gas and nitrogen, and the
mineral substances principally sulphate OF
iron, s~ulphate OF magnesia, or epson salts,
ammonia, alumina, &C., with sulphuric acid
and carbonic acid.
The Hot Springs of Virginia contain free
n~irogen and oxygen gases. aud the salient
Ingredients are the carbonate Vf lime; sui
plate OF lime, s~ulphste OF soda, snlphate OF
maguesia and silica, with traces OF the oxide
of iron. These Springs are celebrated for
TIE many wonderful cures they have made
We have recently seen a gentleman, well
known to the people of Richmond, who went
there partially paralyaed IN his limbs, and
unable to help himself, yet be came away,
in ten days, comparatively well.
The mineral waters Of the Burning Noun
tain Of Pennsylvania, though not OF the
same character, nor as certain OF duration as
the Mineral Water Of the Hot Springs, are
still found to possess virtues not attalnable
in all the materia medica of the healing art
And Efforts are now being made to render the
water accessible to toe public in the shape Of
baths and wells. MT. SaIatnlel I1aFrles, q
gentleman engaged with Mr.. DeBJw in de-
v~clopiug the coal, lead and other minerals of
Virginia, and now at Farmville, in Prince
Edward county, was the person who, at the
immense risk Of his life, brought out the
bodies of the unfortunate men who first set
the Burning Moun,sin on fire. Ii was a
fearful undertaking, for the destroying fumes
Of the axote aud carbonic acid gas, filed
every hole and corner Of the mine. But Mr..
Harries is a fearless and reliable mlGer, as
we'll as Intelligent man, who has seen more
mining life adventure and accident IN the
deep dark bowels of the earth, than any man,
probably, now living. lie has been eogagei
in the deepest miues in the world, and has
wandered Tor miles below the raging pillows
of the sea. lie was one OF the first to open
the anthracite coal mines of Pennsylvania,
and has long been successful 10 exploring
new regions tor coal, iron, g.. To SUCH men
will Virginia owe her future existence as o
mining and manufacturing State, in conncc-
ton With her own capitalists and business
men.-Ricamoad Eng.