Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-12-27
The Burning Mine.

| Located In what is known as the 'jugular
vein" of the famous Broad Mountain, near the
village of Coal Castle, in Schuykill county, Pa,
is the Burning Mine, one of the greatest curiosi-
ties in the anthracite coal region. This singular
mine was first gnited in the winter of 1888, has
been burning ever since, and bids fair to con-
tinue burning as long as the fires in that pit
which Is bottomless. The first lighting Of
this fire was purely accidental One of the
watchmen placed light near prop, which
caught fire, and soon all the wood work was in
flames. From the wood the fire was 2ommuni-
Gated to the coal, and since that time it has been
necessarily burning, consuming, in the score and
more of years, no one knows how many thou
sands of tons of anthracite.
A vein underneath that which is burning is
now worked. Several times the fire has been
communicated to this vein, but it has always
been extinguished by flooding the mine with
water, and the miners work without any diff
Guilty or apparent fear. The editor OF the Potts
vile Mining Record, who recently visited the
mine, remarkA that he 'cpuld not but think that
the digging Of coal six hapdred feet below the
earth's surface with fire of twenty years
standing, covering acres of ground above their
heads, was not the most agreeable occupation in
the world. The scenery around this mining vii
lage is strikingly grand and beautiful; wherever
the eye may turn, the smoke OF the steam en-
gines may be seen ascending, while their deep
pulsations break the stiffness of the giant noun
taps. A hundred little brooks and rivulets
make music in the deep gorges and over the
shining pebbles Immense structures built OF
timber and blackened by the coal dust, tell OF
the enterprise of the operators, while the dusky
countenances of the tol-worn miners bear wit
of their industry"
The appearance and characteristics of the
mountain and the mine are thus graphically de-
scribed:
Leaving the high road, which passes through
the village, We wended our way up along the
mountain gorge to the burning mine. A we'll
worn path indicated the locality ofthe curiosity
we were in search of, and following this we
soon came within range of tine sckening odors
with some difficulty from the gorge to the sum-
init of the mountain spur, beneath which the
devouring element RACES, we came to the direct
evidences OF the magnitude Of this subterranear
tire. Immense holes were formed in the noun
tain, funnel-shaped, and about twenty feet in
depth, where the surface of the earth had caved
in upon the cavity formed by the fire. These
extend in line from the entrance of the mine
to distance of several hundred yards, and pre-
sent most singular appearance. Around them
the trees are killed by the vapors which contin.
ually erise in the form of steam from this hidden
laboratory The rocks and pebbles are covered
with sulphurous coating of yellowish red
hue. The earth over the mine is loose and po-
rous being apparently disintegr ated by the con.
tinual action of the hot air and steam which a.
rises from the fire below, and by thrustiug 6
stick into it the vapor will at once burst out.
"We cannot describe tie sickening odor o
this vapor. 1t is sulphurous, and there is damp
sitting efiuvia about it, which is very nauseat-
ing. The steam which rises through the earth il
only moderately warm, owing to the great depth
ofthe fire. We fingered around the external evi
dences of this wonderful subterranean combus
tion until we were sickened by its breath, and ths
odor of it hung about US for hours after we hai
reached purer atmosphere.