Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-12-10
The Burning Mino,

Located in what is known, as the '.jnyulnr vrin'
Of the famous Brond Muunain near tho village ot
Coal Castle in Schuylkll County, Pa. 10 the Bar
ming Nine one Of the greatest curiasitie4 in tho
anthracite coal region. This singular mine WIS
first ignited in the winter of 1898. has been burn
ing ever since. aud bids fair To continue burning
rs long ns the fires IN TINT pit which il bottomless
The first lighting OF this Are purely accldcn-
tai. One of the wntchmen pncel IL light near IA
prop. which caught fire. and soon nll tho w,od work
was in a flames From tho wood the fire was com.
manifested to the coal and since that time i, ha.
been incesshntly burning, consuming. in the srore
and more of yea =. no one knows how many thous-
unds Of tons 1t anthracite.
A vein underneath that whuh il burning now
worked. Several times tho fire has baen comn,u.
niated 10 this vein, but il has always been extin
guished by Il hpodins the mine with water, anI the
miners work without nnv difficulty or apparent
fear. The eior Of the P'tt>villa Mining RecnId
who recently visited the mine, remarks that he
could not but think that the digging of coal sx
hundred feet below tn" earth's surface. with fire
of twenty wears standing. covering acres Il grnind
nbnve their head. not the most agreeable ecu
pa ion in the world. The sc,ncry around this n,ir
ing village is srikingly grand and beautiful, her
ever the eve may turn. the smoke Of the steam en-.
gines may lie ascending. while their deep
pul.a lions break the stiffness Of the ginnt mount
aims. A hundred little br"oks AMI risulets mako
music in the deep z rges and over the shining peb
Llaekenad by the coal dust. toll of the enterprise
Of the operators, while tho dusky count ennnce. of
the toil-worn miners bear witness Ut thcr in lu,.
try
Tho Appearances and charac ;cri tics of tho
mountains and the mine arc thus graphically dos
cribei:
Leaving the high road. which pa.ses through
tho village. we wenIel our way up along the
tain gorge to the burning mine. A wcll-worn
path indicated the locality of the curiosity We
were in search Of. and following this We soon me
within range nf The siekening orJnrs which rise
FROM tho hid lon fire. After climbing with some
difficulty from the gorge Of the summit of the
m mntaiL spur, beneath which the devourng elc-
ment rages we came to the direit evidences of the
magnitude of this subterranean fire. Immense
holes were fnrmed in the mountain funnel -lIn ned
and about twenty feet in depth. where tho surface
of The earth has cavsh in upon tho cavity frmei
bv the fire. These extend in line from the en-
trance to the mine. distance of several hund, cd
YARDS and presents a most singular appen rance
Around them the trees are killed by tho vapors
which continually arise in the form Of stenm from
this hidden laboratory. The rocks and pebble.
nrc covered with sulphurous ooatng Of a yel-
lowisr-red hue. The earth over the mine il loose
and porous. being apprasnty diantegraied by the
continual action Of the hot air and steam which ar
i-es from the fire below, and by thrusting a stick
into it the vapor will at onco hurst out.
I'VE cannot describe the sickening odrer Of this
vapor 1t ia sui phurnus, and there is n damp.
sitting sfluvia about 1t. which 10 very nausonting
The steam which rises through the earth is only
moderately warm. owing to the great depth Of the
fire. We fingered around the external evidences
of this wonderful sLhterranean combustion until
we were sickened by its breath. and the oder Of it
hung abong US for f,ar hours after we had reached
puror atmosphere.