Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-08-11
ca ma . Fre.

There arc many l0Sta0Ceo OF vaSt
masses Of coal which have ignited and
have been burning for yean When once
well limited, and ~ communication with
the external air n not entirely cut on
land some'imperceptible assures are quite
sufficient to prevent thisA then the DE-
youring element purSues its course with
ont interruption. Il partially burns the
coal and calcines the sandstone and ID.
accent schists, changing their colnrs to :
sort Of red, and Altering their composi.
ton At Brule, near Saint Etienne, tnsre
II coal mine which has been on nfe rom
time immemorial The soil IT the surface
is baked and barren; hot vspors escape
from it; sulphur, alum, cal ammoniac.
and various natural products are deposited
on it; it might be supposed to be por.
ton Of the accused cities formerly con-
sumed by the fires Of heaven and earth.
Other burning coal mines are cited IN
France; for example, those Of Decase'
vile, in Aveyron, and Of Commentry, IN
the department OF Allier. The inhabi-
tants have even for long time kept up
these fires for the Ake Of working the
luminous salts which are given Oh from
the coal and are deposited on the surface
of the soil % whitish eff1orescence.
In the carboniferous basins Of the Saar-
bruck and 6ilesia, there ere likewise coal
mines which have been on fire for . long
time. In Belgium, between Nanur and
Oharleroi, at q place called Falizolle, the
fire has been alight for many years. The
inhabitants formerly were in the habit OF
working the coal Jon their own account.
Now 1t frequently happened that two par
ties came In contact, causing endless dis
nd fvao ArrvI1vV ~ HNhf0
A favorite way of keeping rivals or com
petitOrs at distance, was to throw pieces
of old leather on burning b-azier, caus-
ing an insupportable stencil. One day
the fire extended also to the coal, since
The fire, which burns underground, Is
phur deposits itself round these vents, and
acid gases are evolved.
In England, especially in Sta6ordshire,
the ignition Of the coal has produced sur
prising effects of alteration in the meas
have become vitrified, baked, and dilated
by the FIRE, the banks of plastic clay
hardened and changed into porcelain.
In the environs of Dudley there was
formerly coal mine on fire. The snow
ACltCu ia VIC kA10C06 no cOSA % ~ SOuNACA
the ground. They gathered three crops
year even tropical plants were cult
waited; and, as in the Isle of Calypso, an eter.
nal spring prevailed. In another Stafford
shire colliery, the firing of which dates
many years back, and which is called by
the inhabitants Burning Hill," it was
Noticed, as at Dudley, that the snow
melted on reaching the ground, and that
tho urass In fha yneadova waa a1wavs
green. The people of the country con.
ceived the idea Of establishing school Of
horticulture on the spot. They imported
colonial plants at Q, heavy expense, and
cultivated them in this kind of open air
conservatory. One fine day the fire went
out, the soil gradually resumed its usual
temperature, the tropical plants died, and
the school of horticulture was under the
necessity of transferring the gardens else
where. ~
Near Mauch Chunk, Pa, is burning
coal mine, which has been on fire fol-
many years.-Seientife american.