National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-07-28
A Burning Coal Mine.

After the tourist has taken the en-.
chanting ride over the Switchback, fat
summit Hill. a few miles beyond Mauch
Chunk, Pa. he is ready 10 look " IL,
interest upon the fashioned looking
town, portion OF which is underlaid by
the ignited coal. The fire was not dis
covered till the early part OF tho year
1859, when 1t had already made con-
siderable progress. II is the general
opinion that it was the work of an incen-
diary, but tho motive that u person
could have that would induce him TO set
fire 10 n valuable mine, causing the de-
structon Of thousands of dollars worth
OF valuable property, can only he sur
missed. 1t may be that some thirty or
forty years hence, when the fire. has
died out, and also all interest in regard to
it, we will he startled by the confession
Of some ancient but-softened sinner,
who will give the full particulars but
we must wait till then. The excitement
at the time Of the breaking out of the
! fire was considerable, but coal mining
in this country had not then attained
the magnitude that i, now possesses, and
| fires IN the mines were then almost I'M
| known The miners had as yet had no
experience in them, and very simple,
in fact entirely too simple, means Of ex-
tinguishing the fire was adopted.
A dam of timber was built across the
gangway, of but little more strength
than partit."n between two rooms.
This was intended to retain the water
and back it upon the fire, which would
then certainly he extinpuished by it.
The theory was good, but, unfortunately,
when the water rose to considerable
height the dam gave way before its
pressure. A second dam was Immediate
ly erected, but it met with the same fate
as the first. II was then decided to
build dam which would not be burst
ed 10y all the pressure that could be
brought to bear on it by the waters of
the mine. Four feet were cut OF the
solid coal in the top, sides and bottom
of the gangway, and n solid structure of
oak, strong as Il canal lock, was erected,
and clay was packed in behind it for the
space of ten feet. The water backed up
against this (; but now the water was not
the agent of destruction. The fire had
made a detour through the coal, and had
enveloped the dam on all sides, save
one, and on that was the water. No
human structure could exist in such
conflict of the elements. 1t was earth
against fire, water and air, and earth
succnmbed. The dam having given
way, the fire soon reached the mouth of
the slope, and all hopes of extinguishing
it Were given up. Since that time the
mine has been closed. The fire will
burn out, but will certainly not be ex-
tinguished in any other way. Occasion
ally small tracts of land fall into the
fiery furnace below. The effects of the
fire and its accompanying heat are
almost as well shown here as ut Vesuvius
or Etna. The rocks are baked, and
are of many shades of color they have
changed their stratified position, and are
inclining in every direction. But per-
haps the most interesting Of all are the
changes wrought in the rocks contain
ing iron pyrites (Fe. 2, s.. The pyrites
have been heated in the proximity of
steam, which caused them to become
soluble in water they have then been
dissolved out of the rocks, giving to it d
honey-combed appearance