The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-04-01
On Fire For a Century.


A T Parkgate, near Sheffield, a most ex-
IA traordinary phenomenon can be seen
by all interested in colliery wonders. About
one hundred years ago. several Parkgate
gentlemen sank shaft known as the Old
Basset Pit. They at once found a rich
seam of coal-the Barnsley bed, nine feet
in thickness. This coal was worked in a
very careful fashion for several years-great
blocks and pillars of coal, containing many
tons, being left to support the roof in place
of the modern wooden props For several
seasons everything proceeded smoothly I;
but one day the pit caught fire. Nobody
can tell how it was ignited; and the ancient
miners appeared to have been utterly dis
mayed by the unexpected disaster, as they
left the pit to burn at will, instead Of clos
ing up the shaft and commencing anew, as
they might have done. Many years after
wards "the burning pitt was again ap-
preached by the lord of manor, Earl Fitz-
william, who began to work out coal in the
locality. A shaft was sunk at some dis
tance from the Old Basset Pit, and the coal
in the direction Of Rawmarsh was got at
the new workings being kept at what was
considered safe distance from the fiery pit
Everything proceeded satisfactorily till
1868, when miner named Parkin descend
ed the Bank Pit shaft-the name by which
the new shaft was known-and was greatly
alarmed to find fire only ten feet from the
hnNff 10 OF nn1O
the principal officials were upon the spot,
and efforts were made to extinguish the
fire. Parkin's flames were soon put
out {; but it was found that the whole pit
was on fire, and as the Earl's colleries ex-
tend for miles, it was feared that the fire
would spread over the entire workings.
The Old Basset shaft was at once filled up;
the Old Bank shaft was also closed and a
third shaft, Top Stubbin Pit, was also
filled up. A long and thick wall was
built to separate the Old Basset workings
from the newly opened portion of the pit.
Explorations had to be conducted by crawl
ing on hands and knees in the midst of suf-
locating smoke but the wall was at length
completed at tremendous expense and great
labor-it being 1000 yards in length, and
from one foot to five feet thick. Cross
walls were also built to cut off air-ways,
and so help in choking the fire. Thick
iron, pipes, with iron plugs, were inserted
in the wall at intervals of fifty yards, SO
that views could be obtained of the Old
Basset workings looking through these
pipes. The great wall occupied the time
of large body of workmen for a whole
year. A new "futtrell' entrance of
coal mine--had to be constructed. 1t
had to be brick-arched above and below
with strong brick walls. Entering by this
place, the wall is inspected daily, to get in
formation if the old fire has reached it in
any way. The last fire was seen in 1872,
and on being examined lately nothing but
"black damp came through the orifices
but the most dangerous place-where the
workmen labored at the great wall at the
peril of their lives-is believed to be the
fiery stronghold. Here the flames are still
believed to be raging, although securely
imprisoned by the underground heroes
who built its prison walls. Until year or
two ago, the farmers found that their crops
over this pit were materially accelerated in
growth by the heat and the fact that the
acceleration is not so apparent now is the
strongest proof to professional minds that
the burning pit has about spent its strength
after a "long fire" of one hundred years.
English Paper.
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