The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-07-24
A CENTURY FIRE.

About one hundred years ago, sew
eral Parkgate gentlemen sank shaft
known as the OLD Bassett Pit. They
at once found a rich seam of coal
the Barnsley bed, nine feet in thick
ness. This coal was worked in very
careful fashion for several years
great blocks and pillars of coal, con
tanning many tons, being left to sup
Iport the roof in place of modern
wooden props. For several seasons
everything proceeded smoothly; but
one day the pit caught fire. Nobody
can tell how 1t was ignited; and the
ancient miners appear to have been
utterly dismayed by the unexpected
disaster, as they left the pit to burn
at will, instead Of closing PIP the
shaft and commencing anew, as they
might have done. Many years after
ward "the burning pitt was again ap-
preached by the lord of the manor,
Earl Fitzwilliam, who began to work
out coal in the locality. A shaft was
sunk at some distance from the Old
Bassett Pit, and the coal in the direc-
ton of Rawmarsh was got at-the
new workings being kept at what was
considered a safe distance from the
fiery pit. Everything proceeded sat
Iisfactorily till 1868, when q miner
named Parkin descended the Bank
Pit shaft-the name by which the
new shaft was known-and was great
ly alarmed to find fire only ten feet
from the pit bottom. He at once
gave the alarm-the principal officials
were upon the spot, and efforts 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 collieries extended
for miles, it was feared that the fire
would spread over the entire workings.
The Old Bassett shaft was at once
filed up; the old Bank shaft was also
closed third shaft, the Top Stubbin
Pit was also filled up. A long and
thick wall was built to separate the
Old Bassett workings from the new
ly opened portions of the pit. Elk.
ploratiens had to be conducted by
crawling on hands and knees in the
midst of sufocating smoke but the
wall was at length completed at ire
mendous expense and great labor-it
being 1000 yards in length, and from
one foot to five feet thick. Crosswalls
were also built to cut off anyways, and
SO help in choking the fire. Thick
iron pipes, with iron plugs, were In
serted in the wall at intervals of fifty
yards, SO that views could be obtain
ed OF the interior of the Old Bassett
workings looking through these pipes.
The great wall occupied the time of
large body of workmen for whole
year. A new "futtrell''- entrance
to coal-mine-had to be constructed.
It had to be brick-arched above and
below with strong brick walls. En-
tering by this place, the wall is in
spected daily, to get information if
the old fire has reached it in any way.
The last fire was seen in 1871, and on
being examined last week, nothing
but "black Damp came through the
iron orifces; out the most dangerous
place-where the workmen labored at
great wall at the peril of their lives
is believed to be the fiery strong
hold. Here the flames are still be-
lieved to be raging, although secure
ly imprisoned by the work Of the I'M
derground heroes who built its pris-
on walls. Until year Or two ago,
the farmers found that their crops
were materially accelerated in
growth by the heat; and the fact
that this acceleration is not 50 appar-
ent now is the strongest proof to pro-