Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1874-04-03
THE Ell.
From the Ne,c York Herald.
A BLAZING COAL MINE.
EMPIRE NINE.


sylvania. The beauty and pesuresqueness OF
the trip depend, however, very much upon the
hour in which il is made, and unless by means
of those fearful and circuitous railway grades
one ascends and descends the mountains after
nia htlall, the greater part Of the beauty is lost
During the day one sees nothing but rugged,
steep, rough valleys, towering pine trees and
a vegetation which, while being dry and with
cred, serves for other purpose than to recall
"reminiscences of dead and disastrous gear
Al night, however, all these elements, which
at this season appear so dreary and uninler-
esting by day, play no unimportant part in
the weird scene which everywhere greets the
traveller eye. The grandest outlook lying
between The two great cities, aud the Wyom-
ing Valley is afforded from the summit of
Wilkesbarre Mountain, adown the sides of
which hurres with almost reckless speed the
evening train. You are on the top of a range
of high hills thousands of feet above the level
OF the broad ravines underneath. Miles upon
miles beyond the valley are other high noun
tains, which in the distance seem like banks
Of clouds cleared by lightning. Below you
are smaller hills, and every hill is ablaze with
fire. Adowa the mountain side run MS il
were, rivers of flame, whose sources can he
traced from the dead vegetation back TO the
fire spark of the locomotive which fell 10 its
midst The sight is unearthly, but at the
sAlhe .iie II 10 Et"hu. Tue cuiteut vi AT
caused by the rush and roar of the locomotive
lifts from their beds millions of dead leaves
which whirl RAPIDLY behind like myriads OF
spOrlve butterflies.
From the point at which take my outlook
Wilhes0arre Is only three miles but so wind
lug and circuitous Is this railway that TO ME,
riding in the CIR, it is twenty.
arrived in the evening. and set ont for
the burning empire mine at five O'Clock in the
morning me mine is about len miles from
the city, and IS IN mountain side from which
tue spires ana houseiops cannot be seen. To
reach II one must climb and descend several
disagreeable sleeps, and after be has proceeded
as lar as u morse can carry hun be is Obliged
70 wade through mud; mirc and coal dust
mixed TO tuat SUN CONSISTENCY which IS likely
10 pun on Il shoe al every step. Allef leaving
the carriage and passing through little vii
iage OF miners, despite the mud, one soon
arrives at the opening There is nothing on
the outside save mass OF smoking ashes, 10
Indicate the Immense hre raging WITHIN.
The distance is between 200 and 800 feet
underground. Inc iire extends over tbs I'M
mense area OF l, zoo yards, dreadful. awful and
appalling, but indescrihaOly beautiful never
iireless. II looks IKE an immense sea OF gilt
tellng golu, across The heavlng breast OF when
pass and repasS the sofiest and richest combi-
nations OF colors Blue, green, purple, Grim
son, niIngIng ana lnterninging, passing and
rePassing disappearing here and suddenly
hdshlng up agaln there, torture the sense,
confuse The VISION and leave one doubtful OF
the pace WheFeon ne stands. Such Is tue
hire winch your correspondent gazed upon,
such the almighty KING OF these dreadful sub
telranean realms II misses, 1t r0ars, II iihshes
up, ana smokes driving back TIE men aud
hcioulng the AR
Ihefe are persons down lhere, human beings
like ourselves, who have spent many months OF
their past lie IN lighting This hre and viii
spend many months OF their lives yet 10 come.
They are terrible looking creatures hen thus
engaged 10 their work, whose oesGeared faces
ahd rough biackened forms give them The APP
learance OF devils rather than OF men They
spend but II few hours here. for so intense is
The beat that new men must come very ire
4uentiy 10 thcir reliet. AS 1t Is, scarcely
day passes during which some poor fellow
does MOI yield to these underground elements
aud y carried out lnstnsible. 1t must ne an
a"Iul me 10 leha, ana hwiui, lhdeedi the CIR
cumstan. es winch compel many 10 endure 1t.
From The outside OF the mine run down 10
these dredry depths large iron pipes filled with
volumes Of watcr. When they reach certain
point below they divide INTO other pipes OF
smaller capacity, to each OF which are con-
uected large pieces OF Rose. With these hose
tue men attack the hre at the edges with the
hope that they may exlinguish il inch by inch
j Is slow and painful work, and process
that to the observer appears hopeless OF any
future success. Contemplate il. a fire lar
ger than any you have ever seen, not formed
OF ilmber or OF loose comOutible material, hut
OF solid rock. it extends over l.200 yards,
and represents miliions OF dollars worth OF
coal. The arches above it, the avenues lead
ing from it, franeht with poisonous gases,
suting TO the senses aud runous to the health
Ia mighty coDhtgration, TO be fought with
water inch bY inch for years and years TO
come; for, while its edges may be cooled, It's
roaling centre is gradgally finding its way
downward, one knows to what unhcard
of depth.
To accurately describe the full extent, or 10
express in detail the disastrous effects OF this
burning coal mine, must needs spend
many an hour thus underground, which to
Que who is not used to il is impossible One
can only hurry down for moment, because
even in summer apparel he would be obliged
TO quickly return to get a breath OF air The
following figures represent the extent of the
fire, The nnmuer OF men required to fight IL.
the loss to he company the Lehigh and
Wilkesbarre Cual and Iron Company j and The
amount Of coal which, were the men at work
in the mines, they could give to the market:
There are At present engaged in battling the
fumes two large companies Of men, each OF
which is made up Of four different and distinct
gangs. These gangs, or shifts, rs the miners
call them, relieve each other at different peri
DDS OF the day and night. at least TWO gangs
always being at work aud approaching each
other from various points Four shifts com
prehend 80 men each, and four others 80