, 1874-11-06

Flow tho Fire Was Ruonc',cd.
Tcse I.ton, I tyop. y. Correspondence of tho Ne'o
1'ork lfcrald.
The fro In tho "buralng ln1no' troforonco to
which, In tho daily pnprrs drew moro or less at'
tention in tho enrlY part Of tho yoar) ls Mt Inst
conquered. Tho agout Which has gainoa tue sio-
tory after moths Of valiant, persiatont battle
with tho 1lamos. bringing into play almost ovory
RESOURCE Of engineering skill, is now ono.
which honccforth takos itB place as tlo firc-de-
stroyor, whonovor TINT lost-to.bo-droadod Zoo
ontors tho mInos Tho employment Of steam,
by tic Lchgh and Wilkcsbarro ooal Company,
In oxtingus!ing tho Empire Afino fire. has proved
u success, which must DO Of inca'cu'abo value,
NOT aluao in Pennsylvania, but In mining dis
tricts everywhere. Tho namo OF tho foreman OF
tho Empire 11ino, Lowis s. Jones, through whoao
BagncouB md pelsistcut ontteavors tho trihi ny
atoam wna made, is certainly worthy Of record
and remembrance.
Of kindred interest, your correspondent was r.
ferrel by tho rrcBident OF tho Company to ita
Assistant Superintendent, on whoua had chielY
deyolvcd tho daily supervision and practical car-
rying out Of all efforts for saving tho minc IL
Ii impossible 10 ontcr tho sceuo Of tho late ro"
waa tho reply to my llrat query, "aa 1t u entirely
walloa up and i>l!ed With Rtcam; but think
that with tito aid ot our maps eau explain TO
On tic nillsitlo, perhaps mile from whore wo
stood, was tho mouth of a slope from which
mnos, now abandoned, were formerly worried
afterwatd used rs na up.cast Tor purrtaea OF
ventilation in connection with boilols below.
'rheao boilers were plucod near tho hcad Of
Emplro slope No. s, Which loads still further
down into newer workings. Near tho entfanco To
| tho slopo stood wooden stack which, at u. nj.
to bo in flames, doubtless carried up to it almost
irstausaneously from fire originating at tho
| boilers. Tho open spaces on each Rido Of the
slope nad beou watlod up with Htone, but with
| doorwayH for occasional necessarily entrance to
| the old workings aud tho fire lad conlmuni-
Gated at once through those doors with tho TIM
hor supports, stretcnng III all objections through
| tho abandoned chambers. So that although
oaicers aud men were promptly on tho spot.
they were mot at tho, v.ry first by torrent Of
1atno ltso tlnt which tho lnke winds swept ovor
| Chicago, carried up through diagonal chimney
| OF 1.2U0 fect, from whit was n'rcady a solid
stream OF fire on lcyol Of $50 feot, az plumb
stood. Water vas poured into tho slope from
| reservoir pbove, md turned Oh below from tho
water. pipn that fed tho boilers, 20 soon as they
| could bo reached through, tho nearest SHIFT
effort was used to cut on air from tho tiro with
worso1y. But Mt tho ontl Of threo hours tho
alope full III, shutting tho fire in from aboso
| a,ld disabling tho boor-pipo bolow. a stcn!n
pump worked from tho niine engine was speedily
| substituted, but few hours mnde 1t evtuont
| tLat tho campaign nccdfut for subauing tho lro
| was TO bo both prolonged aud dhnForoun, llauH
| wore rapidly laid and promptly carried ont to
aaye tho enginc.houao and the pillars on tho
gaugway by which tho bollcrs wore reached, nB
to loBo this wny into tho 1niuo was to lose MI.
And tho enormous work was then boforo thcnl
Of not ouly conquering tue fire in ita ,present
tloua to prevent its communicating through
open passagoways with other Workings.
From above aiopo was to be drivcu down for
distance Of 1G0 foot through tough olay, dlv~
| dod into downcast aud upcaRt. to roach the tiro
from tho surface. A fan, needed for tito down
cast. to kecp back smoke md gasos that the
men might onter, was taken apart, romoYod two
miles, telittcd and at work within thirty-si1
aopo was begun, tho old slope wau reached aud
wator poured IN. But 1t was necessary to closs
tho slope, aud plank "inanway' WAS bold by
playiug on 1t CONTINUALLY until one Of stone
could 10 built and pnBlicd through iu Boctlons.
| Below "manwavA" were to bo built mud held
beside every pillar, and through old falls from
tho roof, to onablo tile mon to hold position
from which they could bring the lose to bear upon
tho beds OF lire in ovory ol'ambcr cansod by tile
side portions Of tho pillars, which fell. kcopinG
tho ,nasscs OF glowing coal perpetual,
supplied. Thcso "mapwaya" GOULD 10 held
ou]y by turning water continually upon them
tho lower end Of the plauks being often on fire
bofore tho upper could DO put securely IN psaee
80 tbnt tlo 1uau worked in heat rauging from 1Gl
dcgreou to 17G degrees, mud, ns tuu blaca daml
WAS uiso steadily rising, ono man could rarel,
work for more than floln thtoe to nyo minute.
at 4 timo. Relays wore ready to bring them ou
promptly ii overcome, and carry them 10 th'
oloo IN tho main gang~hy,. where q physician
with tbreo assistants and all needed remedies
was In attendance day and night. During all th
tinuaily at work, but one life was lost, aud thu
was by q b1nck dump, whcn n fan finally broh
down. As tho fans could not bo stopped mo
n,"nt for repairs, a aystonl Of signals was dc
yisod mud successfully carried out, to give Wari,
ing Instantly through all tue mina II Que gay
way. 11ls was ali tho more noo1ful. "a til
draught of air had mitcs to travel before i
emerged, bringing smoke aud gasoa with it.
Tho aogofo winter rendered tho campaign NOR
arduous. Heavy machinery. atl1 ali lhe lunabo
aud Btono needed for nlAuways and supports
, aud. later, for walls, wera to bo brought ove
mountain roaaB aud carried into tho mno. al
, frozen solid for three wcoks and the nino-wa
| tor, which atc out tho machinery with foarfu
raIidity,--sho hose not boating 1t moro than on
| or two tlayB,-had to 10 depended upon, mud use
lest work Of the officers thl our alt tho time wa
tho organizing. drilling, and especially tue IL
apirit!ng Of tho mon III tho face Of their fcariu
! foo.
At tho close Of February the fro, saya 10
about 200 feet, Ind boen securely inclosed. M
j the pnd seemed near, when round aud sign Fay
! token tl.at tho roof Of tho old workings to til
/ vast rus about to fall. This had boon 10 pre-
' ydcd Tor III to insnro it's coming quietly, but til
mou, Touring the concuBsion of iii which result
: from yio|ont falls, aud which drives ovou loade
carr ike psay.hinga before It out OF tho mine.
J refused to remain. Watchers were stationed !,
: safe distances, but the fall camc 30 gently thu
they woro utlawaro of 1t. On Maroh ! til
officers found that 1t was over, but, while til
{ mon were absent, tho fire Lad Hwopt throng
0 tho open Bpare and covered told FAR beyond It
or,ginal diinpnaionB; currents woyo Reversed
], connecting passages closed or flooded. To hto
i tho fanH waa certuIn death to tho men; to Aee
/. them goiug waa to feed tue fire.
!, II was at this time, when now measures wcl
!, imperative, TINT tho mno boss. Lewis s. Jonot
= urged tho triul Of sleam. from tho 18TH to tn
: 18tA Of March It was tested in spacos still it
l. closed. wall entirely surrounding tho O.
= workings was completed with oagor haste !; q
o cayo-holcB abovo were tightly paolted With cia
t a slnglo aIr-way, to bo afterwards gradual
!, closed, alone ramninins, The steam from oigl
!; oon boilers was drysil down through plpoa q
o ready inserted, aud enrjy it, Aay all eyes locke
IF their joyful fsrowell to tho fro. At thai tin
ii tho thermometer uttacl1cd to tho tcAt-ppos, rot
y iktcred l70 legrooa. Il month lator lhe low
[. | stratum was cold. The steam, howovor, VIII
n kent confined Until tlD first OF January next.