The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-07
A CoLLERY DESTROYED.
Brilliant and Terrible Spectacle at
a Coal Mine.
IMMENSE LOSS OF PROPERTY.
Three Hundred Persons Thrown
Out Of Employment.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD


PorrsvmLs, Pa, Jan. q. 1873
Tho inhabitants Of the northern portion OF tho
county behed a brilliant. yet terrb,e, spectacle on
Saturday night, in tho total destruction OF
the Eangowau Cocry, ono OF the largest
in tho district. Tho scene of the fire
Is known rs Lanngans Patch, small
mining community situated midway between Ma
hanoy City and Shenandoah. Between six and seven
O'Clock on Saturday evening tho watchman. Philip
Hosseil, examined the various dres ia and about the
breaker, and having, as lie considered put them
In saie condition, lett the premises In CON-
pany with Noses Leary the stable boss, and paid
visit TO the latters DOMAIN in order 10 meet the
night men coming In with their mules, the duty OF
the waIchman being to prevent any light but the
lantern carried by himself to be taken into the
stable.
ACCOUNT OF THE STABLE Boss.
"Wc hadn't boon gone from tho engine house
than fifteen minutes, said Leary to HERALD repre-
sentative, "when noticed bright light through tho
cracks IN the hosting shalt, and while was looking
at 1t the flames the guides ike tightening
In the opinion Of those whose lives arc spent IN and
about the coliicrics, FRO having gained oothod in
almost any portion Of q breaker is unquonchabc, IN,
less attacked within ten minutes OF It's pop and
this theory as applied TO the burning Of Eangowaa
breaker Is correct, as the Waterman positive that
WHEN THE FIRE DISCOVERED.
Tho hosting SHAFT In which the lire was arst dis.
covered Is nnetvlvc feet in height, constructed OF
material that through age had become dry as Iuder
and highly innam mablc, on account OF the oil used
In lubrcating tho hosting machinery which yoar by
year and drop by drop mpregnatod the woodwork with
It's nre-lovng qualities. Tho topmost portion OF the
shaft, affected by the heat from below, down its
quota OF oil 10 tan the flames Tho burning liquid,
having assisted in is work of destruction tho shaft
gained to the main building. from which in an
incredibly short space Of time the flames issued In all
directions.
INTENSE HEAr
Thirty minutes subsequent to the discovery that tho
fire existed IN the building the breaker was wrapped
in sheet OF flame, tho heat Of which Intense
that the snow within a distance OF moro
than ono hundred feet was melted and Tho
ground rendered dry In the middle
Of summer From the breaker the flames leapcd to
tho boiler houses and mill which wero grccd.y
devourei by the destroying clement, but not
before the large ami valuable saw had boon
saved through the cxertious Of the SUPER intend.
ent and some of tho men, About eight O'Clock the fire
had gained full control, roaring and cracking In
horribly joval manner and lighting the heavens with
q glow that was seen and commented upon
within a radius OF ten or nfteen miles.
DelDg
noticed in Pottsvills. In Shenandoah ana Mahanoy
the general opinion was that tho ST. Nicholas col
liery had fallen victim to tho flames, aud many hur.
red In TINT direction TO be in at the death.
GATHERING CROWDS.
Tho confagration having been discovered hundreds
OF people, from all points. assembled and dotted the
hillside, drinking In the terrible beauty of the
From base to summit tho breaker was solid mass OF
fire, the flames shooting heavenward from tho top Of
the shaft 10 height OF thirty feet, making column
Of flame OF 100 feet in height II was seen
from the FIRST that the breaker was doomed and tho
efforts of the superintendent under the direction OF
Mr.. John Reese. were altogether directed to saving
valuable material and preventing the Ere from
communicating with the dirt banks TO this
labor majority Of the men employed at the colliery
with an oath when requested 10 assist, ."to let the
man who takes oil the percentage put the dre OUT"
THE DESTRUCTION
At midnight nothing remained Of what had been
but few hours previously a valuable and costly
breaker but mass Of useless machinery twisted out
OF all shape, and hugo bod OF glowing coal. the
breaker containing not less than three hundred
OF coal ready for the cars.
Regarding the origin OF the Gre, no one could give
more than mere opinion, the majority OF those en-
ployed a. the works beng undcr tho impression that
il was caused by the heater placed in the shaft Tor the
purpose Of preventing the machinery from becoming
chilled. Upon nterrogang the holster on this point
the answsr received by the reporter was:-
~ sure that the lire lid not catch my heater
as thers vas Dot as much Ore In 1t as you could hold
In your hand !"
la addition TO the heater mentioned there were eve
additional stov % on the promiscs-namely, one in
the engine house, one IN the Jgger house. the
south side Of the oreAker, another In tho north side,
and still an0tncr Ia the main screen room. From
one OF these stoves the hre u supposed 10 have
originated, though there circulated among the mon
report 20 The eject that with naked itgbs was
seen 10 enter the breaker shortly before tho flames
burst forth.
THE LOSS.
10 q liorv
be placed a. lower hgure tnan S75 600 lis destruc-
lion will entail great restitution upon the who
gained their livelihood therein. Two hundred ind
sevsnty-tour mon and boys wero employed in and
about the colery. and how they are exist through
toe winter ID problem that even they accustomed TO
such straits cannot solve
BREAKER.
The breaker was the oldest, as we have said, in lhs
Shenandoah district, and was erected In 1882 W
Messrx Lanyan, oil TINS borough and starr,
who named H. Mapledale. It's cost IS
built their shanties around It apparently considered
the name inappropriate. and, Tor their own satisfac
surrounding It Is called LANG Patch Mr. LAM.
gau operated II but snort time, when he
sold 1t TO Starr. VITO IN turn sold It to tho Chenille
Coal Company, OF Boston, OF which Dir. Sturgis was
president the company failed aud their effects we're
sold, Messrs. Jonn Scott sons OF PhiIadclpn. pur-
1872, when the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and
Iron Company purchased II and renamed II Elan
gowan. Under tho management Of The Philadelphia
and Reading Company u was repaired and some ad-
dilons made 10 II, he building PRIOR 10 The Gro being
said TO contain 200, 900 feet OF lumber.
THE SHIPMENTS
WDcn making fuu time lis Shipment amounted to
100 or BOO tons day, shipment that stamped II
rs good coiery.
Al distance Of 800 yards from The
oi the burned breaker tho Pnnadelphia
and Readng Company have IN course vi erection
another which will probably be nnisncd In the course
OF SIX months, and winch expected to prepare tho
coal from both colleres.
ar THE RUINS
Al late hour yesterday morning a reporter OF the
HERALD paid the scene VI the Ore u second visit anu
found MT. Reese, superintendent OF the shenan doan
district; Messrs. Charles J. Beach and Daniel
Morgan, the outside and inside Supern.
tendcnts, busiy engaged In extihguisnng the
hre that In numerous places had gnited
the dirt banks. The ruins wore drcary. mourafui
appearance but In comparison with the faces OF the
miners living IN tue vicinity were decidedly cheerful.
The majority Of The men. WeYer. iaka tho unlIar