Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-08-27

and mining continued as before. 1t is
} only on rare occasions that the flames
make such headway, before being discoy-
cred, that they cannot be extinguished in
a few weeks by the introduction of water
and steam. One of the most interesting
and extensive fires ever known in this
country has been raging in collierv in
Schuylklll county for nearly forly-five
years. Thousands of dollars have been
spent in vain endeavors to extinguish the
fire, but at last the idea was abandoned,
and since the beginning Of the war nothing
has been done to subdue the condagration,
which RACES without interruption. The
history OF this mine is very interesting,
and, strange to say, although hundreds of
travellers visit this and adjoining counties
every year, hardly any of them hear of
this great curiosity. The vein that is
burning is called the " Jugular,n and the
surface crop was first worked in 1888 by
Lewis Z. Dougherty. at a place called
Coal Castle, one and n half miles west of
what is now known as Mount Lattice. The
coal taken out was of excellent quality
and the mine very productive. Where a
drift is worked above water level it is the
custom to keep huge CRATE filled with
burning coal Just inside the mouth to
prevent the waters in the cutters from
freezing. Such CRATE was in operation
in the upper drift of Mr.. Doughertys 5
mine in the winter of 1885. One Satur-
day night the CRATE was filled with an
unusually large quantity of coal, and the
miners went to their homes. On the fol-
; lowing Monday morning, when the mine
was visited, it is supposed that the fire on
the CRATE became communicated to the
timbers, and moving along the upper
drift, was by means of an hole carried
into the lower drift. At any rate, the coal
in both drifts was on fire when the men
came to work on Monday morning, and
two of the miners recklessly went in 10
save their tools and never returned.
Efforts were made to eXtinguish the
fire, but after working for several weeks,
Mr.. Dougherty gave up all hopes, and,
abandoning the place, opened another
colliery about half mile west of it. Dur
ing the winter of 1861, Mr.. John
McGinnis of Pottsvile heard Of the large
body of coal that lay near the abandoned
mine, and concluded that some of it could
: be got without reaching the fire. He put
in Il slope on the east side of the vein and
, below the water level. The work, how
ever, progressed slowly, and, owing to the
} heavy masses of rock encountered, was
: very expensive. He was finally rewarded
by striking the Jugular " vein at point
where there was deposit of coal so thick
u that two or three miners could keep the
! breaker going, and although it was worked
i for months, they never succeeded in getting
: through it. The coal proved to be first.
{ class, and four hundred yards of gangway
! had been driven when the miners began
y to complain of excessive heat, and then
Mr.. McGinnis knew that they We're APP
preaching the fire in the mine Dougherty
had abandoned. This was about year
. after the slope had been started, and Mr..
, McGinnis saw it would he necessary to
q open an air hole. This work began al
once, but, after driving twenty or thirty
/ yards, the heat became so intense that the
, workmen were almost sufocated, and
q many of them refused to work. Bv pay.
+ ing double wages, however, u number vi
, men were found willing to work in the
air hole; some idea of the intense heat
4 may be had when it is stated that the mer
h worked perfectly naked, and We're relieved
o every ten minutes. After the air hole
=. had been opened about fifty yards the heat
. became uubearable, and the men tainted
q when exposed to it minute or two. See
u ing that it was impossible to complete the
n air hole, work in it was given up, and at q
fortunate time, for it WAS afterwards dis
q covered that if the hole had been carried
up Il few yards farther it would have
struck the water on the upper level ant
e drowned every one in the mine. About
c this time the men noticed that when sho
II was fired, and the coal came rolling dowI
e in huge masses, it was so warm that i
d could not he comfortably handled. Every
q day the miners expected to see the tire
$ break out, and at last. on coming to worl
h ono morning. they found the gangway
|, filed with smoke aud flames. As thi.
e was expected to happen sooner or later
e preparations had been made to eXtinguisl
ar the fire, and the mine was soon filed witt
.e water This treatment had the desire,
d effect, and when the water was pumped
le out, work was resumed.
n From this time forward it was almost
1t continual fight with fire, and no less thai
ID eight times was the colliery filled ant
r. pumped dry again. The ninth time tn,
Of mine was filled with water. the MACHINERY
< got out of order and the pump refused L
ID work. As Mr. McGinnis had sunk all hi
% capital and could not raise enough none,
N to purchase new machinery, the mine wa
abandoned in the winter of 1859. Th
fire continued to burn until the barrier
20 between the mines were consumed; an
Of the timbers in Mr.. McGlnnis' mine grad
lie ually rotted away, and finally the slop
at caved In. From that time until now th
lie fire has continued to rage without inter
IN rupton, and the coal has been consume
,k for half a mile in every direction. Th
q, ground has caved in in many place;
IS leaving great chasms that vary from lift
at to one hundred feet in depth. Trave
at over the burned district is exceeding
10 dangerous to any one not familiar wit
I'd the country, for in many places grea
er holes are only covered by she'll of burn
IN earth three or four feet thick. Mr.. McGir
w mis- states that as familiar as he is wit
as the locality, he came very near losing hi
ty life there few years ago by fallin
in through the crust. He was crossing
nd portion of the burnt field when he felt th
IS, earth giving way under his feet, and o
IN, starting to run for tirmer ground he san
IS up to his armpits in dry ashes and burr
w earth. Fortunately, he managed, wit
sr. the assistance of friend, to extricat
himself and reach solid ground withol
,ut injury. Inhabitants of the region nev'
attempt to cross over the burning vein ;
of night.
The only external evidence of the gre;
les confagration that is going on underneat
the ground at that point is the total al
-ly sence Of vegetable life. Stones on tt
ed surface are so hot that they cannot
held, and snow is melted as fast as it fall
he During rainy weather the surroundir
ina country is enveloped in dense clouds
es. fog that rise from the overheated cart
sh- The fire has now burned across the tC
les rock and into a dirt vein, or vein of SO
coal, where it may last for many year
.ge During the early part of Mr.. McGinnis
connection with the mine, it was notice
oss that the water oozing into it from the lev
vi above had the effect of destroying Il
miners shoes as soon as they came
om contact with it. The water was not u
as pleasantly warm, and the men found tn