River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-11-11
COAL MINES ON FIRE.
Another One Added TO the Perpetual
Iy Turning Hines OF PENNSYLVANIA.

A Pottsville (Pa.) letter says The
failure of all the attempts TO eXtingllsh
the fire which has been raging in the
Kelley run colliery for several weeks,
1t is feared, will add another to the per-
petually burning mines that now exist
in the Pennsylvania anthracite regions.
The greatest of these is probably that
in the jugular vein, near Coal Castle,
this county. This has been burning
since 1885. Lewis f. Dougherty open
ed this vein in 1888. The upper drift
of the mine was above water level, and
huge fire was kept in n CRATE at the
mouth of the mine in winter to keep
the water from freezing in the cutters
One night in the above year the tim
ber3 Of the drift caught fire from the
CRATE. When it was discovered the fire
had been carried down the air hole to
the lower drifts, and was beyond con-
troll Two miners entered the mines
hoping to recover their tools. They
never came out. The mine was aban-
dOned. No effort was made to mine
any of the coal near the burning vein,
although it was considered the best coal
in the region, until 1856. Then John
McGinnis put in slope on the east
side of it, below water level. He struck
the vein at q place where the coal was
so thick that two miners could keep a
large breaker supplied. When four
hundred yards of gangway had
been excavated the heat
from the burning Dougherty mine
began to bother the miners. McGm-
mis- attempted to open an air hole. The
heat became SO great that the men
were paid double wages to induce
them to work. TAey worked entirely
naked, and were relieved every ten
minutes. Finally the heat became so
intense that work was abandoned. The
mine was flooded. After being pump
ed out men could again work for few
| days The mine was flooded nine
| times. McGinnis finally failed, and
! the mine was abandoned. The fire
has been raging in the vein ever since.
| An area of half mile in every direc-
ton has been burned No vegetation
grows on the surface. In places the
ground has caved in, forming chasms a
hundred feet deep. There is but a
thin shell of earth over the pit Of fire.
At night blue sulphTous flames issue
from the crevices in the ground. 1t is
| dangerous to walk across the spot.
Several persons have mysteriously dis
appeared in the vicinity during the
past twenty years. 1t is believed that
in majority of the cases they have
fallen into the burning mine. Dough
erty, the original proprietor of the
mine, attempted to go across once.
He sank to his armpits through the
crust, and was only saved by courage
Gus friends who ventured to his assist
ance. The stones on the ground are
hot, and snow never rests there. Rain
turns to vapor as fast as it falls on the
roof of the burning mine Millions o.
dollars worth of the best quality Of
coal have been consumed by the fire.
The Summit Hill mine, near Maucf
Chunk, has been burning for twenty
five years. 1t is believed that this
mine was set on fire by DISCONTINUED
miners. Thousands of dollars have
been expended in fruitless efforts to eX
tinguish the flames.
The Butler mine, near Pittston, has
been burning three years. 1t was SCI
on fire by party of tramps, who bull
Il fire in the mine in 1877. The fire i.
in the upper drifts. 1t is confined tC
an area Of forty acres by an immense
ditch forty feet wide, which was excav
ated between the burning drift and con
Meeting ones. The digging of the cana
cost $4,000 But for that obstacle tht
fire would have communicated to some
of the mCst extensive mines i'll thu
Lackawana valley, and a subterraneou:
confiagration would have swept under
the whole of West PittstOn. Miners
have worked in the lower drift of the
Butler mine since the fire broke out
but there are but forty feet of rock be
tween them and the field of the fire
above The water that trickles through
the roof is scalding hot The temper
ature is so high that the men can weaI
but little clothing.