The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-12-23
UnQuenchaDle Fires.

The failure of all the attempts to ex-
tinguish the fire which has been raging
in the Kelley Run colliery for several
weeks, it is feared, will add another to
the perpetual burning mines that now
exist in the Pennsylvania anthracite re-
gions. The greatest of these is probably
that in the jugular vein, near Coal Cas-
tie, this county. This has been burning
since 1885. Louis I. Dougherty opened
this vein in 1853 The upper drift of the
mine was above water level, and huge
fire was kept in Il CRATE at the mouth of
the mine i'll winter to keep the water
from freezing III the cutters. One night
in the above year the timbers 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 control. Two miners entered the
mine, hoping to recover their tools.
They never came out. The mine was
abandoned. 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 a slope on the east
side of it, below water level. He
struck the vein at Il place where the GOAL
was 50 thick that two miners could keep
large breaker supplied. When five
hundred yards of gangway had been ex-
cavated, the heat from the burning
Dougherty mine began to bother the
miners. McGinnis attempted to open an
air-hole. The heat became so great that
the men were paid double wages to in
duce them to work. They 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 pumped
out men could again work for a few
days. The mine was flooded nine times.
McGinnis finally failed and the mine was
then abandoned. The fire has been rag
ing in the vein ever since. An area of
half mile in every direction has
been burned. No vegetation grows
on the surface. In places the ground
has caved in, forming chasms hundred
feet deep. There is but thin she'll of
earth over the pit of fire. At night blue,
sulphurous flames issue from 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 a
majority of the cases they have fallen
lulO Tic IIOliSuSltN. tiO
original proprietor of the mine, attempt
ed to go across once. He sank to his
armpits through the crust, and was only
saved by courageous friends who ven
tured to his assistance. The stones on
the ground are hot, and snow never rests
there Rain turns to vapor as fast as it
falls on the burning mine. Millions OF
dollars worth of the best quality of coal
have been consumed by the fire. The
Summit Hill mine. near Maunch Chunk,
has been burning for twenty-five years.
1t is believed that this mine was
set on fire by discontented
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 set ON fire by party OF
tramps, who built fire in the mine in
1877. The fire is in IKE upper drifts. 1t
is confined to an area of forty acres by
an immense ditch forty feet wide, which
was excavated between the burning
drift and connecting ones. The digging
of the canal cost S50, 900. But for that
obstacle the fire would have communi-
Gated to some of the most extensive
mines in the Lackawanna valley. and
subterraneOus conflagration 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,
and 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 wear
but little clothing n. Y. Sun.