American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-11-20
Burning Coal Mines.

The Reading (Pa.) correspondent of
the New York San writes: The failure
Of 81. the ats sa 9aht ta tS Viz peFpef.
ually 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 opened this
vein in 1888. The upper drift of the
mine was above water level, and huge
fire was kept in CRATE at the mouth of
the mine to keep the water from freez-
ing in 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 con-
troll. Two miners entered the mine
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 a slope on the
east side of it below water level. He
struck place where the coal was SO
thick that two miners could keep large
breaker supplied. When four hundred
yards of gangway had been excavated
the heat from the burning Dougherty
Mine began to bother the miners.
McGinnis attempted to open an
air hole. The heat became SO
wages to induce them to work. They
worked entirely naked, and were re-
lieved 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 few days. The mine
was Hooded nine times. McGinnis
finally failed, and the mine was then
abandoned The fire has been raging
in the vein ever since. An area of half
q 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 shell of
earth over the pit of fire. At night
blue, sulphurous flames issue from the
crevices in the ground. 1t is dangerous
to walk across the spot. Several per-
sons have mysteriously disappeared in
the vicinity during the past twenty
years. 1t is believed that in a majority
of the eases they have fallen into the
burning mine. Dougherty, the original
proprietor of the mine, attempted to go
across once. He sank to his armpits
through the crust, and was only saved
by courageous friends who ventured to
his assistance. The stones on tho
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 of dollars worth of the best
quality of coal have been consumed by
the fire.
The Summit Hill mine. near Mauch
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 ex-
pended in fruitless efforts to extinguish
the flames.
The Butler mine, near Pittston, has
been burning three years. 1t was set
on fire by party of tramps, who built
a fire in the mine in 1877. The fire is
in the 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 connect
ing ones. The digging of the canal
cost $50, 600. But for that obstacle the
fire would have communicated to some
of the most extensives mines in the
Lackawanna Valley, and subterrane-
Gus 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, but there are but forty feet of rock
between them and the field of fire
above. The water that trickles through
tho roof is scalding hot. The tempera-
ture is so high that the men can wear
but little clothing.