Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-11-11
Fires that Cannot be Quenched,
COAL MINES THAT HAVE BURNED
FOR YEARS, MAKING A DESERT
OF LARGE AREAS.

OF LARGE AREAS.
PoTrsvILLE, Pa, Nov. 2.-The failure
of all tho attempts to cxtinguish the fire
which has been raging in the Kccley Run
colicry for several weeks, it ia feared, will
add another to the perpetually burning
min es that now exist iu the Pennsylvania
anthracite regions. The greatest of these
is probably that iu the jueular vein, near
burning since 1885. Lewis Il. Dougherty
opened this vein in 1888. The upper drift
of tho mine was above water level, ond
of the mine in winter TO keep the water
the above year the timbers Of the drift
caught fire from the crate When it was
discovered the fire had been carried down
yond control. Two miners entered tho
never came out. The mine was abandoned
No effort was made to mine any Of tho coal
near the burning vein, although it was con
sidercd tho best coal in the region, until
1856. Thcn John McGiunis put ia
slope on the cast side of it, below water
level. lie struck the vein at place where
the coal was 50 thick that two miners could
keep large breaker supplied When 400
yards of gaugway had been cxcavatcd tho
heat from the burning Doughcrty mine be-
gan to bother the miucrs. NlcGinnis at
ten. ptcd to open an air hole. The heat
became 60 great that the men were paid
double wages to induce then, to work.
They worked entirely naked, and were re-
lieyed every ten minutes. Finally the heat
became SO intense that work was abandoned.
The niue was flooded. After being pump.
cd out, men could again work for few
days The mine was flooded nine times,
McGinnis fiually failed, and the mine was
then abandoned. The fro has been raging
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 cavcd in, forming
chasms hundred feet deep. There is but
thin shell of earth over tho pit of fire.
At night blue, suphurous flames Issue from
the crcviccs in the ground. It is danger.
Gus to walk across the spot Several per
sons have mystcriously disappeared in tho
vicinity during the past twenty years 1t
is believed that in majority of the cases
they have falIcu into the burning mine.
Dougheriy, the original proprietor of the
sank to his armpits through the crust, aud
was only saved by courageous friends who
venturcd to his assistance. The stones on
the ground are hot, aud snow ueycr rests
there. Rain turns TO vapor us fast as it falls
on the roof of the burning mine. Millions
Of dollars worth of tie best quality of coal
have been consumed by the filc
The Summit Hill mine, near Mauch
boo hoop G.
years. 1t is believed that this mine was
sands Of dollars have been expended in
truitlcss efforts to cxtiuguish the flames.
The Butler mine, near Pittston, has been
burning three years. 1t was set on fire by
o party of tramps, who built fro in the
mine in 1877. The fire is in the uppor
drifts. 1t is confined to an area of forty
acres by an Immense ditch forty feet wide,
which was excavated between tho burning
drift and conneotipg ones. The digging Of
the canal cost $4,000 But for that OBJ
staclc tho fire would have communicated to
some CT the most extensive mines in the
Lackawuna valley, and subtcrrancous con.
hagratou would have swept under tho
whole of West Pttston. Miners have
worked in tho lower drift of tho Butler
tnino since the IRE DroKe out, put thcrc arc
but forty feet of rock between them and the
field of fire above. The water that trickles
through tho roof is scalding hot. Tho
temperature is so high that the mon can
wear but little clothiug.
Mary Pyatt rejected John X. Arnold's
offers Of marriage for long time, at Kim
bcrly, Pa but he was persistent, and at
length she consented There was great
wedding, and the couple went off on tour.
After week the bride returned to her
home, declaring that she had no recollection
Of anything between hor last refusal of
Arnold and her awakening to find, to her
great surprise and displcasurc, that she was
his vito She insists that sho was out of
hc- mind during tho interval, and declines
even 10 see her husband