The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1880-11-06
THE BURNING COAL MINE.
ono Hundred MInorB at Work in a. Vein
Under tho Fire.


It Is more than four .cars ago since wha
Is known as the upper vein Of the Butler cciliery
at Pit;s,on, Pa. u short distance from the city o.
Scraton. was disr"N cred tu Ice on Gre. IL made
rapid hcaiway through the worked. out portion,
Of the collicry. where Il was fed by wooden Propi
and pillars Of va aud the rush 81 mir through th'
numerous cave nuies caused IL g. CLEAN and roaI
like a furnace. The suiPhu: flames emitted
through the cave holes furnished n picturesque
scene ut night and gave the place the appearance
Of volcano.
Al length tho company became alarmed, and
their alarm was Increased by notice from the
Pennsylvania Coal Company, whose property adj
joins the nnicr cnlIicry, and who notified the
proprrloTs ii the burning mine that they would
be held 60 account for any damage done by the
sprcad IL the Gre. The Butler Coal Company
then secured the services Of Mr.. Conrad, practi.
cal engineer. tn device n plan for distinguishing
the flames and preventing the threatened disaster.
Aitcr various unsuccessful experiments, Mr..
Conrad became convinced that the only ehectise
way Of arres,ing the progress Of tho FIRE was by
isolation-namely, digging deep trench around
the entire area Of the Ere and sinking u from the
surface below the burning vein. The work was
undertaken and carried on ut an enormous cost.
In some places the ditch had TO be constructed as
rcspondingly wide. Il was gret task.
At one point owing TO tho great elevation the
place had TO be tunnelled through for about q
hundred yards. and Il was feared even then,
owing TO the rapid progress that the IRE was max
ing In that direction, that II would secure lodg-
ment among the rocks and "bony" coal overhead
and cross the tunnel 20 the workings beyond. II
l. still burning fercely Mt this point, but II Il
hoped that the fire will not extend outside the
limits Of the isolated area.
Just now the greatest danger 10 that encoun-
tered by the miners who arc working the second
vein. directly under the burning mine. The heat
Is 50 intense that the men are compelled 90 work
in these chambers almost naked and the sulphur
Gus nature Of the atmosphere has Frustrated many
uf their number within the last year. while several
have been compelled to quit and seek work else
where.
A few month. ago the water from the roof came
down upon them boiling hot and after Mine
Inspector Jones visited the scene he caused n
suspension of operations and had an air shaft
sunk outside the burning area 50 rs TO introduce
n fresh supply of air TO the workmcn. But even
this u Intellectual owing TO the terrible heat
overhead and again the sulphur and caloric are
unbcarablc. Men are in peril Of their lives every
time they FIRE a shot. and in some places IL IL i'm
possible To- bias, because Of the sulphur and great
volumes % dangerous gases generated from above.
The vein Of coal being worked Mt present Is 50
intensely hot nj some places NJ to be unbcarable
To- the touch. and frequently the workmcn are
compelled To let the coal lie for hours before they
can land IL on the ears. owvg 20 its blistcring
heat. The situation l. really terrible, and even
if come sudden and awful calamity does not cnsuc
IL will cos, many men their lives II they work
there much longer. II il like working in an oven.
Nothing but their extreme poverty could possibly
induce the miners and laborcrs To accept such
labor. The coal they mine comes up hot out ofthc
collicry.