The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1881-01-14
BURNING FOUR YEARS.
A BIsIIng Coal Mine and a Hundred
Miasrs al work la a Vein Unuer the
Fire.

A BIszing Coal Mine and a Hundred
Miners at work la Vein Unusr the
Fire.
A recent letter from Scranton. Pc,
10 the New York Herald says: 1t is
more than four years ago since what is
known as the upper vein o! the Butler
colliery, at Pittston, a short distance
from this city, was discovered to be on
fire. At first it created but little alarm,
rs it was thought that the fire would
exhaust itself as soon as ithad consumed
the out-croppings or exposed portions OF
the anthracite on the edges Of the cave
hole in which it broke out, but it re-
Quired only short time to show the
fallacy of this theory. 1t made rapid
headwaY through the worked-out por-
tions Of the colllery, where it was fed
by wooden props and pillars Of coal, and
the rush of air through the numerous
cave holes caused it to gleam and roar
like a furnace. The sulphur flames
emitted through the cave holes fur.
nished n picturesque scene at night, and
gave the place The appearance OF
volcano. At length the company be-
came alarmed, and their alarm was in
creased by notice from the Pennsyl-
vania Coal company, whose property ad-
joins the Butler colliery, and who mott
fed the proprietors of the burning mine
that they would be held to account for
any damage done by the spread of the
fire. The Butler Coal company then
secured the services of Mr.. Conrad, n
practical engineer, TO devise a plan for
extinguIshing the flames and preventing
the threatened disaster.
After various unsuccessful, expert
ments Mr.. Conrad became convinced
that the only effective way of srresting
the progress of the fire was by isolation
namely, digging n deep trench around
the entire area of the fire and sinking it
from the surface below the burning vein.
The work was undertaken and carried OF
at AN enormous cost, In some places
the ditch had to be constructed as deep
as from eighty to 100 feet and CORE.
spondingly wide. 1t was a great task
At one point, owing to the great eleva-
tion, the place had to be tunneled
through for about 100 yards, and it was
feared even then, owing to the rapid
progress that the fire was making in
that direction, that it would secure
lodgment among the rocks and "bony"
coal overhead and cross the tunnel to
the workings beyond. 1t is still burn
ing fiercely at this point, but it is hoped
that the fire will not extend outside the
limits OF the isolated area.
Just now the greatest danger is that
encountered by the miners who are
working the second vein, directly under
the burning mine. The heat is so in
tense that the men are compelled to
work IN these chambers almost naked,
and the sulphurous nature of the atmos.
phere has prostrated many of their
number within the last year, while sew.
eral have been compelled to quit and
seek work elsewhere. A few months
ago the water from the roof came down
upon them boiling hot, and after Mine
Inspector Jones visited the scene he
caused a suspension of operations and
had an air shaft sunk outside the burn
ing area so as to introduce fresh sup
ply of air to the workmen. But even
this is Intellectual now, owing to the ter
rible heat overhead, and again the sui
phur and caloric are unbearable. Men
are in peril of their lives every time
they fire a shot, and in some places it is
impossible to blast because of the sui
phur and great volumes of dangerous
gases generated from above. The vein
of coal being worked at present is so in
tensely hot at some places rs to be ur-
bearahle to the touch, and frequently
the workmen are compelled to let the
coal lie for hours before they can land
it on the cars, owing to its blistering
heat. The situation is really terrible,
and even if some sudden and awful
calamity does not ensue, it will cost
many men their lives if they work there
much longer. 1t is like working in an
oven. Nothing but their extreme pov.
erty could possibly induce the miners
and laborers to accept such labor. The
coal they mine comes up hot out OF the
nolliory