The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-26
BURNING SIXTY YEARS.
MAUCH CHUNK MINES BREAK OUT
ONCE MORE.

smoke hanging over the entire neighbor-
hood and the apparent perturbation of the
natives made the passengers believe that
something out of the ordinary was in prog
ress.
.USmatter on the mountain" asked
Messenger, as he protruded through car
window.
"Mines broke out again. +"
"What mines"
"Coal mines"
''What they broke out "ith!"
"Fire"
''How long they been burning"
"Sixty years"
Everybody reached under the seats for a
gun, but the conductor saved the natives
life by informing the passengers that the
mines had really been on fire for sixty
wears aud that occasionally they got a
fresh move on them and threatened To Gre
mate Mauch Chunk into handful of Gin
ders.
Theodore L. Mumford and his brother.
Henry J. Mumford, two old-time residents
of Mauch Chunk, later on gave the writer
the story of the burning mines They
said:
These fires break out afresh every year
and sometimes we fear that they will event
uaily reach Mauch Chunk and totally wipe
out the town. The mines have been on ire
since 1882, aud thousands upon thousands of
dollars have been expended in vain endeav-
ors to extinguish it. The effects of the
fire and its accompanying heat are as devas-
tating and visible as at Vesuvius or Etna,
soaring and blighJing the surface above
The rocks are backed, and are of every
shade and color; they have changed their
stratifed positions, and are reclining twisted
in every conceivable shape.
Years ago these mines had to he aba1.
doned. We do not know how they caught
fire; probably through the. carelessness of
the miners but we do know that millions Of
dollars worth of coal have been DESTROYED
and that millions of dollars worth more will
be lost. The mines have been flooded time
and time again, without beneficial results,
and the fire will probably never cease until
all Of the coal in its path has been burned
away. The flames are constantly creeping
through the surface, and men are always
busy in covering over these tlues to prevent
draught which would endanger the other
mines in the neighbOrhood. For acres and
acres the fire has burned \out all the
underlying coal, and the surface has fallen
hundreds of feet. It is a raging hell and it
makes the irreverent shudder and sets them
thinking.
when it became necessary to abandon
the mines new ones were opened along Pan
ther creek, and they have been worked to
advantage. The vein at this point outcrops,
or comes to the surface, and is part of the
Great Eastern or Pottsville Coal Basin
which extends nearly TO the Susquehana in
Dauphln county, and it is one Of the richest
and most prolific in the world. 1t is TO be
hoped that the fire won't reach this If it
Snould the whole coal field OF this region
will inevitably be doomed.
I'VE were just about going up to Sum
Nuba hraNr,
located, and, if you choose, we would be
pleased to have you accompany US"
The invitation was accepted. We walked
to Upper Mauch Chung. Theodore l..
Mumford, is the proprietor of the switch,
back railroad, aud his brother, Henry ].
Mumford is its manager. A car took us
from the foot of Mount Pisgah to the Sum-
NIT Hill station in about an hour. Then we
walked to the burning mines
OF all quaint villages Summit Hill is the
quaintest. 1t is about l, 100 feet above the
Lehigh river, and about 100 feet above
tidewater, and from its appearance one
might expect to see, issuing from its old
fashioned houses, back-number citizens of
hundreds of years ago. These weren't in
1t, however, for the residents were sure
enough citizens of our own time. Past the
old town hall, in appearance resembling a
French bastille, and by winding road
eastward for fifty rods or more,
the seXagenarlan coalbake. It was a
wild, uncanny sight. and the atmosphere
was oppressive enough to turn ones thoughts
coward the post-mortem cooking school of
which Bob lngersoll has his doubts. but
which many OF the parsons still believe is in
store for the naughty. As far in any direc-
ton over the surface of the miue) as the
gaze could penetrate there was a succession
OF flashes Of fire and puffs of smoke issuing
through newly made tiues in the crust. Ever
ana anon loud explosion could be heard as
the gases emitted from the chambers
rushed toward the flames or were sought by
them. Every instant a landslide occurred.
and the ground crumbled and fell into the
seeming abyss as the coal, outburned relin-
pushed its support. The top of the mine
mad formerly been higher than tho grade of
the village but for acres and acres it
had fallen to depth OF several hun
dred feet, carrying with it the trees and
vegetation, the smouldering ruins of which
could be seen far below
III was risky travelling. and as the visitors
ulaue thelr way carefully over the surface
the ilre could be heard roaring and raging
Hnder their feet. Puffs of smoke and
malodorous gases belched forth here aud
there through newly made chimpeys. and
huge rocks, bereft Of their UNDERMINING.
tnlnbled through with crash that startled
the onlookers
I.
Jump! Jump back, quickm
Inc writer started back Just in time to
AVOID being served up as toast. The earth
l Iao given way under his feet, and but for
1ls presence Of mind he would have been
flashed into eternity quicker than a playful
eoaG could whlsk his whiskers with a
Lusn ana q roar at least half acre of the
surface slid down into the yawninp fiery
nel ana was consumed in the flames. IL
was narrow escape and the country saved
a.. bright and brilliant young man by the
SKIN OF its teeth
Slgnt was coming on, and the grandeur
ana aWiulneSs of the scene waI enhanoed q
th housaiuLoId Tongues of flame shot no
WI 'OuSh the crust OF earth here. there and
al over, aud without very realistic inafTi-
ue a.io ol one might have imagined that he
f %as on the edge of and gazing into the in
1eiI i regions. The cracking sounds. tho
eeHSpioSlonS, the nauseous vapors caught bv
sHo tongues OF flame and the rushing of the
stbser rocks and superb ated earth into the
j n! was scene never to be forgotten. awe
IsplIlng, grand, helIish, The Iocalitv
r as uoomed, and within a year. as there is
~ possibility of quenching the awful fire
co,,r ~ tne nnest sections of picturesque
TIL ~ ry on Gods footstool will be ruins.
d ire nre is gradually gaming ground in ali
n,aI'. '!ons, and naught but an impede
ta sr-o IN the form of long stretches of in>
e. 'eilIng earth, stone or iron ore between
Iii oonllagration aud the adjacent mines
~, ~ save bnem, Summit Hill ord ATavoh