Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-12-29
FIRE RAGING IN A COAL NINE
A Hard Battle With Flames
Underground.
A BIG BREACH IN THE GROUND
Into Which Sixteen Boilers
Fell With a Crash.
A Destructive Fire in an Old Colllery
tjlirt at Mahanoy City, Fa.--Miners
Overcome by Gas While Fighting the
Elames--The Fire Rugcs all Night.

MAHANoY Cry, Pa, Dec. 2i.-Fire was
discovered in nm old drift ut the North Ma
hanuy colliery of the Philadel phia d Read
ing Coal and Iron Company. at o'clock
yesterday afternoon, since which time it
has been raging most ftriously i'll the drift
timber, taking a course toward the upper
part of the mine, in spite OF the endeavora
of the loJ or more men, and the several
lines of hose which have been run into the
drift to the seat Of the fire. AT o'clock it
had reached the Ruckmound which was
worked some years ago through TO this
drift
The origin of the fire is as vet unknown,
but the drift is intersected at one point by
slope running to the part of the mine
now worked, which is used BY the miners
in going to and from their work below. It
is thought that the gas which had accumu-
lated was ignited by Il lamp, causing the
fire, or that the dry, rotten tnbering had
been accidentally set on lire by spark.
AssOon as tile fire was discovered prompt
meaures We're taken to subdue it before it
reached the inner workings. Mine Boss
Gottlieb Skatch Charles Skatch, his son,
Fire Boss Witchey, Assistant Fire Boss
John Flynn and about a dozen miners
entered the drift and endeavored to fight
the flames. They had gone in a consider
able distance when Fire Boss Witchey and
Henry Deernstal, one of the miners, were
overcome by the gas and dropped over.
All were more or less affected, but they
managed to drag the two men about 40
yards toward the mouth of the drift,
where they received assistance from the
outside. Both men are i'll bad state.
Several lines of hose were run to the
water mains up to the boilers, and with
these weapons the fire has been fought all
through the night. When water was first
thrown on the fire from line of hose, an
explosion occurred which severely hurt
one Of the men in the drift, badly burning
and injuring him, but it is thought not
fatally, however. His place was soon filled
and three more lines of hose put on.
AT | o'clock this morning terrible
crash was heard, and that part of the drift
directly beneath the boilers house cayed
in, carrying eight sets of boilers, sixteen
iii all into the breach.
The iircnen who have charge of the
boilers now say that they had noticed for
some time the presence of fire somewhere,
but could not locate il, and. therefore did
not notify the officials, thinking it of no
account.
The North Mahanoy colliery is one of
the largest in the valley. Its present ca
puCity is about 800 tons daily Its ship
inents in 1899 were over 10000 tons. The
workings were opened by Mr.. Edward
Scilman of Mahanoy City. The collery
employs over 600 men and boys, all of
whom reside at Mahauoy City. Work has
been suspended until the damage is re-
paired.
MAuANoY Cry, PA, Dec. 27.-The fire
discovered in North Mahanoy collery of
the Reading Company is still burning,
although confined entirely now to the
BuClimuund drift, i'll which it originated.
Air.tight barriers have been built at each
side Of the fire to cut off all draft, and the
part Of the mine thus enclosed is being
filled UP from the surface with slush,
mixture of coal dirt and water. To fill this
it will require two days time and 1t is ex-
pected by then the last vestige Of the fire
will be eXtinEuished.
Until the boilers that dropped into the
burning drift can be replaced this colliery
will be idle, The origin Of the fire, which
will cost the company some thousands, it
is now LEARNED, was from the fires under
the boilers which communicated to rock
or slate bank OH which the boiler hoist is
built and thence TO the drift running
beneath it.