Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-05-08
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FIRE AT NO. 2 DRIFTON.
NARROW ESCAPE OF COKE Bros
GREAT COLLlERY.

and Render Valuable Assistance.
Coke Bros. & Co.'s colliery at No. 9
Drifton had narrow escape on Satur.
day afternoon from being classed with
the many burning mines" that are now
SO common throughout the anthracite
coal regions. At AS O'Clock General
Foreman P. NJ. Boyle noticed smoke is
SUNG from the mouth of the slope. He
was then engaged in the mining office
outside, but Immediately ran down the
manTay to the second lift Finding
everything all right there he returned to
the surface, and by that time the smoke
was becoming denser. He then went to
the third lift, 700 feet below, and saw q
fierce fire raging in the pump house.
Fortunately a strong current of air was
coming upward at the time, carrying the
smoke out to the surface. Had this cur
rent been reversed the smoke would
have gone back to the mines and but
few of the 800 men there could have es-
capped.
Mr.. Boyle sent messengers throughout
the colliery with orders to notify the
men and take out the mules. Prepara-
tions were then made to fight the flames.
A bucket brigade was organized and sew
eral hand pumps put to work. The eff
forts of the workers to extinguish the
fire proved futile, and it gained with
amazing rapidity. The blaze soon took
hold of the timbers on the slope, and as
these were very dry they furnished the
fire good material to feed upon.
The second lift was soon reached by
the flames, and the smoke coming out at
the surface came thicker and faster.
Finding that the materierial on hand
was unable to cope successfully with the
fire, Supt Wagner, at $50 o'clock, drove
to Freeland and received permission of
Burgess Gallagher to use the hose of the
borough.
The small jumper with 600 feet of
hose was taken down and by that time
the blaze was coming to the top Two
streams were turned down the mouth of
the slope and the water kept the timbers
! cool and prevented the fire from reach
ing the surface and attacking the plane
In the meantime the workers inside
were having hard time of it, The in
tense heat and smoke were obstacles
that could not well be overcome, but the
men bravely stuck to their posts until
the fire was located.
AT II O'Clock Saturday night it was de-
cided to take the hose inside. Teams
were sent to this place and after secur-
ing several members of the Citizens
Hose Company and 400 feet of hose this
was done.
Under the direction of Chief Dunlap
his assistants and D. j. Mccarthy the
Freeland firemen went at it in a system
attic manner and in few hours their
work began to to tell. With strong
force of water from the pumps the hose
was attached to the gun-boat, which was
lowered slowly, and by degrees the fire
was fought back to the third lift,
On Sunday morning it was confined to
one side and brought under control. but
it still ragged fiercely Notwithstanding the
great amount of water that was played
steadily upon it. The fire had eaten its
way into the pillars, and heavy falls of
rock and coal could be heard all day.
In the afternoon the firemen at work
were relieved by another set of men
from the hose company and these con-
tinued until this morning, when they
were replaced by others. At the time of
going to press today there were no signs
of fire but the coal is very hot and two
streams are yet at " ork upon it.
AS the steam pipes were broken by
the falls from the top the pumps were
unable to work inside and the water was
gaining rapidly yesterday. A new set
of pipe was run down the manway and
at 8 o'clock this morning the pumps
were started again.
Operations were resumed at the break
er this morning. The coal from No. l
colliery and part of No. is conveyed
to the breaker via locies, and those
miners who are unable to work in their
own places are employed in retimbering
and cleaning the slope. 1t is expected
that by Monday next everything will be
in readiness to work the slope as usual.
Eckley B. Coke, the head of the firm,
was in Philadelphia at the time the fire
originated Engagements there preven-
ted him from coming home, but he was
kept notified all along of what was being
DONE
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