The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-06-02
An Official Announcement in
Regard to 1t.
1T Is PRACTICALLY OUT
but Few Yards Of Burning Material
Supposed to stir Exist-when the Places
Gan be Cleared of Gases Explorations
VIII be Made.

In conversation with a reporter last
night Mine Inspector Stein said the mine
fire at Colorado has been practically ex-
tinguished and within the next few days
the mine officials will be able to explore
all the workings and make a search for
the bodies of the two missing Polish
miners.
This fire was discovered in No. > counter
gangway between the Colorado slope
level and the drift level on the morning
of May lst, last, and burned with great
fury up to Il few days ago. It's relative
position to the north and south dips of
the Mammoth vein and the extensive
workings of No. . shaft made ii very diff
cult to extinguish the fire by drowning
as the fire would have gone above water
level before the water would reach the
seat of trouble.
After mature deliberation on the part
of the best mining experts, in consultation
with the Lehigh officials, it was decided
to make a vigorous fight to eXtiuguish
the fire by pouring water on it from sew
eral streams conducted through three and
four-iuch pipes connected with the Girard
water main and the colliery pumps, &c.
gether with the assistance of pump
placed at the mouth of the Colorado
drift.
Considerable difficulty was experienced
during the thirty days the fire ragged on
account of the gases arising from the burn
ing of coal and timber, and the principal
gases being carbonic oxide or G o and
carbonic acid gas, or G OF, both of
which are fatal to life. Three per cent.
of the former and ten per cent. of the
latter will prove fatal. Notwithstanding
these difficulties to be surmounted the
officials and workmen struggled eau.
tiuusly and herOicly to eXtinguish the
fire, recover the missing bodies and prevent
the destruction of the valuable coal
property. Had this fire reached proper
tions beyond control it would have re-
suited in great loss in depriving hundreds
of men of work, take a large revenue
from the state in taxes, consume valu-
able mine, and possibly destroy adjoining
coal properties The loss which would
have resulted is almost incalculable.
1t is thought that but a few yards of
burning material now exist northwest
and southeast of No. counter chute
The distance from the slope level to the
top of the counter chute, where the fire
traversed, is 240 feet south on the north
dip. This has been entirely eXtinguished
and the place re-timbered. The distance
the fire traversed in No. 2 counter is 300
feet. The fire here has also been eXtin-
gulShed. This place was a burning mass
The burning material was cooled by the
water from the pipe lines and wheeled
out and dumped into breasts Nos. 81 and
5s. The damaged places were then re-
timbeTed and re-opened as the workmen
advanced. Mine Inspector Stein says that
he has had experience with fourteen mine
fires but this one, on account of its loca-
tion, he considered the most difficult of all
to approach and eXtinguish. The Girard
Estate and Lehigh Valley officials have
been in constant attendance since the fire
started and rendered valuable assistance
in directing the operations. Human lives
have frequently been placed in great
danger during the thirty-two days battle
with the fire and there have been many
narrow escapes, yet ouly one fatality in
addition to the deaths of the two men
supposed to have been in the place when
the fire started has been recorded and
that was the death of the lamented Fore
man Fishburn, of Blackwood
1t is difficult to state where the bodies
OF the two missing men will be found, if
they are in the mine. 1t will take some
time to clear the workings of gases in
order to make it safe to explore the
vicinity where the men worked.