The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-11-28
THE KELLEY
RUN FIRE !
It Has Assumed Proportions That Occa-
sion Some Apprehension.
MANY OFFICIALS ON The SCENE
The Fire Gained a Decided Advantage since
Last Night and Water Pipe is Being
Placed For Determined Fight.
Gas and Black Damp
Troublesome.

The fire in the Kehley Run coliery, op-
Grated by the Thomas Coal Company. appears
10 have assumed greater proportions than the
officials Of the colliery anticipated When
the fire WIS DISCOVERED a veil Of secrecy was
thrown about IL and the miro officials pro.
| ceeded to eXuuguish il in a manner calcu-
lated to keep the occurrence from the outside
world, aud have the fire extinguished aud
work re umed IN the affected portion Of the
mine without allowing anyone other than
those directly connected with the operations
to know that there had been a fire.
SO well Was the secret kept that although
the fire started Saturday night the news of
the fire did not leak out until yesterday
| afternoon and not until last evening did
mining officials who are generally acquainted
with such affairs as soon rs they occur re-.
ceive notice Of the sit alton
Inc TACT Is tue secret attempts To put out
the fire not only failed, but the fire gained
ground rapidly, spreading from timbers to
the coal, and causing no little apprehension
on the part of the mine officials
| To be frank about the matter the FIRE GOT
beyond control Of the local forces and the
situation has become 50 serious as TO be AL
most alarming. No better indication of the
concern felt over the affair Gao be had than
the presence Of the many mining experts on
the scene.
The fire originally started in timbers and
crlbbing at breast 43 Of the second lift West
Mammoth gangway, and il is believed they
were ignited on saturday by some men who
were engaged IN robbing the counter which
Is driven east from breast "A The supposi-
ton Is that the timbers were ignited while
the men were resVug on the second lift gang
way near breast 43.
The colliery force made their fight all day
yesterday with Babcock extinguishers aud
buckets Last night Mining Superintendent
John Neith and Division Superintendent
George Scott of POttsville. Division Supern-
1endent Rees Iasker, of the Mahanoy City
district District Superintendent Adam Boyd
OF town, and District Superintendent James
Mcdonald of the Maple Hill district, all
representing the p. & r. c. q I. Co.. and
Mine Inspector William Stein went down
into the mine and took a hand in fighting
the fire. Messrs. Boyd and Scott remained
ON the scene all night, and until noon to.
day, when they retired to take rest pre-
paratory for additional work tonight. To.
day the force was increased by the attendance
of T. X. Edwards, the mine in .pector for the
Gilbert and Sheafer Estates.
1t has been learned that at one period YES
terday the fire extended from breast 43 to AZ.
but the fire in the latter was put out last
night. but at a time when additional ad-
vantage appeared to be at hand, gas and
black damp drove tie fire fighters back last
night and they could get no nearer to the
seat of the fire than breast 3s This was the
condition of affairs this afternoon.
BY tonight, it is expected, arrangements
Will be made to more effectively combat the
| fire. 1t is proposed to run tv Rnch gas
pipe down the old Rngtown slope, which is
located at the northern end of Main street
At the bottom of this slope, about six hun
dred feet hose will be connected and the
water supply will be taken from the reservoir
of the Rescue Hook and Ladder Company,
which is located but short distance from
the top Of the slope referred to-
In order to facilitate the operations a force
fan will be placed east of the bottom of the
old Ringtown slope to force the gas and black
damp back and enable the men to advance
1t is possible that this fan may not meet the
emergency in which event powerful force
fan will likely be placed at the top of the old
Ringtown slope for the purpose stated. Should
this be done there is a possibility that the
gas may be forced back and down into the
workings OF the Kohinoor oolliery. The p
q r. g. & 1 Co officials are prepared for such
an emergency and will be able to cope with
it should it arise
Thus far there does not appear to be any
apprehension on the part of the & r c. &
l. Co. officials that the fire will get into the
KOhinoor workings. 1t is stated that there
is no connection between the two eolieries
to admit of such an event Yet, the
fact remains that if the fire in
Kelley Run becomes any more serious
than it is this afternoon, Kohinoor
aud Indian Ridge coliieries will, by no
means, be beyond the pale of danger This
declaration can be more fully realized when
it is considered that the FIRE is but a short
distance north of the land line Of the Kohl
moor and Indian Ridge collieries 1t is quite
certain that it will take but little advance
from its present condition to make the fire
cause a suspension of both collieries to en-
able more decisive fight to be made At
late hour this afternoon the situation was
reported as still very serious.