The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-06-09
COLAIERY
FIRE FIGHT !
Part Of the GilbertOn Colliery to be
Sealed Up.
TO SMOTHER A STUBBORN FIRE
It is Supposed to Have Been smouldering
For at Least Five Months and orig
mated with an Explosion
That Caused the Death
Of Two Men.

serious mine fire is raging in the West
Buck Mountain section Of the Gilberton
colliery, but tho officials hope to extinguish
il before any great damage is done by sealing
up that part of the mine.
The fire is supposed to have been shoulder
ing since the 25th day of January, last. when
Robert Grafton, a miner, and Anthony
Mainski, his laborer, were fatally burned
by an explosion Of gas in the breast
where they were engaged at work
with naked lamps. Both men died at
the Miners hospital few days later This
accident occurred in the third lift of the
West Buck Mountain vein. Several con-
cussions have taken place in that part Of tho
eolliery within the last two or three months,
but they were thought to have been caused
by falls of top rock and coal. as final robbing
is going on there.
On Monday, last, another cOncussion took
place and the miners went out to the slope
and notified Mine Foreman George Thomas,
who went in the gangway alone to make an
examination. When he got as far
as breast No. II another conclusion took
place. Thomas stopped few moments to
| listen and ignited gas came rolling down the
chute to the gangway. Thomas was burned
on the face and hands but only slightly. He
I
reported to District Superintendent Thomas
J. James. who, in turn, reported to Division
| Superintendent George Scott and Mine In
spector Stein. These officials met at the col
/ lery at three o'clock in the afternoon of
the same day and descended the water shaft
to the third lift, but could not get into the
pangway on account Of the dense smoke that
was coming out. The officials concluded that
the gas which burned Thomas had also
| ignited some timbers at breast No. II, which
| point Thomas had reached when he was
halted by the conclusion.
| While there were no previous evidences of
fire having been ignited by the explosion of
January 25th, yet the officials are now under
the impression that fire has been shoulder
ing at least five months at breast No 224 the
one in which the two men were burned on
January 25th.
On Tuesday Superintendents John Veith
and Scott, of Pottsville with Superintendent
James, Mine Inspector Stein and other Off.
cials visited the colliery and Mr.. Veith con-
Guided that the only way to extinguish the
fire was to seal up that part of the mine and
cut off all ventilation from it, thus smother
ing the fire. In order to accomplish this Mr..
Neith directed that clay batteries be con-
structed across the gangways of Nos and 4
lifts, and that batteries be placed in all the
headings leading into the return airway to
the West Buck Mountain vein.
On Wednesday the same officials again
visited the colliery to inspect the progress of
the work, and also to give instructions that
brick and cement batteries be constructed
outside of the clay batteries, so as to make
the sealing up of that section of the mine
more permanent. This work will be COM
pleted by next Monday.
According to the views of the officials, the
fire is not supposed to be an extensive one,
from the fact that the residue from COM
bustion is an extinguisher.
The west side of the Buck Mountain vein
will be completely isolated until such time
as the fire burns itself out. When this will
occur is only matter of conjecture. That
part of the mine may remain sealed for
years.
Meanwhile the operations in other sections
will proceed as usual, including those in both
the east and west sides of the Mammoth
vein. The isolation will probably reduce the
production of the colliery about sixty mine
cars day, but this loss in production may be
made up by increased operations in other
sections. The total number of inside en-
ployes at the colliery is about $40. The pro-
duction, according to the last published
official report, was 166, s02 tons.