Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-07-06
GREAT COAL MINE FIRES.
Mammoth Anthracite Vein Has Been
Burning Forty Years.

The announcement from Tamaqua.
Pa, that the fire in the Mammoth vein,
started In the winter OF 1SGO-6l In a col
liery within the limits OF the town, has
| been at last cut on In one direction and
has burned down to water level on
| the other. where the vein strikes the
SchuyIkill. brings to mind how great
has been the destruction by under
ground fires OF the unmlned wealth of
coal In the anthracite region OF Penn
sylvania. Considering the narrow limits
OF territory in which the anthracite
veins lie the loss OF irrepIaceable nat
ural treasure here has been as great,
comparatively. as that wrought by fire
in the forests Of this country. The
great l4foot vein in which this Tama-
qua fire has for 40 years swept on a
steady path Of ruin is that in which
| the finest grade Of anthracite is always
found. FoT space Of more than a
mile In length every atom Of that coal
has been reduced to ashes in this
single fire.
There have unfortunately been many
other similar fires. Three Of the most
ruinous besides this have been the IA
nous Summit Hill burning mine on the
mountain between Mauch Chunk and
TamaGua. the Empire mine fire at
Wilkesbarre. the Butler mine at Pitts
ton. Ali these fires were in collieries
where the vein lay high on the noun
tain side. with populous towns in the
valleys below. thus making them the
more difficult to combat. Both the EN-
plre and the Butler mines commune
Gated so closely with other under
ground workings that il was an i'm
pelative necessity to find method to
cut them of. as it eventually became
compulsory in regard TO the Tamaqua
fire. now reported under control.
The Summit Hill burning mine. for
more than so years pointed out to the
thousands of tourists who stopped at
Mauch Chunk for ride over the
famed switchback. was left to burn it
self out. The earth's surface gradual
ly sunk in above it. leaving the whole
space picture of desolation.
In 1873 the great Empire colliery Of
the Lehigh Coal Company. with it's
opening high on the mountain rising
on the east directly above Wilkes
barre. was discovered to be on fire The
flames were fought for many weeks by
officers and men who bravely imperiled
their lives in efforts to subdue them.
AT last. these endeavors all proving
vain. the idea came to a mine foreman
in the company's employ to force
steam into the workings after closing
tie mine openings. Happily. the vein
lay so deep that there existed no dam
ger of breaking-in of the surface.
A long row of immense boilers was
planted on the mountain side. and
steam was continuously forced into
and through all the workings to where
a great wall of rock and earth had
been built to shut off the Empire from
the adjoining mine. Nine months later
investigation showed that the flames
had finally been smothered.
Early in the winter of 1883
tramp. who had taken refuge in the
mouth Of an abandoned mine slope be-
longing to the Butler Coal COMPANY.
high up on the eastern mountain range
Immediately above Pittsburg. left a
fire burning that communicated to all
the inside woodwork of the slope. and
thence to the pillars of coal that are
always left standing at certain inter-
walls to support the mine roof. Owing
to the fact that no part of the mine
was then being worked. the fire had
reached point where 1t was utterly
beyond control before it was dis
covered.
1t had followed all the windings of
the vein. swept around and beyond the
coal pillars into the mine chambers on
either side of the great gallery. and
was rapidly nearing the place where
the abandoned workings opened into
the mine next below. Thence. unless
checked. 1t would have found open
channels to communicate with other
cOlleries down the entire length of the
valley.
The vein lay very near the mountain
surface. BY the time the fire was dis
covered the earth was already begin
ming to cave in at many places. and
new points of exposure of. the fire to
the open air were constantly appear
ing. There was therefore no POSSIBLE
ity OF using ste9m as an extinguisher,
as was done at the Empire mine. The
more usual method of flooding the
mine was also impossible. 1t could
not be done without having the water !.
pour down upon the town lying direct
ly below in the valley.
In this perplexity a Mr.. Conrad. 4
civil engineer then living in West
Pittston. across the Susquehanna, laid
before the Butler Compauy's officers q
plan which adopted by them and car
ried out under his supervision. proved
successful in combining the fire to the