The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1909-11-20
WINS FIFTY YEAR
FIGHT WITH FIRE
Coal vlofIt s2,OO0,gDD,U0D
Sagct BY Engineer,

Cutss ~ 1fS'"ssss
MANY FLasS TRIED IN VlM
Success cotoes t-iaeliy With 5u'idina
Of ccrcrete. MeN sutsins OF From
Flames Main sedl q Threa<snsd
Fuel In cigsrtie riio'rb."
In order IL eaxp 4t51.tsJo.00G tons Of
coal from Il ta'ge ina had been Duf0-
ing half eenTury one \ the most re-
markable opera IONS = The history OF
American enginesrins has JUST neSen
completed III 31auch Chank. Pa.
The fire vas discovered ia the mines
on Feb. ~. 1859 During all the tsEae
It has been raging, while swo genera
Hons were coming aud going, it has
consumed lO.00NOO0 tons Of coal. esss%
. mated 10 be worth :ss25,0o0.OOO.
Succeeding administrations OF the
/. company owning the land have seeog-
nized that liz. greatest service they
could do the company was to stop me
progress Of the flames before thsy
finally got into the main deposit npd
destroyed all the coal
Coal Worth Billions In Danger
Four hundred million tons 81 that
lay In danger, aud this represented a
value OF 5000, Ot0tNO.
1t WIS u stake well worth playing
s16r and we'll worth exerting the last
atom Of ingenuity and spending 4
fortune In cash If the advance Of the
flames could be checked.
One plan after another was tried by
engineer after engineer, but the result
was always the same--faiiure and
big outlay o. money for which no re-
turn could he shown.
In the early stages the blunder was
made Of attempting to subdue the
flames with water, but this only made
the situation worse. The water COM
ing In contact with the DANES pro-
duced explosions that cracked the Goa
opep and made new paths along which
the fire could make Its way.
Ausa,.s annatimes the Ore would slow up
bit, and engineers wnulu get the ide'
that tiley had succeeded. On one &c
casion, indeed. It seemed to have stop
ped altogether. but just when thi'
hope dawned the flames broke ou
afresh In still more powerful volume
and the sacrifice OF valuable coal LAM
went on unabated.
,@. Gigantic sThumb" Of Coai.
Only one fortunate circumstanc
came to the aid OF the man who ha
now dnally succeeded In making til
winning nght against the dre W. A
Lathrop. This IL the shape OF the d.
tposit. The general shape OF the Par
Their creek coal basin has been 1kene
to that OF mans hand. with tn
N thumb extended aud the other finger
held together. The spur that mark
the thumb extends to Summit Hill
and ut the end of the thumb the slor
was originally opened up.
The point where the Ore started dft
years ago was on the outside Of Ii
thumb. 1t has taken fifty years Il
the flames to eat up this giant thumb
but after the accomplishment Of Il
job the next step Of the work OF de-
astation would be 10 get into II
main part Of the hand.
Once into the hand there would hay
been nothing to stop the progress. al
4OO.O00.OOO tons Of coal must inevitab
have been sacrificed.
uy~~A 40 T. ~~S1 H. -
person OF Engineer Lathrop. came
the rescue. In addition to being q
expert on engineering subjects N
LAthrop IN also the president Of Il
company. and he has been for a lor
time devoting himself to sstudy OF Il
subject In order to save the great co
deposit.
He 6rst tried In vain the plan
.'slushing holes" Long borings we
made across the spur and In advan
Of the rapidly moving flames. 1t W,
difncult work. for the heat was gres
and the men who gave the battle b,
to be constantly relieved.
Those 700 holes were driven down
the water level and were then fill
with mud. the idea being to form
barrier of wet clay between the ii
aud the main coal deposit.
SIush No Bar to Flames.
The deepest OF the holes was so de
that 1t took 5000 tons Of the slush
fill ii. But ten times that much Won
have proved unavailing The dam
went right through the slush the sal
as II It had been so much combustil
material.
In December. 100S, the fire we
through the last Of the mud defens
and brought Mr.. Lathrop to the /