New Britain herald., 1926-03-30
SUMMIT MINE IS
 STILL BURNING
Fire, Started 67 Years Ago, Not
 Yet Distinguished

Summit Nill, Pao March 90 Hl Anthracite strikes may como and go but, liko Tennyson's brook, the sum. init Hill mine fro apparently goes on forever. II has been burning for sixty seven years, ever since February, 1859, and is the most destructive, expensive and famous mine fire in the history of mining in tho United States.
 The area involved is about ono milo long and l,500 feet wide. More than $S,0o0,O0O have been expended in fighting the fire, The tonnage of coal consumed by this liking" of mine fires can only be guessed, but estimates run as high as l4.00Q, ,000. The coal area embracing the scene of the fire Is owned by the l.chigh Coal &; Navigation Company, fOund- ed in 1920.
 Summit Hin lies in tho Panther Creek Valley in what is known as tho Schuylkill or Lower coal field or the anthracite regions.
 In the years since the fire first was discovered. many stories have been told of Its origin. But the true story, youchcd for by the company, | is that it was started though hot coals being mixed with ashes, the cause of many q fire in inc homes of coal consumers.
 It was common in inc days be- fore the Civil War to have large stoves at inc bottom of inc slopes for the comfort of the men. The bottom man" al old No. 1 slope when the fire started was ono Daniel Boyle. Among other things if was his Nduty 10 attend 10 the stove. One morning he vas a little late In ar irving and in hurrying to get the stove burning gave it q severe rak- ing, shaking down red hot coals wit h the ashes.
 An empty car was stading near and he shovelcd Inc ashes and hot coals into it. The cars in those days were built entirely Of wood, sheet iron bottoms not as yet being used, By the time he finished, one of tho drivers hitchcd his mule to the car and hauled it to ono Of the unused ganEways. He had been ordered 10 place the car there by the fore man the previous day in accordance with the forcman's intention 10 place several men in that section 10 do some repair work The foreman. however, changed his mind, and the car. as well as tic repairing was for gotten for q couple weeks.
 When they started 10 do l. thnH found the fire well under way. thc hot coals. mixed with inc ashes, hay ing ignited the wooden car and the fire having spread 10 the timbors. A! it was an old worked d-out EaugWa, the fire spread rapidly to the loos coal.
 There was little. if any, expert cncn then in fighting mine fires. Tn only method employed was 10 floo the place. TIis was done but ol pumping out the water it was foun, that the fire had gained consider able headway and showed pl@inl, that water was of little use in com batting 1t.
 There was such an abundance O coal tho vein here being fifty fcc thick. and many of the working being undcr-dcVcloped. if was fcl the fire would burn itself out il time. It was decided to abandon th old slope and sink new slope (Nc @) farther west. With tho develop ment Of inc new slope passed th glory of Summit lTill as minin town.
 In fighting tho fire in the earl :, sixties, an open cut was made whic seemed to isolate if for many year. Eventually the fire travelled past thi cut into the coal areas beyond.
 The next method used was sinkin
 siX-inch diameter bore holes. spaC
 cd tWcn y-tivr feet in each direction
 across | n basin west of the fire [
 establish Il barrier 250 feet wide an
 extending from the outcrop on th , north 10 point where q water sci ?" on inc south would prevent tl