Year: 1879

BLAZING BUTLER MINE.
TEN ACRES OF ANTHRACITE COAL


GLOWING LIKE A FuRNACE-THE


MINERS AT WORK IN THE VEIN BE-


MEATH.


PITTsToN, Pa, Oct. 27.


The fire In the Butler coliery, short
distance from the J.ehigh and Susgue-
hanna Railroad, on the onskiits Of this
town, continued to burn iiercely. At
present it is estimated that ten acres OF
anthracite are glowing in the upper vein
and the most startling phase Of the at
fair is that the miners in the employ OF
the company are working the vein be-
meath. A visit to the wotkmen in their
subterranean oven gives some idea OF
the intensity with which the fire Is rag
ing over their heads. Although separat-
ed from them by seventy feet of solid
rock, yet the heat is so great that they
are compelled to work without a par
ticle of clothing upon them excepting a
light pair of drawers or overalls. The
perspiration pours constantly from their
bodies, and the temperature is coniinIl-
ally much the same as if they were at
work in presence of roaring furnace.
1t is very seriously questioned by those
understanding the situation whether the
men should be permitted to work in this
intensely perilous position. Even the
air they breathe has to pass through the
flames of the burning vein before II
reaches them, and it is understood that
Mine Inspector Jones has already noti-
fled the company that they must con-
struct another shaft to admit pure air tc
the workmen or quit work.


ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.


The fire IN the Butler mine has now
been burning upward of two years. II
originated in the old workings of al
abandoned or worked ont mine, neal
what was known as the outcrop of the
fourteen feet vein, and OH the very high
ct ground of the property o f the Butler
Coal Company. The destructive sparl
was first kindled by poor, degraded
woman, who having been driven from
| the shelter of the town took refuge in one
| of the numerous coves on the outskirts
Here she made fire for the purpose o
cooking such stray crumbs as she coult
pick up and to keep her warm at night
One midnight she was alarmed by seein!
the entire side of the cave on fire, ant
she fled in terror from the scene. Super
tical and careful managers in that re
cion, had his attention called 10 the fir
early in June, 1877. BY that time it hat
made a good deal of headway northeas
of the pitch along the pillars, and th'
| course it was taking indicated that !
| would shortly exhaust itself. There wa
nothing to give rise then TO the appre
hension that it would work its way dow
the pitch or declivity, and immediat
steps we're taken to cover the "cav
holes" by which the air was admitted t.
feed the flames. The immediate vicini
ty of the fire at that time was honey
combed with three cave holes, caused b
the caving in of the surface where tn
mine had been worked out and no pi
lars left to support the roof. The stor
ping up of these prevented In measur
the progress of the fire, but owing to tn
elevated character of the place it wa
impossible to obtain water IN sufficier
quantity to be effective. An arrange
ment made with party to open an
clear out an old chamber in the mini
intending thereby to cut of the flame
but the work was done In a bunglin
manner and failed to do what was il
tended.


FUTILE EFFORTS TO sUBDUE THE FIF


Seeing the threatening character


the elements the company at lene
adopted plan at an enormous expens
which it was hoped would prove efle
tive. A pont was selected about ejgl
hundred feet from The fire, at which a
open cut was begun from the surfa'
down to the old workings. 1t was II
tended that this cut would be $50 yart
in length, 20 feet wide at the bottol
and ranging from II to 45 feet in depll
The plan was that of Engineer c.. !
Conrad, who contemplated at the outs
the removal of so, 900 cubic feet of cart
rock and coal in the construction of til
magic circle about tho fire. He tunne
led part of the way, and in the face
obstacles apparently able,
worked steadily day and night with
strong force of men until his plan VI
effected. The progress of the fam
have siuce been slow, but now thu
seem to have gained great hold, al
not only the coal bat the superincur
b rock is red with fire. 1t has nc
advanced almost to Engineer Conrat
circumscribed limit and much anxiety


felt lest IL should break beyond Il
boundary.


WHERE THE DANGER LIES.


The danger lies in the tunnelled pal
where it is feared glowing rock W
carry destruction over the archway al
communicate it to the adjoining pr
perty. The great danger from the ii
would arise from its extension into Il
workings of the Pennsylvania Coal Cor
pany, and once there, no power on ear
can prevent it from working its way III
der the town of Pittston. here inde'
would be poetic and terrible reven
on the part of the outcast who was d
MED shelter by the town and fled, Iii