Year: 1874




Correspondence New York Herald
WEST PITTsToN, Pa, Nov. 1.-The fir


in the ''burning mine" preference to which
in the daily papers, drew more or les
attention in the early part of the YEAR,
at last conquered. The agent which ha
gained the victory, after months of valiant


persistent battle with the flames, bringin:


into play almost every resource of engi
neering skill, is new one, which hence


forth takes its place as the fire-destroyer
whenever that most-to-be-dreaded foe en-


tiers the mines. The employment of steam
by the Lehigh and Wilkesbarre Coal Com


pany, in extinguishing the Empire Mint


fire has proved success, which must b,


ofincalculable value, not alone in Penn


sylvania, but in mining districts every


where. The name of the foreman of the


Empire Mine, Lewis s. Jones, through


whose sagacious and persistent endeavor:


the trial by steam was made, is certainly


worthy of record and remembrance.


Seeking information on this and somt
matters of kindred interest, your CORES
pondent was referred by the President O.


the Company to its Assistant Superinten


dent, on whom had chiefly devolved the
daily supervision and practical carrying
out of all efforts to save the mine. sit is
impossible to enter the scene of the late
fire." was the answer to my first query,
las it is entirely walled up and filled with
steam; but | think that with the aid ol
our maps can explain to you all you wish
to know


On the hillside, perhaps a mile from
where we stood, was the mouth of slope
from which mines, now abandoned, were
formerly worked; afterward used as an
up-caSt for purposes of ventilation in con-
nection with boilers below. These boilers
were placed near the head of Empire slope
No. 5, which leads still further down into
newer workings. Near the entrance to
the slope stood a wooden stack which, at
] a. m. on the 3lst of last December, was
discovered to. be in flames, doubtless
carried up to it almost instantaneously
from fire originating at the boilers. The
open spaces on each side of the slope
had been walled up with stone, but with
| doOrways for occasional necessary en-
trance 10 the old workings; and the fire
had communicated at once through these
doors with the timber supports, stretch
| ing in all directions through the abandon
ed chambers. So that, although officers
and men were promptly on the spot, they
were met at the first by torrent of flame
| like that which the lake winds swept over
Chicago, carried up through diagonal
chimney of l 200 feet, from what was al
ready solid stream of fire on level OF
| 1856 feet, as plumbline might fall, below
| the spot where they stood. Water was
poured into the slope from reservoir
above, and turned on below from the wa
ter pipe that fed the boilers, so soon as
they could be reached, through the near
est shaft with its connecting gangway,
while every effort was used to cut off air
from the fire without destroying the VEN
! tiiation necessary for the workers. But
at the end of three hours the slope fell III,
shutting the fire in from above and dis
abling the boiler-pipe below. A steam
pump worked from the mine engine was
speedily substituted. but few hours made
it evident that the campaign needful for
subduing the fire was to be both prOlong-
ed and dangerous. Plans were rapidly
i9id and promptly carried out to save the
engine house and the pillars. on the gang
way by which the boilers were reached, as
to lose this way into the mine was to lose
all. And the enormous work was then
before them of not only cOnquering the
fire in its present stronghold, but of head
ing it off in all directions to prevent its
communication through open passage
ways with other workings.


From above a slope was to be driven
down for distance of 160 feet through
tough clay, divided into downcast and up
cast, to reach the fire from the surface.
A fan, needed for the downcast, to keep
back smoke and gasses that the men might
enter, was taken apart, removed two
miles, refitted and at work within thirty
six hours; and in fifteen days from the
time the slope was begun, the old slope
was reached and water poured in. But it
was necessary to cross the slope, and Il
plank " mainway" was held by playing
on it continually until one of stone could
be built and pushed through in sections.
Below " manways" were to be built and
held beside every pillar, and through old
falls from the roof, to enable the men to
hold position from which they could
bring the hose to bear upon the beds of
i fire in every chamber, caused by the
crumbling under the intense heat Of the
outside portions of the pillars, which fell,
keeping the masses of glowing coal per-
petually supplied. These manways :"
| could be held only by turning water con-
tinually upon them, the lower end of the
planks being often on fire before the upper
could be put securely in place, so that the
man worked in heat ranging from l60 de-
grees to l76 degrees, and, as the black
damp was also steadily rising, one man
could rarely work for more than from three
| to five minutes at time. Relays were
ready to bring them out promptly if over
come, and carry them to the office in the
main gangway. where physician, with
| three assistants and all needed remedies,
was i'm attendance day and night. During
all the terrible conflict, while there were
| 500 men continually at work, but one life
was lost, and that was by black damp,
when fan finally broke down. As the
| fans could not be stopped moment for
repairs, system of signals was devised
and successfully carried out, to give warn
ing instantly through all the mine if one
gave way. This was all the more needful,
as the draught of air had two miles to
travel before it emerged, bringing smoke
and gases with it. sort ~F~~s


! - The severe winter rendered the campaign
more arduous. Heavy machinery, and all
the lumber and stone needed for manways
and supports, and, later, for walls, were
to be brought over mountain roads and
carried into the mine. All waters that had
been available from outside were frozen
! solid for three weeks; and the mine water,
which ate out the machinery with fearful
rapidity.-the hose not bearing it more
than one or two days,-had to be depended
upon, and used over some times thrice.
But probably the heaviest work of the
officers through all the time was the or
ganiZing, drilling, and especially the in
spiriting of the men in the face of their
fearful foe.


AT the close of February the fire, save
for about 200 feet, had been securely in
closed, and the end seemed near, when
sound and sign gave token that the ROOF
| of the old workings to the west was about
to fall. This had been SO provided for as
TO insure its coming quietly, but the men,
fearing the conclusion of air which results
from violent falls, and which drives even
loaded cars like play things before ii out Of
the mines, refused TO remain. Watches
were stationed at safe distances, but the
fall came so gently that they were una.
ware of it. On March l the officers found
that it was over, but, while the men were
absent, the fire had swept through the
open space and covered a field far beyond
its original dimensions; air-eurrents were
reversed; connecting passages closed ol
flooded. TO stop the fans was certain
death to the men; to keep them going
was to feed the fire.


1t was at this time, when new-measures
were imperative, that the mine boss, Lewis
S. Jones, urged the trial of steam. From