Year: 1879

| The firc'in the Butter collcry,a q short dis
tancc from the Lchigh and Susquehanna
Railroad, on the outskirts of Pittston, Pa,
continues to burn ticrccly At present it
is estimated that ten acres of anthracite
are glowing in tho upper vein and the
most startling phase of the affair is that the
miners in the employ Of the company are
working the vein beneath \ visit to the
workmcn in their subtcrrancan oven gives
some idea of the intensity with which the
lire is raging over their heads. Although
separated from them by seventy feet of
solid rock, yet the heat is so great that they
are compelled to work without n particle of
clothing upon them excepting a light pair
OF drawers or ovcralls. The pcrspiration
pours constantly f.om their bodies, and the
temperature is continually much the same
as If they were at work IN the presence Of
roaring furnace. 1t is very seriously
questioned by those understanding the stu
ation whether the men should be permitted
to work in this intensely pcrilous position.
The fire in the Butler mine has now beer
burning upwards of two years. It origl-
mated Ill the old work shop of IN abandon
| ell or worltcd-out minc near what was
known as the outcrop of the fourteen feet
vein, and on the very highest ground of the
property Of the Butler Coal Company. The
destructive spark was first kindlcd by a
poor, degraded woman, who having been
driven from the shelter Of tho town took
refuge III one OF the numerous caves on the
outskirts. Here she made fire for the
purpose OF cooking such stray crumbs rs
shc cou'd pick up and TO keep her warm ut
night. One night she was alarmed by
seeing the entire side Of tn cave on fire,
amt she fled in terror from tho scene Su-
pcrintcndcnt Bennett, one of the most
practical and careful managers in this
region, had his attention called to the fire
carly in June, 1877. by that time it had
made good deal of Roadway northeast of
| the pitch along The pillars, and the course
it was taking indicated that 1t would shortly
exhaust itself. There was nothing to give
! rise then to the apprehension that it would
| work It's way down the pitch or dcclivity,
anu immediate steps were taken TO cover
| the "cavc holes by whicn tho ar was ad-
mittcd TO feed the flames. The immediate
vicinity OF the fire al that time was honey
combcd with three cave holes, caused by
| tho caving III of the surface where the
mine had been worked out and no pillars
left to support the roof The stopping up
| OF these prevented in a measure the pro-
gress of the fire, but owing to the elc-





siblc TO obtain water in sufficient quantity
| 10 De effective. An arrangement was made
| with party to open and clear out IN old
chamber in the mine, intending thcl by 10
cut off the flames, but the work was done
i'll bunglng manner and failcd to o VIA,
was intended. Seeing the. threatening char
actcr of the clement, the company at length
adopted plan at m enormous expense,
| which it was hoped would prove effective.
A point was selected about eight hundred
feet from the fire, at which an open cut was
begun from the surface down to the old
workings. 1t was intended that this cut
should be 35Oyards in length, 20 feet wide
Mt the bottom, and ranging from IL to do
feet in depth. The plan was that of Engi-
nccr @. Il. Conrad, who contemplated at
the outset the removal of $4,000 cubic feet
of Garth, rock and coal in the construction
of this magic circle about the fire. lie
tunnclcd part Of the way, and, in the
face Of obstacles apparently insurmount-
| able he worked steadily day and night with
a strong force Of men until lis plan was
| effected. The progress of the flames has
since been slow, but now they seem to have
gained great hold, and not only the coal
but tho su?crincumbcnt rock is red with
fire. The danger lies in tho tunnclcd part
where 1t Is feared glowing rock will carry
destruction over the archway and commu-
ncatc 1t to the adjoining property. The
great danger from tho fro would arise
from its extension into the workings OF the
Pennsylvania Coal Company, and once there
no power on earth can prevent 1t from
working Its way under the town of Pitts
ton. Here indeed would be poetic and
terrible revenge on the part Of the outcast
| a.
fled, like Hagar, to the Wilderness.