Report of the Bureau of Mines of the Department of Internal Affairs of ...

102 REPtJRT OF THE INSPECTORS OF MINES. Off. Doc.
The Baltimore Xo. 2,
Delaware and Hudson Caual Company.
On Monday, December 21, 1896, a fire Ignited by a blast in this
mine required the flooding of the Red Ash slope workings. The fire
being in a high part of the workings, a bore hole was drilled to let
the gases escape so as to permit the water to fill to the highest
points. On March 24, 1897, at 1 P. M., the bore hole broke into the
mine and the confined gases instantly rushed up and were ignited
by the boiler fire of the boring machine. The flame consumed the
shanty and boring machine and threatened to destroy several houses
in the vicinity. It made a flame eighty feet high, a mighty torch
swayed by the wind. The fire department was called out and they
had to work incessantly for a day and a half to save the houses. At 4
1\ M., March 25, the flame was extinguished but the gas continued
to escape for several weeks. Finally it ceased and the water in the
mine filled to the hole.
By October, 1897, all the water was pumped out and the workings
were found to have been entirely closed in by falls of roof caused by
the action of the water. The sloj)e is being remodelled and arranged
so that the gangways will be above the old workings and in new
ground. When this is completed this part of the mine will be much
better arranged than the old one was.
A Squeeze and Serious Inflow of Water at the Avondale Mine.
Towards the middle of March, 1897, a squeeze began in the Red
Ash seam workings west of the No. 1 inside slope in the Avondale
Mine of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company.
The seam was 22 feet in thickness and the workings in this part
were old and had for years been abandoned but now they had just
resumed working a block of coal formerly left as being too poor in
quality to mine. The pillars were irregular and at some places the
breasts were unusually wide and as usual in this seam llic gobs
were high.
By March 24th the squeeze affected the workings in the Ross seam
directly over the seat of the trouble in the ]{ed Ash seam. The rocks
ovei'lying the Ross workings cracked, and crevices were opened
through which a stream of water flowed into the mine, which was estimated
to be about 14,000 gallons per minute. It ran down into the
workings of No. 3 slope which is a slope sunk "from the lower lift
oi' the No. 1 slope. It was evident at once that the pnnii»s could not
pump the wati'r and they were taken uj).
Dams had been already partially constructed across the gangway
and airway leading into the workings connected with the Nottiugliam
and these were hastily completed. P.y March 29th the No. ^ slope and
its workings were submerged and it began to fill upoji the dams.
The next dav the dams began to leak and the quantity leaking through