1900 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

210 REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF MINES. Off. Do'j.
How this lire originated remains a mystery, as no signs of fire
smoke were discovered up to the time that work ceased in the colliery.
The alarm of fire was given by the night pumping engineer.
When it was discovered that the three men had not arrived home,
a. patty of men, under the leadership of James O'Donnell, mine foreman,
entered the mine at the outlet, traveled westward along the
gangway to a door a few feet east of where the men were found,
which showed that the men did not meet with any smoke or gas until
they opened the door. It was the opinion of some that the lamp
of a driver, riding up the slope on his mule, might have touched some
of the dry timber, which has been the cause of a few mine fires
this district.
The slope, which is over 500 feet deep, was a complete mass of
tire, and is permanently destroyed. The fire was sealed up by erecting
batteries east of top of slope from gangway to face of breasts,
and water raised to a height east of bottom of slope, so as to exclude
the air from the fire.
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in
Improvements at
Collieries.
Packer No. 2.
A tunnel has been driven from the second west level gangway,
Mammoth seam, to the Buck Mountain seam; distance, 250 feet.
Also, a tunnel from the fourth vest level gangway. Mammoth seam,
to the Buck Mountain seam; distance, 284 feet. The Buck Mountain
seam is about eight feet thick.
Packer No. 3.
The seven-foot slope has been sunk about 200 feet to the ninth
level, and the Buck Mountain slope has been sunk 300 feet to the
An air shaft was sunk 42 feet from surface to Mammoth
ninth level.
seam to ventilate the west counters, and 1,100 feet of speaking tube
put in place. A split of air has been taken from the fourth level
Mammoth seam, through the tunnel, and down the Buck Mountain
slope, which has nearly doubled the volume of air.
Packer No. 4.
This colliery was not in operation during the year. The old
breaker was taken down and a large breaker is now nearing completion,
the capacity of w r hich will be 3,000 tons daily. A new
tubular boiler plant has been erected, having 2,500 horse power.
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