Centralia Rules!!

Although I feel that the disaster that struck the denizens of Centralia, Pennsylvania is a tradgedy not to be made light of, the mine fire! Fire!! FIRE!!!! (Um.. Heh-heh. -Sorry about that.) is something too cool for words.

I would like to make a point here.  I am not one of these "Johnny-come-lately's" who has read "A Walk in the Woods," (God bless 'em!) and added their page then.  My page has been up for over 3 & 1/2 years--and my interesting in Centralia has endured for over 14.  (!)

This is not a joke. Check out how to grow a "Coal garden."

The mine fire around Centralia, is the world's largest, and second oldest .

*CORRECTION* Centralia is _not_ the world's largest mine fire.  I believe the one in China is.  (cf Otherfires.)

(Yet another :P ) *CORRECTION* Centralia is _not_ the second oldest minefire in the world.  I don't know what the second oldest one is, but click here to find out about the oldest.

On the way into Centralia, on route 61, one can see a culm (waste coal) pile - the size of a mountain!! -It took the small village of Mt. Carmel over one hundred years to make it.

*CORRECTION*!!: Shamokin was the town that accumulated all this coal. Sorry. :O

When one enters Centralia, one is greated by a sign saying, "Public Alert. Area subject to mine subsidence and toxic gas emission." (Heh-heh. -Sounds like my butt.)

Here is a tree that women will put an ornament on once a year, if they want to have a linoleum lizard.

Behind the town, there is an area of the mine fire that is "hot" - that is, near the surface. There, the devastation of the mine fire is awesome.

This isn't a good picture; in fact, none of them are, but, in some places, one can see heat shimmering from the ground.

In some places, one can see fumaroles of steam rising. This is normally a lot clearer; it was very dry when I took these pictures.

Here is a better one. This used to be a water main. :O

Here is what one youth has to say about living in the Centralia area.

This is absolutely the best picture of Centralia I have ever seen. -It has it all: The desolation of a once thriving town, the devastion, the fumes perpetually rising from the ground.

On to Before and After pictures of Centralia.  Warning: Some of these are a little . . . disturbing.