Vist to Centralia PA. Holes Holes Everywhere

[midnightguy]

Went on a road trip through Central PA last week. I didn't have much time, but managed to stop at Centralia PA to view the coal fires and the abandoned town. There are a great many visitors there these days.. As I had about 20 minutes to spare and had my Whites with me I thought I would try one old site that looked pristine. Well I walked about 20 feet not hitting on much when I came across a large area of plug holes along with a hole about three feet across and one foot deep. It was looking as though that this site wasn't as pristine as I thought. I was surprised that most of the plugs were not back in place but just left about on the ground. I realize that this area has no real ownership anymore but whoever searched this site could have at least put the plugs back in the ground. As for the larger hole, someone was definitely looking for something as various previously buried trash items were strewn about the hole and just cast aside. It was a real mess.. I cleaned up some of the holes as I went along but had to leave the bigger hole as you would need a big shovel to clean this up properly. I figure that either someone is just blindly digging for souvenirs or that a really lazy MD'er is just slogging along thinking that no one else will ever search the same site. A lesson to be learned Maybe Maybe not..
Anyway I couldn't do a nice search in 20 minutes and the heat that day was stifling.. This visit did make me appreciate though what the previous residents must have gone through in having to relocate. Attached are some photos of some of the areas that are still smoking from the underground coal fires. Notice all the burned out vegetation.. Hope they come out OK.. Take Care HH Midnightguy

 

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[Nana40]

Thanks for filling those holes back in midnight! You did a good thing.

I think I have heard of this place on here before..maybe it was Jeff that was telling about it. Great pictures.

Nana

 

[Paul in WA]

How long have those fires been burning? Never heard of the place.

Paul

 

[midnightguy]

The fires have been burning since 1962 or so. The town was burning its trash in an abandoned pit coal mine when the fire went into a vein of coal they didn't know about. The fire spread through old underground mine shafts and has been burning ever since. It got so bad that the Government had to buy out the residents. Most moved away but a few die hards still remain. Most of the town is now empty lots as the homes were torn down to prevent vagrants, teens and the like from moving in so to speak. It's a sad story all around.. Apparently every effort to stop the fire has failed and it was cheaper for the GOV. to just move everyone out. Those old lots I'm sure hold old coins and and some MD'rs on this forum have tried searching in the past but I'm not sure of their success. The ground is rocky and from what I found has a high mineral content. Midnightguy

 

[jeff of pa]

Finding holes isn't exactly something I can say Congrats For.
But it was nice of you to take some time and try
to fill them in.
Been at least a year since I have gone that Direction MG
it is a Disappointment to hear someone isn't filling holes.
as When I talked to the Township Police about detecting it
he was Very friendly and I wouldn't like to see their attitude
change.

site is about 20 mile from me and there are still areas
there I would like to search.

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,36851.msg253845.html#msg253845

The homes were Bought out by the Federal Government,
so I would take it they consider it their land.
although as long as the fire continues to burn
it is just an uninhabitable piece of land.

it appears to me, when the Gov Tore the buildings down, they didn't Remove anything
they just Bulldozed it all into the ground. so alot of the area is undetectable also.

 

[RatRacer]

I haven't been to Centralia in about 2 years. It is a very sad place, with only the cemetery and a few houses standing, but that's no reason to not refill dig holes. Good job on cleaning up.
Always wondered why, now that the town's gone, they haven't mined the coal out to where the fire is. It's anthracite, the hard, clean-burning, rare stuff, and should be worth the effort.

 

[jeff of pa]

Always wondered why, now that the town's gone, they haven't mined the coal out to where the fire is. It's anthracite, the hard, clean-burning, rare stuff, and should be worth the effort.

The people still there who Refused to move, Believed the real Reason the Government wanted to Buy everyone out was for the coal.
The Gov Denied it Of Course. saying they wanted to dig for the purpose of putting the fire out.

The holdouts would rather live with the fire then let the Government make money off their Coal.

 

[Don in SJ]

I drove thru Centralia about 7 years ago on my way back from Wellsboro and what an eerie experience. Seeing the smoke seeping out of the ground, the burnt areas, I believe the highway was even buckling from the fire underneath.

As far as the unfilled holes, that is all too uncommon, which reflects bad on our hobby.

I do want to raise one possibility, but it is probably not what was experienced in Centralia but this past late winter I was hitting a site continously for over a month or so. It was a very wooded site with a nice layer of leaves on top.

I always fill in my holes and try and kick the leaves back over top to where they hole blends into the background. Well, at this particular site, which is bordering a nice stream I was shocked that on several occasions upon my return that I found the vast majority of my holes dug up again! If it were not for the fact that I know I was the digger of the holes and that I did in fact fill in all the holes, I would have sworn someone else dug and never filled the holes back in.

Evidently an animal, and I am thinking a Fox must like to investigate these fresh diggings in search of a meal. This was not an isolated incidence, this went on for the whole time I was hunting in that area this year.

So, not all unfilled holes are from the detectorist, not filling the hole back in, but some are from enterprising animals, looking for a meal..........

Don in SJ

 

[midnightguy]

Hi Again, Don in SJ may be right as far as animals tearing up some holes but from what I saw it looked too fresh to me to be an animal. Never looked like the ground had been replaced. I do know that skunks will investigate fresh digs looking for grubs so it is a possibility but I just don't know. Didn't look like a spot wildlife would reside in very much. The larger hole was definitely dug out with a shovel and probably a pick as the ground gets rocky as you go down. We have all had some plugs that didn't come out just right when we replaced them but at least an effort was made. I thought that if someone is responsible for this, they can read this and see that others are trying to keep the MD'ing hobby in a positive light..
Take Care Midnightguy