A BURNING MOUNTAIN IN QUEENSLAND.

Western Star, Issue 280, 18 January 1879, Page 6

A BURNING MOUNTAIN IN QUEENSLAND.

(From the Brisbane Courier.) We are favored by Mr Thomas Ereney, surveyor, with a very interesting and graphic account of a burning mountain, whose existence has, strange to say, hitherto been unknown. Mr Freney's communication is dated “ Cooper’s Plains, September 16th,” and runs as follows “ Having recently been near the Main Range, my attention was drawn by some young men to a burning mountain they had lately visited in company of a blackfellow, who acted as guide, and by whom they were informed it had been on fire to his knowledge since he was a little boy. I arranged with-them to visit the locality on a certain day, and accordingly ten or more of us started, all anxious to see so rare an occurrence. After travelling some miles the mountains began to close in, and our path was continued to the valley of the Ten’ot .Brook, with its splendid stream, clear as crystal. A narrow passage of solid rock was reached, through which the stream flows, the face of this wall being perpendicular, about 200fb. high, and seven chains long on left hand side going up. About midway is this wall, and at 20ft. over the stream is a splendid cave, divided into several compartments. Continuing our course up the brook, in » mile and a half a cedtr scrub was reached, and half a mile further we dismounted and secured our horses in a yard used by.the cedar cutters, of whom there are two parties. This far there is a fair road; wo had now one mile to ( ramp, half of which was through scrub intersected by (rarks from one fallen cedar to the next. On leaving the scrub we mounted a steep spur, only a few yards wide on top, the inclination of its sides being about 50 degrees, running parallel with the brook, and standing probably 200 ft. above it; it consists chiefly of shale and coal. Proceeding some distance a small descent to a cross spur was made, and this was the termination of our journey. Looking to the sonth, the view was shut out by the spurs of the main range and the density of the timber. Wilson’a Park, though not visible, was only two miles distant. To filing to the north, the cedar scrub and bed of the brook were 200 ft. under where we wore standing. There was nothing strange or unusual fo observe, and had it not been pointed out by the guides, we should never have suspected that the heart of the spur under our feet was a smouldering mass of lire. Moving lower down, and more around on the inclined face of the slope, a patch »f burnt earth and ashes was entered upon, which continued about a,chain horizontally, and half a chain wide. At each step, we sank up to the knees in burnt material, and the heat of the ground was distinctly felt. Trees over two feet through were burnt across in small openings 18in. wide, others, probably of more recent fall, fcei ng untouched by the fire. At the top of this slop® a seats, of coal a foot thick was seen resting on a compact massive-looking shale untouched by fire. Wo now tried, to ascertain what was under the ashes, and clearing away as best we could —not having any implements to. assist the operation, and the ashes coming down as fast as they wore cleared out —at length, and at say 18in. deep calcined clay and shale were exposed, too hot to handle, and a stick thrust in was in a few seconds ignited. Everywhere we tried in the above-mentioned space the result was the same. That it is a coal-bed on fire there cannot exist a doubt, and in my opinion the seat of the fire, or combustible matter is at present situated far in the heart of the ridge. My informants say that it cannot be less than 30 years since this phenomenon was first seen. Whether such i< the case I cannot say, but evidently, judging by the surroundings, it has at least been some year* on firo. The question arises, when or where will it end ? The locality is a vast coalfield ; coal is visible in every gully, and many of the spurs are largely composed of it; and though uphoaved, penetrated, and overflowed by the main range, which is of a more modern ora, it is reasonable to conjecture it to be a continuation of, and identical with the Allora coalfield.”