Fire in Coal Mine in Uling Naga

For the Philippines even in their limited experience have not been immune from disasters caused by the typical hazards of coal mining this paper mentions. One of the first was a fire in the Doña Margarita at Uling, Naga, Cebu, about 1860 -1870. Recent development work broke through some of the Doña Margarita's old workings. Part of one of her tunnels in rock was opened and made use of. Doing this work, another entry was noticed, going to the right. Three big boulders were found at the entrance to this tunnel. There are many legends extant about Doña Margarita, one that she buried a fortune in the mine-a fortune in silver doubloons. Seeing the boulders, the miners grew quite excited over their discovery, thinking surely that beyond lay the hidden treasure. In no time at all they had opened up 10 feet of the old entry before they were stopped. Closed examination discovered a complete seal of board walls 2 feet apart with clay between the boards; then round sticks, about 3 feet long, laid longitudinally in the tunnel, and packed with clay, and then another clay wall, then 2 to 3 feet of sand. There was more, but as the work was stopped, it was never learned what else it was. It was a perfect fire-stopping, or seal, but the thought of a fire was never entertained. Later it turned out that Doña Margarita had a fire in her mine, and her hiding place for buried treasure was in reality a fire seal. This was learned when a raise entry was driven into the area back of the stopping, and old charred timbers, charcoal, ashes, and burnt rock were found. Superstitions of the place speak of spirits that were in the Doña Margarita, ca'ling them the Flaming Spirits and the Walking Fire; and old Naga folk tell of friends and kin who were burned and killed by by these mysterious spirits. They wanted all knowledge of gases, and so in their credulity transmuted methane into fiery ghosts. The terms Walking Fire and Flaming Spirit are completely descriptive. Old miners have seen the blue flame of ignited gas travel up and down a drift until the gas burned out, walking fire, and have also seen the sharp, quick, il'uminating flame of a small gas explosion, a flaming spirit. There are no recorded data of the number of victims of Doña Margarita's fire. The late Major R. R. Landon, mining in the sanle locality 20 years ago, experienced similar difficulties. Even during the present war period, fires have visited some of our coal mines. The industry must have trained coal men, not only in the operating branch but in combating the hazards here reviewed with strict adherence to the safety rules."

Source:
Hazards Of Philippine Coal Mining By George H. Miller
THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL.: MANILA, PHI LIPPINES. Vol XXI, NO. 9 SEPTEMBER 1941