[NMCAVER] Centralia Mouth of Hell

[DONALD G. DAVIS]

>      To go along with the Turkmenistan Door to Hell, there is a similar si=
>tuation much closer to home in Centralia, PA:  <http://fogonazos.blogspot.c=
>om/2007/03/centralia-mouth-of-hell.html>.
>
>Mark Minton

	Multiple coal mine fires have been active for a century or so near 
New Castle in NW Colorado.  I've explored the surface over the one that's 
up a steep ridge to the west of the high school.  It's developed a barren 
sinkhole terrain on the upper part.  There was at least one vent that 
would have been big enough to crawl down into, but it was gushing a clear 
stream of hot gas, clearly not breathable.  The platy shale at the surface 
had been baked to a reddish color.  But no visible smoke and no flames.  
The Turkmenistan video is certainly the most visually spectacular example 
of this kind of thing that I've seen.
							--Donald Davis