Coalpail.com Forum

Go figure, a co worker let me borrow his copy of "The town that was." Such a shame, how big that town was, I just remember when I was a kid of them shutting that part of Rt 61 down and then they opened that road that is currently Rt 61. I liked when you could see the red from the ground and all the smoke, when you drive by now, you can't see a lot of the smoke or red, unless you drive up by the cementary.

I remember driving through Centralia as a kid with dad in his truck....he had lumber contracts with the lumber yard at the bottom of the hill in Ashland (I think it was ashland). I remember asking him what happened and he took time out of delivery to stop and we got out so I could experience it first hand as he explained it to me. It is a shame to see that happen, I feel poorly for the people who sold there land to the govt...I wonder what will become of the mineral rights because I believe it is a matter of time before they can get to the coal that isnt being affected in the vein righ tnow.

Wouldn`t whats left after its all burnt out be basically like the reddog they used to pave driveways with years ago?

When I first starting looking into coal, Centralia had come up on a google search and I just had to go to see it for myself. This was my very first experience with coal at all. I smelled the steam coming up out of the ground, and it was that now ever familiar sulfur smell. Sad to see this happen to any town. Why couldn't the Army Corp of Engineers do anything to stop this? Why couldn't they at least drill some holes and put some fire hoses, or hell even garden hoses down there and just run it non-stop until it's out? Such a waste. Wonder if they ever tested to see if there is now a hugh hole in the ozone layer above centralia? How about confirmed "global warming" differences in Centralia as compared to neighboring towns? Have at it, Al Gore!