Kentucky's Own Hell

Many people have heard about the infamous underground coal mine fire in Centralia, PA, which has been continuously raging since 1962 and necessitated the total evacuation of the city. It is currently considered unstoppable and is burning for miles under the surface. The Centralia underground fire has been the subject of numerous documentaries, news stories, and articles.

But how many know that a very similar subterranean catastrophe is taking place right here in Kentucky?

The Tiptop underground mine fire in Bulan, KY (Breathitt County), also known as the Lost Mountain fire or "the Ruth Mullins fire" for the lady who discovered it, is burning out of control just below the Earth's surface and has been for apparently many years.

But how did this happen? Details are sketchy. An article in Discover doesn't really delve into the fire's origins. According to Earth Magazine, "No one seems to know how long it’s been burning, how much coal it has consumed, how it started or the dangers associated with it."

A report of scientific analysis of the outgassing fumes from the Tiptop fire paints an ecologically troubling picture:

At the time of our visits, concentrations of CO2 peaked at 2.0% and > 6.0% (v/v) and CO at 600 ppm and > 700 ppm during field analysis in May 2008 and January 2009, respectively. For comparison, these concentrations exceed the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) eight-hour safe exposure limits (0.5% CO2 and 50 ppm CO), although the site is not currently mined. Mercury, as Hg0, in excess of 500 and 2100 μg/m3, in May and January, respectively, in the field, also exceeded the OSHA eight-hour exposure limit (50 μg/m3). Carbonyl sulfide, dimethyl sulfide, carbon disulfide, and a suite of organic compounds were determined at two vents for the first sampling event. All gases are diluted by air as they exit and migrate away from a gas vent, but temperature inversions and other meteorological conditions could lead to unhealthy concentrations in the nearby towns.

There are at least nine sites with major openings in the ground where the Ruth Mullins fire is venting, extending over a huge area that occupies both Breathitt and Perry counties. Many researchers believe that underground coalmine fires such as this (there are many around the world, especially in China) could be a major culprit in man-made global warming.

On the other hand, such fires can also be a part of mother nature's plan. An enormous mountain in Australia, once thought to be a volcano, has turned out to be a naturally-occuring underground coal-seam fire that has been raging for over six millenia.

And if, as many Native Americans believe, coal has a mind of its own, then the coal spirit may be well pleased by its own blaze of glory.

Napfor's "Tunnel Hill"

According to the Southeastern Kentucky Paranormal Society, this "Tunnel Hill" in rural Napfor, KY is something worth checking into.

Although the SKPS indulges in the sort of primitive "ghostbusting equipment" that I disdain - EMF gaussmeters and such - they have done a fair amount of puttering around the place, and gone to great lengths to try to find something, anything to show evidence for the claims that Tunnel Hill is (and I quote) "a terrifyingly active location". According to their site:

We investigated both tunnels, recording both video and audio, and taking still photos as well as temperature and EMF readings. There were no temperature or EMF fluctuations to speak of, and nothing unusual appeared either to the naked eye or on video. Digital still photos contained some shapes that some investigators would claim were "orbs," but are most probably dust particles lit by the camera's flash bulb...

Overall, we had no first-hand experiences that would indicate any real haunting. That's not to say there isn't any activity at Tunnel Hill - it simply means were unable to substantiate any claims during our investigation on that particular day, other than the two EVPs."

Well, at least they don't believe in "Orbs", thank goodness for that. But... EVPs? That would be "Electronic Voice Phenomena", which is the ignoble art of turning on a tape recorder in an allegedly haunted place and then swearing you hear ghostly voices on the tape. With all due respect to my colleagues at SKPS, I think EVPs are a truckload of old baloney. But you can check out their mp3 files of alleged ghost voices at Tunnel Hill and elsewhere, here.

Meanwhile, on the junk data-laden site Shadowlands:

"Tunnel Hill is located a couple of miles in the back roads of Napfor just before you get to low water bridge. Directly on top of the twin tunnels lie two cemeteries. But forget about the cemeteries for the tunnels are the sites of many bizarre occurrences. The story has it that there is a hidden chamber hidden among the manholes. It is said that the manhole will give way to the secret passage and those who have ventured into this passage have no recollection of how they got there. When walking through the tunnels all light sources will slowly drain and the further you venture into the tunnel total darkness. It is then that random light sources will appear from cracks and crevices on various places in the tunnel. Rather you go in the day or night the same will happen because most occurrences happen once you reach the middle of the tunnel. The right tunnel is much more active than the left. NEVER go alone. Beware these tunnels are still in service and actual trains still pass through each day. One such aspect of the haunting place is the ghost train, which you will actually hear and even feel beneath your feet. Faint train horns echo throughout this terrifying area. Also feel free to explore the large active cemeteries above. Rumors are there many more horrifying things that have happened and continue to happen that cannot be mentioned in this article."

Let's read that last sentence again, shall we?

"Rumors are there many more horrifying things that have happened and continue to happen that cannot be mentioned in this article."

Wow, they can't be mentioned! Even though they just did, sorta.... but they're only rumors.... but they can't tell us what the rumors are, exactly...... alrighty then!

So enough internet B.S., what's up with the real Tunnel Hill? Well, that's what I'm trying to figure out now. I've contacted a few people who live relatively near the area, and some say they've never heard a peep about the place being haunted. A couple of others indicated they're heard the rumors but know of no actual incidents. Is the whole thing just another legend that came about because railroad tunnels are dark and spooky and humans can't help making up stories?

Probably.

Or maybe not. Maybe there is a kernel of truth inside. Very old railroad tunnels such as this do tend to be places of death, because of the inevitable accidents that occur - ironically, they tend to increase when a "ghost story" becomes attached to a site and more and more goofs start going there to gawk.

I'll be one of those goofs myself come Spring, and will file a full report, dear readers. I don't think I'll be making it out there to Perry County during the winter. Meanwhile, if you live around the Napfor area, please get in touch and tell me if you know any other info about Tunnel Hill.

(photo by the SKPS)

Where is the Daniel Boone Parkway?

Ask anyone for directions in the vicinity between Laurel County and Perry County, and there's a good chance that they'll mention "The Daniel Boone Parkway". However, you may then be confused to find nothing but signs for a "Hal Rogers Parkway".

The matter is a serious bone of contention for many Kentuckians and non-Kentuckians alike. The controversy dates back to the year 2000, when then-Governor Paul Patton decided to rename the Daniel Boone Parkway after the sitting U.S. Representative from Kentucky, Hal Rogers. This was an extremely unpopular decision, and remains one to the present day. The outcry from insulted Kentuckians, outraged at the removal of Daniel Boone's name for the sake of a political favor, reached the national and even international news media, but in the end nothing was done.

The "Hal Rogers Parkway" signs are frequently targets of defacement and vandalism, and some have even been surreptitiously removed in protest. Complicating the matter further is the impending Interstate 66 project, which would combine the Hal Rogers Parkway with the Cumberland Parkway. It's not known for sure whether those parts of the new Interstate would retain their previous names, so we may end up with neither Boone nor Rogers, but a mere 66!

In 2005 Governor Ernie Fletcher, as a gesture of good will, renamed a small stretch of U.S. 25 the "Daniel Boone-Cumberland Gap Wilderness Trail". Not bad, but most of us would still rather have the Daniel Boone Parkway back.