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WANTED: Mounting an Expedition to Centralia, Looking for Adventurers

T

TruePaige

Diamond Member
Hello ATOT!

I am considering mounting an expedition to Centralia, Pennsylvania for adventure, photographs, studying the wildlife, vegetation, and wear on the buildings in general. This is not a scientific exploration, but a journey into the land man abandoned so that we may all benefit from it.

For those who do not know, Centralia is a very interesting place. At it's peak it hosted an estimated 2700 residents and this has dwindled to 12 as of 2005, making it the least populated borough in Pennsylvania.

Mine fire

“This was a world where no human could live, hotter than the planet Mercury, its atmosphere as poisonous as Saturn's. At the heart of the fire, temperatures easily exceeded 1,000 degrees. Lethal clouds of carbon monoxide and other gases swirled through the rock chambers.[3] - David DeKok (1986)”

A small part of the Centralia mine fire as it appeared after being exposed during an excavation in 1969

It is not known for certain how the fire that made Centralia essentially unlivable was ignited. One theory asserts that in May 1962, the Centralia Borough Council hired five members of the volunteer fire company to clean up the town landfill, located in an abandoned strip-mine pit next to the Odd Fellows Cemetery. This had been done prior to Memorial Day in previous years, when the landfill was in a different location. The firefighters, as they had in the past, set the dump on fire and let it burn for a time. Unlike in previous years, however, the fire was not extinguished correctly.

Other evidence supports this theory, as stated in Joan Quigley's 2007 missive, such as the fact that one of two trash haulers (Curly Stasulevich or Sam Devine) dumped hot ash and/or coal discarded from coal burners into the open trash pit. The borough, by law, was responsible for installing a fire-resistant clay barrier between each layer, but fell behind schedule, leaving the barrier partly incomplete. This allowed the hot coals to penetrate the vein of coal underneath the pit and light the subsequent subterranean fire. Quigley cites "interviews with volunteer firemen, the former fire chief, borough officials, and several eyewitnesses, as well as contemporaneous borough council minutes" as her sources for this explanation of the fire. Another theory of note is the Bast Theory. It states that the fire was burning long before the alleged trash dump fire. However, due to overwhelmingly contrary evidence, few hold this position and give it little credibility.

The fire remained burning underground and spread through a hole in the rock pit into the abandoned coal mines beneath Centralia. Attempts to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful, and it continued to burn throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Adverse health effects were reported by several people due to the byproducts of the fire, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and a lack of healthy oxygen levels.


In 1979, locals became aware of the scale of the problem when a gas-station owner and then mayor, John Coddington, inserted a stick into one of his underground tanks to check the fuel level. When he withdrew it, it seemed hot, so he lowered a thermometer down on a string and was shocked to discover that the temperature of the gasoline in the tank was 172 °F (77.8 °C). Statewide attention to the fire began to increase, culminating in 1981 when 12-year-old resident Todd Domboski fell into a sinkhole four feet wide by 150 feet (46 m) deep that suddenly opened beneath his feet in a backyard. Only the quick work of his cousin Eric Wolfgang in pulling Todd out of the hole to saved Todd's life, as the plume of hot steam billowing from the hole was measured as containing a lethal level of carbon monoxide.

In 1984, the U.S. Congress allocated more than $42 million for relocation efforts. Most of the residents accepted buyout offers and moved to the nearby communities of Mount Carmel and Ashland. A few families opted to stay despite warnings from Pennsylvania officials.

In 1992, Pennsylvania claimed eminent domain on all properties in the borough, condemning all the buildings within. A subsequent legal effort by residents to have the decision reversed failed. In 2002, the U.S. Postal Service revoked Centralia's ZIP code, 17927.

Today

Very few homes remain standing in Centralia; most of the abandoned buildings have been demolished by humans or nature. At a casual glance, the area now appears to be a field with many paved streets running through it. Some areas are being filled with new-growth forest. Most of Centralia's roads and sidewalks are overgrown with brush, although some areas appear to be mowed. The remaining church in the borough, St. Mary's, holds weekly services on Sunday and is unaffected by the fire. The town's four cemeteries—including one on the hilltop that has smoke rising around and out of it—are maintained in good condition.

The only indications of the fire, which underlies some 400 acres (1.6 km&#178😉 spreading along four fronts, are low round metal steam vents in the south of the borough and several signs warning of underground fire, unstable ground, and carbon monoxide. Additional smoke and steam can be seen coming from an abandoned portion of Pennsylvania Route 61, the area just behind the hilltop cemetery, and other cracks in the ground scattered about the area. Route 61 was repaired several times until its final closing. The current route was a detour around the damaged portion during the repairs and became a permanent route in the mid-1990s; mounds of dirt were placed at both ends of the former route, effectively blocking the road. Pedestrian traffic is still possible due to a small opening about two feet wide at the north side of the road, but this is muddy and not accessible to the disabled. The underground fire is still burning and will continue to do so for a predicted 250 more years.

Prior to its demolition in September 2007, the last remaining house on Locust Avenue was notable for the five chimney-like support buttresses along each of two opposite sides of the house, where the house was previously supported by a row of adjacent buildings before it was demolished. Another house with similar buttresses is visible from the northern side of the cemetery, just north of the burning, partially subsumed hillside.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania did not renew the relocation contract at the end of 2005, and the fate of the remaining residents is uncertain.

In 2010, only five homes remain as state officials try to vacate the remaining residents and demolish what's left of the town.
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This is an incident that is unmatched in devestation from coal fires by any other event in history. The unique impacts this, essentially geothermal, heat source so close to the surface has displayed will be a treat for the curious and food for thought for any creative or science minded person.

I invite inquiries here from anyone who would seriously consider perhaps meeting in Virginia and journeying upwards into the unknown. Be fore warned that Pennsylvania Route 66 was closed due to damage and spreading coal fires under the surface causing future damage. Rougher roads and a large amount of time off the beaten path (partly in getting into the town center depending on road health and vehicle choice and partly in our own explorations) will likely be required.

Thank you for your time, fellow ATOT users and fellow adventurers.



Additional Information:

http://everything2.com/node/762057?like_id=1340085&op=ilikeit
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2196
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia,_Pennsylvania#History
 
Speaking as someone who's been there.. you're not missing much. Except for maybe "the hot girl from Centralia." SirStevo0 is on vacation, but I'll make sure he posts his experiences when I talk to him, he grew up like 9 miles away.
 
TheVrolok said:
Speaking as someone who's been there.. you're not missing much. Except for maybe "the hot girl from Centralia." SirStevo0 is on vacation, but I'll make sure he posts his experiences when I talk to him, he grew up like 9 miles away.
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Seriously? I thought it looked like a fun weekend adventure.

Snow won't stick, rocks perpetually warm, bulldozed houses, streets that lead to nowhere, smoking fissures in the ground.

Perhaps even talking to some of the remaining residents on they carry on with life in a place where I can't imagine they have access to many of the services we take for granted.

The stuff of novels, inspiration for poems. Not much like that in the world outside of volcanic activity. 😀

I'd definitely be interested in hearing from SirStevo0 though.
 
TruePaige said:
Seriously? I thought it looked like a fun weekend adventure.

Snow won't stick, rocks perpetually warm, bulldozed houses, streets that lead to nowhere, smoking fissures in the ground.

Perhaps even talking to some of the remaining residents on they carry on with life in a place where I can't imagine they have access to many of the services we take for granted.

The stuff of novels, inspiration for poems. Not much like that in the world outside of volcanic activity. 😀

I'd definitely be interested in hearing from SirStevo0 though.
Click to expand...

You forgot to mention poison gas.
 
TruePaige said:
Seriously? I thought it looked like a fun weekend adventure.

Snow won't stick, rocks perpetually warm, bulldozed houses, streets that lead to nowhere, smoking fissures in the ground.

Perhaps even talking to some of the remaining residents on they carry on with life in a place where I can't imagine they have access to many of the services we take for granted.

The stuff of novels, inspiration for poems. Not much like that in the world outside of volcanic activity. 😀

I'd definitely be interested in hearing from SirStevo0 though.
Click to expand...

I've only been there a handful of times, and really, it's as bleak and depressing as the rest of Pennsyltucky/the forgotten little coal towns of northeast PA. SirStev0 should be able to give a lot better input, though.
 
deadlyapp said:
You forgot to mention poison gas.
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Won't kill you in the wide open. Only dangerous if it accumulates in confined spaces. Plus there are some venting stations from a while ago that help out a bunch.

Adventurers need to embrace the wilds of the world, America and it's interactions between people and the earth that houses them..it's a majestic and wild beast.
 
TheVrolok said:
I've only been there a handful of times, and really, it's as bleak and depressing as the rest of Pennsyltucky/the forgotten little coal towns of northeast PA. SirStev0 should be able to give a lot better input, though.
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Hah. As someone who has vested some gutted areas of West Virginia, I'll admit they are depressing areas. A bit creepy as well, just so quiet and the people seem...almost worn, but nice in most of them.
 
Let me know if you have any questions I have been there 5-10 times taking pictures. I lost my backups but I know the law of the land and the area. You really have to get lucky the day you go though and a majority of times i have been there, there has been very little steam coming from the ground.
 
skulkingghost said:
Let me know if you have any questions I have been there 5-10 times taking pictures. I lost my backups but I know the law of the land and the area. You really have to get lucky the day you go though and a majority of times i have been there, there has been very little steam coming from the ground.
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Awesome, thank you! I'll have to send you a PM soon. 🙂
 
These kind of exploration trips really fascinate me. I love the websites that have walk-throughs of these towns and places like abandoned NY subway platforms.
 
rockyct said:
These kind of exploration trips really fascinate me. I love the websites that have walk-throughs of these towns and places like abandoned NY subway platforms.
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Same here. I always love reading those kinds of things and while I've gone on quite a few nature trips this is going to be quite a bit different as it is an area that has practically been erased by the governments there.

You are more than welcome to come with. 🙂
 
TruePaige said:
Same here. I always love reading those kinds of things and while I've gone on quite a few nature trips this is going to be quite a bit different as it is an area that has practically been erased by the governments there.

You are more than welcome to come with. 🙂
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Sadly I'm out in California where abandoned areas get demoed pretty quickly.
 
I'm back.

Having just come from South Beach, I will 1million percent say that it is much better than Centralia.

I am born and raised in Frackville which is no more than 10 miles away. It used to be a lot cooler when it was a ghost town. Now they pretty much bulldozed everything and the few straggler left don't even technically live in the town, they live in Centralia Heights.

In High School the big joke was that the one family had a really hot daughter so every time you drove through town you'd try to catch a peak at the "Hot Girl from Centralia". Many claimed it to be an Urban Legend but I was lucky enough to one day see her with a few of my buddies. The Legend was true. Her family's house was one of 5 left in the downtown for a while but now that is def gone.

There are still roads set out in blocks and you can go on a few hikes to see fissures and stuff. The cemetery is particularly cool or at least it used to be. It is also apparently pretty dangerous or at least that is what your parents and the cops would always tell you. There are also a couple drinking holes you can find in the area.

Last I heard, the "I Love Centralia" welcome sign was still standing.

If you do go out in Schuylkill County there are a couple other old patch towns that are kinda creepy to drive through. If you take the high road through Girardville there is a really kick ass abandoned cemetery on the hill that goes back to Civil War times.

The Yuengling Brewery is a few miles away in Pottsville, though the tour is boring.

I would also significantly recommend going to Tony's Lunch late night in Girardville for Screamers. They are only open at night and make wicked burgers but it is worth a try. I'd suggest two screamers and two chocolate milks (don't get soda, trust me).

Also get a Sweet Pizza while you are in the area. It isn't a desert thing, it is just a pizza with a much sweeter sauce, that is def different and awesome with the hot sauce they give you on the side. In my opinion, the best place to get that is Sweet Pizz in Frackville on Lehigh Avenue. It is definitely the closest to traditional sweet pizza you can get. Stay away from Pizza Place in Frackville, theirs suck.

You could also check out the old Mahanoy Plane in Frackville, if you are looking for a cool hike. All you do is drive all the way north on Nice Street and make a right on High Street and go almost to Birch. There will be a dirt road on the left that you can't drive back to, but you can walk it. Just head in like a couple hundred feet and follow the old railroad tracks bed to the left. There is a bunch of old Architecture and train cars and tunnels back there and it was the cool place to hang out when I was a kid.

also: http://www.coalregion.com/ (really old website)
 
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Alienwho said:
Isn't this the place where Silent Hill takes place? Go watch the movie and then tell me you want to visit.
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Interestingly the story behind that is when they were writing the movie the were researching old coal towns and Ashland, PA caught their eye because in the game Ashfield or something like that was the next town over from Silent Hill. Then they found out that Less than 3 miles from Ashland, PA was an old abandoned coal town that had a mine fire below it. They thought it was a cool reason for Silent Hill to be abandoned in the movie so they wrote it in.


The old timers in Ashland Pa used to claim that they gutted such a big vein of coal underneath the town of Ashland that they used to play baseball on their break in the cleared out area. When Route 61 caved in back in the earlier 90's right outside Centralia the papers used to always talk about Ashland being next because the hill was rumored to be hollow.
 
SirStev0 said:
I'm back.

Having just come from South Beach, I will 1million percent say that it is much better than Centralia.

I am born and raised in Frackville which is no more than 10 miles away. It used to be a lot cooler when it was a ghost town. Now they pretty much bulldozed everything and the few straggler left don't even technically live in the town, they live in Centralia Heights.

In High School the big joke was that the one family had a really hot daughter so every time you drove through town you'd try to catch a peak at the "Hot Girl from Centralia". Many claimed it to be an Urban Legend but I was lucky enough to one day see her with a few of my buddies. The Legend was true. Her family's house was one of 5 left in the downtown for a while but now that is def gone.

There are still roads set out in blocks and you can go on a few hikes to see fissures and stuff. The cemetery is particularly cool or at least it used to be. It is also apparently pretty dangerous or at least that is what your parents and the cops would always tell you. There are also a couple drinking holes you can find in the area.

Last I heard, the "I Love Centralia" welcome sign was still standing.

If you do go out in Schuylkill County there are a couple other old patch towns that are kinda creepy to drive through. If you take the high road through Girardville there is a really kick ass abandoned cemetery on the hill that goes back to Civil War times.

The Yuengling Brewery is a few miles away in Pottsville, though the tour is boring.

I would also significantly recommend going to Tony's Lunch late night in Girardville for Screamers. They are only open at night and make wicked burgers but it is worth a try. I'd suggest two screamers and two chocolate milks (don't get soda, trust me).

Also get a Sweet Pizza while you are in the area. It isn't a desert thing, it is just a pizza with a much sweeter sauce, that is def different and awesome with the hot sauce they give you on the side. In my opinion, the best place to get that is Sweet Pizz in Frackville on Lehigh Avenue. It is definitely the closest to traditional sweet pizza you can get. Stay away from Pizza Place in Frackville, theirs suck.

You could also check out the old Mahanoy Plane in Frackville, if you are looking for a cool hike. All you do is drive all the way north on Nice Street and make a right on High Street and go almost to Birch. There will be a dirt road on the left that you can't drive back to, but you can walk it. Just head in like a couple hundred feet and follow the old railroad tracks bed to the left. There is a bunch of old Architecture and train cars and tunnels back there and it was the cool place to hang out when I was a kid.

also: http://www.coalregion.com/ (really old website)
Click to expand...

Wow, that is a bunch of awesome ideas! Thanks for the post man, I appreciate it. 🙂

Sounds like a pretty cool place to grow up exploring. I've been to quite a few places in Virginia, and they were some cool times, but not the same as some of the ones I've wanted to visit in the old coal regions.

Thanks again for the ideas. 🙂
 
TruePaige said:
Wow, that is a bunch of awesome ideas! Thanks for the post man, I appreciate it. 🙂

Sounds like a pretty cool place to grow up exploring. I've been to quite a few places in Virginia, and they were some cool times, but not the same as some of the ones I've wanted to visit in the old coal regions.

Thanks again for the ideas. 🙂
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If you satellite image on Google Maps you can see the outlines in the woods. I would try to link it but I need to run.
 
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