# Pardon me, Anthracite, can you help with this one? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 2, 2001, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-me-anthracite-can-you-help-with-this-one/91089 "2001-11-02T06:52:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MagicalSilverKey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@MagicalSilverKey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicalSilverKey)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2001, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-me-anthracite-can-you-help-with-this-one/91089/1 "2001-11-02T06:52:41Z")
I would have done a Google on this, but I don’t really know what the heck keywords to use to find _exactly_ what I am looking for. This is right up your alley anyway. It sounds like a Weekly World News article, and maybe it has been… Is there a town somewhere that is deserted because the underground is full of burning red hot coal, which may never extinguish? I recently saw a a fleeting glimpse of an ad for a documentary spot on tv, but I didn’t get to catch what the show was, or when, so I missed it. ☹ It showed a guy walking on a road, which was all split open and the ground under the crack was glowing. It wasn’t a lava thing nor fake. I have seen brief references to this story in the past. Im not sure where, though. It sounds like a fascinating story and I’d like to know about it. If I could see a video documentary, that would, rock. ---
**Author:** ![handandahalf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@handandahalf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handandahalf)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2001, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-me-anthracite-can-you-help-with-this-one/91089/2 "2001-11-02T07:17:56Z")
A little town called Centralia. This site has some pretty good pics: [http://www.offroaders.com/album/centralia/centralia.htm](http://www.offroaders.com/album/centralia/centralia.htm) Pretty spooky stuff… ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2001, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-me-anthracite-can-you-help-with-this-one/91089/3 "2001-11-02T07:38:41Z")
Entertainingly discussed by _Bill Bryson_ in his book _A Walk in the Woods_. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Crunch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@Chief\_Crunch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Crunch)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2001, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-me-anthracite-can-you-help-with-this-one/91089/4 "2001-11-02T08:49:58Z")
The Daily Show actually went to Centralia for one of their little reports. I live pretty close to it and my friend and I took pictures of each other sitting on the bench where Matt Walsh was interviewing a local. ---
**Author:** ![MagicalSilverKey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@MagicalSilverKey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicalSilverKey)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2001, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-me-anthracite-can-you-help-with-this-one/91089/5 "2001-11-02T14:37:10Z")
Thanks, folks. I’m still curious to hear Anthracite’s take on this story. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2001, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-me-anthracite-can-you-help-with-this-one/91089/6 "2001-11-02T14:52:41Z")
For more information about the Centralia fire and other similar fires, see this GQ thread: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=81148](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=81148) ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2001, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-me-anthracite-can-you-help-with-this-one/91089/7 "2001-11-03T06:13:21Z")
I may have to swing up there and see it for myself, since I only live a short distance away. If I do, I’ll let you guys know what it was like. As it is, the pictures were rather spooky. I’m not sure what’s left, but seeing a ghost town would be kinda neat, methinks.