Glen Burn Colliery

In a Shamokin News-Dispatch article dated Dec. 15, 1964, it was reported that a 30-day food supply for 9,000 persons was stored in the mine in conjunction with the Civilian Defense program. A virtual "underground supermarket" stocked to provide medical supplies, food and other essentials has been established "several hundred feet" below the surface in a rock tunnel of then Susquehanna Coal Company's Glen Burn Colliery. Around 58,000 pounds of supplies were put there the week before in case of a nuclear attack on the U.S. An additional 29,000 pounds were expected to arrive. The items are all packed in sealed containers to protect it from dampness. Glen Burn officials constructed, at their own expense, a special room 1 1/2 miles into the west drift. Items in the containers included hard candy, crackers, biscuits, toilet paper and medical kits. There was also 1,100 water containers. Colliery officials said the space needed amounted to 9,621 cubic feet inside what is known as Tunnel 134, which leads off the main haulage to the Number 7 vein. The tunnel was sealed off concrete wall. Engineers chose the mine based on the "protection factor." The work was supervised by Joseph Parker, a colliery employee. Superintendent at the time was Michael Farrell. Stevens Coal Co. constructed the last breaker at the site in 1937. In March of 1940, Susquehanna took over when Stevens was unable to get a new lease.