The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-07
DAY At RICHhOADAlE
COlllery at That Place Inspected by Iarty
on Mr.. RiChmOnd'S Invitation
The PLANT IS VERY COMPLETE
About the CollierY, Which Was
Erected in What Two Years Ago
Was a Wilderness, Has Sprung Up
Town Named in Honor of the
Owner-Description of the Breaker
and Its Appointments.

A party composed Of persons residing
in Scranton, Dickson City and Carbon
dale yesterday, by invitation OF William
H. Richmond, visited Richmondale, q
new mining town at the northern ex-
tremity of the county and inspected the
colliery that Mr.. Richmond recently
put in operation at that place.
Those who comprised the party were
Mr.. and Mrs W. H. Richmond, Miss
Clara Richmond, Thomas Grier and
daughter, Miss Clara Grier, Dickson
City; Mrs, G. L. Morss, Miss Manda
MorsS, Miss Rose Morss, Daniel Scurry
aud G. S. Spencer. Carbondale; Mr.. and
Mrs. L. w, Morss, Miss Finch, Miss
Florence Finch, Miss Vickey Broadb bent
Colonel II, M. Boies. Ex Justice Alfred
Hand, DR., B. II. Throop. l. A. Finch,
", Irving Finch, DR.. Alfred Hand, w.
i. Storrs. II A. Kingsbury, James
Hosie, Arthur Storrs, Frank f. Platt
and James Archibald, Of this city. They
left the city in special car attached
to the 1886 a. IN. New York, Ontario
and Western railroad passenger train,
Superintendent Williams. OF the Scran-
ton division of the road, being in
charge Of the party.
Richmondale is reached by branch
road three miles long, which Is an Off
shoot of the northwest branch OF the
New York. Ontario and Western
railroad. The latter branch strikes out
from the main lins at Simpsonyille Il
few miles above Carbondals. The
grade TO Richmondale is heavy, and
when the new town is reached the vlsi-
tor finds himself over 1,500 feet above
the sea level
A MAGNIFICENT PANORAMA.
The little town occupies a plateau
near the summit OF the mountain and
commands view Of magnificent
sweep of country to the south and east,
rich in all the varying hues Of farm,
mountain and dell
Twoyears ago the place was vii.
derDess, but Mr.. Richmond's energy
and purse have worked wonders. The
town is about two miles southwest OF
Forest City, five miles east Of Carbon.
dale and two and one-half miles south
east of Crystal lake.
The one thousand acres which Mr..
Richmond has undsr lease is the prop
erIy Of the Morss estate and was pur
chased forty years ago by G l.. Morss
/ simply for its value as timber land.
At that time it was supposed that the
coal belt ended some distance this side
of the land.
OF recent years there was an impress
sion that there was coal under the land
and Two years and half ago Mr.. Rich
mond put down u bore hole and as {
distance of 200 feet from the surface
found vein Of coal Z feet il
thickness. Twenty feet further down
an 8.foot vein was met and below that
are three other workable veins.
Two years ago the task of construct
ing colliery in the midst of the forest
was begun. A saw mill was frs
hauled to the spot with OK teams and
when it was put in readiness for oper
alton trees were felled and the lumber
for ihs construction of the breaker
houses and shops sawed. In the mean
time the railroad was constructed anG
the machinery for the breaker carried
up the mountain on 1t. The breaker
was completed a few months ago ant
put in operation.
THE CoLLIERY INSPECTED.
When the inspecting party alightet
at Richmondale yesterday they found
a town of fifty neat and comfortabl,
houses, large store, a saw mill, thu
breaker and the shops connected there
with. After viewing the town and in
Laling the exhilsrating breezes thai
sweep across the plateau from Elk Hill
to Farview the party adjourned to th
second story of the store building wher
a tasteful lunch was served.
The colliery was then inspected. It
one the Of most complete in the anthra
cite region, every known appliance foI
skilfully handling and preparing Goa
for market being employed.
There is one feature Of the colliery
that has no duplicate in the coal region
1t is Mr.. Richmond's own idea. Tn
mine law requires that breaker shal
be erected at least 200 feet from tb
shaft and consequentysGt nearly ever.
colliery two shafts have to be kept i
operation, one for lifting the coal, th
other for the use Of the men.
Mr.. Richmond over his shaft has
steel tower 1877 feet in height erected
At height u $50 feet in this the Car
as they come from the shaft are dump
ed automatically without leaving tn
carriage, which saves much tim
and labor. The coal drops int
a chute which carries it distanc
of 2l7 feet to the breaker wher
it passes through crushers and Is after
ward separated into the various size
by revolving and shaking screens. AL
of the machinery used is of the mos
| annrovad tvna and Uaa conRiructed N