The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-02-28
w1NDBER DESCRIBED.
Sketch of the Great New Mining Town
Given by a Trade Journal.

The Engineering and Mining Jour
nal Of February 18th gives sketch il
words and pictures OF the new mining
town of Windber, with the largest col
lleries in the United States. The arti
Gle is from the pen of Burcham Hard
ing and is to be finished In subse
quent issue Of the paper. II Is in par
as follows:
about two years ago a system o
collieries known as the Eureka Mines
was opened in Somerset County. The
county hitherto had been mainly de
voted to farming. The nearest city
JohnstOwn-lies eight miles to the
northwest. Driving from Johnstown
by the high-road, one ascends gradual
ly 800 feet to hight of !, 100 feet above
the level of the sea. Where two year:
ago there was one farmhouse, to-day
the town of Windber has been built,
having 5000 Inhabitants.
Attention was called TO this district
by prospectors a. possessing valuable
seam of coal which might be readily
worked. The Berwind- White Coal
Mining Company secured the mining
rights over seventy square miles. The
country is marked by n series OF hills,
the seam of coal, averaging four feet in
thickness, being found near the base OF
the hills. 1t was vast undertaking 10
open up these collieries, requiring ex-
pert organization, enterprise, and capi-
tai. Plans had to be made for mining
the coal and for carrying it to market,
as the nearest railroad was eight miles
distant. The Company which initiated
this enterprise carried il on by apply
ing the latest devices in mining science.
Labor-saving machinery OF all descrip-
tions was introduced. Operations on
the most extensive scale were designed,
and wherever economies could be made
by the expenditure of capital there was
no stint. The consequences OF this
broad-minded and liberal policy made
themselves Immediately apparent, since
eighty per cent. of the bunker coal now
shipped in New York is mined at
Windber.
This place, which was without a
name, was christened Windber-an
anagram upon the first name of the pro-
prietary Company. the group of mines
is known as the Eureks, with numbers
commencing with 80 and running up
ward. Nos. 80 to 36 Mines are already
in operation, and work upon Nos. 81
and 81 is under way. The town of
Windber stands centrally within q
mile of the entrances to the mines. Ii
is hard to believe that this town, with
its busy population, has grown up
within two years. Upon the main
street are large and handsome stores,
among them that of the Eureka Sup
ply Company. Four or five churches
have been built and two large school
houses. A line OF railroad passes
through the town. Five large hotels
offer welcome TO strangers. Houses are
supplied with electric light. Long dis
tanee telephonic and telegraphic com
munications have been opened, rs well
as all the other adjanets demanded for
the comfort of the citizens.
Entrances TO the mines are situated
at radial points from the town. Near
them are groups of houses inhabited
by the miners, which have been erect
ed by the Company for its employees.
Substantial frame houses, each with its
own plot of ground in front and gar
den at the back, line the wide streets.
When the mines were first opened liv-
ing accommodations were so scarce
that only unmarried men could be en-
ployed, but this has been remedied by
the foresight of the Company. Single
houses contain four to six rooms, aud
the double aOuses have six rooms in
each. The plot of ground for each res
idence is valued at SO, and S25 is added
for clearing. The price of the houses
is fixed at the actual wholesale cost,
which makes the total expenditure
from 500 to $500. Tne miner eau
either pay rent at s. per month, or by
paying $40 a month in lieu of rent, can
liq Edate the price of the house aud b.
come its owner as soon as the first cost
is paid.
There is constant work for the
the bulk oft being paid for by
the ton. The wages earned by the ex-
pert miner amount TO about s. for day
of eight hours, and run from So down
t. s., according to individual capacity.
la this district, there is solid seam of
coal about four feet in thickness, which,
excepting slight dips, is nearly as level
as the top of table, extending miles
everv direction. Upon the top of this
level seam of coal are hits hundreds of
feet high, covered with trees and YER
dure, with arabic land aud grazing
fields. Between the hills, in the val
leys, water courses have made breaks
through the seam of coal; otherwise,
under the 45, 900 acres of this mining
property lies this continuous seam.
During the two years of operation
about 600 acres in all have been mined,
it being calculated that about 4, 900 tons
Of coal are found in each acre.
"The seam of coal worked in this
territory is the 'B, forming the second
persistent seam above the Pottsville
which is the base of the
series. II is known local
ly as the Miller seam, providing one Of
the best Goals in the market for steam
ship purposes. Analyes show approx
imately Is per cent. volatile matter, 3!
per cent. ashes, J per cent. sulphur,
per cent. moisture, and II per cent.
fixed carbon. Near the entrances to the
mines power plants are erected 10 fur
nish motive power for all the mining
operations. At No. 81 Mine there are
three batteries of water-tube boilers, ag-
gregating 750 II. p. In the adjoining
building are 200 II. P. air cOmpressors,
compressed air for the min
ing drills and for driving coal-eutters
and pumps. The power house also
$50 XIV. direct current cleo
tric generators, direct connected to
steam engines. These machines sup
nlv electric current at 500 volts for