New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-05-31
DO AWAY WITH BREAKER BOY
NEW DEVICE TO SEPARATE SLATE FROM
COAL BY CHINERY-EXPECTED
TO REVOLUTIONIZE MINING.

vvt1l,ezrarre Penn. NTav 20 Cspcc!aD.-The rev
Auchlrgloss breaker OF the Delaware. Lacka-
wanna and Western Company began operations
recently II successful it viii revolutionize one
feature If anthracite coal mining, the picking %
slate It is q breaker without a breaker
bo- III the slate and coal being separated by ma
cbinerv This machinery IS By electricity
a. well as the mine connected with the breaker. the
first complete electrical Quitting in the history OF
the region Il is calculated TO save 30 per cent in
the oreratn cost AMI II successful will be adopted
81 short time throughout the entire region, so
that rot only will breaker boys be needless. but
nine mules. driver boys. stable bosses and engi-
neers viii be Of no further service
Tn. hrea ker is about eight miles from this city.
and. though similar IN general design TO other
breakers in the valley. Is much taller and thinner.
Peculiarly enough it was designed by an architect
who had never seen . coal breaker. The mine Is
lighted by electricity and motor cars bring the
cars Of coal the bottom ~ The shaft. which is
1.7z0 feet deep. the deepest in the region. The
motors, running hy trolley. pull from eight 10 six
teen cars at a trip A. the foot Of the shaft they
are placed on the cage and that Is hauled the
surface by electric power at q speed and with
srnoothness unknown in the steam operated shafts.
a bucket Of water has been hoisted in twenty sec
onds. = cage with TWO loaded cars Of coal can be
hauled up in thirty seconds.
At the head Of the shaft the coal is hauled some
little distance 10 the breaker BY motor and there
each Is hoistcd the head OF the breaker. the
power being controlled by a motorman, who is sta
a a
much simpler and quicker method than the usual
long cable equipped plane system. At the top the
car IS emptied automatically into the crushers and
then the coal begins the descent through the break
er. being cleaned, separated and assorted. all by
MACHINERY The Crushers. working automatically,
distribute the different sizes Of coal quickly. and
then each size passes through a picker. These are
spirals with broad ianges soping toward the cen
ire. The coal. being lighter and faster than the
slate seeks the inner circle Of the spiral while the
slate shuffes al5ng the edge. and by the time IL
reaches the end the coal carried of in chute
and the slate IN another. To complete the process
reverse system the fanges dropping outward IN
stead o. slanting inward This time the slate
mains The centre and the coal runs along the
ecge. These two processes separate II much better
h1an even the most sAl4tul breaker boys.
j then passes 20 the shakers and IS further dis
UoutPd each OF the various sizes dropping through
and being carried of by a separate chute. and
last hing the which IS 10 carry IL rke
Al u the machinery through the breaker is
oy electricity. there being twenty-three small
motors in various OF rhe structure The hole
breaker IS operated by less than twenty-five men
u the old way II would require one hundred and
nfty hands 10 do the work
The experiment IS being watched with
zeal Of interest by mining throughout the
region. Il IL is successful the DelaW Iacka-
wanna and Western viii build mammoth breaker
o. similar style 70 prepare the coal from all its
workings about Nanticoke and other companies
electrical
The situation mas not vet reached the point where
TIE question OF what 10 do with the breaker boys
arises. but II will undoubtedly be good thing for
others into work which viii develop into something
better tnan mining.