New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-21
FIRST BURNED HARD COAL
Crate Still Preserved in Wilkesbayre
Centennial an 1908.

rviryesharre Penn. Feb. 20 CspeciaD ain the old
reu House iu ehs city arc the room ana the crate
sn which anthracite coal was first burned Inc
CRATE is preserved in the same fireplace many
times patched and strengthened. ard the room al
fbourh most q the FIRST tlmbcrs of which IL was
made have long since decayed preserves as nearly
as possible The appearance Of the room on The day
fhat stone coal" as II was then called was founa
10 have the properties which have since mace il 50
useful.
Coal had been discovered many years before. bur
owing 10 ignorance OF its value little OF II had been
used There are few vague stories OF II being
burned y blaoksnlths in their FORCES but II IS well
esss blished that February II, 1905. Jesse Fell
proprietor q what then known as Feils
Tavern burned the frst coal in CRATE for heating
purposes.
In a letter 70 his cousin Jonathan Fell. which IS
now in possession Of the Historical Society OF
Pennsylvania, al Philadelphia. Jesse Fell writes
that in IT0'1 coal was used at Wikesbarre in
the blacksmith shop Of Obadiah and Daniel Gore,
ard be then continues: Accordingly, In the month
OF February. 1S0S. procured CRATE made OF small
iron rods ten inches in length, and ten inches in
height and set IL Up IN my common fireplace. and
on FIRST lighting it found II 10 burn exceedingly
well This the first suecessful attempt to burn
our stone coal i'm CRATE SO far as my knowledge
eTtencs"
1t was many wears. however. before Il came into
general use as fuel Efforts to burn it In Phila-
made by accident white & Hazard. who oper-
Rted wire mills AT nc falls Of Schuylkiil. i'm
pressed by the Representations OF men who had
Eeve-al tons al Sos ION. AID ordered their men
% use b. Tue workmen tried II in several ways.
but after some days OF experiment gave Il up in
disgust. Some 81 it was thrown outside the mill
furnace. The men went about their other work
Son.ll S SeaJ p vas a tsllufe an hour or So
ee ieqno' ae 2Ielt-s tneI9 i 2l ne Igr-
covered wav 10 ignite The stone coa ana ma t5ey
used Il successfully afterward.
The first Philadelphia dealers found # difficult
III
The hiEh price made Il a prohibtive fuel. QUAINT
even then dealers had to give signed certificates
guaranteeang thar ii would burn.
several places where il served 10 put the fire out
disgust and broken up and used in the plsce 81
gravel on the roads and sidewalks Even IS late
Navigation Company to Philadelphia only 500
After the successful burning at the Tel Tavern
the coal fires were the great attraction on the
Ss5he5ed there Much Of me earlier history j' Of TVS
city was mace ~ the light o. that coal fire in
FeIE Tavern. Tor there gathered each evening
many whose names are IN the local histories as
men Who were prominent In the early development
As the wears went on the room and the CRATE
were changed and tie place IS to-iav poif-ed ON
10 visitors as one O: the landmarks Of the city.
Only once has the old CRATE left its original rest
tng place. That was during The Centennial OF 1876
great attraction al the exposition. Al the close
q the exhibit II was stolen. and for weeks deec-
recovered. oniy 10 De stolen again on the train
Once more = was recovered, and was brought 10
THIS city under guard. il was placed back IN the
fireplace ard has remained there ever since.
Owing confusion as 10 tire date a prerna tsfre
celebration Of the first burning was arranged FOR
February ~. 1902 by the present owners OF tie
house and Invitations sent 70 prominent persons
IN this city. Before IL could be proved that the
cate was wrong and that 1873 would be the ami
versary. the celebration had taken place. The real
celebration VIII. however. be held n 1905
Al FIRST the coal taken from Outcroprjlnrs
where d. appeared above the surface. and the
people had - idea that millions OF tons OF it were
deep unocr1rcund in many veins. II Until
the carly part % The century that experienced
miner. Abraham Williams. here from
Merthyr wales. and instructed the people OF the
Wyoming Valley how mine for coal bv digging
shafts and slopes and following the vevzs.