Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-03-05
FIRST BURNED HARD COAL.
Crate Still Preserved in Wnkesbarre---
Centennial in 1908.

In the OLD Fell house, in Wilkesharrc.
Pa are the room and the CRATE in which
anthracite coal was first burned. The
CRATE is preserved in the same fireplace.
many times patched and strengthened
and the room, although most OF the first
tlmherS Of which il was made have long
since decayed, preserves rs nearly as
possible the appearance of the room on
the day that stone coal, As il was then
called, was found to have the proper
ties witch have since made il 81 uSeful
Coal had been discovered many years
before. hut owing to ignorance of its
value iit:lc of il had been used. There
are a few vague stories of il being
burned by hlacksmithS in their FORCES,
but il Is well established that on Feb
ruaTS IL. 1905. jesse Well proprietor OF
what was then known as Fells Tavern.
burned the first coal in Il CRATE for heat
ing purposes.
In letter Ia his cousin Jonathan Fell,
which is now in possession Of the His
torical society of PENNSYLVANIA. at Phila-
relphia. Jesse Fell writes that In 1TT0-Ti
coal was used ut Wilkesbnrre IN the
blacksmith shop of Obadiah and Daniel
Gore, and he then continues; Accord
lhgly, III the month of February. lSOS,
| procured CRATE made of small iron
rods ten inches in length. and ten inches
in height, ana set 1t ZIP in my common
? Il II /
to burn exceedingly well. This was the
first successful attempt to burn our stone
coal IN CRATE, 50 far rs my knowledge
( extends.
/ II was many years, however, before il
came into general use aS a fuel. Efforts
20 burn il in Philadelphia were not sue
ceSSTul until n discovery was made by
accident. White X Hazard. who oper-
/ ated wire mills at the falls OF Schuylkill.
( impressed hy the representations of men
/ who had brought coal down the river la
/ harges. bought several tons at SIS a ton.
aud ordered their men to use it, The
/ workmen tried ii in several ways. hat
/ after some days of experiment gave il up
4 in disgust Some ot IL was thrown out.
side the mill and several sh0YelS were
cast into Il big wood furnace. The men
went about their other work convinced
that It was Il failure. An hour or SO
! later they discovered that the doors of
/ the furnace were redhot. and. opening
them. found the furnace bed Il mass OF
redhot coal, They had discovered a way
( Ia ignite the "stone coal and they used
it successfully afterward
The first Philadelphia dealers found il
difficult Ia sell People did not believe
i would burn, aud the high price made
il Il pruhihitive fuel. Quantities OF hand.
bills describing il were distributed. aud
even then dealers had to give signed
certificates guaranteeing that il would
burn.
But it's progress was slow, II Is told
how, az several places where il served
to put the fire ont instead of being iguit
ed. II was thrown away in disgust ana
broken mp ana used in the place of
gravel on the roads and sidewalks. Even
ms late as 1921 the annual shipment az
the Lehgh Goal and Navigation conn
puny 10 Philadelphia was only 3G5 tons
After successful burning mt the Fell
tavern the coal fires were the great at
/ traction on the cold winter evenings. and
{ the elite al the town gathered there
! Much OF the earlier history Of this citN
was made 10y the light Of that coal tire
/ in FEELS tavern, for there gathered eac',
evening many whose names are In the
/ local histories MS men who were pruml-
uent in the early development Of Che
/ city.
As the years went on the room and
the CRATE were preserved. although utiirr
parts Of the tavern were changed and
the place Is today pointed ont to visitors
a. one Of the landmarks Of the city.
Only uuce has the old CRATE left its
original resting place. That was during
the Centennial al 1876. when ii va.
shipped 10 Philadelphia. and was great
attraction at the exposition. Al the
close Of the exhibit il was stolen, and
TOT weeks detectives searched in vain FOR
il. II was finally recovered. only To be
stolen again on the train. Once more ID
WAS recovered. and WAS brought to this
city under guard. II was placed back
III the fireplace, and has remnincd there
eyer since.
Owing to Confusion as to the date.
premature celebration Of the first burn
ue was arranged for February I. igO3.
hY the present owners Of the house. aud
invitations sent Ia prominent persons ia
this city. Before ii could be proved
that the date was wrong. mud that 1905