Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1908-01-02
WATER WORKS WHERE ANTHRACITE WAS
FIRST TRIED IN PHILADELPHIA /06o

ever the cause, Sucn was the reSuI
of the first attempt to burn Lehigh
coal In Philadelphia where, since that
time, millions of tons of 1t have been
welcomed and consumed"
Mr.. Binns relates that anthracite
was discovered about the year 1905.
but in this he was in error, for it is
on record that coal was found on the
Lehigh ten years before he came to
this country, in 1902. So far as the
company of which he speaks is con-
cerned it may be said that, although
1t was formed in 1892, it did little
to advance its business for many
years, and frequently was before the
legislature for the purpose of securing
charter. With due regard for Mr.
Binns' statement, it may be said that
the attempt in the water works in
Center Square seems to have preceded
his expensive attempt to burn stone
coal"
The reason that anthracite was re-
ceved with so much suspicion was
due to the fact that those who attempt
ed to burn it did not know how. No
wonder they called 1t stone coal"
1t was left for Judge Fell as men,
toned to devise proper crate for
| the purpose so that the necessary
| draught could be obtained. Some
years afterward he told the story Of
his success in Stillmans Journal, now
known as the Journal of the Franklin
Institute. In this account he says
From observation had conceived the
idea that IL a body of this coal was
| ignited and confined together 1t would
burn as fuel. To try the experiment in
the month of February, 1908, | had
a CRATE constructed for the purpose.
eight inches in depth and eight inches
in height. with feet eight inches high
and about % inches long (the length
| is immaterial, as that may be regulat-
ed to suit it's use or convenience), and
| the coal, after being ignited in 1t,
burned beyond the most sanguine ex-
! pectations A more beautiful fire
could not be imagined, it being clear
and without smoke. This was the
| first instance of success in burning
this coal in CRATE in common fire.
place of which l have any knowledge,
and this experiment first brought our
coal into use for winter fires without
any patent right"
Just SO years after Judge Fell's sue
cess four young men were riding to-
gether in coach which was travelling
toward Wilkes-Barre. One of the four
was a grandson Of Judge Fell He
had that day been reading an account
in an old copy of we'll known Ma
sonic book of the experiment made by
his grandsire and when he mentioned
! 1t, one of the members of the party
| happened to recall that the date OF
| this event was just so years previous.
The young men were struck by the CO.
incidence, and determined that some
thing should be done.
When they arrived in Wilkes-Barre
they set about stirring up interest,
| and called a public meeting, to be
held that evening in the same old
tavern in which Judge Fell had car
ried on his experiment. The four
young men were James Platter Dennis,
grandson of Judge Fell; Henry Mar
tyn Hoyt, later governor of Pennsyl-
vania John Butler Conyngham and
Stanley Woodward, the latter after
ward one of the leading jurists of the
state. These four became the found
ers of the Wyoming Historical and
Geological society, formed as a result
of that nights meeting. 1t is this Or
ganization that now purposes to cele-
brate the Tooth anniversary of this
experiment of Judge Fell and the 50th
anniversary of its own founding at
the same time. 1t was at a meeting
of this society recently that the facts
concerning the old Jesse Fell CRATE
were learned, for a paper on Where
| Is the Crate on Which Jesse Fell
Made His Successful Experiment of
| Burning Anthracite Coal?" was read
by Rev. II. e. Hayden, curator of the
society.
Mr.. Hayden has made an exhaustive
study of the subject and has come to
the conclusion that the original crate
is not now in existence. and that the
only we'll authenticated crate eXtant
belonging to Judge Fell" is that here
tofore known as the Herman or Eick
crate, and now in the possession of
the historical society.
A woman never hesitates to marry