Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-01

W LIN ES- baftRE. PA, April 90
The miners and operators sccm &c
have adjusted their differences at the
time this is written. and the work OF
the great anthracite mines is going
forward as usual. The threatened
strike has called attention tor 4 mo.
ment to one of the most remarkable
sections OF American Industrial life
For tho mining OF anthracite coal i,
nm an-American story. which had II.
beginning back In the days when the
farmers OF Schuylkill discovered thai
inc oiack rock would burn, and which
has grown great with tho nation
~ hundred and forty years ago nc
one knew of the existence OF anthra
cito coal. But long before that time
Eastern Pennsylvania was compara
lively populous, and sturdy farmers
titled the lands in the valleys of the
Schuylkiil and tho Wyoming. The
farm lands were not OF the best, and
there were many outcroppinss of a
hard, black rock that interfcrcd with
their blowing.
II was just before tho Revolution
that hunter was lost one night on n
chilly mountainside near the Schuyl.
Kill. lie built a fire beneath a stumr
and dozcd of. When he nwoke in the
morning ho found that the stump had
burned away. but, TO his SURPRISE III.
broken ledge OF black rock Just above
1T had been transformed into n glow
Ing bed OF Goals. The rock, In fact
mad caught fire and was burning.
Ills "BLack Rockr burned.
me hunter carried tho story OF the
burning rock to Obadiah Core, a black
SMITH or wilkes Barre. and Obadiah
pnt some OF the black rock Of his mas
ture into his forge and II burned T,
was half a generation later that Judge
Jesse Fells. OF Wilkes Barre used this
plach rock rs fuel In the manufacture
OF nails. It was another half a gen
Grafton before local enthusiasts floatcd
Two bargeloads OF this rock coal down
10 Philadeiphia and offered 1t for sale
IL was tried by several householders
without success ana finally broken uu
ana used for graveling garden walk @
IL was less than q century ago that
these pioneers in the anthracite region
pulit CRATE that made Il possible n
get sufficient draft beneath this hard
coal to make 1t burn. This was thn
iorerunner OF all those hundreds Of
thousands of furnaces that burn onIy
anthracite coal It was the thing thai
quit an Industry In which is invested
Sl.ooo.ooo.0oo, which yields 500 ooo :
600 year, and which produces freirhts
Tor railroads amounting to half that
sum annually ia
IT is upon this rock that burns, this
coal or great hardness. that has heen
built that remarkable communal,
winch supports such towns as Scr,n
toh' Wilkes Barre. Carbondale. Uoz1e
ton, PottsVille and dozen Others Al,
OF these towns are pitched in LITTLE
valley. which. roughly speaking. Is
,vo 'liies wide and siSty-ive miles
ions' valley which probably prod,ces
more wealth than any other sIniIor
area In the world. ''''
All the anthracite coal in tbe wor,,,
Is In this little valley. During ali ~ y
ages. when the geologic forces OF The
PAST were working to fashion the
emt,,, I 1t the present. there was appar-
were such as to form this black roni.
that burns. Soft coal is far-fung h,,,
unInracite exists here only In market
ablo quantities. ''''i Ne'
Mines Under Green Field,
Beneath the floor of this VALLEY +ho-
are from eight to twelve iavers el -.
coal. from two to twenty feet thick
and running down nearly aeon Foot
I'm the surface arc green fields. tricl.
ing streams. thrifty villages. Beneath
mem al are tier after tier of mining
operations, tens of thousands OF minars
working. at different depths. a mnza of
shafts and tunnels, of railroad svs-
TENS. OF drainage operations. OF artI-
fetal Notwithstanding ant hills OF
human industry that do not appear al
the surface. '
Once every mile or SO a hugo sheet
iron building raises its head. II
might be a big grain elevator ten
stories high. In reality 1T Is a break
err" Near 1t is a shaft that leads deem
into the earth and from which tunnels
run in all directions at all levels on
which there is coal Up this master
shaft the coal from all levels for a
mile around is sucked. A huge belt
carries it to the very top of the
breaker. There the great chunks OF
black rock are smashed into usablc
sizes. The coal passes down over
screens and through chutes. in order
to sift. out the rock, clean. grade and
assemble the marketable product.
Twelve great railroad systems have
been built that the product of these
mines might be hauled to market
It is remarkable community that
has been built up about these break
ers. Tho descendants of tho families
who lived herc as modest farmer folk
before the coal days have mostly
grown wealthy by selling to tho min
Ing companies the right to what lies
far beneath the surface OF their lands.
Tho tentacles OF the shafts by tho
breal,ers have reached forth and, on a
dozen 'tevsis. have removed tho coni.