1900 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

No. 11. SECOND BITUMINOUS DISTRICT. 355
Mince Situated Near the Terminus of the Scottdale Branch of the
Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad and the Mt. Pleasant Branch of
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
Standard Shaft and Slope.— Were in good condition on each visit.
During the year one 300 horse power Sterling Water Tube Boiler.
which was equipped with two American stokers, was installed at
the shat'i mine. Four tubular boilers were also equipped with
American stokers.
Mines on and Near the Sewickley Branch of
the Southwest Pennsylvania
Railroad.
Mammoth Shaft and Slope.—Were in
good condition, both as to
ventilation and drainage. During the year there was installed a
tail rope haulage for the slope division of the mine, located near the
shaft landing. Size of engine 16x32, first motion; diameter of drum
five feet. The engines were manufactured by Kenny & Co., of Scott
dale, Pa.
The maximum grade of the road is three per cent, adverse; size
of trip hauled, twenty-five loaded wagons of forty bushels capacity
each. Length of haulage road 4,000 feet.
Mutual Nos. 2 and 3.—The condition of these mines was satisfactory.
United.—Was found in good condition on each visit.
Strickler.—Is now abandoned, all the coal having been taken out.
Hecla No. 1.—On the evening of July 26th water broke into this
mine by way of the Strickler mine. The abandoned pillar workings
of the two mines are connected. A creek flows over the workings
of the Strickler mine and the surface overlying the coal in places
near the outcrop is very shallow. Falls had occurred in places,
forming openings to the surface near the creek. On the evening
above mentioned, a very heavy rain came, which raised the water in
the creek until its banks overflowed (which was never known to
have occurred before), the water reaching the surface openings to
the mine flowed in at a rapid rate. A large fall, caused by drawing
the pillars between the two mines, held the water in check for about
twelve hours, after which it passed over and through the fall into
the workings of the Hecla No. 1 mine below. The body of water was
ccrl a inly large, as it raised in the shaft a distance of about forty
feet, completely flooding the entire workings to the dip and also
a part of the rise workings. Pumps were at once placed in the shaft
;iikI pu1 in operation. This was kept up until October 22d, when the
bottom was reached. Work was at once commenced in clearing the
road and airways in the rise workings, and operations were re-