1898 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

xxii ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE Off. Doc.manufacturers of Pittsburgh large (luaiitities of charcoal. It is toiliis day jtroduced in other sections of the tState, but in the Counellsvilleregion its era is ended. There "coke is king."In 1841 the tirst coke was made in ovens in this region. "Thatyear Provance Mc(,'ormick and James Campbell, two carpenters,everhearing an Englishman commenting on the rich deposits of coalnear Connellsville, and itsfitness for coke, as well as the value ofcoke for foundry purposes, determined to enter into the businessof making coke. Associating with John Taylor, a stone mason whoowned a farm on the Youghiogheny river, including a coal mine,they constructed two ovens, and in the spring of 1842 enough cokehad been made to fill two boats ninety feet long and holding about800 bushels. They started dowai the river on a high stage of waterto Cincinnati. On reaching that city they found that coke as a fuelwas unknown there, and foundrymen called their cargo ''cinders."This was the firstcoking enterprise in the Conuellsville region, butinsignificant as it was, the initial step of the coke industry had beentaken. These same ovens were rented in 1843 to Mordecai, Jamesand Sample Cochran, who used them in making 24-hour coke. Theyboated 1,300 bushels to the same city and sold it to one Miles Greenwood,an iron manufacturer who had learned of its value as a furnacefuel. Tills was the first coke ever taken from the region andsold for money, Campbell, McCormick and Taylor having traded theircargo for an iron grist mill.In 1851 the trade began to increase and there were 26 coke ovens{it)Ove Pittsburgh. In 184f» Cochran and'Keister built 40 ovens onHickman's run. In 1860 the Conuellsville Gas, Coal and Coke Com-I)any built 40 ovens near Conuellsville.In 1869, Watt, Taylor & Co.built 40 ovens near Dunbar. These were about all the ovens in theregion up to 1871. In 1870 there was a total of 3,576 ovens; in1880 there were 7,211. These increased to 8,208 in 1881, 9,283 in1882. and to 10,176 in 188:*). From this year up to and including1886, but few ovens were erected, while some had beini abandonedbecause of the exhaustion of the coal, leaving the total numbersanding, 10,952. From that date until 1894, the number had increasedto 17,834. The number January 1, 1899, was 18,643.The Beehive Oven—Construction and Cost.This type of oven varies in size from 10 feet 6 inches in diameter at the base and 7 feet high to crown, in the clear, to 12 feet indiameter and 8 feet high. The material required to construct an ovenef Ihese dimensions is 2,500 to 2,600 common bricks, 1,100 to 1,200lining fire brick, 120 to 125 bottom tile, from 15^ to 22 cubic yardsof stone, and top ring, nrch blocks and jambs. About 20 special