The first attempts to mine coal were rude and simple. A shaft or pit was sunk a few feet on the outcrops of a seam, and the coal raised by means of a common hand windlass. It was sold to smiths and others in he vicinity at twenty-five cents per bushel, or about $5 per ton. Subse quently, or about 1823, an improvement was made by substituting horse-power, and gins, or " horse-whims," for the windlass. When the shaft, or works, became from 30 to 50 feet deep, and the water troublesome, the establishment was removed and a new shaft started. No system was pur sued in mining the coal, but all within easy reach at the bottom of the shaft was ex tracted, and the place aban doned to fill with water; which afterwards proved a source of expense, annoyance, and danger to mining operations in the vicinity.
Drifts had been run in on the level of the veins at an early date, when the discovery of coal happened to be at localities—at the foot or on the side of a hill—where this mode was applicable. The coal was then brought out in wheelbarrows.
It was not until 1827 that rails were used in the mines; and up to 1829 the coal was carted over common mud-roads from the mines to the canal. This year 79,973 tons were shipped.
Abraham Pott, of Port Carbon, was the first to build a model railroad in this region. It led from his mines to the canal, a distance of half a mile. Soon after, the Mill Creek Railroad was built from Port Carbon to the Broad Mountain, above the present town of St. Clair. The distance is about three miles. The cost was $5000. This was in 1829.
The Schuylkill Valley Road was completed in 1831, and extended from Port Carbon to Tuscarora, a distance of 10 miles; cost, $63,000.
The Norwegian & Mt. Carbon Road was finished during the same year. It extended from Mt. Carbon to the forks of the Norwegian, about one mile, then branched up the east and west forks of that stream to Oak Hill on the west and Wadesville on the east. Length of road, between five and six miles ; cost, 897,000.
The next constructed was the Mine Hill & Schuylkill Haven Road; length, 11 miles, or, with the west branch, 15 miles, and costing 8182,000.
The Little Schuylkill Railroad, from Port Clinton to Tamaqua, 22 miles, was in course of completion in 1833. It was designed as a loco motive road,* but was not used as such until some years subsequent. The total cost of double track was estimated at $260,000.
A fair price for coal delivered in Philadelphia was estimated in 1833 at S5 per ton; thus:— The growth of the coal-trade in the Schuylkill region was very rapid after the introduction of railroads, and increased from 79,973 tons in 1829 to 839,934 in 1844. The introduction of the steam-engine for hoisting
and pumping at the mines, which had now, in many eases, been carried below water-level, also added to the facilities of mining. The first steam engine was erected at the Delaware Mines in 1836.
In 1844 there were twenty-two collieries under water-level, at which there were twenty-eight steam-engines, with an aggregate of 1100 horse power, engaged in hoisting coal and draining water. In addition, there were thirteen smaller engines erected during 1844 for the purpose of breaking and cleaning coal, in connection with the Batten Coal-Breaker, which had just been introduced. These increased the aggregate horse power to 1278.t The first coal-breaker erected was by Mr. Gideon Bast, on Wolf Creek, near Millersville. It was driven by a twelve-horse engine, and was capable of breaking and cleaning 200 tons of coal per day,—or equal to the labor of from 50 to 60 men per day. At present, our large establishments are capable of preparing from 500 to 1000 tons per day.
The first successful use of anthracite in this country for the purpose of smelting iron was made in 1839, at the Pioneer Blast Furnace, in Potts ville. This furnace was built by Mr. William Lyman, of Boston, about the time or soon after the successful use of anthracite by Mr. George Crane, of the Gnyscedlyn Iron Works, in South Wales.
The Pioneer furnace was then managed by Mr. Lyman and Benjamin Perry, assisted by Mr. David Thomas, who has since been so remarkably successful on the Lehigh in the production of anthracite iron.
In 1826 an attempt was made on the Lehigh to use anthracite in the blast furnace, but failed, as all those early attempts did, simply for the want of a hot blast, as there has been no difficulty since its application in the production of pig metal with anthracite coal. But in 1839, soon after the successful result of the Pioneer furnaces, Messrs. Baughman, Ginteau & Co. started the Mauch Chunk furnace, but it did not continue long in operation.
The number of anthracite furnaces in operation during 1860 was 121. The production of iron in 1840 was 287,000 tons ; in 1860 it had increased to 884,474 tons.* In 1840 the number of furnaces, principally charcoal, was 804; but in 1860 they had decreased to 580, of which only 416 were charcoal.