Barnum Breaker

Barnum Breaker

Barnum Breaker  Digitally Watermarked

Barnum Breaker

Photographer/Illustrator Year Repository
Unknown National Canal Museum



Brief Chronology of Mining Developments

Year Month Day Comments
1878 Oct - Shaft sinking commenced by company men who drove it down 36.5 feet
1879 - - Shaft sinking to the final depth of just over 173 feet was completed between July 1st 1879 and Jan. 1st 1880 by sinking contractors James C. Smythe and Co.
1879 - - Sinking of second shaft began 800 feet away from main shaft but was not yet half way down by the year end
1880 - - Start of breaker construction, but the work was not completed until the spring of 1881; coal was being mined from headings and airways before the breaker was finished
1881 - - The new breaker was 80' high, had a capacity of 1000-1200 tons per day and was intended to prepare the coal from both No. 1 and No. 2 shafts
1892 Jul 22nd Breaker burned after a fire originating in the pump house enveloped the shaft tower, then spread along the connecting trestle to the breaker itself
1892 - - After the fire the coal from the mine was taken to the Bunker Hill breaker in Dunmore for preparation until the Barnum breaker could be rebuilt
1893 - - By February 1893 the rebuilding of the breaker was 'well under way' and was expected to be completed by the early spring


Production Statistics Table

Year Current Name Tonnage Mined Tonnage Shipped Employees Days Worked Operator
1880 Barnum No. 2 Shaft 1587 - 15 - Pennsylvania Coal Company
1880 Barnum No. 1 Shaft 28729 - 78 154 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1881 Barnum Shaft 173287 - 400 260 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1882 Barnum No. 2 (7-foot vein) 40589 - 73 127.5 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1882 Barnum No. 1 (7-foot vein) 88798 - 149 255 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1882 Barnum No. 1 (14-foot vein) 80433 - 142 255 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1882 Barnum No. 2 (14-foot vein) 40589 - 72 127.5 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1883 No. 1 Shaft, 14-foot vein 39163 - 69 250 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1883 No. 2 Shaft, 7 and 14-foot veins 110733 - 195 250 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1883 No. 1 Shaft, 7-foot vein 107187 - 190 250 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1884 No. 2 Shaft, 7-ft vein 73902 - 86 212 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1884 No. 1 Shaft, 14-ft vein 34846 - 146 106 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1884 No. 1 Shaft, Marcy vein - - 19 - Pennsylvania Coal Company
1884 No. 1 Shaft, 7-ft vein 109977 - 142 212 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1884 No. 2 Shaft, 14-ft vein - - 69 - Pennsylvania Coal Company
1885 No. 1 and No. 2 Shaft 215079 215079 491 215.5 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1886 Barnum, 2 shafts 207942 207942 516 230 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1887 Barnum, 2 Shafts 189067 189067 474 215 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1888 Barnum, 2 Shafts 190701 190701 466 213 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1889 Barnum, 2 Shafts 158544 158544 523 166 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1890 Barnum 192435 192435 473 201.5 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1891 Barnum 222822 215481 537 200.75 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1892 Barnum, 2 Shafts 191618 185912 535 207.25 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1893 Barnum, 3 Shafts 127986 127986 502 120 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1894 Barnum, three shafts 228115 220456 597 154.25 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1895 Barnum, three shafts 233834 225668 607 151.5 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1896 Barnum, three shafts 232608 225067 593 140.75 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1897 Barnum, three shafts 260449 252635 590 152.5 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1898 Barnum No. 1 Shaft 218125 210055 589 123 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1899 Barnum No. 1 Shaft 271644 263527 585 183.75 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1900 Barnum Shaft No. 1 259650 252140 769 159.5 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1901 Barnum No. 1 287945 280163 745 169 Pennsylvania Coal Company
1902 Barnum No. 1 Shaft 194970 188176 716 110.9 Pennsylvania Coal Company