Caption: "In a whirling mixture of sand and water pure coal floats and its impurities sink. Many of these apparatus are contained in the world's largest anthracite breaker as part of the equipment which assures the marketing of famous Reading...
Caption: "Banks of these screens rise, tier on tier, throughout the world's largest anthracite breaker. More than 12,000 square feet assure the accurate sizing of the product."
Caption: "Miners using machines like this cut slots under the coal and the blast it down in large quantities. The machine has a motor driven revolving chain, armed with sharp teeth, which saw a slot six feet deep very rapidly."
Caption: "On its way to the loading bay, each empty car is automatically weighed. The Bill - of - Lading originates at this point and the tare weight is tamped upon it."
Caption: "The prepared sizes of Reading anthracite are loaded into freight cars without breakage by these devices which are electrically operated and lowered into the cars so that the coal is deposited gently and evenly. Reading anthracite rides on...
Caption: "Motor driven shaker screens accurately determine the percentage of over-size and under-size in the samples taken from nine points on each car."
Caption: "Each fifty-pound sample is dipped in a bath of zinc chloride, pure coal floats and all impurities sink into a basket which segregates them. This apparatus detects the slightest impurities."
Caption: "THis miner is using a Pneumatic Drill to bore into the face of the coal. Powder charges are place in the holes and exploded, breaking the coal into lumps for transportation to the surface. The miner's safety lamp is hung on a nail above...
Originally called the Westmoreland Shaft Mine, it was located in Biddle, which is now a section of Westmoreland City in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. The mine operated from ca. 1872 until 1955.
