Central Breaker

Central Breaker

Central Breaker  Digitally Watermarked

Central Breaker

Photographer/Illustrator Year Repository
Jones? 1889 Hagley Library



Brief Chronology of Mining Developments

Year Month Day Comments
1868 Sep - Start of mine construction
1870 Oct 22nd Start of shipments
1870 - - The new breaker was 110 feet high and was estimated to have cost at least $200,000; just the masonry for the shaft engine and the breaker cost $30,000
1870 - - The main shaft had been sunk 320 ft to the Big Vein, the air shaft was deeper at 400 ft
1870 - - Coal was carried to the breaker via a long chute that enabled large pieces of slate to be removed before they entered the breaker
1870 - - The breaker was compartmentalised, so the slate pickers were kept away from the dust that evolved on the coal chutes going down to the storage pockets
1888 - - Over the period 1872-1888 this mine produced more coal than any of the other mines of the Lackawanna Railroad
1889 - - The old hoisting engines were replaced by new large ones with a view to increasing output in future
1889 - - The breaker was 'in first class condition' and utilised a Zeigler slate picking machine
1889 - - The mine had five large pumps because it served as the drainage point for a number of the Lackawanna Railroad's mines
1890 Aug 19th The breaker burned down with an estimated loss of $64,000. It was not rebuilt.
1890 - - The photograph at the top of the page, taken just before the fire, is the only known image of the original breaker structure


Production Statistics Table

Year Current Name Tonnage Mined Tonnage Shipped Employees Days Worked Operator
1870 Central - - - - Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
1871 Central - - - - Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
1872 Central Shaft Colliery 82277 - 257 - Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
1873 Central Colliery 150849 - 250 - Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
1874 Central Shaft 141425 - 284 - Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
1875 Central 165165 - 293 - Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
1876 Central Shaft 118462 110962 276 172.5 Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
1877 Central Shaft 94121 - 280 140.5 Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
1878 Central Shaft 125102 - 310 168 Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
1879 Central Shaft 198084 - 337 286.5 Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
1880 Central Shaft 129487 - 354 179 Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
1881 Central Shaft 138769 - 327 205.5 Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
1882 Central Shaft 172110 - 368 240 Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
1883 Central Shaft 169979 - 415 - Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
1884 Central Shaft 173335 - 433 180.5 Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
1885 Central 227849 213011 469 182.8 Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
1887 Central Shaft 287742 263632 491 215.1 Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
1888 Central Shaft 278683 255127 516 214.1 Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
1889 Central 203744 177739 524 139.9 Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
1890 Central 123759 104495 500 105.5 Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad