Huber Coal Breaker, 101 South Main Street, Ashley, Luzerne County, PA

Significance: The Huber Coal Breaker is important as an example of coal preparation plants built in the 1930s by large anthracite coal companies in Northeastern Pennsylvania to meet market conditions. The breaker was capable of preparing 7,000 tons of coal daily. It was among the first plants to treat all coal sizes separately with Menzies cones, which separated coal from refuse using circulating high pressure water at a rate of 8,000 gallons per minute. For refuse disposal, the first aerial disposal plants in the anthracite region were erected. Power was provided by a steam boiler plant, built in 1937, which generated the highest steam pressure and temperature of any colliery power house. Other outstanding features included: boom-delivered large coal to railroad cars eliminating the need for storage bins; the division of the breaker into two halves for separate or combined production; silos for fine coal used in the power plant; and the spraying of coal with a blue iridescent chemical.

Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N101

Survey number: HAER PA-204

Building/structure dates: 1939 Initial Construction

Building/structure dates: 1976

breakers machinery ashley huber breaker huber coal breaker south main street luzerne luzerne county pennsylvania glen alden coal company historic american engineering record c madrid photo ultra high resolution high resolution power plants power generator coal mines and mining mining industry library of congress industrial history

1969 - 1980

Library of Congress

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