1908 - 360 Coke Ovens

NW Mailing List nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Mon Apr 7 20:52:27 EDT 2008


Roanoke Times - April 8, 1908

360 COKE OVENS

New Plant Being Erected By the Stonega Company

William H. Stone, writing from Stonega, Va., for the
Manufacturers' Record, says:
Representing in its accomplishments one of the biggest and
broadest developments in Southwestern Virginia, the Stonega Coke and
Coal Company is at this time giving the rest of the country a
splendid example of its great faith in the future and in the return
of business activity.
This company now has eight operating mines, three of these having
but recently been made producers, while a fourth is now under
construction and will become a producer in a short time. A new
360-oven coke plant is also in course of construction, while around
it will be built numerous comfortable homes with modern conveniences
for those who will be employed there. The Interstate Railroad
Company, which operates the lines connecting the company's various
plants to the Louisville and Nashville and the Virginia and
Southwestern Railroad at Appalachia, Va., is also actively at work
building a 12-mile extension to Norton, Va., where a direct
connection will be made with the Norfolk and Western Railway, thus
giving an additional and competing outlet to those already enjoyed.
While it is true that a slight halt was made in some of this new
work, it is nevertheless going forward, as the company believes that
the present is an especially opportune time in which to start new
work and to get the improvements into shape to supply a future demand
that is bound to come.
The Stonega Coke and Coal Company is located in Wise county. It
lies in the valley and on the waters of Callahan creek and its
branches, and which, in turn, is tributary to Powells river. The
company's activities contain a very high grade of coking, gas,
domestic and steam coals.
The development of the property was started about twelve years
ago, and so actively has it been carried on and broadened that today
it represents one of the finest of its king in the country and has
made its product widely known, this being especially true of its
Stonega coke, which enjoys an enviable reputation as a high-grade foundry coke.
The developments of the company are divided into several distinct
and self-contained plants, including one of 666 coke ovens and
accompanying mines at Stonega, one of 365 coke ovens and accompanying
mines at Osaka and three mines producing exclusively gas, domestic
and steam coals at Roda, which two new mines have recently become
producers at Arno, a new section, and a 360 coke oven plant, to be
supplied from a new Stonega mine, is being constructed at Crossbrook,
about two miles below Stonega. The company also owns some very
valuable timber lands, including such hardwoods as yellow poplar,
cherry, basswood, chestnut, beech, hemlock, etc., and has in
operation four sawmills with a full capacity of 50,000 feet daily.
These mill manufacture all of the lumber used in the company's
construction work, in addition to shipping from 4,000,000 to
5,000,000 feet annually.
All of these developments are connected by the Interstate Railroad.
The completion of the new improvements will increase total number of
employes to 5,000, and the company's total output approximately
3,000,000 tons per annum of coal mines, including both that used for
coking and that shipped away.
The new plant at Crossbrook is being made thoroughly up to date
and modern in every detail, and a new living settlement for the
emplyes at this plant is also being constructed.
THe company's products find a market throughout a
widely-distributed territory, this being due to their character and
quality. Its coke which is the principle product, and by reason of
its being particularly low in ash and sulphur has become especially
well known for its use in foundries, where it has met with the best
results. This coke received the gold medals both at the St. Louis and
the Jamestown expositions. It is all from the famous Stonega vein of
coking coal, while the coal from the Roda mines is used by many
cities in the South and Southeast for the manufacture of illuminating
gas. Other of the company's mines also produce both domestic and
steaming coals of a high grade.
The Stonega Coke and Coal Company owns all lands in and around its
various plants and takes a deep interest in the welfare and housing
of its many employes. The dwelling houses which have been are being
erected are of neat design, and are comfortable in every way. They
have such modern conveniences as electric lights, running water and
bathrooms, and they are always maintained in a clean and sanitary
manner. Schools are provided by the county at each of the
settlements, while the company maintains a hospital, library,
billiard rooms and other conveniences. Seven different denominations
have their places of worship, and halls are also available for many
different social and secret organization gatherings.
The careful attention which has been given to the comfort of the
employes and their families had been instrumental in enabling the
company to maintain a more than ordinary high standard of labor, all
of whom appear satisfied and content in their work.
The executive officers of the Stonega Coke and Coal Company have
their headquarters in Philadelphia, Pa., but the main operating
offices and their heads, including General Manager A. H. Reeder and
Traffic and Sales Manager Otis Mouser, are located at Stonega, Va.,
which is the center of the company's operations.

-----------------------------------

- Ron Davis, Roger Link






More information about the NW-Mailing-List mailing list