Derry No. 2 Mine and Coke Works/Red Shaft

  Almost ten years to the day, and I finally got a chance to explore the Derry No.2/ Red Shaft Coke Works. The last time I posted anything about these ovens was November 30, 2013. I guess good things come to those who wait. Recently I was offered an opportunity to get out here and I just couldn't pass it up. Unfortunately, these ovens are most likely all going to be removed. However, a few of them might remain. There are a handful that remain intact, the rest are in varying states of decay. The intact ovens with the retaining walls and fronts do have a chance of being kept for posterity. All of this is undecided and only time will tell. Let's hope for the best. 

Overall, it is an interesting site, as they all are. These ovens really didn't have a long lifespan. Constructed by Derry Coal and Coke Company, Derry No. 2 first appeared as a new mine in the 1903 reports as "a new shaft opening into the Pittsburgh Seam and was in favorable condition. The ventilation was produced by radiation by steam. A ventilation fan was in course of erection and almost completed; this when in operation will greatly improve the ventilation". It is listed as having a total of 15 employees (inside and outside) for this year. This is also one of those "off years" on the mining reports that only list the number of ovens by the company, rather than the individual mines. Derry No. 1 would always be the flagship of the two, and there are 274 ovens listed for that year. 

In 1904 we still have 274 ovens at both of the mines combined. Derry No.2's "condition was favorable. The ventilation has been improved by the erection of a ventilating fan of the Guibal type, size 20x6 feet. This mine has recently been connected with the Derry mine by a pair of entries." The last sentence already hints at this coke works impending demise. 

1905 gives us more insight. Derry No. 2 is listed as having 50 ovens, and Derry No. 1 is listed with 224. So that clears up the last two years. There would never be more ovens added to Derry No. 2 than the original 50. Derry No. 1 would continue to expand. Derry No. 2 was simply listed as "in good condition" that year. More importantly is the new ownership by the Latrobe-Connellsville Coal and Coke Company....

Mathias Saxman was one of the who's who of this portion of Westmoreland County. His great grandfather, Christopher Saxman, emigrated from Wittenberg, Germany in 1764. He settled along the Loyalhanna Creek near present day Latrobe, where he operated one of the earliest flour mills in this region. Mathias (born November 22, 1836), named after is grandfather, Christopher's son, was the only child of Peter and Barbara (Butt) Saxman. He was a farmer until he was 35 years old, at which time he started purchasing coal lands in the Latrobe and Derry areas. He first organized the Saxman Coal and Coke Company, followed by the Derry Coal and Coke Company. He controlled these companies for 18 years. He then organized the Superior Coal and Coke Company with the Hon. George F. Huff (well known for his Greensburg coal companies as well as his namesake Hufftown, South Greensburg) and the Latrobe-Connellsville Coal and Coke Company. In June 1905, all of these companies were brought under one umbrella and became Latrobe-Connellsville Coal and Coke Company. (This is a very rough sketch of Mathias Saxman and there is a much more detailed biography written in "History of Westmoreland County Pennsylvania - Genealogical Memoirs - Vol. III - John W. Jordan, LL.D., 1906")

Cabinet photo of Mathias Saxman, I purchased earlier this year at the Miller's Crossing Fleatique in Irwin.

Death Certificate courtesy of Find a Grave.com

1906 found Derry No. 2 "In good condition as to ventilation and drainage". The mine and coke works employed 125 men, worked 290 days, mined 75,423 tons of coal, and produced 6,813 tons of coke. The percentage of coke to coal already shows us that they weren't paying much attention to these ovens. 

1907. Derry No. 2 "where the drainage still required improvement", produced 114,075 tons of coal and 10,719 tons of coke. 114 employees worked 282 days that year. Derry No. 1 had increased their ovens to 293 this year. 1907 would be the last year that we saw any recorded coke production at Derry No. 2. 

In 1908, 127 employees worked 24 days mining 10,670 tons of coal. 

1909. Derry No. 2 is down to 4 employees. They produced 1,170 tons of coal. 1,111 tons were used at the mine for steam and heat. The remaining 59 tons were sold to local trade or were used by the employees. The mine was listed as idle.

1910,1911. Idle the entire year.

1912,1913- Idle except for pumping and ventilation. 

1914- Not even mentioned

Derry No. 2 is mentioned one last time in 1917 and confirms that it was still being used for drainage and ventilation purposes. Under the "Improvements" section of the second district mining reports, Latrobe-Connellsville Coal and Coke "built new headframe, and installed a Robinson fan at No. 2 air and pumping shaft".

That would appear to be the end of Derry No. 2. A handful of these ovens were probably used privately at a later period. The few that remain intact also show signs of later alterations. Rough patchwork, concrete block, and other materials not original to the site can be seen in a couple places. It was normal at lot of these sites for locals to fire up a couple ovens after they were abandoned by the coal companies. Toward the end of the coal and coke era much of this land was stripped. This provided the area with an abundance of locally produced coal for the next generation or two. A truckload of coal could be purchased from any of these strip mines and dumped right into the ovens. My Grandfather wrote in his memoirs about doing this himself at old coke works near Mt. Pleasant. 

Derry No. 2 shown on a portion of a map of the coal lands belonging to Latrobe-Connellsville Coal and Coke.

Derry No. 2, although small, did contain a few company houses for the workers. The houses were located in a field southeast of the ovens. The houses are shown on this map on land owned by Joseph Guthrie. 

This is supposedly a photo of Derry No. 2. I'm skeptical on the accuracy of this. The layout on this photo seems off from what the map and the site itself suggest. The few remaining pieces of the old construction we located were found in front of these ovens. This photo puts everything behind the ovens. 

Here's what's left today:

The more intact ovens on the eastern end of the bank.

The running theory on these piers is that they held a water tank to quench the coke. 

Some of the more deteriorated ovens.

Inside of one of the ovens.

At least two of these ovens were connected in the bottom. I don't understand the reason for this.

The eastern end of the oven bank. 

Some of the hardware that I believe held the hoist for the shaft.

Corner wall of the hoist house, fan house, boiler house, whatever this building was. The couple maps we have are not very descriptive. 

Opposite corner wall.

Haulage spur off of the Bradenville Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Closeup of the "connector" between the two ovens.

Main line of the Bradenville Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad

Field where the company houses were located. Former site of the Red Shaft patch.