Red Ash No.2 Anthracite Coal Mine Circa 1916

 
vinscavage
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Post by vinscavage » Tue. Feb. 10, 2015 1:21 pm

Vinscavage family worked these mines . Not sure where Red Ash No. 2 in Pennsylvania was located, and if any photo's exist from the early 1900's. Any help would be greatly appreciateed.


 
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Pauliewog
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Location: Pittston, Pennsylvania
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Post by Pauliewog » Tue. Feb. 10, 2015 3:41 pm

vinscavage wrote:Vinscavage family worked these mines . Not sure where Red Ash No. 2 in Pennsylvania was located, and if any photo's exist from the early 1900's. Any help would be greatly appreciateed.
In Wyoming Valley the two deepest veins out of the 8 were called the upper and lower red ash.
If I recall from the top you had

Upper Checker
Lower Checker
Pittston
Top Marcy
Lower Marcy
Clark
Top Red Ash
Bottom Red ash

Up and down the valley mining companys may have called them 1 & 2 I remember the Checker being referred to as Top Checker and Bottom Checker.

Paulie

 
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Post by vinscavage » Tue. Feb. 10, 2015 4:40 pm

Thank you, Paulie for your wonderful reply. I lost my great grand father William Vinscavage in March of 1916, he was 63 years old from a gas explosion at Red Ash No. 2. This article I hold states he 's Lituanian and has a blank on his American citizenship. Was it a practice of these companies to hire non-documented citizens?

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Tue. Feb. 10, 2015 4:46 pm

For that kinda work V?? You betcha! There's some more old actual mine workers on here, hopefully one will check out your post.

 
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Pauliewog
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Coal Size/Type: Stove, Chesnut, Pea, Rice / Anthracite

Post by Pauliewog » Tue. Feb. 10, 2015 5:23 pm

Do you know the name of the town where he lived?

In the early 1900' s the mules in the mines were more valued than human life .

Freetown Fred answered your question on undocumented..... And I agree :D

Up until the 30's and 40's when a miner died he was dropped off on the porch of his house. It was a rarity they would even knock on the door....... Just drop off the body and go !

Paulie

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Tue. Feb. 10, 2015 5:45 pm

Nice post Pw--things were REAL back then!!

 
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Pauliewog
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Baseburners & Antiques: Fame Rosemont #20, Home Stove Works #25, Glenwood #6, Happy Thought Oak, Merry Bride #214, Sunnyside, Worlds Argand #114, New Golden Sun , & About 30 others.
Coal Size/Type: Stove, Chesnut, Pea, Rice / Anthracite

Post by Pauliewog » Tue. Feb. 10, 2015 7:13 pm

freetown fred wrote:Nice post Pw--things were REAL back then!!
Thanks Fred ...... But I don't know....... I hear a lot of scary stories about Freetown :rambo2:

It only took me three days working underground to realize ........ This ain't for me !!....... Ill take it out from the top . :D

Paulie


 
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Post by vinscavage » Wed. Feb. 11, 2015 8:12 am

Paulewog, at 63 William my greatest should have never been down there. Sad his follow workers couldn't be more supportive. But injuries and death's are extremely high in this occupation, sigh! My fathet was ver secretive about his and their families experiences. He did tell me about canaries, rats but that's it. I've heard Marcy mentioned and Miner is on his marriage to my mom. My mother was more vocal on the subject, which really upsetted my father. Krzynowski ..Maternal Slovemian... 51 cooper st, Pringle Pa a shack my coal miner grandpa built, after my non english speaking grand ma and her 3 young children, dressed in potato sacks found his body on the porch. Gulp... life was a hardship, of gathering top coal from the pittson hills or forty fourth..I remember these names...
Now I ain't one for proper english, and feel right at home writing from the heart. I cherish anything you can tell me about these times and the moutain folk of Pennslyvania. My family wanted to escape it in which they did. Strange how we really never do escape our families are scattered to the wind.

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Wed. Feb. 11, 2015 8:28 am

Nice post V. Thanx for sharing that. Yep, life of the coal miner & many others were HARD.

 
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Post by vinscavage » Wed. Feb. 11, 2015 8:49 am

I have 1 boy, I asked my papa if I could give him our family name cause this grandson was gonna make the world safer. Tony is 22 yrs of age and he is a working for a company that only excepts million dollar plus contracts. Bridge Barings he is a Design Engineer and is Earthquake proofing against 8+ coastal regions including high rises. This Miner grand son has got a heart of gold and all of your best intentions in mind. Plus he's still in college his work gave him the key ...flexible.....Go Miner's Go! For me, where was the exact location of the Red Ash No.2 I'd like to set a rose or have a visual on it, if possible. Thank you for all you responses.♡

 
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Pauliewog
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Coal Size/Type: Stove, Chesnut, Pea, Rice / Anthracite

Post by Pauliewog » Wed. Feb. 11, 2015 4:01 pm

Just a short note to let you know I'm working on finding as much information as I can.

When the weather breaks I intend to find your grandpops grave and will put the rose on it for you.

My wife was from Pringle, I lived in Forty Fort for a time , and I I live in Pittston now.

Actually I am on your Great Grandfathers street now and the house is still standing and painted yellow. If you look close at the picture on the left hand side under the porch roof you can see the address 51 Cooper.

Paulie

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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Wed. Feb. 11, 2015 4:51 pm

Nice find Paulie:) I never understood flat roofs in snow country--except maybe the houses being so close together.

 
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Pauliewog
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Location: Pittston, Pennsylvania
Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Alaska 140 Dual Paddle Feed
Baseburners & Antiques: Fame Rosemont #20, Home Stove Works #25, Glenwood #6, Happy Thought Oak, Merry Bride #214, Sunnyside, Worlds Argand #114, New Golden Sun , & About 30 others.
Coal Size/Type: Stove, Chesnut, Pea, Rice / Anthracite

Post by Pauliewog » Wed. Feb. 11, 2015 6:02 pm

freetown fred wrote:Nice find Paulie:) I never understood flat roofs in snow country--except maybe the houses being so close together.
Here is my thinking Fred......
Build your own house in 1900, you work in the mines, pick your own household coal, have no insulation but one or more coal stoves .........

What Snow Can You Have On The Roof? :D

On the Google satellite view of your house I cant see a flake of snow within 1/4 mile of your coal stove. :D

Paulie

 
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Post by freetown fred » Wed. Feb. 11, 2015 6:51 pm

Hmmmmm, didn't think of that--good point--my place had a lot of newspaper for insulation in the attic & just lath board in the post & beam construction. Thanx Paulie :) I've not been to that area much but have friends Grandfathers & Fathers that were steel workers at Beth. Steel before they shut it down-- Lots of bars but not much else but run down houses with people barely holdin their own:( To proud & angry to ask for any govt. help.

 
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Post by vinscavage » Sat. Feb. 14, 2015 9:48 am

Thank you Pauliewog for all the pictures and everyone for being so kind. What a nice way to wake up on a Valentine's morning and see your wonderful post, plus family homestead is still there and looking pretty good may I say. I have a picture of my father standing in front on 51 Cooper Street.

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Right to Left. John Vinscavage, Peter Itsbitski

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