190 Slope Lackawanna coal mine motor car w/ dummy

THE SIBLEY COLLIERY

Dedicated to the miners who lost their lives in the coal mines of Old Forge.

The Sibley breaker and shaft were located near what is now Keyser Avenue, between Oak St. and Sibley Ave, below the junction of the Erie Lackawanna and Ontario & Western Railroads.

Built in 1873 as an over shaft colliery, the shaft and cage hoist was built into the breaker, and the large pulley wheels were in the highest part of the structure. It was destroyed by fire on Feb 5, 1886. It was rebuilt by the A. B. Tyrrell Co., on the same foundation in 1886. By July 5 of that year, Tyrell had the remains of the damaged colliery cleared and has started rebuilding . This second structure was also destroyed by  fire on June 23, 1906. The fire broke out in the breaker about 10:45 am, and destroyed the breaker, engine house, boiler and supply houses. A new breaker, the third on the same foundation, and other buildings were completed and in use by summer.

The colliery was first owned by the Elliott, Koerner & Co. in 1872 when the first shaft was sunk. It was bought by the Pennsylvania Anthracite Coal Co. in 1887, and was in their control until it was bought by the Elliott McClure & Co. in 1885. They ran the colliery until it was purchased by the Pennsylvania Coal company in 1914, and it continued to produce coal until it closed on March 13, 1916 and was raised to the ground during the summer months. However an underground haulage tunnel was dug to connect the Sibley shaft workings to the foot of the Old Forge Shaft so coal could be brought to the surface. From there the coal cars were moved by locomotive to the Old Forge breaker. 

Records show more than 5,260,855 tons of coal was mined at Sibley between 1873 and 1916.  Some statistics from the 1908  report by Inspector H.D. Johnson, of Rendham to James Roderick, Chief of Bureau of Mines are as follows. Production of coal shipped to market, 119,214 tons, fatal accidents, 1. The Sibley site  was served by the LV Railroad. The Sibley Superintendent was R.W. Reese. 615 persons were employed, 15 men and 72 slate picker boys, 175 miners, 125 mine labors, 62 mule drivers, 8 door boys, 43 mules or horses, 3 pump men and 76 company men. A total of 6,053 lb. of  black powder and 3,075 kegs of dynamite were used. The complex was powered by 3 tubular steam boilers, 1200hp. 19 steam engines, 900hp. 1 water pump, 2500gpm. 1 air compressor. Ventilation was supplied by using a steam powered forced air fan.

Records after 1916 are few, Sibley is now listed under Pennsylvania Coal Co, without any breakout as to each mine’s location.

Some of the officers of Elliott McClure & Co were: Judge Harrold Murrary McClure, R.W. Reese Superintendent 1908, J.D. Reedy, Henry W. Kinsbury General Manager 1902, Robert McClure.

As recorded in the Court of Common Pleas Lackawanna County #12, court case, Sept 1906 Commonwealth of Pa. H.D.Johnson Inspector, vers. Elliott McClure & Co., Inspector Johnson had tried to stop rebuilding the Sibley as an over shaft breaker on the same foundation. The judge, citing previous cases relating to rebuilding structures on the same foundation found in favor of the Elliott McClure & Co. The Inspector had tried to use a new law preventing breakers from being constructed over mine shafts or slopes after the huge loss of life at the Avondale Colliery fire in Plymouth.

An original photo of the second Sibley Colliery taken around 1886 belongs to the Eagle McClure Hose Co. It was hung in the Sibley McClure Hose Co for over 75 years. A photo of the third Sibley Colliery built in 1906 belongs to the Syracuse University Library collection, was taken by Watson Bunnell, for the DL&W railroad, a well known railroad photographer, and is dated 1908,