Coal Camp Coke Ovens

**atver** · December 10th, 2009, 05:52 PM

I can remember the coke ovens lighting up the sky beyond Appalachia. My parents used to tell us that people would find pairs of shoes sitting in front of them. meaning someone was missing or what ever. Does anyone have any old folk lure about the coke ovens like that?

**starbuck** · December 10th, 2009, 06:13 PM

I rekon my grandmother's brother fell into one while working

**MikeJones** · December 10th, 2009, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by starbuck

I rekon my grandmother's brother fell into one while working

Dang. I take it he didnt survive?

**retiredteach** · December 10th, 2009, 07:57 PM

Can remember a Dalton man who was supposed to have fallen into one. Probably in the 60's.

**MikeJones** · December 10th, 2009, 11:03 PM

I wonder what they did when someone would fall in. They couldn't just put them out could they?

**retiredteach** · December 10th, 2009, 11:30 PM

If I remember correctly, after determining that he probably fell in, they had to shut the oven down. Nothing left but ashes. I worked a couple of weeks at Pine Branch back in the mid 60's. A bunch of young college guys we were then. Westmoreland had purchased some coal from Brazil and we had to mix so many parts of Pine Branch Coal with the Brazilian Coal and it was then fired in an expermental oven to see if it would produce quality Coke. Evidently it didn't. The coal from Brazil was very poor quality. Also have riden the Mud Car down the Tracks in front of the Ovens. They had to keep the Ovens Mudded Up every so often. The Mud was Mortar, but it sure was a hot job.