1930s aerial photo by Art Young taken from a Taylor Cub.
The Von Storch Breaker was the main preparation plant of the Penn Anthracite Collieries Company (Penn Anthracite Mining Co) and was located on Nay Aug Ave off Green Ridge Street in North Scranton. This breaker prepared for market mine run coal from the following mining operations: Capouse Shaft, Capouse Slope, Von Storch Slope, Harry Taylor Slope, Johnson Shaft, Johnson Slope, Ontario Tunnel, Sturges Shaft, Blue Ridge Tunnel, Raymond Shaft and Hackley Slope. All of the coal from these operations with the exception of the Von Storch Slope was loaded into NYO&W railroad cars and transported to the breaker for processing. The breaker was built in 1926-27 and was modern and efficient in preparing coal, utilizing techniques to produce a “slate free” commercial product. The main breaker contained four 13-foot diameter Chance Cones, together with eight sets of shaker screens to dewater the cleaned coal and salvage the flotation sand for further use. The breaker was shut down and dismantled in 1948. The Huge refuse dumps that remained would be reclaimed in the 1960s and 70s to be used in the underground mine flushing projects throughout Scranton. Once gone, the Green Ridge Shopping Plaza would be built on site. One section of the breaker amazingly remained into the early 2000s and served as a coal pocket for Dreater Coal and Concrete Sales. This would eventually be torn down and a flower shop and small park built over its location.
Office of Surface Mining Photos from late 1960s, showing the culm bank being reclaimed and flushed back into the underground workings.
Our photos from 2003 showing the last piece of the breaker remaining, being used as retail pockets by Dreater Coal Co. Also shown is the 1930s aerial zoomed in to show this part of the operation.
UGM collection, showing two advertising cards promoting the use of Von Storch Coal by Penn Anthracite Mining Co.
