This was the site where the shaft went to the Clark vein to dispose of ashes . Also was used to mine there own anthracite out of the shaft, This building sits vacant today as the steam system was shut down in the early part of the decade.





Inbound coal was also delivered by rail. An underground conveyer was used to transport it to the building. This is the site where the conveyer came above ground. The identical system was used at the Marvine except in reverse to bring mine rock out from under the breaker.( below)





Peering inside. Wont go in alone. Maybe someone wants to go inside to look for the shaft ?



An outcast was coming from inside the building. Either from the cold brick of the building, or the shaft near by ?

id be interested in seeing the results, id love to go however my chauffeur, aka dad, doesnt like abandoned buildings. If someopne finds the shaft and has permission to be one site though, then id probably be able to persaude him..

Interesting establishment there. i agree with the not going in alone part--place looks a little unstable---

If you find someone else to go in with you make sure you have communication with someone on top---

_________________
Neeb?

Tony, the pics of the concrete opening are from the Scranton Electric company and not the Marvin, correct?

Correct. I have photos of the Marvine conveyer out let. Its located in Mikes Scrap yard. Ill post them when I find them

No need, been there, have my own.

Do want to check out the S.E.C.

lol should have known. Us marvine fans ya know. I think the worst thing they could do is put up a fence, or have an area fenced off. Just excites my curosity....

Scranton gained fame as the Electric City, thanks to the region's innovative spirit
Cheryl A Kashuba
Published: August 22, 2010





Scranton gained fame as the Electric City, thanks to the region's innovative spirit
The city of Scranton took its first step toward earning its reputation as the Electric City on Dec. 6, 1880. On that date, electric lights were introduced at the Dickson Locomotive Works. This was innovation indeed. Thomas Edison had only recently improved the electric light bulb to the point that made it usable for commercial use, and he had received his patent just months before, in January 1880.

The Scrantons' steel mills were the second plant to install electric lighting - on Feb.23, 1881, and the Dicksons installed electricity at the Dickson Works on Penn Avenue on Oct. 21, 1882. These were all industrial establishments, and, in fact, establishments that were themselves known for innovation.

The first public demonstration of electric lights in the city of Scranton occurred at the Author's Carnival, which opened on April 25, 1887. Its purpose was to raise money for the building fund of the Young Men's Christian Association. This festival continued for a week and was considered the most brilliant social event of that generation. Guests attended in the costumes of various authors and their characters, treating the assembly to their impersonations of those characters.

Arthur Frothingham, born in West Pittston, is credited with promoting the use of electricity for street lighting. The handsome, feisty architect had made millions from local coal lands, and, on March 26, 1894, opened his Frothingham Theater at 213-215 Wyoming Ave. With its Moorish-style architecture, it was itself something to behold, and it became a venue for the popular new musicals.

With Mr. Frothingham's eye toward style and innovation, Scranton would be transformed. At the time, city streets were lighted by acetylene gas lamps - no more than a couple of hundred in all. Aside from Scranton, only Dunmore and Carbondale lit their streets. The other boroughs did not install street lights until electric lamps had become a tried and true innovation.

The first electric lights in Scranton were arc lamps. They were followed by incandescent bulbs. In the early days of electricity, electric illumination was under the control of a number of companies, with a few of the Midvalley towns operating plants of their own. W.W. Scranton, then head of the Scranton Gas & Water Co., was instrumental in building the first electric power plant along the Lackawanna River. Scranton Select Council passed the Peoples Electric Light and Power Co. ordinance in the summer of 1883, allowing for the regulation of electric power.

Electric street cars were introduced by E.B. Sturges in 1886. His was recognized as the first system in the country to run exclusively on electric power. The streetcars were themselves illuminated with incandescent bulbs. Post cards from the era show Lackawanna Avenue at night, lit by scores of electric bulbs. Their captions refer to the avenue as the Great White Way. Scranton was truly electrified.

In 1900, most of the power plants were consolidated under the name of the Scranton Electric Co. Some years later, it was taken over by the American Gas & Electric Co. Electric power made its greatest strides in development with Duncan T. Campbell as manager of that company. During his tenure, they acquired control of all operating companies in the Lackawanna Valley between Pittston and Forest City. The one exception was the municipal plant in Olyphant.

By the 1920s, electricity had been installed in many homes, and thousands of incandescent bulbs lit the valley.

The credit for bestowing upon Scranton its nickname goes to Rev. David Spencer, D.D., one-time pastor of the Penn Avenue Baptist Church. Taking stock of the success of the city's electric trolley system, and looking upon the households and streets illuminated by electric lights, the Rev. Spencer proclaimed Scranton the Electric City - a name it has proudly carried through its history.

CHERYL A. KASHUBA is a university instructor and author of the book "A Brief History of Scranton, Pennsylvania." Contact the writer: local history@timesshamrock.com

In the article there are photos of the plant when operating. In the left of the photo the head frame and shaft opening can be seen, with narrow gauge rails running from it. The electric company mined its own anthracite in the early years on site, and ajoining areas. The left over ash was carried back into the mines below for flush material.