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SCALP LEVEL, Pa. (EUREKA NO. 40)

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Berwind-White Coal Mining Co. built Eureka No. 40 from 1902 until 1905. In 1956 Eureka 40 had a daily capacity of 2000 tons. The annual tonnage for 1955 was 473,000 cy mining in a 43" section of "B" coal seam. In 1959 Eureka 40 produced 13,0333 tons, although advertised daily capacity was raised to 5000 tons per day worked by two shifts. Berwind-White closed Eureka 40 mine in 1962. Jandy Coal Co. leased the mine in the 1970s and early 80s.

A reader says, "I grew up in Mine 40 Windber. That giant slag heap was looming right out our kitchen window. Everyone used to call it, "The Rock Dump" My dad worked in Mine 40. One time I went into the entryway of the wash house and there was a plaque on the wall with names of the miners who died in the mine. I always wondered whatever happened to that. I went back to Mine 40 in 2017. First time back in 20 years. Yeah, everything is pretty much gone except the Power House. Mother Nature is reclaiming it all. All that's left of the company store is the concrete front porch. Never forget the night it burned down. Everyone in that little town came down to the bottom of Second Street and watched it burn."

Image courtesy Windber Area Museum

Great old picture of the Eureka No. 40 coal mining complex from when it was active. How do you like the size of that tailings pile?

Circa 1959 image

I was surprised to be watching at TV show called "Sea Hunt" tonight and see Eureka No. 40 in an episode. This is a screen shot from that episode, and it shows what the colliery looked like when it was active. I also noticed that the guy that played one of the coal miners in the episode later played Mr. Ziffel on "Green Acres."

Nov. 2003 image by author

An overall view of the coal mining town of Eureka No. 40 at Scalp Level, Pennsylvania. The abandoned tipple is on the right, the large powerhouse is to the left of that, and the patch town is to the left and behind the powerhouse.

Nov. 2003 image by author

The Eureka No. 40 company town, built in 1905 by the Berwind White Coal Company to house the workers of the No. 40 coal mine. Note the large slate dump in the background.

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These company-built houses on First Street originally looked alike, but have since been individualized with enclosed porches and different colors.

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The rear of a row of patch houses at Eureka No. 40.

Nov. 2003 image by author

The Eureka No. 40 tipple, built in 1928 by Roberts and Schaefer. The unsheeted building in front of the tipple must have been an auxillary preparation plant built at a later date. After the 1940s this tipple processed the coal for Eureka Nos. 35, 36, and 37 mines as well. Equipment used at this plant in 1955 included a Chance cone, Arms air tables, shaker screens, picking tables, and dustless oil treatment. By 1959 Multilouvre Heat Dryers and a Hydrotator had been added.

Nov. 2003 image by author

The other side of the tipple, which utilizes concrete construction on it's lower portion and sheeted steel and wood on the upper floors.

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What looks like a Chance sand cone in the ruins of the auxillary plant. Note the wooden floors.

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The coal company initaials and mine name were cast in the side of the Eureka No. 40 tipple.

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The large powerhouse was still standing behind the tipple and auxillary plant. When it was built in 1906 it provided power for not only the Eureka No. 40 mine, but also many of Berwind White's other nearby mines.

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There are only a few - maybe none at all - active coal mines remaining in America still using a turnover car dumper like this one.

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These are the kind of underground rail cars that were emptied in the car dumper pictured above.

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The purpose of this small steel car is a mystery to me. Perhaps it was used to transport tools or equipment underground. It also could have transported an injured coal miner.

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There were many mine motors still sitting in the locomotive shelter (motor house), like this Baldwin-Westinghouse unit that probably dates back to the 1920s.

Nov. 2003 image by author

The sealed mine portal into the Lower Kittanning seam of coal. Berwind White Coal Co. closed the Eureka No. 40 mine in 1962. Apparently they leased the mine to other operators: Papers addressed to the Jandy Coal Co. dating from the early 1980s were in the old superintendent's office.

Nov. 2003 image by author

The bathhouse at Eureka No. 40 was built in 1923.

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Inside the bathhouse.

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Detail of the front of the mine office, across the alley from the bathhouse.

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The safe inside the Eureka No. 40 office.

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Eureka No. 40 was one of the most intact coal mining sites remaining in Pennsylvania before it was tragically demolished around 2011 or 2012.

Dec. 2008 image by John Blough

Tipple ruins and boney pile (aka slate dump).

Image courtesy of Wayne

Wayne sent in this picture, and wrote, "In 1998 the guard at Eureka 40 allowed me to take a light from what we think is a mine car. It says, 'Grouse Hinds Co.' on a plate at the top. It reads, "Grouse Hinds Co., Incadescent Type MB CAT NO. 80450, Ohio Brass Co., Mansfield Ohio."

Image courtesy of Wayne

Another picture of Wayne's mine car light.

Feb. 2012 image by Sam Baker

Sam sent me this sad picture from Eureka No. 40 and wrote, "This is what is left at Eureka 40. Everything else has burned or been demolished except the power plant."

2018 image by author

Around 1910 Eureka No. 40 mine had progressed far enough back that it became necessary to make a new mine shaft for ventilation and access. It was named Berkley Shaft, and this building still in use as a garage remains from Berkley Shaft.