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77-642: After a three-year transition during which the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor operated the canal museum under a management agreement, the two merged. The D&L is now responsible for the National Canal Museum, Hugh Moore Park, the Emrick Technology Center, the Locktender's House Museum and the canal boat, Josiah White II. Officially known as Hugh Moore Historical Park & Museums,

154-500: A smokeless fuel . HG and UHG anthracite account for a small percentage of the total anthracite market. The major producing countries are Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, South Africa and the US. The primary sizes used in the United States for domestic heating are Chestnut, Pea, Buckwheat and Rice, with Chestnut and Rice being the most popular. Chestnut and Pea are used in hand fired furnaces while

231-484: A biking and hiking trail, a boat launch, and pavilions. Additionally, the park has aided in the preservation of industrial ruins, including three locks, one of which is the only functioning lift lock in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, which has merged with The National Canal Museum, is responsible for maintaining and interpreting the historic structures and sites within

308-630: A canal, there were occasions where it had to change sides, often because of opposition from landowners. Thus the towpath on the Chesterfield Canal changes to the south bank while it passes through the Osberton Estate, as the Foljambes, who lived in Osberton Hall, did not want boatmen passing too close to their residence. On canals, one solution to the problem of getting the horse to the other side

385-519: A domestic fuel since at least medieval times, when it was mined near Saundersfoot . More recently, large-scale mining of anthracite took place across the western part of the South Wales Coalfield until the late 20th century. In the United States, anthracite coal history began in 1790 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania , with the discovery of coal made by the hunter Necho Allen in what is now known as

462-643: A factory, the likes of which would have been seen throughout the park in the industrial era. The building holds a reception area, exhibit spaces, offices, and the Hugh Moore Park and Museums Archives. The building opened in 2007. The inaugural exhibit, "From this Valley: Iron, Steel and the Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution," tells the story of the Lehigh Valley 's critical role in

539-659: A fireplace. Anthracite differs from wood in that it needs a draft from the bottom, and Judge Fell proved with his grate design that it was a viable heating fuel. In spring 1808, John and Abijah Smith shipped the first commercially mined load of anthracite down the Susquehanna River from Plymouth, Pennsylvania, marking the birth of commercial anthracite mining in the United States. From that first mine, production rose to an all-time high of over 100 million tons in 1917. The difficulty of igniting anthracite inhibited its early use, especially in blast furnaces for smelting iron. With

616-555: A library of more than 13,483 volumes; 736 linear feet of manuscript materials; and 261 rolls of microfilm. Among the museum's archival holdings are rare film footage of canal life, historic photographs, canal maps, captain's logs, a complete set of the Army Corps of Engineers' annual reports to Congress, and engineering plans for 15 towpath canals east of the Mississippi River. The museum is responsible for maintaining and interpreting

693-521: A library of more than 13,483 volumes; 736 linear feet of manuscript materials; and 261 rolls of microfilm." In addition to a large amount of historical artifacts and data, the museum also employs an in-house historian, available for lectures, researchers, and inquiries. The Locktender's House is a restored locktender's house nestled between the Lehigh River and Guard Lock 8 on the Lehigh Canal. A museum

770-476: A management agreement during the first Crayola Experience opening. This marked the beginning of a three-year transition in which the two organizations would merge. The transition allowed the D&;L to integrate the management, finance, marketing, and development functions of the two organizations. The transition period ended in 2017. The museum, along with the other operations of Hugh Moore Historical Park & Museums,

847-412: A minimum carbon content of 95%. They also differ in usage from standard grade anthracite (used mainly for power generation), being employed mainly in metallurgy as a cost-efficient substitute for coke in processes such as sintering and pelletising , as well as pulverised coal injection (PCI) and direct injection into blast furnaces . They can also be used in water purification and domestically as

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924-486: A report on the expected costs of laying rails along the towpaths, but nothing more was heard of the project, and the advent of steam and diesel powered boats offered a much simpler solution. The ' mules ' which assist ships through the locks of the Panama Canal are a modern example of the concept. Towpaths are popular with cyclists and walkers, and some are suitable for equestrians . In snowy winters they are popular in

1001-400: A significant attraction for museum and park visitors. In 1982, the museum's exhibits were redesigned. New exhibits highlighted the broader history of the towpath canal era and the industrial heritage of the Lehigh Valley . During this period, the National Canal Museum began hosting several major events, including the annual Canal Festival and annual Canal History and Technology Symposium,

1078-555: A towing path at the same time. Even so, the River Don Navigation was improved from Tinsley to Rotherham in 1751, but the horse towing path was not completed on this section until 1822. On the River Avon between Stratford-upon-Avon and Tewkesbury , a towpath was never provided, and bow-hauling continued until the 1860s, when steam tugs were introduced. While towing paths were most convenient when they stayed on one side of

1155-404: A towpath, and began to encourage leisure usage by walkers, anglers and in some areas, cyclists. The steady development of the leisure use of the canals and the decline of commercial traffic has resulted in a general acceptance that towpaths are open to everyone, and not just boat users. The concept of free access to towpaths is now enshrined in the legislation which transferred responsibility for

1232-500: A transition stage between ordinary bituminous coal and graphite , produced by the more or less complete elimination of the volatile constituents of the former, and it is found most abundantly in areas that have been subjected to considerable stresses and pressures, such as the flanks of great mountain ranges. Anthracite is associated with strongly deformed sedimentary rocks that were subjected to higher pressures and temperatures (but short of metamorphic conditions) just as bituminous coal

1309-618: Is accredited by American Alliance of Museums and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution . Hugh Moore Park is a City of Easton park between the Lehigh River and the Lehigh Canal . It covers 520 acres (2.1 km), including part of the Lehigh River and section 8 of the Lehigh Canal. The area now known as Hugh Moore Park was originally an industrial park, built due to the large amount of anthracite coal being brought down

1386-551: Is also being mined. Countries producing HG and UHG anthracite include Russia and South Africa. HG and UHG anthracite are used as a coke or coal substitute in various metallurgical coal applications ( sintering , PCI , direct BF charge, pelletizing ). It plays an important role in cost reduction in the steel making process and is also used in production of ferroalloys , silicomanganese, calcium carbide and silicon carbide . South Africa exports lower-quality, higher-ash anthracite to Brazil to be used in steel-making. Anthracite

1463-435: Is also free from included soft or fibrous notches and does not soil the fingers when rubbed. Anthracitization is the transformation of bituminous coal into anthracite. The moisture content of fresh-mined anthracite generally is less than 15 percent. The heat content of anthracite ranges from 26 to 33 MJ/kg (22 to 28 million Btu / short ton ) on a moist, mineral-matter-free basis. The heat content of anthracite coal consumed in

1540-408: Is classified into three grades, depending on its carbon content. Standard grade is used as a domestic fuel and in industrial power-generation. The rarer higher grades of anthracite are purer – i.e., they have a higher carbon content – and are used in steel-making and other segments of the metallurgical industries. Technical characteristics of the various grades of anthracite are as follows: Anthracite

1617-558: Is divided by size mainly into applications that need lumps (typically larger than 10 mm) – various industrial processes where it replaces metallurgical coke , and domestic fuel – and those that need fines (less than 10 mm), such as sintering and pelletising. The common American classification by size is as follows: Lump, steamboat, egg and stove coals, the latter in two or three sizes, all three being above 1 + 1 ⁄ 2  in (38 mm) size on round-hole screens. High grade (HG) and ultra high grade (UHG) anthracite are

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1694-503: Is fed oxygen by vent paths that have not yet been discovered. These can smolder for years. Commonly, exhaust vents in populated areas are soon sensed and are sealed while vents in uninhabited areas remain undiscovered. Occasionally, vents are discovered via fumes sensed by passers-by, often in forested areas. Attempts to extinguish those remaining have at times been futile, and several such combustion areas exist today. The existence of an underground combustion site can sometimes be identified in

1771-585: Is found in the Lackawanna Coal Mine in northeastern Pennsylvania , United States in and around Scranton , Pennsylvania. Locally called the Coal Region , the deposit contains 480 square miles (1,200 km ) of coal-bearing rock which originally held 22.8 billion short tons (20.68 billion tonnes) of anthracite. The geographic region is roughly 100 miles (161 km) in length and 30 miles (48 km) in width. Because of historical mining and development of

1848-464: Is generally associated with less deformed or flat-lying sedimentary rocks. The compressed layers of anthracite that are deep mined in the folded Ridge and Valley Province of the Appalachian Mountains of the Coal Region of East-central Pennsylvania are extensions of the same layers of bituminous coal that are mined on the generally flat lying and undeformed sedimentary rocks further west on

1925-429: Is located on its first floor. The Locktender's House displays the living and working conditions of people in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Locktender's House was built for the person with the responsibility of operating the lock. In order to ensure that lock was operated, the house was constructed as near to the lock as possible, so there was no reason for someone in the house to be unable to come out and operate

2002-532: Is now the Signature Program of the D&L. The museum's collections reflect the material culture and document the history of America's canals and navigable rivers, as well as canal-related industries in the Lehigh Valley. The museum's holdings include 3,753 artifacts; 3,890 reels of film, video cassettes and oral history audio tapes; 52,782 slides, photographs and negative images; 31,824 engineering drawings;

2079-582: Is now the premier site for information concerning the technology of the Lehigh Valley and canal transportation in America. The museum's collection reflects these areas, and document the history of America's canals and navigable rives, as well as the related industries in the Lehigh Valley. According to the museum website: "The museum's holdings include: 3,753 artifacts; 3,890 reels of film, video cassettes [sic.], and audio (oral history) tapes; 52,782 slides, photographs and negative images; 31,824 engineering drawings;

2156-546: Is of standard-grade anthracite, which is used in power generation. Increased demand in China has made that country into a net importer of the fuel, mostly from Vietnam, another major producer of anthracite for power generation, although increasing domestic consumption in Vietnam means that exports may be scaled back. Current U.S. anthracite production averages around five million tons per year. Of that, about 1.8 million tons were mined in

2233-399: Is processed into different sizes by what is commonly referred to as a breaker . The large coal is raised from the mine and passed through breakers with toothed rolls to reduce the lumps to smaller pieces. The smaller pieces are separated into different sizes by a system of graduated sieves, placed in descending order. Sizing is necessary for different types of stoves and furnaces. Anthracite

2310-453: Is similar in appearance to the mineraloid jet and is sometimes used as a jet imitation. Anthracite differs from ordinary bituminous coal by its greater hardness (2.75–3 on the Mohs scale ), its higher relative density of 1.3–1.4, and luster, which is often semi-metallic with a mildly green reflection. It contains a high percentage of fixed carbon and a low percentage of volatile matter. It

2387-548: Is sold in the United Kingdom under trade names such as Phurnacite , Ancit and Taybrite. On the opposite end from high-grade anthracite coal, semianthracite coal is defined as a coal which is intermediate between anthracite coal and bituminous coal, and particularly a coal which approaches anthracite in nonvolatile character. Historically, from time to time, underground seams of coal have caught fire, often from careless or unfortunate mining activities. The pocket of ignited coal

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2464-604: Is the term for a once-popular and trademarked brand of anthracite, mined by the Glen Alden Coal Company in Pennsylvania , and sprayed with a blue dye at the mine before shipping to its Northeastern U.S. markets to distinguish it from its competitors. Culm has different meanings in British and American English . In British English, culm is the imperfect anthracite, located predominantly north Devon and Cornwall , which

2541-493: The Allegheny Plateau of Kentucky and West Virginia , Eastern Ohio , and Western Pennsylvania . In the same way the anthracite region of South Wales is confined to the contorted portion west of Swansea and Llanelli , the central and eastern portions producing steam coal , coking coal and domestic house coals. Anthracite shows some alteration by the development of secondary divisional planes and fissures so that

2618-568: The Coal Region . Legend has it that Allen fell asleep at the base of Broad Mountain and woke to the sight of a large fire because his campfire had ignited an outcrop of anthracite coal. By 1795, an anthracite-fired iron furnace had been built on the Schuylkill River . Anthracite was first experimentally burned as a residential heating fuel in the US on 11 February 1808, by Judge Jesse Fell in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania , on an open grate in

2695-475: The Josiah White , served operationally during the summer from 1978 until 1993, when it was allowed to sink near the feeder gate for the canal. It currently serves as a visual aid for the canal boat ride. The canal boat ride was developed to provide visitors with context and historical information, including information about building, living, and working on the canal. Pulled by two mules, named Hank and George,

2772-617: The metallurgy sector. Anthracite accounts for about 1% of global coal reserves, and is mined in only a few countries around the world. Anthracite derives from the Greek anthrakítēs ( ἀνθρακίτης ), literally "coal-like". Other terms which refer to anthracite are black coal , hard coal , stone coal , dark coal , coffee coal , blind coal (in Scotland), Kilkenny coal (in Ireland), crow coal or craw coal , and black diamond . "Blue Coal"

2849-529: The 260 acres (1.1 km) that comprise Hugh Moore Park, a National Register Historic District. These include Section 8 of the Lehigh Canal and its three operating locks, a locktender's house, ruins from three 19th-century industrial areas, and the Change Bridge, one of the first iron cable suspension bridges constructed in America. The Elaine and Peter Emrick Technology Center is a 14,000-square-foot (1,300 m), two-story brick building constructed to resemble

2926-425: The Emrick Technology Center is the archives of the National Canal Museum. Since the inception of the institution and through all of its incarnations, and beginning with the first master plan, there have been provisions for the National Canal Museum to preserve the transportation and industrial history of the area. Since the acquisition of property for this purpose in 1985, the collection has undergone rapid growth, and

3003-675: The English and Welsh canals from British Waterways to the Canal & River Trust in 2012. Cycling permits are no longer required by the Canal & River Trust. However, not all canal towpaths are suitable for use by cyclists, and conflicts can arise between the differing user groups, leading to campaigns such as Stay Kind, Slow Down. Parts of some towpaths have been incorporated into the National Cycle Network , and in most cases this has resulted in

3080-657: The Industrial Revolution. In 2012, the National Canal Museum relocated from Two Rivers Landing to the Emrick Center, and transferred most of the exhibits and hands-on educational activity stations there. The relocated Museum, which is adjacent to the mule-drawn canal boat, the Josiah White II, opened on Memorial Day weekend, 2012. It came under operation of the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor in 2013, completing its merger in 2017. Also currently held in

3157-516: The Lehigh Canal from present day Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania The park was purchased by the City of Easton in 1962, using money donated by Hugh Moore . This led to the formation of the Pennsylvania Canal Society in 1966 and the eventual creation of the National Canal Museum. Improvements to the park and its facilities have continually enhanced its visitor experience. These improvements include

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3234-739: The Mechanical Engineer for the London and North Western Railway at Crewe Works , rails were laid along a 1-mile (1.6 km) stretch of the towpath near Worleston, and a small steam locomotive borrowed from Crewe Works was used to tow boats. The locomotive ran on 18 in ( 457 mm ) gauge tracks, and was similar to Pet , which is preserved in the National Railway Museum at York . It pulled trains of two and four boats at 7 mph (11 km/h), and experiments were also tried with eight boats. The canal's engineer, G. R. Webb, produced

3311-510: The National Canal Museum is located in Easton's Hugh Moore Park. The National Canal Museum opened in 1970 as a joint cooperative effort between the City of Easton's Hugh Moore Park Commission and the Pennsylvania Canal Society. Sitting at the fork between the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers, the museum was intended to highlight and operate within Hugh Moore Park. The Josiah White, a functioning replica canal boat, debuted in 1978. Canal boat rides became

3388-417: The US with cross-country skiers and snowmobile users. Although historically not designed or used as towpaths, acequia ditch banks also are popular recreational trails. In Britain, most canals were built, owned and operated by private companies, and the towpaths were deemed to be private, for the benefit of legitimate users of the canal. The nationalisation of the canal system in 1948 did not result in

3465-465: The United States averages 29 MJ/kg (25 million Btu/ton), on the as-received basis, containing both inherent moisture and mineral matter. Since the 1980s, anthracite refuse or mine waste has been used for coal power generation in a form of recycling . The practice known as reclamation is being applied to culm piles antedating laws requiring mine owners to restore lands to their approximate original condition. Chemically, anthracite may be considered as

3542-546: The bank of a river , canal , or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle , beasts of burden , or a team of human pullers to tow a boat , often a barge . This mode of transport was common where sailing was impractical because of tunnels and bridges, unfavorable winds , or the narrowness of the channel. After the Industrial Revolution , towing became obsolete when engines were fitted on boats and when railway transportation superseded

3619-466: The carbon content is between 86% and 97%. The term is applied to those varieties of coal which do not give off tarry or other hydrocarbon vapours when heated below their point of ignition . Anthracite is difficult to ignite, and burns with a short, blue, and smokeless flame. Anthracite is categorized into several grades. Standard grade is used predominantly in power generation, and high grade (HG) and ultra high grade (UHG), are used predominantly in

3696-400: The development of the hot blast in 1828, which used waste heat to preheat combustion air, anthracite became a preferred fuel, accounting for 45% of US pig iron production within 15 years. Anthracite iron smelting was later displaced by coke . From the late 19th century until the 1950s, anthracite was the most popular fuel for heating homes and other buildings in the northern US, until it

3773-531: The early 20th century US, the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad started using only the more expensive anthracite coal in its passenger locomotives, dubbed themselves "The Road of Anthracite", and advertised widely that travelers on their line could make railway journeys without getting their clothing stained with soot. The advertisements featured a white-clad woman named Phoebe Snow and poems containing lines like "My gown stays white / From morn till night / Upon

3850-409: The fabric of the bridge, and in many cases, the structure was protected by cast iron plates, attached to the faces of the arch. These too soon developed deep grooves, but could be more easily replaced than the stonework of the bridge. While bridges could be constructed over relatively narrow canals, they were more costly on wide navigable rivers, and in many cases horse ferries were provided, to enable

3927-446: The fine particles used as filter media, and as an ingredient in charcoal briquettes . Anthracite was an authorised fuel in terms of the United Kingdom's Clean Air Act 1993 , meaning that it could be used within a designated Smoke Control Area such as the central London boroughs. China today mines by far the largest share of global anthracite production, accounting for more than three-quarters of global output. Most Chinese production

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4004-491: The highest grades of anthracite coal. They are the purest forms of coal, having the highest degree of coalification, the highest carbon count and energy content and the fewest impurities (moisture, ash and volatiles). High grade and ultra high grade anthracite are harder than standard grade anthracite, and have a higher relative density. An example of a chemical formula for high-grade anthracite would be C 240 H 90 O 4 NS, representing 94% carbon. UHG anthracite typically has

4081-406: The historic structures and sites within the 260 acres that comprise Hugh Moore Park, a National Register Historic District. These include Section 8 of the Lehigh Canal and its three operating locks, a locktender's house, ruins from three 19th century industrial areas, and the remains of the Change Bridge, one of the first iron cable suspension bridges constructed in America. The National Canal Museum

4158-529: The horse to reach the next stretch of towpath. In more recent times, this has provided difficulties for walkers, where an attractive river-side walk cannot be followed because the towpath changes sides and the ferry is no more. Not all haulage was by horses, and an experiment was carried out on the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal in 1888. Following suggestions by Francis W. Webb,

4235-649: The lands overlying the coal, it is estimated that 7 billion short tons (6.3 billion tonnes) of minable reserves remain. Other areas of the United States also contain several smaller deposits of anthracite, such as those historically mined in Crested Butte, Colorado . Among current producers, Russia, China, Poland, and Ukraine have the largest estimated recoverable reserves of anthracite. Other countries with substantial reserves include Vietnam and North Korea. The Groundhog Anthracite Deposit in British Columbia , Canada,

4312-521: The largest known deposits of anthracite coal in the world with an estimated reserve of seven billion short tons . China accounts for the majority of global production; other producers include Russia , Ukraine , North Korea , South Africa , Vietnam , Australia , Canada , and the United States . Total production in 2020 was 615 million tons. Anthracite is the most metamorphosed type of coal, but still represents low-grade metamorphism, in which

4389-432: The latter being held at Lafayette College . By 1985, the museum was realizing the ability for a complete collection and archival ability of important artifacts of both the canal era and the Industrial Revolution. In 1996, the National Canal Museum moved to Two Rivers Landing in an effort to revitalize Easton’s downtown district. Today, Two Rivers Landing receives an average of 250,000 visitors each year. Beginning in 2002,

4466-499: The lock. Opened in 1974, the museum is meant to provide a rough equivalent of what working on the canal would entail. Costumed guides provide background and information during a tour of the rooms of the house. The Josiah White II , the current boat used for the canal boat ride, is a steel -hulled boat built in 1993 by Bethlehem Steel at its former Sparrows Point Shipyard in Sparrow's Point, Maryland . The original canal boat, named

4543-592: The most economical method of obtaining power, requiring only 1 pound per horsepower-hour (0.6  kg / kWh ), or less. Large quantities of anthracite for power purposes were formerly exported from South Wales to France, Switzerland and parts of Germany. As of April 2013 , widespread commercial anthracite mining in Wales has now ceased, although a few large open cast sites remain, along with some relatively small drift mining operations. Anthracite generally costs two to six times as much as regular coal. In June 2008,

4620-567: The museum began a campaign to add hands-on activities to the existing exhibits. A proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF) resulted in a grant of $ 1.4 million, later increased to $ 2 million, for the creation of exhibits based on the “science and technology of canals and inland waterways." A new exhibit space was installed in March 2006, focusing on the history, science, and technology of canal construction and navigation. In 2011,

4697-523: The museum’s 15-year lease period in Two Rivers Landing ended and was not renewed. On January 1, 2012, the museum was relocated, returning to Hugh Moore Park. The Emrick Technology Center was repurposed to act as the main exhibit and administrative space during the Crayola Factory shutdown. In 2013, the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor began operating the National Canal Museum under

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4774-465: The original stratification lines are not always easily seen. The thermal conductivity is also higher; a lump of anthracite feels perceptibly colder when held in the warm hand than a similar lump of bituminous coal at the same temperature. Anthracite has a history of use in blast furnaces for iron smelting; however, it lacked the pore space of metallurgical coke , which eventually replaced anthracite. In southwest Wales , anthracite has been burned as

4851-403: The ride intends to recreate the experience of moving down the canal during its operational period. Average rides are 40 minutes long, and discuss a multitude of topics, including mules, mule tending, and the history of the canal. 40°39′44″N 75°14′20″W  /  40.66224°N 75.23900°W  / 40.66224; -75.23900 Towpath A towpath is a road or trail on

4928-517: The river, and four such companies improved a section of 24 miles (39 km) in this way between Bewdley and Coalbrookdale . They were not universally popular, however, as tolls were charged for their use, to recoup the capital cost, and this was resented on rivers where barge traffic had previously been free. With the advent of artificial canals, most of them were constructed with towpaths suitable for horses. Many rivers were improved by artificial cuts, and this often gave an opportunity to construct

5005-550: The road of Anthracite". Similarly, the Great Western Railway in the UK was able to use its access to anthracite (it dominated the anthracite region) to earn a reputation for efficiency and cleanliness unmatched by other UK companies. Internal combustion motors driven by the so-called "mixed", "poor", "semi-water" or " Dowson gas " produced by the gasification of anthracite with air (and a small proportion of steam) were at one time

5082-428: The slow towing method. Since then, many of these towpaths have been converted to multi-use trails and footpaths . They are still named towpaths — although they are now only occasionally used for the purpose of towing boats. Early inland waterway transport used the rivers, and while barges could use sails to assist their passage when winds were favourable or the river was wide enough to allow tacking, in many cases this

5159-476: The smaller Rice and Buckwheat are used in automatic stoker furnaces. Rice is currently the most sought-after size due to the ease of use and popularity of that type of furnace. In South Wales , a less elaborate classification is adopted, but great care is exercised in hand-picking and cleaning the coal from particles of pyrites in the higher qualities known as best malting coals, which are used for kiln-drying malt. Anthracite dust can be made into briquettes and

5236-403: The state of Pennsylvania. Mining of anthracite coal continues to this day in eastern Pennsylvania, and contributes up to 1% to the gross state product. More than 2,000 people were employed in the mining of anthracite coal in 1995. Most of the mining as of that date involved reclaiming coal from slag heaps (waste piles from past coal mining) at nearby closed mines. Some underground anthracite coal

5313-409: The surface being improved. Anthracite Anthracite , also known as hard coal and black coal , is a hard, compact variety of coal that has a submetallic lustre . It has the highest carbon content, the fewest impurities, and the highest energy density of all types of coal and is the highest ranking of coals. The Coal Region of Northeastern Pennsylvania in the United States has

5390-471: The towpaths becoming public rights of way . Subsequent legislation, such as the Transport Act 1968 , which defined the government's obligations to the maintenance of the inland waterways for which it was now responsible, did not include any commitment to maintain towpaths for use by anyone, however, some ten years later British Waterways started to relax the rule that a permit was required to give access to

5467-445: The wholesale cost of anthracite was US$ 150/ short ton , falling to $ 107/ton in 2021; it makes up 1% of U.S. coal production. The principal use of anthracite today is for a domestic fuel in either hand-fired stoves or automatic stoker furnaces. It delivers high energy per its weight and burns cleanly with little soot, making it ideal for this purpose. Its high value makes it prohibitively expensive for power plant use. Other uses include

5544-459: The winter where fallen snow is seen to be melted by the warmth conducted from below. Proposals for harnessing this heat as geothermal energy have not been successful. A vein of anthracite that caught fire in Centralia, Pennsylvania , in 1962 has been burning ever since, turning the once-thriving borough into a ghost town . Geologically, the largest most concentrated anthracite deposit in the world

5621-455: Was not possible, and gangs of men were used to bow-haul the boats. As river banks were often privately owned, such teams worked their way along the river banks as best they could, but this was far from satisfactory. On British rivers such as the River Severn , the situation was improved by the creation of towing path companies in the late 1700s. The companies built towing paths along the banks of

5698-479: Was spanned by a footbridge at its tail, the southern section of the Stratford-on-Avon Canal used split bridges so that the horse line did not have to be detached. The rope passed through a small gap at the centre of the bridge between its two halves. One problem with the horse towing path where it passed under a bridge was abrasion of the rope on the bridge arch. This resulted in deep grooves being cut in

5775-602: Was supplanted by oil-burning systems, and more recently natural gas systems. Many large public buildings, such as schools, were heated with anthracite-burning furnaces through the 1980s. During the American Civil War , Confederate blockade runners used anthracite as a smokeless fuel for their boilers to avoid revealing their position to the blockaders. The invention of the Wootten firebox enabled locomotives to directly burn anthracite efficiently, particularly waste culm. In

5852-399: Was the roving bridge or turnover bridge, where the horse ascended the ramp on one side, crossed the bridge, descended a circular ramp on the other side of the river but the same side of the bridge, and then passed through the bridge hole to continue on its way. This had the benefit that the rope did not have to be detached while the transfer took place. Where the towpath reached a lock, which

5929-540: Was used as a pigment . The term is also used to refer to some carboniferous rock strata found in both Britain and in the Rhenish hill countries, also known as the Culm Measures . In Britain, it may also refer to coal exported from Britain during the 19th century. In American English, "culm" refers to the waste or slack from anthracite mining, mostly dust and small pieces not suitable for use in home furnaces. Anthracite

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