U. S. Coal & Coke Company, Gary No.8
U. S. Coal & Coke Company's Gary No.8 mining operation was located at Elbert, West Virginia and on the adjacent mountain from its No.7 coal mine. The No.8 coal lease consisted of 1,420 acres of the Pocahontas No.4 coal seam and construction began on opening that mine in 1905. Just like at the No.7 mine, there were coke ovens constructed, 172 of them, at the No.8 operation where the coal was first baked in coke ovens for up to forty-eight hours before being shipped to the steel mill. The No.8 mine was idled on several occasions and in its later years, a tunnel was driven through the mountain to connect it with the No.9 mine at Filbert. By the late 1960's, the remaining No.8 coal seam was taken through the mountain to the No.9 mine and dumped through its tipple. Your author was working there at that time. Over its life span, the No.8 mine produced 5,433,539 tons of coal. This and much more information can be found in the book "Gary Hollow" by Alex Schust.
A FICTIONAL STORY - "A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A COAL CAMP"