The Lite and Narrow - 5
a fuel for use for smelting ores and manufacturing of met-
als, and 1627, for removing the coal smell or smoke for use in
heating houses.
In 1709, Abraham Darby developed a blast furnace using coke
for firing. Because of coke’s superior resistance to crushing,
blast furnaces could become taller and larger. This one devel-
opment made iron less expensive and was one of the factors
leading to the Industrial Revolution.
Charcoal was the primary source of coke; however the rapidly
dwindling forests created the need to find a better source for
coke. Early coke, from coal, was produced by burning coal in
heaps on the ground so that only the outer layer burned, leav-
ing the insides free of the gases and oils; in other words baking
the coal. This wasn’t very efficient.
A similar situation occurred in the United States changing from
wood to coal because of depletion of the forests for fuel in the
salt brining industry. In this instance the development of the
coal mining industry in West Virginia started.
Beginning in the late 1700s beehive ovens were developed to
allow better control over the burning of the coal. They consist-
ed of a chimney constructed of loose bricks, and several open-
ings for the combustion gases to enter. As more experience de-
veloped with these ovens, the yield became better, from about
35% to 65% of usable coke by the mid-1800s.
MRH-Dec 2013
