Allison No. 2 Mine & Coke Works "Luzerne Works" (ca.1905- ? ),
Located on the Connellsville & Monongahela Railroad, and along Dunlap Creek, south of Brownsville, Allison No. 2, Redstone Twp., Fayette Co., PA.
[Allison No. 2 Mine, contained 200 rectangular coke ovens, in the Klondike Region, of the Connellsville Coke Region, of Fayette Co., PA.]
Owners: (ca.1905-  ?  ), W.J. Rainey Coke Company, Uniontown, PA
             (ca.1956-  ?  ), Emerald Coal & Coke Company,

The former coal company store, now used as a woodworking shop, is a large two-and-one-half-story building with common-bond red brick walls.  It measures about 40 feet x 30 feet and retains a number of its original one-over-one-light windows at the second-story level.  Stone lintels span the window openings.  The gable roof is probably supported by riveted steel roof trusses.  The original storefront has been removed and two of the three doorways have been infilled with brick and stone.  Most of the windows on the frist floor have been infilled with brick.  The building rests on a stone foundation.

The former Allison Coke Works office building is a small one-story structure, measuring about 10 feet x 15 feet.  it contains common-bond red brick walls, a gable roof, and rests on a stone foundation.  A brick chimney extends through the gable ridge and the building retains its large, narrow one-over-one-light windows.

The three other brick buidings, syanding east of the office building, are long,narrow structures that housed the mine stable, machine shop and blacksmith shop.  All three are similarly constructed with common-bond red brick walls, and steel columns (encased in brick) supporting riveted steel Fink roof trusses.  Decorative brick work at the gable ends feature corbelled brick and pediments.  One of the buildings has been partially destroyed, exposing the steel roof trusses.  The building vary in size, the largest measuring about 60 feet x 25 feet.  All of the buildings rest on stone foundations.

About 500 feet to the south of the former mining complex, on the east side of Dunlap Creek, stand the remains of the rectangular coke ovens.  Known as the Allison Coke Works, these rectangular coke ovens extend about 1,000 feet along the creek.  Many of the ovens were still extant, ca.1991.  They vary in condition; many are moderately deteriorated, others are severely deteriorated.  Nonetheless, the Allison Coke Works and the one at Shoaf Coke Works are the best preserved coke ovens in Fayette county.

The Allison No. 2 Coke Works, also known as the "Luzerne Works," probably has one battery of recangular coke ovens.  When in full production the Allison No. 2 Coke Works "Luzerne Works" contained approximately 200 operating bee-hive coke ovens.  The Allison No. 2 coke ovens have been all but obliterated by a scrap-metal operation.

In 1912 Allison Nos. 1 and 2.  Started construction of a forty million gallon reservoir.  Compleyerd building and put into blast 93 rectangular coke ovens.  Installed one 4,700 feet Laidlaw Dunn Gordon air compressor, one 250 K.W. electric generator with 21 by 21 Lentz engine, 3 additional 300 horse power Erie City V.W.T. boilers, one 35 foot diameter Allis Chalmers fan.  Built a superintendent's house and five foremen's houses.

In 1912, the Allison No. 1 Mine and Coke Works had 125 employees, thirteen of whom were engaged in coke production.  The Allison No. 1 coke works had 167 rectangular coke ovens in production and produced 48,616 tons of coke in 1912. This coke works was adjacent to and to the east of the Allison No. 2 Works.  The Allison No. 2 Mine & Coke Works were built ca.1905 also by the W. J. Rainey Coke Company.  At its peak, the entire Allison Mining complex had approximately 500 rectangular coke ovens in production.

In ca.1929, the Allison No. 1  Mine and Allison No. 2 Mine and the Allison Coke Works employed 1,037 miners and coke workers.

[From Blanche Vaida Buchko, Ada, MI, we have this description of a mining accident at Allison No. 2 Mine that her father was injured in.]

"My father, Albert Daniel Vaida, worked for the William J. Rainey Mining Company in Allison No. 2 Mine from approximately 1930 until late 1931 or early 1932. At that time he was injured in an accident at the Allison No. 2 mine. The cable carrying the cage that lowered the miners into the mine shaft snapped, plunging the cage to the bottom of the shaft. Although I was only 3 years old at the time, I still have very vivid memories of the disaster whistle blowing and knowing that my father would be entering the mine that time of day, I remember running down to the mine with my mother and siblings. At this time women and children were coming from all directions to see if their loved ones were involved. It was confirmed that the cage had fallen and of course many sounds of wailing and screaming were heard. Panic sounds were everywhere. Two ambulances were on the scene immediately. I have no knowledge what method was used to bring the injured miners up, but I do remember when my father was brought out. He was screaming with horrible pain and asked for a cigarette. One was given to him and he literally chewed and ate the cigarette. He was transported by ambulance to Brownsville PA hospital. His injuries were diagnosed as two broken arms and two broken legs. He was in traction for six or seven months and was in the hospital for nine months. Later we heard that three miners died in the fall and ten were injured. These men were lying in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the mine shaft when the rescuers reached them."

Blanche Vaida Buchko

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