The history of coal mining in Ohio is intertwined with the stories of colossal earth-moving machines. Among these giants, the Gem of Egypt, the Mountaineer, and the Tiger stand out, not only for their impressive size and capabilities but also for a controversial event that brought them into the national spotlight: the crossing of Interstate 70 (I-70) in 1973.
Hanna Coal Company and the Rise of "Super Strippers"
The Hanna Coal Company, later a division of Pittsburgh Consolidation Coal Company (Consol), was a major player in the Eastern and Southeastern Ohio coalfields. By the 1950s, Hanna had a large coal processing center at its Georgetown complex near Cadiz, Ohio. To aid its strip mining operations, Hanna employed massive machines, including the Mountaineer, which was among the first of the "super strippers."
The Mountaineer, officially designated the Marion 5760, was assembled near Cadiz in 1955 and began digging in January 1956. Standing 16 stories tall with a 150-foot boom, the Mountaineer could scoop up 100 tons of earth in a single payload. Another significant machine in Hanna's fleet was the Gem of Egypt, an acronym for Giant Earth Mover or Giant Excavating Machine. The Gem of Egypt went into service in January 1967 and had a 170-foot boom and a 130 cubic yard bucket.
In addition to these giants, the Tiger, a 46-A shovel, also played a role in Hanna's operations. This shovel, along with the Mountaineer, would later be involved in the historic I-70 crossing.
The I-70 Agreement
As plans for I-70 progressed in the 1960s, the highway was set to bisect Hanna/Consol's coal lands in Belmont County. In exchange for the necessary right-of-way, the State of Ohio agreed to allow Consol to cross over the surface of I-70 with mining equipment 10 times within a 40-year period. This agreement set the stage for the unprecedented event that would capture public attention.
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The 1973 Crossing
In January 1973, Hanna Coal Company prepared to move the Mountaineer and the 46-A shovel (the Tiger) across I-70. This was believed to be the first time an interstate highway would be closed for such an operation, other than for repair work. The New York Times reported that the crossing was scheduled for January 1, 1973, with a backup date of January 12 if weather caused delays.
To facilitate the crossing, Hanna constructed a dike over the six-foot-high freeway. The actual crossing was estimated to take two to three hours, with the machines moving at a rate of three miles per hour on level ground. The company was responsible for any damage to the highway, according to a court order.
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Ohio to Shut Interstate A Day for Shovel CrossingJan. 1, 1973 The New York Times HENDRYSBURG, Ohio, Dec.
Friday, Hanna Coal Company technicians hope to begin the movement of more than 10 million pounds of stripmine machinery across the freeway.
Inching their way over the six‐foot‐high freeway harrier will he two mammoth shovels, the Mountaineer and the 46‐A.
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If weather causes any delay, the project will take place on Jan. 12, according to Hanna officials.
This is believed to be the first time such an operation has taken place-closing of an interstate for a period of 24 hours-other than for repair work.
The Mountaineer is a 5.5 million pound machine that removes earth and rock over the 100‐foot‐deep coal seam at the rate of 65 cubic yards, or 100 tons, per swing. It is Hanna's third largest strip mine shovel. The 46‐A, as its name implies, removes 46 cubic yards each time its bucket sinks its casehardened steel teeth into the overburden. It weighs 4.5 million pounds.
The Mountaineer, with its 150‐foot boom, stands 147 feet high and would just fit inside the Houston Astrodome, The “house” where the machinery is mounted is almost as big as a three‐story, six‐family brownstone apartment.
Hanna fills a 24‐hour period to transfer the shovels. Also within that period, the dike must be constructed, traffic detoured, the dike removed and the interstate reopened to traffic.
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South of the freeway, Hanna has coal holdings worth an estimated $8‐million to $10‐million. This large reserve was what triggered the move of the Mountaineer and the 46 ‐A shovel.
In 1964 the state signed an agreement with the concern, subsidiary of the Consolidation Coal Company, allowing Hanna to cross the freeway 10 times within 40 years.
The state did this rather than pay Hanna damages for loss of its coal when the interstate cut through the middle of the concern's holdings for about 10 miles.
The actual crossing of the freeway will take from two to three hours, Hanna officials estimate. The machines can move at the rate of three miles an hour on level ground.
In dismissing an action in the United States District Court in Columbus on Dec. 15, Judge Joseph Kinneary said that the blocking of 1-70 would be an “inconvenience” that would only slow traffic and not: stop it as long as a suitable detour was built. Hanna must pay for any damage to the highway, according to the court order.
Environmental Concerns and Public Reaction
The planned crossing sparked controversy, highlighting the tension between the need for energy and the environmental impact of strip mining. The February 1973 issue of Smithsonian magazine featured a dramatic photo of the Gem of Egypt, emphasizing the scale of these machines and their effect on the landscape. Environmentalists and residents expressed concerns about the disruption and potential damage to the environment.
Originally, Hanna intended to move its largest strip shovel, the Giant Earth Mover or GEM, across I-70. However, due to an outcry from environmentalists and residents, the company chose the smaller Mountaineer and 46-A for the initial crossing.
Despite the controversy, the crossing proceeded, with Ohio State Department of Transportation officials overseeing the operation and the State Highway Patrol assisting with traffic movement. The event drew large crowds, with people stopping to witness the spectacle of these massive machines traversing the interstate.
The Legacy of the Mountaineer and the Gem of Egypt
The Mountaineer continued to operate until January 26, 1979. After being parked for a decade, it was scrapped in June 1989. Similarly, the Gem of Egypt was parked in 1988 and dismantled in 1991. These machines, once symbols of industrial might, eventually faded into history.
Despite their eventual retirement, the Mountaineer and the Gem of Egypt left a lasting impact on the landscape and the collective memory of Eastern Ohio. The I-70 crossing remains a significant event, highlighting the complex relationship between industry, environment, and public infrastructure. Today, the Harrison Coal & Reclamation Historical Park preserves artifacts and stories from this era, ensuring that the legacy of these giant shovels is not forgotten.
Colossal earth-moving machines became symbols in the 1960s-1970s environmental battles over surface coal mining, also known as “strip mining.” These machines - some capable of scooping two-to-three Greyhound bus-size equivalents of earth with each bite - laid waste to tens of thousands of acres as they uncovered near-surface coal to feed electric power plants. In 1972-73, a trio of these machines, then chewing through southeastern Ohio, became involved in a controversial proposal: to cross, and temporarily shut down, a major interstate highway to get to the coal on the other side.
There were three of the giant machines at issue: The Tiger, The Mountaineer, and The GEM of Egypt. All three were then in the service of the Hanna Coal Company, which by 1970, had been strip mining in Ohio for decades and was then a division of the much larger Pittsburgh Consolidation Coal Company, later known as “Consol,” itself then owned by Continental Oil.
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