It drips down through the coke bed to collect in a pool at the bottom, just above the bottom doors.

Compounded by open coke beds in the early to mid 20th century and logging for fuel, the area suffered a near-total loss of native vegetation.

When the coke is ignited, air is introduced to the coke bed through ports in the sides called tuyeres.

When the coke bed has cooled to a temperature at which the endothermic reaction can no longer proceed, the steam is then replaced by a blast of air.