jLy
AG
Vol. 1
NEW YORK, OCTOBER 28, 1911 No. 3
“Aff agin, on agin,
Gon agin, Finnegan.”’
Such an oft reiterated story as the one given
under the above title hardly needs repeating.
Some years ago when railroad equipment left
the rails, with frequency because of—well, because
there wasn’t any provision to keep it on, the rail-
road authorities called for reports from the road
foremen.
Some of these, being neither machinists nor
engineers, and having no great skill in the writing
of essays on track mismanagement, resented the liter-
ary effort demanded of them, though it must be con-
ceded that they knew a lot about mishandled track;
in fact, it might be succinctly stated that they didn’t
know about any other kind of track, for mismanage-
ment ruled the day.
There was one, Patrick O’Finnegan, who firmly
believed ‘“‘the divil put the cars aff and ’twas Patrick
put them on agin” or incinerated them if they were
beyond salvage.
Said Patrick had a derai!ment on his section;
he retracked the cars, wetted the point of a pencil
and proceeded to write his version of the wieck
on the elaborate form provided by the company,
in the exact language of the heading of this article,
And Pat. was satisfied, believing his last duty
was done; he was surprised, therefore, when the
“White Shirts’ in New York returned his reply
for further elaboration. The cars were off, he had
them back on the track, and “divii a bit was there
then to be said.”
as detantlnc sis ———0—_—__—_-
Now if Pat had been working underground, not
years ago, but today. it’s probable that not only
Pat, but the ‘‘White Shirts’’ in the main office would
have felt all was done that should be done.
Derailment in the mine rarely takes a life, but
it does destroy the track and cars and wastes valu-
able time. Again and again it will occur at the self-
same place, and the foreman says it can’t be helped,
puts the cars back on the track with a pry, a few
blocks, much grunting and a pinched finger or two.
“Well, they’re on again,’”’ and when he sees the super-
intendent, he explains his loss in tonnage by saying:
“Another wreck. I'll do better tomorrow.”
an —QO- —
There’re too many Finnegans in charge under-
ground who ought to be sextons in cemeteries or jani-
tors in county court houses. There’s no job in the
mines where they’re needed.
Be sure, Mr. Foreman, you inquire where, why
and how that car was detracked and remedy the evil.
You say you have too many miles of track to
watch. Perhaps you have; probably that’s your fault.
But I doubt if you’ve got so many it wouldn’t pay to
have them clean, ballasted, lined up true, free of
humps, with even joints, perfect gage and no sharp
curves.
Look at your equipment. Have you heavy, well
spiked rails, supported by good ties, joimed by fish-
plates? Are all the unnecessary frogs and switches
ripped out? :
Do they run on three wheels and
Are they
Have
And the cars.
carry the fourth like a pointer on a hunt?
prone to knuckle up or down, right or left?
they straight axles, true wheels and correct gage?
Oh! by the way, hang this colliery note in your
den, ‘ DERAILMENTS—A PREVENTABLE DISEASE.”
68
COAL AGE
October 28, 1911
Electrical Machinery for Coal Mines
When electricity was first applied to
the working of coal mines, continuous-
current, or direct-current apparatus, as
it is often termed, was employed, be-
cause it was the only apparatus on the
market. In those days, although alternat-
ing currents were in use for town light-
ing, it was only single-phase currents
that were employed, and the single-phase
motor was not then suitable for mining
work. The single-phase motor has been
enormously improved during the last 15
years or so, and at the present time
there is a keen struggle between it and
the continuous-current motor, in regard
to the driving of electric locomotives for
urban and inter-urban traffic.
It is claimed by the advocates of the
single-phase motor that it is more
economical, and possesses certain other
advantages over the continuous-current
motor. On the other hand, it is very
much more complicated in construction
than either the continuous-current motor
or the three-phase ‘alternating-current
motor that has come largely into use for
Fic. 1. CONTINUOUS-
CURRENT MoToR
coal-mining work; and so far as_ the
writer is aware, no attempt has yet been
made to adopt it in mining work of any
kind. It may be mentioned, by the way,
that the single-phase alternating-current
motor is merely a modification of the
continuous-current motor. It is a con-
tinuous-current motor, having the fami-
liar commutator and also a special ar-
rangement for delivering alternating cur-
rents to the coils of the motor, and
special windings which enable it to per-
form, with single-phase alternating cur-
rents, the service ordinarily required of
continuous-current motors.
RECENT GAIN IN POPULARITY OF THREE-
PHASE A. C. Motors
During the last 10 to 15 years, three-
phase alternating-current apparatus has
been gradually displacing continuous-cur-
rent apparatus. There are several rea-
sons for this, but the principal one is the
absence of the commutator which forms
such an important part of the contin-
Fic. 2. THREE-PHASE
INDUCTION MoTOoR
By Sydney F. Walker*
The shunt-wound con-
tunuous-current motor and
the three-phase «induction
machine are described and
compared. Particular ref-
erence 1s made to their
government and speed reg-
ulation in connection with
various classes of colliery
work.
*Bloomfield Crescent, Bath, England.
uous-current motor and generator. The
modern forms of continuous-current and
three-phase alternating-current motors,
are very similar in outward appearance.
In each of them there is an outer con-
taining cylinder, sometimes of magnetic
steel, sometimes of wrought iron, some-
times of cast iron as shown in Figs. 1
and 2.
In the continuous-current motor, the
electro-magnets which create the mag-
netic field in which the armature re-
volves, project radially inward from the
containing cylinder, as shown in Fig. 3.
Their cores are constructed usually of
laminated iron, held in various ways to
the containing cylinder, sometimes cast
in the cylinder, sometimes held by other
mechanical means. The coils contain-
ing the wires which create the magnetic
field, are slipped over the cores of the
field magnets, as they project inward,
and crescent-shaped pole pieces are
attached to the inner ends of the cores.
These pole pieces more or less com-
pletely inclose the cylindrical space in
which the armature revolves.
In the three-phase alternating-current
motor, there are a number of thin disks
of either wrought iron, or mild steel, or
some form of iron or steel that will
readily receive and give up magnetism,
built up on the inside of the containing
cylinder, so as to form a drum. Slots
Fic. 3. VERTICAL SECTION
THROUGH FIELD OF D. C. MoTorR
are made in the disks before they are
placed on the inside of the cylinder, to
hold the wires which carry the alternat-
ing currents. The drum formed by these
disks incloses the cylindrical space in
which the rotor, which corresponds to the
armature of the continuous-current ma-
chine, revolves as shown in Fig. 4.
SIMILARITY OF D. C. ARMATURE AND
A. C. ROoToR
The armature of the continuous-cur-
rent motor, and the rotor of the three-
phase alternating-current motor, are also
very similar up to a certain point. Each
is built up of a number of thin disks of
either soft iron or steel, material that
will receive and give up magnetism
quickly. The disks are slotted for the
reception of the wires, which will cause
the revolution of the armature or rotor,
when the machine is working. The disks
of the armature, the rotor, and the stator,
as the drum inside of the containing cyl-
inder of the three-phase alternating cur-
rent motor is called, are all insulated
COALAGE
Fic. 4. SECTIONAL
View A. C. Motor
from each other by being dipped in an @
insulating varnish before being strung
together.
In both the continuous-current arma-
ture, and the three-phase alternating-
current rotor, wires are laid in the slots.
In the case of the continuous-current
armature, however, the wires are in cer-
tain lengths and the ends of adjacent
lengths, or coils, are connected to the
segments of the commutator. The coils
are all of the same length, are all placed
in the slots and on the drum in the same
way, and are insulated from each other,
and from the iron in the slots of which
they lie. This is shown in Fig. 5.
In the three-phase alternating-current
rotor, there are two arrangements of the
wires or conductors, known respectively
as the squirrel cage and the wound rotor.
In the squirrel-cage rotor, the conductors
which lie in the slots of the iron or steel
drum, are usually bars of copper, some-
times laminated. The bars are insulated
from the iron and from each other, and
October 28, 1911
they are connected at each end to a
ring of copper; the whole arrangement
of the conductors, when viewed free of
the iron drum, being similar to the well
known cage in which squirrels are made
to perform. Fig. 6 shows a section of
such a rotor.
In the wound rotor, the conductors are
usually smaller, more of them are laid
in the slots, and they are wound on very
much the same lines as the armature
coils of a continuous-current motor ex-
cept that there are three sets of coils
instead of one set. The special feature
of the wound rotor is the arrangement
that is made to insert electrical resist-
ances in the circuits of the coils, during
the starting period. For this purpose,
rings of copper are carried on the rotor
shaft; carbon brushes bear upon the rings,
and the arrangement is such that during
the starting period, a connection is made
between the coils of the rotor and cer-
tain resistances provided for the pur-
pose. These resistances are cut out as
the machine gets up speed, and when the
speed is normal, the brushes are thrown
off and the arrangement of the coils be-
comes practically the same as that of
the squirrel-cage rotor. Fig. 7 shows a
Laminated
lron Cores
=.
Commutator Copper
{Segment
Fic. 5. SECTIONAL VIEW OF CON-
TINUOUS-CURRENT ARMATURE
longitudinal section of a wound rotor
with slip rings.
OPERATION OF THE TWO TYPES OF MoTorRS
COMPARED
The working of the two machines is
quite different, though the effect is the
same. In the continuous-current motor,
brushes bear upon the commutator. The
commutator is a cylinder built up of
segments of copper, insulated from each
other by mica; the individual segments,
as explained above, being connected to
the ends of adjacent coils on the arma-
ture. The coils of the armature are so
arranged that there is a continuous path
or, as it may be termed, a continuous
loop through all the wires by way of
their connections to the segments of the
commutator.
When the continuous-current motor is
running, current is delivered from the
electrical service to the brushes,
from
COAL AGE
them to the segments of the commutator,
and thence to the armature coils. Cur-
rent is at the same time delivered to
the coils surrounding the field magnet
cores. The two sets of currents, that pas-
ing in the armature coils and that pass-
ing around the coils of the field magnets,
create magnetic fields in the cylindrical
space in which the armature revolves, of
such a nature that attractions and repul-
sions are set up between the two and
the result is that the armature turns in
a certain direction, and continues to turn
in that direction, as long as the current
is flowing.
In the three-phase alternating-current
motor, the slots in the drum formed on
the inside of the containing cylinder,
carry coils which receive the three-phase
currents from the electrical service.
There are three sets of coils, each set
of coils receiving current from its own
conductor, representing a particular
phase. The delivery of the currents to
the coils in the stator, as it is termed, is
so arranged that currents are induced
in the coils on the rotor, whether it be
of the squirrel-cage or wound-rotor form,
in such a direction that attractions and
repulsions are set up between the two
sets of magnetic fields, those created by
the currents in the stator coils, and those
69
In the three-phase alternating-current
motor, there are several magnetic fields
created by the currents passing in the
stator coils, and there are several mag-
netic fields created by the currents in the
rotor coils. As mentioned above, there
are three sets of coils, and three sets of
currents in the stator. Each set of coils
receives its currents in succession. Those
connected to, say, No. 1 phase, receive
their currents first; a little later those
connected to No. 2 phase; and a little
later again those connected to No. 3
phase receive their currents. In each set
of coils, the currents are rising and fall-
ing and reversing, and all of these opera-
tions are taking place in succession in
each set of the coils; the result is that
what has been termed a revolving mag-
netic field is created within the cylin-
drical space in which the rotor revolves.
An eminent American electrical engi-
neer has compared the action to that of
a cat chasing its tail. A magnetic field
of a certain strength arises at different
points all round the cylindrical space in
which the rotor revolves; the strength of
the magnetic field so arising gradually
increases, then gradually decreases, dies
away and then reverses. Meanwhile the
currents of the next phase commence to
create another field just in front of the
IronCores., Coppers
Fic. 6. SECTIONAL VIEW OF
SQUIRREL-CAGE ROTOR
created by the currents in the rotor coils,
so that the rotor commences to revolve in
a particular direction, and continues to
revolve as long as currents are supplied
to the stator coils.
DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE MAGNETIC
FIELDS
The broad distinction between the mag-
netic fields created in the cylindrical
space in which the armature of the con-
tinuous-current motor revolves, and those
created in the cylindrical space in which
the rotor of the three-phase induction
motor revolves, will be noted. In the
continuous-current motor, there is one
magnetic field, of definite strength and
of definite direction, created by the cur-
rents in the field magnet coils. There
is another magnetic field created by the
currents in the armature coils; and the
motion which is given to the armature is
due to the interaction of these two fields.
Fic. 7. SECTIONAL VIEW
OF WOUND ROTOR
COALAGE
Fic. 8. SECTIONAL
View OF D. C. Motor
first, which increases in strength to 2
maximum and dies away just as the
first did; then the third set of currents
takes up the running, creates another
field in front uf the second, and so on.
The currents which arise in the coils
of the rotor are really due to the same
cause as in the static transformer. It
is the rise and fall and reversal of the
currents in the stator coils, which induce
currents in the opposite direction in the
rotor coils. These currents rise and fall
and reverse in exactly the same order.
SIMPLE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SQUIRREL-
CAGE MOTOR
It will be seen that the squirrel-cage
form of the three-phase alternating-cur-
rent motor, is simplicity itself. There is
only the containing cylinder, the stator
drum with its coils on the inside of the
cylinder, and the rotor with its shaft and
coils. There is nothing in the nature of
i
I.
tt ee
i
i
L
1
I
a commutator; there is no electrical con-
nection between the rotor and the stator.
The question of starting squirrel-cage
rotors will be dealt with separately; but
when the squirrel-cage motor is running,
there is, or should be, nothing to get out
of order.
On the other hand, with the contin-
uous-current motor, the commutator and
the brushes require frequent attention,
With modern machines the attendance is
very much less than was required in the
early days, but nevertheless, the commu.
tator is a solid disadvantage, when com-
pared with an apparatus of the squirrel-
cage type, which has no commutator and
nothing that can be compared to one.
DISADVANTAGES OF THE COMMUTATOR
The commutator may be said to have
two disadvantages. Even the best forms
of the latest construction require truing
up from time to time, and brushes re-
quire renewing and regulating. The
more serious objection, in the case of
toal mines, is the possibility that an ex-
plosive mixture may be present in the
neighborhood of the commutator. From
experiments which have been made, it
would seem that it is not easy to fire
an explosive mixture at the commutator,
but such a thing may happen, and at
many collieries this possibility has led
mining engineers to look askance at com-
mutating motors for driving coal-cutting
machines, etc. In the coal-cutting ma-
chine, the motor is necessarily inclosed,
the commuutator being out of sight,
while at the same time it is difficult to
prevent coal dust finding its way to the
surface of the commutator and where
coal dust is present, it may lead to wear
of the surface of the commutator, and
to sparking.
There is also another and perhaps
more serious danger in this connection.
The brushes are held upon brass spindles
attached to some part of the framework
of the machine. It is necessary that the
spindles shall be insulated electrically
from the framework, or whatever they
may be attached to. If they were not in-
sulated, a short circuit would be created
from the positive to the negative brush,
and no useful work could be done by the
motor. The insulation consists usually
of rings of various materials, micanite
being a favorite. In the early days of dy-
namos and motors, vulcanite and vul-
canized fiber were used. Whatever the
substance may be, there is always the
danger of a deposit of coal dust, of car-
bon dust from the brushes, and of copper
dust from the commutator, forming upon
the surfaces of the insulating rings. A
film of dust formed in this way, may lead
to a dangerous arc. Nothing usually
happens until a certain quantity of dust
has been deposited, and then suddenly
when the current is switched off, or when
COAL AGE
the motor, a spark may pass across the
surface of the insulating ring, burning up
the dust and causing a flash, which may
possibly be followed by an arc.
THE INDUCTION MoTorR ALSO HAs
DISADVANTAGES
On the other hand, the three-phase in-
duction motor has certain disadvantages.
In the ordinary squirrel-cage form, with
heavy copper bars, the starting torque,
that is, the effort which the rotor is able
to exert at starting, is small, and hence
it is necessary to start upon no load, or
to provide special arrangements, which
tend to complicate the machine. In the
case of coal-cutting machines, for in-
stance, it frequently happens that heavy
starting torque is required. With bar and
disk and chain machines alike, it is more
convenient if the machine can be made
to start up in the cut. The ordinary
squirrel-cage motor will not do this.
In addition, it often happens when cut-
ting along a coal face, that a piece of
very hard strata is met with. The con-
tinuous-current motor will exert practi-
Fic. 9. SECTIONAL VIEW OF INDUCTION
Motor
cally any amount of power that may be
required. It is a good natured horse, and
will go on striving to deal with the load
in front of it, even to the point of burn-
ing itself up. With the three-phase in-
duction motor, a certain amount of ad-
ditional work may be got from it by
slowing up, and it necessarily slows up
when faced with additional resistance, -
but there is a limit beyond which the
motor will not go. It is an open ques-
tion whether this is an advantage or dis-
advantage. It is very annoying to have
the machine stop just when it is most
wanted to put forth its best work. On
the other hand, it is very annoying to
have the machine put forth its best
work, and to be useless afterward, as
the continuous-current motor may be.
THE NECESSARILY SMALL AIR GAP A
DISADVANTAGE OF INDUCTION MOoTORS
There is a further drawback to the
use of the three-phase induction mo-
tor. In order that a high efficiency may
a large portion of the load is thrown off
October 28, 1911
be obtained, that is, in order that the
largest possible proportion of the elec-
trical energy delivered to the motor shal!
be obtained as mechanical energy at its
axle, it is necessary that the rotor shall
run very closely indeed to the stator drum.
With every class of motor, whether con-
tinuous-current or alternating, it is an
advantage for the moving parts to run
very close to the stationary parts; but
with continuous-current apparatus, the
result of allowing greater space between
the fixed pole pieces and the moving
mass of the armature has not such a
great effect upon the efficiency, as has
a similar clearance between the stator
drum and the rotor of an alternating-
current machine.
With the continuous-current motor, a
clearance of 1/16 in. is quite common,
3/32 in. is also often employed, and I
much prefer as much as & in. With the
three-phase induction motor, 1/32 in. is
as much as can be allowed. This means
that a very trifling wear of one bearing,
or both bearings on one side, owing
to a tight belt, for example, will cause
the rotor to rub upon the iron of the
Stator, with the result that the machine
is broken down. Figs. 8 and 9 show
the difference between the clearance in
a continuous-current motor and a three-
phase motor.
In subsequent articles, I propose to
deal with other points in connection
with this subject.
Immunizing Coaldust by Wa-
ter and Ground Rock
A brief -report of the conclusions of
the Comité Central des Houilléres de
France from experiments at the Liévin
gallery, printed in the Annales des Mines,
September, 1910, page 227, contains
among observations which are, by this
time, trite reflections of mining men, a
few important considerations.
A naked flame or electric arc, in the
absence of firedamp, is less likely to
Start an explosion than a blown-out shot
of a non-permissive explosive.
The amount of water needed to render
coal-dust inexplosive is a weight of the
former equal to the weight of the dust
which it is designed to render immune
from explosion. When it is purposed to im-
munize by the use of powdered rock, not
less should be used than half as much
rock as of coal dust, which it is desired
to render inert. The dust of coal as re-
ferred to in the above is defined as be-
ing all fine coal, 2 mm. (0.078 in.) in
diameter or finer. The dust for immuniz-
ing should be of extreme fineness and in
estimating it, the ash of the coal should
not be considered, as its action is un-
certain. To stop an explosion in a wet
zone, the admixture of water should be
four times the weight of the coal dust to
be rendered inert.
October 28, 1911
COAL AGE
71
Preparation of Anthracite Coal
In this section of the anthracite field
the dominant factors in the preparation
of coal are the presence of a large quan-
titiy of rock, in pieces often running up
to as high as 800 Ib. in weight, and
comparative freedom from “bone” in the
coal as it comes from the mines. The
high proportion of big rock in the run of
mine coal is responsible for a style of
breaker construction which does not ob-
tain in the northern and middle fields.
The low proportion of “bone” practically
reduces the problem in many instances to
one of eliminating the rock.
In general, the preparation plants here
consist of two distinct buildings: The
head house and the breaker proper. The
function of the head house is to remove
all the large pieces of rock and as
much small rock as possible down to and
By M. A. Walker
Methods the
Panther Creek region where
used in
there 1s much large rock
present in an otherwise
singurlarly pure coal.
taken as representative of the locality.
It has a demonstrated capacity of 1350
mine cars per day from which it prepares
about 3500 tons of coal with 118 men
at a labor cost probably not exceeding
10c. per ton. From 10 to 12c, a ton is
passes off is broken down in the crushers
H to steamboat size and smaller. Steam-
boat size is removed by the shakers F
which have a 4%-in. round mesh, and is
subsequently rebroken. All of this stream
goes to that one of the two conveyers
which is devoted to cleaned coal.
Following next the second stream,
which consists of everything passing
through the 6-in. mesh of the platform
screens, it is found to be led over the
shakers E, having a 4'4-in. round mesh.
The steamboat coal thus made is hand
picked, then crushed and taken to the
clean-coal conveyer. Everything pass-
ing through the mesh of the shakers E
is led directly to what is known as the
“dirty’’ coal conveyer, to distinguish it
from its partner.
Fic. 1. COALDALE BREAKER, LEHIGH COAL AND NAVIGATION COMPANY, COALDALE, PENN.
including that of steamboat coal size;
also to render the coal of suitable size
and condition for reception into the break-
er. The head-house product is carried to
the breaker as a rule by conveyers of
either the scraper or carrier type. These
are often inclined in order to gain the
necessary hight at the breaker end and
frequently 250 to 300 ft. in length. All
jigging, final sizing and picking of the
coal is confined to the breaker.
A TYPICAL PLANT
Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the run
of coal in a scheme of preparation typical
of this region. Tables 1, 2 and 3 are
compiled from data relating to the Lehigh
Coal and Navigation Company’s breaker
at Coaldale, Penn. This is a modern
plant which has been in successful oper-
ation for nearly two years and may be
an average labor cost for this region
which compares with 6 to 8c. in the
Wyoming region, where large rock is not
a factor.
It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the
scheme of preparation in the head house
is in general as follows: A disposition
of the mine rock is made, when neces-
sary, at the dump by means of a by-pass
gate A in the bottom of the dump chute.
The coal streani from the dump is passed
over the platform shakers C having 6-
in. round mesh, and a consequent sep-
aration made into two streams, one of
Iump size, the other of mixed steamboat
and smaller sizes. Following first the
lump-coal stream, it is seen to descend
to the picking tables D, which are about
20 ft. long and have a pitch of 2 to 2%
in.in 12inches. Here all the rock is re-
moved and the cleaned lump coal which
PREPARATION IN THE BREAKER
There are thus two streams of coal
passing up to the head of the breaker; one
cleaned, the other not cleaned, and both a
mixture of broken and all smaller sizes,
except when it is desired to ship steam-
boat size, which is done by omitting to
break down that size in the head house.
The clean-coal stream is usually sized
over two sets of shaking screens similar
to those listed in Table 1, and is passed
from them directly to the pockets with
more or less examinatron in the chutes.
The dirty-coal stream is sized over four
sets of shakers, or as a rule, double the
number used for the clean coal, similar
to those listed in Table 2. Broken size
from these screens is usually cleaned by
spiral pickers or some other mechanicai
device, supplemented more or less by
72 COAL AGE October 28, 1911
hand picking; occasionally it is jigged. The disposition of refuse is a particu- in pieces of great size and also because
Egg, stove, chestnut and pea sizes are larly important part of the subject in this the topography of the region makes it
usually led directly from the screens to locality for the reason that, as already necessary to deposit all this material on
the jigs. It is the practice in some break-
ers, however, to spiral or otherwise me-
chanically pick these sizes on their way Anita ites
to the jigs, and it depends a great deal o- Sees big maindl
on local conditions whether or not a = Picking Platform
= Steamboat Shakers
profitable percentage of pure coal can 7 yo
thus be deflected to the pockets. Buck- onan ee
wheat size is jigged in a number of Cleese Goal Stdhars
cases, but more often it passes directly ny ”
from the screens to the pocket, as do E | = eon nee
also the rice and barley sizes. e '
Table 3 gives data relating to jigs of
the “Lehigh Valley” plunger type, shown
in Fig. 3, which are replacing other styles
in a good many instances. The jigged
: Elevator
coal is thoroughly examined and oc- Dirty Coat _(——— >.
casionlly resized before passing to the
a8 ai)
me {
pockets. The usual provisions are, of
course, made for breaking down the ma- - . fl he
ra Broken
L
wieuws
reyer
Cean Coal Com
XL
Clean Coal
terial rejected at the jigs and various
picking places and for resizing and
cleaning the same.
REHANDLING CONDEMNED COAL
Rejected Coal
-
There is today a very marked tendency
toward more rigid standards of inspec-
tion at the collieries and a consequent
prominence to the subject of rehandling
condemned coal. Exact figures of general
interest in this connection are hard to ob-
tain, but it may be easily observed that
rehandling condemned coal is liable to be
a very expensive operation unless it is Fic. 2. DIAGRAM SHOWING RUN OF COAL
Mechanical Picking
Chestnut
Rejected from Picking Places
oken Coal to Pochet
sn Hand Picking
Buch wheat Coa 40 Pocket
Br
the mountain sides, frequently at a con-
TABLE NO. 1. PURE COAL SCREENS siderable hight above the breaker.
At one plant the head-house rock and
Size Coal Round Total Area, Tons per Sart. ood Revolutions the breaker refuse are brought together by
Number {Passing Over Mesh Sq.Ft. Hour —_jof Cam Shaft conveyers to a pocket which loads a skip
in. dia. 90 28 | 0.070 hoist or “gunboat.” This travels on an in-
mm ho Oo
ed ae
aes
150 to 165
oo 4 clined plane and discharges into a pocket
in. dia. 90
in. dia. 120
ge of dump cars. The latter are then con-
: - LO ; .
= dia, | =. 9 035 veyed by a steam locomotive along the
in. dia. 90
at the top from which are loaded trips
in. dia. 120
summit of the rock bank and dumped.
NNNNMNN ht
Barley...
a,
TABLE NO. 2. MAIN SCREENS DisPosiTION oF Rock
Size Coal Round Total Area Tons per Sart et Revolutions pag sy : s ment seniiie
Number Passing Over Mesh Sq.Ft. ; ( Hour of Cam Shaft ~ to omit one or more links in this series
and the usual plan for handling refuse is
to have two large rock chutes in the head
house, each of a capacity sufficient for at
least a half-day’s run, and discharging
into dump cars which travel to and from
the rock bank. It may or may not be
necessary to elevate these cars to the
summit of the rock bank; in case it is,
this is usually accomplished by an in-
Tons per clined plane and “barney” car. The
Hour per
Size Perforations| Total Grate | Revolutions | Tons per Sq.Ft. of break i i
Number Size Coal in Grates Area Plunger Shaft eur Grate Surface pBrisigueties analy Gelivered to the
oes —— ern same dump cars that take the head-house
Rt per Ze “- ;aa rock by means of a conveyer discharging
} 112 ot 20 69.01 0.616 through a loading pocket. In general
Bok. a So. a. 64 sq ft. 100 52 75 0 824 the disposition of refuse adds a labor
charge of from 3 to 4c. to each ton of
coal shipped.
A matter which is probably receiving
more attention than any other one thing
Broken. . .| 34 in. dia. 180
Egg... .| 25 in. dia. 180
Stove... 2 in. dia. 180
Nut.. : £ in. dia. 180
a ee *; in. dia. 240
Buck . : 5 in. dia. 240
Rice... : ; in. dia. 240
Barley gs in. dia. 240
150 to 165
TABLE NO. 3. JIGS
possible to pass it through the breaker observed, there is a large quantity of rock
while at the same time working on coal in the coal as it comes from the mines,
from the mines. of which a very considerable portion is in connection with the subject of coal
October 28, 1911
preparation in this district, as well as in
other parts of the anthracite field, is the
prevention of breakage in the chutes.
Nearly all of the larger companies are
continually experimenting on different
forms and styles of chutes with various
results and varying degrees of success.
One of the chief difficulties in connec-
tion with the building of a permanent
chute, is the fact that the quality of the
coal is likely to vary from wet to dry and
from clean to dirty, in the sense that a
large proportion of fine coal constitutes
dirt as well as a large proportion of im-
purities. The same pitch of chute is not
suited to both conditions, and in conse-
quence the clean, dry coal is liable to go
down with a bang, while the wet, dirty
coal lags on the way.
To a limited extent, this difficulty has
been overcome here, as_ elsewhere,
through the use of retarding chutes,
COAL AGE
Steel Belt Conveyers
After several years of experimenting,
a Swedish steel company has succeed-
ed in manufacturing a steel-belt conveyer,
which has given most satisfactory service
in various plants of northern Sweden.
These steel-belt conveyers are made
in lengths of 100 m. (328 ft.) and are
200 to 400 mm. (8 to 16 in.) broad, and
1 to 1% mm. (0.04 to 0.06 in.) in thick-
ness. To obtain a special length or
width, two or three of these standard
sizes are riveted together. They are
made of high-grade charcoal steel,
possess a high résistance against wear
and tear and are extremely flexible.
These conveyers are used for trans-
porting all kinds of material, and it is
said are cheaper to manufacture and
install than high-grade belts of other ma-
terial.
Coal Regulating
Gate |
Coal Conger y
ee
ri
—_
i |
} ~ \
r= \
di
%
COAL AGE
Fic. 3. “LEHIGH VALLEY” TYPE OF PLUNGER JIG
which operate on the principle of allow-
ing the pieces of coal to expend their ac-
quired momentum at frequent intervals
by sliding up a slightly adverse pitch.
These chutes are constructed in zigzag
fashion, with comparatively short straight-
away runs, and when built with enough
pitch on the straight runs to suit the slow-
est coal likely to traverse them, they have
here been giving excellent results within
certain limits of application.
The modulus of elasticity of a hoist-
ing rope varies during its working life,
being small at first and afterward in-
creasing to nearly the value of the
modulus of the wire itself. If the rope
is kept in use long enough, it will de-
crease. When this decrease is observed,
the rope is deteriorating.
Fewer IDLERS USED
An important item is the possibility of
using relatively few supporting pulleys
or idlers, in comparison with the number
required for other forms of belt con-
veyers. This reduction in the number of
idler wheels diminishes considerably the
amount of power required for oper-
ation. The maintenance cost of these
conveyers is low, and repairs are easily
made by riveting on a new piece of the
required size.
A troughing of the belt itself is im-
practicable, and it is made to run in a
guide channel or trough, which may be
of steel, or wood covered with steel.
The sides of this trough should be in-
clined at a slight angle to the plane
of the belt. A longitudinal elevation
of these conveyers as they are in-
73
stalled shows the upper or carrying run
to be slightly convex. This is done to
keep the belt in the guide trough in the
event of material piling up along the con-
veyer.
Ordinary wooden pulleys, the faces of
which are covered with a %-in. to %-
in. layer of rubber, give excellent service
as driving wheels. When cast-iron
wheels are used their faces should also
be covered with rubber. The bearings of
the tail wheel must be made adjustable,
each side independent of the other, and
a range of 4 to 6 in. is usually found
sufficient.
The distance between supporting pul-
leys or idlers is made about 32 ft., and
the last one of these is kept not more
than 10 ft. away from the driving wheel.
These idler pulleys are made of cast iron,
or preferably wood, and have a diameter
of 16 to 20 in. The various belt pieces
are riveted together with lap joints, us-
ing two rows of %-in. rivets, 1% to 1%
in. apart; the end connections are usu-
ally lapped about 2% in. The inside, or
pulley side, of the belt is given a thor-
ough coating of paint.
UsuAL SPEED AND POWER REQUIRED
The usual speed of these belts is 164
ft. per min. or thereabout. They may,
however, be run at a considerably high-
er velocity. The proper breadth of the
belt is governed by the character of the
material to be carried. For boards, logs
and other materials of great bulk, one and
one-half times the average width of the
stream should be allowed for the belt. For
coal, ore, etc., the breadth should be suffi-
cient to allow carrying the material without
having it come in contact with the sides
of the guide channel or trough to any
great extent.
The amount of power required for run-
ning these conveyers, of course, depends
on the material transported, inclination
of the conveyer, and to some extent on
weather ard other conditions. At one in-
stallation a belt 394 ft. long, center to
center of turn wheels, and 16 in. wide,
which is carrying 1766 cu.ft. of charcoal
per hour at the rate of 164 it. per min.,
requires, including gearing, about 3.6
electrical horsepower when running
empty, and 5.1 h.p. when running full
capacity. Of this amount 2.1 h.p. are
consumed by the motor and gearing
alone. :
Another installation consisting of two
12-in. belts, 492 ft. center to center of
turn wheels, running parallel, carries
3500 cu.ft. of charcoal per hour, at a ve-
locity of 164 ft. per min., and when run-
ning empty requires 6.3 h.p., against 9
h.p. when running full capacity.
The best results are obtained from a
shaker screen when the ratio of the
length of the hanger to the travel of
the eccentric is from 14 to 15 to 1.
|
|
Reva
rane
ak Ceara
74
COAL AGE
October 28, 1911
Oil Engines in Coal Mines
At first sight it would appear that the
underground working of a coliiery is
hardly the most appropriate place for an
explosion engine, but, as a matter of
fact, such engines have been adopted for
locations of this description, and have
proved in practice most useful and safe
prime movers for the work which they
have to do. In Europe, and particularly
in Germany, the practical development
of the gas and oil engine has proceeded
with amazing rapidity in recent years, and
there appears to be no end to the useful
applications of these engines. Promin-
ent among the firms who have partici-
pated in this progressive movement is the
Special Correspondence
European expertence
javors the use oj oil motors,
not only for haulage but
also for general power pur-
poses within the mines.
No objectionable gases enter
the mine air and the prac-
tice of using oil as a prime
mover is on the increase.
are those of quick starting, attendance
by one man only, no consumption of fuel
when not running, no supervision of boil-
ers, no risk of fire or explosion, no smoke
nuisance, less dead weight to be car-
ried than with steam locomotives, which
require a large supply of coal and water,
and, in combination with high efficiency,
a small cost of upkeep, on account of
economical consumption and the little at-
tention needed.
Compared with the electric locomotive
taking the current direct from overhead
mains, the oil-driven locomotive secures
independence of a central station; it is
not subject to interruptions through ab-
UNDERGROUND Holst DRIVEN BY OIL ENGINE, AMBERG, BAVARIA
Gasomotorenfabrik Deutz, of Cologne,
who are now building oil engines of both
the stationary and the locomotive types
for mine work.
O1L Motors FoR MECHANICAL HAULAGE
It is a well known fact that an appro-
priate mechanical motive power for the
conveyance of small loads at moderate
speeds has been wanted until recent
vears. This deficiency, which is espe-
cially troublesome in the working of
mines, induced the firm mentioned to
design a locomotive driven by an internal-
combustion engine, as had been sug-
gested bv members of the mining indus-
try. The trials made proved at the outset
that the locomotive offered considerable
advantages over other means of convey-
ance from an economical point of view,
and the firm has already produced over
630 locomotives, aggregating 7000 h.p.
As compared with steam motors, the ad-
vantages of the oil-driven locomotives
sence of current; the first cost of the
plant is considerably smaller, and there
is no risk from contact with non-insu-
lated overhead mains. Again, as com-
pared with the electric locomotive driven
by accumulators, time is not wasted in
recharging, there is lighter weight, lower
first cost, and less depreciation of im-
portant parts. For these reasons, the oil-
engine locomotive has won for itself a
definitely useful place in German mine
practice.
October 28, 1911
The attention of mining engineers
has, during the past year or _ two,
been focussed largely on the relative
merits of steam-driven and electric wind-
ers for collieries, but for capacities up to
at least 20 h.p., the oil engine appears to
have a good case. The illustration shows
a 12-h.p. hoist driven by an oil engine
at work underground, which was installed
by the Royal Mining Administration of
Germany, at Amberg, in Bavaria. The
oil engine used is of the horizontal type
in which an explosive mixture of liquid
fuel and air is sucked through a conduit
into the working cylinder on its suction
stroke, the oil being introduced, intimate-
lv mixed with the air, in the form of a
spray. At the end of the suction stroke,
the valves are closed, the mixture is com-
pressed on the return of the piston and
ignited or expanded on the third or power
stroke, the subsequent return motion
scavenging the cylinder.
As the engine works on the Otto
cycle, the cylinder is closed at one
end only. Ignition is effected by
means of a magneto. The drive
from the engine to the winding drums or
windless is effected through gearing, the
engine and winder being mounted on an
iron-frame bedplate, common to both.
OPERATIONS CONSOLIDATED BY ONE MAN
The spur-wheel transmission is seen in
the figure, and note must be taken of the
bevel gearing and rods and of a hand-
wheel, which is fixed in the driving posi-
tion, by the combined means of which
the starting and reversing of ‘the
drums is effected through the med-
ium of friction clutches. When these
clutches are in their mid-position,
both drums are free and at rest, the
engine running light. A movement of the
handwheel in either direction throws one
or the other of the drums in gear. he
brakes, which consist of a steel band
passing around either drum as shown, are
operated in this case, directly by. foot
pedal. although a handwheel and spindle
may be utilized for the purpose. All the
operations are under the control of one
man, who need not move from his posi-
tion either to attend to the engine or the
winder. In some cases these gears have
been fitted with the Koepe pulley, which
is so often used in German mines.
It was at first conjectured that oil
engines working underground would
cause an offensive smell from the ex-
haust, but the waste gases in the Deutz
machine are condensed so as to eliminate
smell, and it is not found that any incon-
venience is caused from this cause. For
small underground haulages, either on
the level or on gradients, these engines,
from their self-contained character, ap-
pear to develop a new field of possibility
which deserves careful attention, more
especially as crude benzol or tar oil, pe-
troleum, alcohol or gasolene can be util-
ized as fuel.
COAL AGE
Coal Mine Inspectors and
Their Appointment
In the various coal-mining States of
America, it has frequently been urged, in
the interest of safety and to make the in-
spectorate attractive to high-grade tech-
nical men, that the mine inspectors shou‘d
be appointed in a manner similar to that
used in Great Britain. In order that the
question may be considered in its true
bearing and from a point of view strictly
uptcedate, it may be appropriate to set
forth the scheme of examination revised
last month (September) by the Home
Secretary with the advice of the Civil
Service Commissioners.
The appointments are filled after a
competitive examination, limited to candi-
dates nominated by the Home Secretary.
Applications for nomination should be
accompanied by testimonials based upon
persona! knowledge of the candidate, in-
dicating what experience he has had in
mines, and giving information as to his
character and fitness for the appointment.
In their own interest candidates are par-
ticularly advised rot to scek political cr
social influence, which will prejudice
rather than assist their candidature.
In addition to the chief inspector and
the electrical inspector, there are divi-
sional inspectors (salary £750 to £1000) ;
senior inspectors (£500 to £700); junior
inspectors (£300 to £450). The divisional
end senior inspectorships are filled by
promotion, and vacancies for new ap-
pointments arise only in the ranks of the
junior inspectors.
Evcry candidate must hold a first-class
certificate under the Coal Mines Regula-
tion Act, and must, within five years pre-
vious to his application, have been em-
ployed for two years aS manager or un-
der-mancger of a coal mine or in some
other responsible capacity, requiring reg-
ular attendance underground in a coal
mine. Practical knowledge and experi-
ence of metalliferous mining and quar-
rying is also taken into consideration.
Candidates must be between 23 and 35
years of age at the time of examination.
An inspector upon first appointment is
subject to two years’ probation. He must
zive his whole time to the official duties
ssigned to him. His tenure of office, in-
crements of salary, promotion and pen-
sien, are dependent on good conduct and
efficient service. Inspectors may be called
upon to retire at 60 years of age, and re-
tire in any case at 65.
72
™
NATURE OF THE EXAMINATION
Already in possession of a first-class or
colliery manager’s certificate, the candi-
date is required to undergo examination
in the following subjects:
English —Includes composition, the
writing of reports and precise writing, but
does not include indexing. Attention is
=
‘
ot
paid to handwriting and spelling in this
as in other subjects:
Elementary Mathematics—Will include
arithmetic, algebra to quadratic equations,
plane geometry, and plane trigonometry
to the solution of triangles.
Elementary Geology—Outlines of phy-
sical geology, including the physical
characters, chemical composition and de-
scription of rocks; elements of strati-
graphy with special reference to the
British isles; the construction and_ in-
terpretation of geological maps and sec-
tions; the occurrence of coal, stone and
metalliferous minerals. (In this subject
there will be a laboratory test in addi-
tion to the written one.)
Coal Mining—Theoretical and _ practi-
cal; includes systems of sinking and
working, methods of supporting roofs and
sides, mechanical engineering as applied
to coal mining, theory and practice of
ventilation, surveying and making of
Flans, use of explosives, mine gases and
their analysis, prevention of accident, res-
cue work, and the restoration of mines
after explosions and fires. Mining hy-
giene.
Ore and Stone Mining—Theoretical and
practical, including methods of sinking
and working, methods of supporting ex-
cavations, mechanical engineering ap-
plicd to ore and stone mining, ventila-
ticn cf metalliferous mines, prevention of
accidents. Ore dressing. Mining hy-
giene.
Electricity in Mines—Installation and
use of eleciricity in mines, including the
practical units of measurements and the
use of simple measuring instruments;
transmission and use of electricity by al-
ternating and direct currents; the con-
struction of cables and the jointing and
testing of cables; earthing; the rules as
to the use of electricity in mines and the
prevention of accidents.
Law Relating to Mines and Quarries—
Knowledge of the Coal Mines Regulation
Acts, the Metalliferous Mines Regulation
Acts, the Quarries Act, and the Rules and
Orders made thereunder.
Oral. Examination—Questions may be
asked on coal mining, ore and stone
mining and electricity.
Chemistry'—The principles of inor-
ganic chemistry and the study of the oc-
currence, modes of preparation, end
froperties of the principal elements and
their more important compounds. Ques-
tions may be given on the chemical! prin-
ciples involved in the commercial pre-
paration of important inorganic sub-
stances. Elementary organic chemistry.
(Also a laboratory test which will in-
clude the preparation and analysis of
inorganic substances. )
Physics'— Will include heat. light,
sound, electricity and theoretical and ap-
plied mechanics. (Also a laboratory test.)
1Chemistry and physies are optional: the
applicant may take either one.
re SEG Seat eee
a nn tne =
Saenditinnagl sinamrtee! be eas! ah mee ere
ee
pS a
Sheer ee
abe
Sa en ee
ON Unde wo
a
Snes
ee
76
COAL AGE
October 28, 1911
Anthracite and Bituminous Mining
The Western-Middle anthracite-coal
basin lies in Schuylkill, Columbia and
Northumberland counties. It is 36 miles
long, by four to five miles wide. For
comparison with the deposits before de-
scribed, there is incorporated a typical
cross-section of this basin, from which it
will be noted that the measures are dis-
torted and the margins of the basin
turned up so that the coal beds generally
stand on steep pitches. This cross-sec-
tion is taken from the second geological
survey of Pennsylvania.
On account of the geological forma-
tion, the methods of attack, development
and operation in this field are practically
the same as in the Lehigh region, with
such modifications as local variations
have made necessary. Most of the older
developments in this field were by slope
on the coal bed from the outcrop, such
Shenandoah Anticlin
Shenandoah
MammothBed
Facker No.3 Colliery
Packer No.4 Colliery
s
yy
9
SS
8
S
é
=
By Eli T. Conner *
In the western -middle
and southern anthracite
coalfields, the inflow of sur-
jace water from extensive
caving makes mining ex pen-
sive. The coal of the south-
ern field 1s friable and ex-
tensive briquetting may re-
sult. The third of a series
oj articles by Mr. Conner.
*Consulting engineer, Real Estate Trust
building, Philadelphia, Penn.
THE MAMMoTH BeEpD Is IN Many SPLITS
In the easterly half of this basin, the
Mammoth seam is similar to the same
D
a
Q
|
“i
>
Ko
1 Seven Foot + 3
+
Las)
%
Ss
\
A,
7° Q
Q
%
3
4
S
=
WL &S
Ss
yVSels
‘¥en
Mammoth Bed
William Penn Collie
4 Bear kid
‘Mammoth Bed
Little Orchard Bed
+ Skidmore »
Primrose Bed
|
\
Orchard Bed
A\ Holmes Bed
y Shenandoah Creek
e Noe Coll:
Buck Mocntain Bed
é TY
beds of coal, a better average yield from
a given area is attainable than where
the Mammoth seam is found all together,
in one bed, 30 to 50 ft. thick.
The mining methods.in this field being
quite similar to those of the Lehigh re-
gion, they need not be further described,
but I would like, in this connection, to
call attention to the excellent paper by
D. Bunting, on “Chamber Pillars in Deep
Anthracite Mines,” Bull, Am. Institute
Min, Engrs., September, 1911; p. 739.
In this region, as in the Lehigh, the
difficulties of operation and the conse-
quent cost have been greatly enhanced by
reason of the enormous crop fall, caused
by the mining in the Mammoth seam, and
by the running of chambers through to the
surface at the outcrop. These tremen-
dous surface openings admit large quan-
tities of water to the mine workings, dur-
ing the wet season, and necessitate the
R iage
Ss
Mahanoy Anticline
y
7
”
Mahanoy Basin
even FootBed
“~ Skidmore
Re)
-BuckMountain Bed
~Mammoth »
--Stanton Collie
~Holmes Bed
“Frimrose ”
Draper Colliery
‘Mammoth Bed
%: “Buck Mointain Bea
SM -Shidmore : 4»
\ ©-Severn Foot»
Aers Valley Cog ped
f
Ss
‘y-
%
8
RY
/*
N
% /
Ny
Centralia
Buck Mt. Bed
r Overturn
~ Buck Mt. Bed
A ~Centralia
; Colliery
‘Mammoth Béd
Hazzel bell Collie
Mammoth Bed
—
Locust Mountain
Anticline
o)
S\
ea
hy
|
Bearin
)
”
10th Bed
Borehole
Projected
Projected
Mammoth »
Holmes
Primrose
Borehole
Germantown V
Overturn Basin
Bast Colliery
Skidmore Bea
M Vy
|
SZ
Germantown Anticline
Locust Mountain
Tunnel! C olliery
Mahanoy
Basin
Orchard Bed
Holmes Bed
Mahanoy Creek , -
\ Mammoth Bed
Primrose Bed
1000'above Tide-~
Borehole
Proje cted
Tide Level
4
\
\
\
*%
\ \
\ \
\ \
all
ac Sia AS, <a s )
/ | fh
i wha
1000' below Tide
Coal
Slate Sandstone
: |
er ROE |
Conglom erate
CROSS-SECTION WESTERN-MIDDLE ANTHRACITE COAL BASIN
as heretofore described, but on account
of the cost of maintaining slopes in the
Mammoth bed, there have been some no-
table departures from earlier develop-
ments by sinking shafts of large area
and capacity at or near the center of
the basin, and it is probable that future
developments for the winning of the
deeper lying coal must be by shaft.
seam in the Lehigh region, but west of
Mt. Carmel, this great bed of coal is
found split into three and sometimes into
four distinct and separated beds, which
vary in thickness from 4 to 12 ft. This
splitting of the seam, I believe, is a de-
cided advantage, for if the workings are
properly projected, and care is exer-
cised to columnize pillars, in the several
installation of large pumping plants.
There have been many instances of the
drowning out of collieries in which large
amounts of money were invested.
LARGE INFLUXES OF WATER DURING
FLoops
A notable experience of this character
was in December, 1885, and January,
October 28, 1911
1886, when there was a long period of
excessive rainfall, following a heavy
snow. At that time I was superinten-
dent of the Harleigh colliery, two miles
north of Hazleton. On account of the
terrific floods nearly every colliery in the
Lehigh region was drowned out in the
lower levels, and Big Black creek, which
has its source near Eckley, flowing west-
ward over the center of the coal basin,
became such a raging torrent that its
banks were overflowed on the Harleigh
property, and the whole stream flowed
into a crop hole leading from a chamber
in the Mammoth bed. At that point, the
East Fine Knot Colliery
COAL AGE
nected by holes through the barrier pil-
lar, were drowned. The continued rain
in January caused a second break in
the canal before mentioned, letting
enough water into the mine to drown the
pumps at both collieries. These two
mines filled with water, and it was
deemed impracticable to unwater them
by ordinary methods.
The land owners and Messrs. G. B.
Merkle & Co., operating the Jeddo collier-
ies, who acquired possession of the prop-
erty (Harleigh and Ebervale collieries),
constructed from Conyngham valley a
drainage tunnel about five miles in length,
77
eral others of lesser importance have
been constructed. At the present time, a
long and expensive drainage tunnel is in
course of construction by the Lehigh Coal
and Navigation Company, for drainage of
its Panther Creek collieries.
WATER HOISTING IN SELF-DUMPING
TANKS
In the Western-Middle field, within
recent years, several large shafts have
been sunk by the Philadelphia & Read-
ing Coal and Iron Company, the Lehigh
Valley Coal Company, and mining com-
panies under the control of the Pennsyl-
— e
. ° /
sy Yugular Anticline ¥ Bearing N.19 30 W.
3 S a: (Overturned) ai crn» Oeechwood Calliery
7 < a Mine Hill Anticline a: FevenveColhery Oak Hill Colliery
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CROSS-SECTION OF SOUTHERN ANTHRACITE COAL BASIN AT POTTSVILLE ~~~~-------- <n
(The lower section is a continuation of the upper)
center of the basin is overlaid by a con-
siderable depth of marl and sand, so that
in a remarkably short time the stream
had cut a channel 20 or 25 ft. deep, at the
edge of the crop hole.
Strenuous efforts were made to direct
the creek into a partially completed canal,
constructed for the purpose of carrying
this stream away from the coal basin, but
before this was accomplished, the lower
levels in Harleigh colliery and in Eber-
vale colliery, adjoining, which were con-
which tapped the workings in the Mam-
moth bed, near the basin on the Ebervale
property. This tunnel has since furnished
drainage outlet, not only for the two col-
lieries originally drowned out, but also
for the Jeddo collieries to the eastward.
Similar drainage projects have been
completed at other points in these two
coalfields, notably, at Beaver Meadow, by
Coxe Bros. & Co.; at Centralia, by
the Locust Mountain Coal and Iron
Company and leasing landowners. Sev-
“~~. 77 COAL AGE
vania railroad, for the sole purpose of
handling water concentrated from several
connected collieries. In these shafts, the
water is hoisted in tanks by first-motion
steam engines of large capacity located
at the surface. This method of handling
large volumes of water in the flood sea-
son presents advantages that strongly
recommend it, under certain conditions,
but detailed comparisons between the
hoisting and pumping systems would be
out of place here.
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It will be apparent from what has been
said that the continued successful op-
eration of collieries in these two fields
means the investment of a large amount
of capital, greatly in excess of what was
necessary in the earlier days of the in-
dustry, when most of the operations in
this field were developed by comparative-
ly small companies and individual opera-
tors.
It is probably true that there are many
collieries, which, considered purely as
mining propositions, are unprofitable, and
were it not for the freight profit accruing
to the transportation companies control-
ling these collieries, they could not be
continued in operation.
ELIMINATION OF ROCK AND PREPARATION
OF COAL
In the matter of preparation of the
coal for market, after it has reached the
surface; while the principles are the same
in the southern field, as further north, the
plant and equipment necessary differ ma-
terially. On account of the excessive
pitch of the coal beds, most of the refuse
in the seams of coal, together with roof
rock that may fall, must be loaded into
the mine car and brought outside. To
handle this large quantity of rock, ample
facilities must be provided at the head
of the breaker. Recent new plants con-
structed by some of the large companies
include a capacious head house provided
with large platforms where preliminary
separation of rock from coal can easily
be accomplished, before sending the coal
to the main breaker.
The Lehigh Coal and Navigation Com-
pany constructed a new breaker on these
lines about two years ago, which has
shown exceptionally good results and
which is fully described in a paper pre-
pared by the mechanical engineer of the
company, Charles A. Straw, for publica-
tion in the transactions of the American
Institute of Mining Engineers.
On account of the conditions described.
and the manner in which the coal must
be handled before it reaches the mine
car, in these two fields, the average col-
liery produces much less prepared or
domestic coal and a greater percentage
of the low-priced steam sizes, than is
produced in the Northern anthracite
field, and consequently the average
price realized for the total marketable
product is lessened. In addition to this,
by reason of what I have before said,
there are many operations where from 40
to 50 per cent. of the raw product reach-
ing the breaker is waste, either in the
form of rock, slate, bone or culm.
It is obvious that it costs as much per
ton to handle all this waste material
as though it were a marketable product.
All the cost of this refuse must naturally
be charged against the going output. The
conditions described largely account for
the fact that the cost of production and
COAL AGE
consequently the operating profit in the
Lehigh and Schuylkill regions cannot be
as satisfactory as the average in the
Northern anthracite field.
THE SOUTHERN ANTHRACITE FIELD
This is usually known as the Pottsville
basin, and extends from Mauch Chunk,
on the Lehigh river, nearly to Dauphin
on the Susquehanna, a total length of
about 70 miles, with a maximum width
at the widest point of about seven miles.
It consists of a number of connected
basins, which increase in depth from
October 28, 1911
While it is true that there have been
many developments made in this region,
there is a larger reserve here relatively
to its area, than in any other of the an-
thracite fields.
On account of the great distortion of
the measures in this basin, it is frequent-
ly found that the coal is so crushed and
soft as to produce in preparation an ex-
cessive amount of steam sizes, and culm
waste, with a correspondingly small yield
of prepared or domestic sizes. This is
notably true at all of the collieries that
have been developed under Sharp moun-
gestern
WORTHERN
BASIN
Map OF ANTHRACITE COAL
north to south, culminating along the
foot of Sharp mountain, in deep and
greatly contorted measures, as will be
noted from the cross-section herewith,
which is taken from the second geologi-
cal survey of the State of Pennsylvania.
While this basin is usually termed the
Schuylkill region, or Pottsville basin, the
eastern end from Tamaqua to Mauch
Chunk, controlled by the Lehigh Coal
and Navigation Company, is generally
classed as in the Lehigh region. The
large number of coal beds underlying this
basin and its great extent indicate an
enormous quantity of untouched mineral.
BASINS IN PENNSYLVANIA
tain. This condition has been the cause
of the commercial failures of a large
proportion of the operators who have
made developments along the southerly
side of the Pottsville basin, from Tama-
qua westward.
THE EASTERN PART OF SOUTHERN FIELD
East of Tamaqua, the character of the
beds is somewhat better in regard to
softness and friability of the coal. The
same remarks, relative to the mine rock
and refuse coming to the surface in the
mine cars, apply in the major port of this
field, as in the Western-Middle and the
October 28, 1911
Lehigh regions, but there is a larger per-
centage of culm in most instances, and
consequently a lower yield of market-
able sizes. Many operations in this field
produce as low as 40 to 45 per cent. of
domestic sizes, as compared with 55 and
over in the two other fields and 65 and
over in the Northern anthracite field.
It would appear then, that the only
way to make profitable such operations
as described, is either to secure a bet-
ter average price for the output, or to
find some means of converting the large
amount of culm produced, into a market-
able product.
To accomplish the latter, means must
be found of burning dust in the form of
a jet, which has been attempted by many
people, but up to the present without
marked success. Another solution will
be found in briquetting the culm. This
method has been perfected and two or
three successful plants established, with-
in recent years. The Lehigh Coal and
Navigation Company has conducted ex-
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METHOD OF WORKING PITCHING COAL
tensive experiments, at Lansford, and
recently completed a briquetting plant
which is accomplishing good results. This
plant is well described in an article by
Charles Dorrance, Jr., which has been
published by the American Institute of
Mining Engineers.
BRIQUETTING COAL DusT IN ALBERTA
In connection with the subject of bri-
duetting anthracite dust, I was privileged
while professionally engaged by the
Bankhead Mines, Ltd., of Bankhead, AI-
berta, to inspect thoroughly a briquetting
Plant which has been in service there
for several years. This company has
developed several beds of anthracite coal
which, in geological condition, strongly
resemble those found in the Pottsville
basin. The coal is so soft that when pre-
pared in a breaker, quite similar to those
of the Pennsylvania anthracite regions,
only about 22 per cent. can be recovered
in sizes larger than chestnut, and only
about 50 per cent. of the raw product of
COAL AGE
the mine will pass over a 3/32-in. round
mesh, so that it will be seen that there
is a large quantity of dust to be wasted.
To utilize this material, and avoid the
commercial failure of the proposition, a
briquetting plant was installed, which,
when I visited the operation, was pro-
ducing about 500 tons per day, I was in-
formed that some difficulty had been ex-
perienced in finding a market for the
product, but these difficulties have been
overcome, and all that can be produced
is readily disposed of, at prices somewhat
less than realized for prepared sizes of
coal, but yet sufficient to make the bri-
quetting plant a profitable operation, af-
ter paying to the mine S1 per ton for
the dust, and bearing a cost of $1.75 per
ton, of finished product, for the pitch
used as a_ binder.
From these observations, I am _ con-
vinced that such culm as is going
to waste or being flushed into the mines
in the anthracite fields of Pennsylvania,
should be made into briquets now, or
WITH EXTRACTION OF REFUSE
so deposited upon the surface, that it can
in the future be utilized for this purpose.
It would probably be impossible to find
a market for all that could at present be
produced, but as the culm banks depos-
ited on the surface in the past are rapid-
ly becoming exhausted, the market for
briquets can, in all probability, be stead-
ily developed.
SUBSTITUTION OF SAND FOR CULM
I think it is an economic mistake to
flush culm into the mines where it cannot
thereafter be recovered. The benefits of
flushing for the recovery of pillar coal
and the support of the overburden,
should be secured by the use of other
flushing material, as before mentioned.
In connection with the ultimate re-
covery of pillar coal, especially in basins
where valuable improvements have been
erected on the surface, and where it is
found profitable to strip the outcrop of
the coal beds, I think that instead of
depositing the earth and rock at consid-
79
erable expense on spoil banks, this ma-
terial should be pulverized and flushed
into the mine workings.
By this means, if properly deposited,
the remaining pillars will be recoverable
without serious rupture of the overlying
strata, providing that as each pillar is ex-
tracted, the space from which it is re-
moved is immediately filled with sand
as has been customary with culm.
Water to Take the Place
of Coal
INDIANA CORRESPONDENCE
_A prediction that water power may
come into extensive use in Indiana, to
take the place of coal, is made by W. M.
Tucker in the 35th annual report of the
State geologist, which came from the
printer recently. Mr. Tucker is engaged
in a State survey of the water power de-
rivable from rivers in the State of In-
diana for the State Geologist Edward
Barrett. He says that if fuels in Indiana
and the country at large become exhaust-
ed as soon as it would appear from the
rapidity with which they ere disappear-
ing, the lowlands along White river, the
Wabash river and other streams will be
condemned and used for storage basins
from which water power will be devel-
oped for use throughout the State.
Mr. Tucker dilates on the problem of
fuel supply in this and neighboring
States, and shows how water power even-
tually may be necessary. He asserts
that only about 10 per cent. of the water
power of the State has been utilized by
commerce.
ENORMOUS SAVING POSSIBLE
The State geologist asserts that if the
State of Indiana could substitute steam-
driven engines rated at 50,000 h.p. by
water turbines of equal capacity, it would
result in a saving of 500,000 tons of coal
per year, in addition to a reduction of
$12 for each horsepower saved by the
substitution.
Water power is inexpensive and per-
petual and requires less attention than
any other power, when it is once in-
stalled. A proper development of the
water power of Indiana would bring
about several other important results.
The navigation facilities would be
greatly increased; the increased stor-
age would tend to purify the streams
and the reservation of water in the stor-
age basins would tend to lessen the dam-
age wrought by floods. The three prob-
lems—-water power, navigation and pro-
tection from floods—-are closely related.
The great problem in each case is to
bring about a regular stream flow. Im-
mense reservoirs could be constructed in
Indiana, and the water utilized for power,
thus saving a large tonnage of coal each
year.
Se ee ee ee i
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80
COAL AGE
October 28, 1911
Electrical Details at W. Va. Plant
Recent additions to the electrical
equipment of the McKell Coal and Coke
Company, Glen Jean, W. Va., are two
new substations and an electrically driv-
en fan. One of the substations, that at
Tamrey, is similar in general construction
and equipment to the previous installa-
tion.
At Kilsyth is an underground substa-
tion in the Kilsyth mine, about a mile
and a quarter in on the main entry, and
approximately 350 ft. underground. The
high-tension lines to this substation are
carried overhead to a shelter which is.
shown in Fig. 1. At this point a 6-in.
hole was bored directly down into the
airway just outside the substation. This
bore hole was then fitted with an iron
pipe approximately 3 in. in diameter,
through which the cable was lowered.
The interesting feature of this installation
is the simple method employed for sup-
porting the cable.
There were no means of supporting the
cable in the pipe, and it was deemed
necessary to arrange it so that it could
be readily withdrawn at any _ time.
The cable consists of a 10,000-volt, three-
conductor No. 4 stranded wire, insulated
with varnished cambric covered with lead
5/32 in. in thickness, and armored with
No. 4 gage galvanized wire, the whole
weighing 266 lb. per 100 ft. To sup-
port the cable, an iron ring made of
metal 1 in. in diameter was slipped over
the armor, the armor then bent over this
ring, firmly wrapped about the cable and
tied so as to form an annular branch
near its end, and thus support the weight
entirely by the armor.
The cable was then threaded through
a hole in a steel plate 6x18x2 in. in di-
mensions, the hole being approximately
2% in. in diameter, and large enough
to allow the cable and the wrapping after
it has gone around the ring, to fit snugly
into it, so that the entire weight of the
cable is carried by this steel plate, which
in turn rests upon a concrete pier, as
shown in Fig. 1. This enables the entire
cable to be easily supported and readily
removed.
At the top of this conductor, are
installed the lightning arresters and
choke coils to protect it and_ the
machinery in the substation underneath.
The method of bringing in the high-ten-
sion wires is more distinctly shown in
Fig. 2, which is the layout for the wiring
and the motor foundations at the fan, the
second item of interest.
THE FAN INSTALLATION
The fan installation is of interest, be-
cause of the use of a special type of
motor, and also possibly because of the
use of a chain drive. When the question
of the installation of this fan came up, it
By Henry D. Jackson*
The motor described was
devised for driving a mine
ventilating fan from a high
voltage power circuit. In-
teresting features of the
wiring installation at the
plant of the McKell Coal
Company are also des-
cribed.
*Consulting engineer, 8S Broad street, Bos-
ton, Mass.
was carefully considered whether it would
be advisable to use an induction motor
of sufficient capacity to handle the fan
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Fic. 1. SHELTER OVER BorE HOLE AND
during the early stages of the mine de-
velopment, and increase the size of the
motor as the development of the mine
necessitated; or put in a motor which
would be capable of handling the fan at
its maximum capacity, varying the speed
of the fan as conditions required, by
means of changing pulleys.
The conditions at the plant were such
that the power factor of the system as a
whole was low, and it therefore seemed
wise, if possible, to install a synchronous
motor of a capacity equal to the capacity
of the fan, utilizing the excess capacity
of the motor during the early stages of
the mine’s development as a condenser,
and thus raise the power factor of the
entire system, improve the regulation and
incidentally, a very important item how-
ever, obviate any necessity for installing
an additional engine and generator in the
main power plant, as the low power fac-
tor and the addition of the two new sub-
Stations and the proposed fan would
bring the current load on the generator
considerably over its rating although
the load on the engine was by no means
up to its capacity.
The ordinary synchronous motor has a
very slight starting torque, only sufficient
to start itself without load, and owing
to the generally severe operating condi-
tions in coal mines where the employees
are by no means well trained or careful,
it was deemed unwise to use a clutch be-
tween motor and fan, as there would be
always a possibility of wrecking the
clutch or stopping the motor by too sud-
den application. This consideration, then,
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Coa. AGE
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Detail X.
DETAILS OF SUPPORT FOR HANGING CABLE
required a permanent connection between
fan and motor, and made it imperative
that the motor should be capable of start-
ing the fan and bringing itself up to syn-
chronous speed, thus requiring a type of
motor which up to this time had not been
successfully built.
It was quite possible to reduce the
total load on the fan moter when start-
ing, to approximately 75 per cent. of its
full load power, by means of closing the
inlet and outlet doors of the fan; but
even this load was far beyond the ca-
pacity of any previously built self-start-
ing synchronous motor. Further, the
conditions of the installation were such
that it was necessary to limit the starting
f
October 28, 1911
current on the motor to not over 2%
times normal current at full load. This
in itself is a condition which is rarely at-
tained in the best designed types of in-
duction motors.
It required a great deal of corres-
pondence, much urging and a number of
interviews with the salesmen of the elec-
trical manufacturers, to convince them
that such a motor could be built, we feel-
ing that there was no good reason. why a
combination motor could not be built
which would have the characteristics of
a high-resistance rotor induction motor,
and a synchronous motor in one machine.
The alternating-current side of the ma-
chine could be the same as for a syn-
chronous motor, and the two windings,
COAL AGE
3 and 4, it being a 250-h.p., 25-cycle,
6300-volt, 500-r.p.m. machine, provided
with induction motor windings on the
rotor, for starting.
The motor is started by means of two
switches; the main-line switch when
thrown upward connects the motor to
half-voltage taps from the auto trans-
formers; when the machine reaches full
speed at this voltage, the second switch
is opened, throwing an inductance in ser-
ies with the machine. The first switch
is then thrown down, sending the full
line voltage on to the machine with the
inductance in series, these inductances
preventing a great rise in the current.
When the motor reaches full speed un-
der these conditions, the second switch
Disconnecting fi! 8
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81
that the load came on as the square of
the speed. Under the conditions of oper-
ation, that of driving a fan, the load
would come on as the cube of the speed.
The installation of this motor proved
very satisfactory. The power factor was
raised approximately 30 per cent., bring-
ing the total load on the main plant con-
siderably under the generator’s rating and
improving the operating conditions to a
marked extent.
Owing to the limited space at the lo-
cation of the fan, a belt drive was out
of the question; and the idea of gears.
was eliminated on account of the noise,
so that a chain drive was installed for
the work. The final installation will re-
quire a chain 16 in. in width, and a
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Fic. 2. Motor Room oF FAN House, SHOWING WIRING DETAILS
those of the induction motor and the field
windings of a rotary field synchronous
motor, placed upon the same shaft. Fur-
ther, we felt that the marked poles of
the synchronous motor field would act as
anchor points, as it were, to hold the
synchronous motor in synchronism at
intervals during, the rotation of the rotor,
while acting as an induction motor.
A UNIQUE Type OF MACHINE
Two companies only would bid upon
the work, these being the General Elec-
tric Company and the Westinghouse
Company. The contract was awarded
the Westinghouse Company, who built
the motor shown in the illustrations, Figs.
was carried through a fixed resistance, so
is closed, short-circuiting the inductance,
and leaving the machine on full voltage.
The field rheostat is then adjusted to the
excitation desired, and the machine auto-
matically locks in step or synchronism.
During the test at the Westinghouse
works, this motor pulled 95 per cent. of
its full-load rating into synchronism, and
the instantaneous current rise was less
that 2% times normal full load run-
ning current. It is to be noted that
this test at the Westinghouse works
was somewhat less severe than would
be the condition under actual oper-
ation, as the test load was a direct-cur-
rent generator, the current from which
speed of the fan of 210 r.p.m. The pres-
ent installation uses a chain 4 in. in
width and a fan speed of approximately
50 r.p.m., the power being approximately
30 kilowatts.
Under these conditions, if an induction
motor had been used, the power factor of
the system would have been approxi-
mately 55 per cent. At present, the power
factor is between 85 and 90 per cent.
The success of this motor has led to
the building of a large number of motors
of similar character by both the Westing-
house and the General Electric compan-
ies for work of a similar nature. It is a
type of motor exceedingly well adapted to
coal-mining installations, inasmuch as it
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entirely obviates the necessity for
clutches, and allows of the power factor
on the alternating current circuit being
kept high and the regulation of the sys-
tem made good, a condition of affairs
which cannot be accomplished where in-
duction motors are used entirely, unless
the moters are loaded to their full ca-
pacity.
It is well known that a motor of this
type is likely to give more or less trouble
in case of an accident to the prime mover
or a short circuit on the line, owing to
the fact that the inertia of the air in
the mine and the inertia of the fan will
keep the motor moving, and the motor,
because of its exciter, will then act as a
generator, turning back power into the
line and supplying current to apparatus
which the generator originally supplied
before its circuit breaker opened. This
sudden reversal from’ motor to generator
may pull the motor off its foundation, un-
COAL AGE
a brass cap, which weighs approximately
3 Ib. The wires are brought di-
rectly to this cap. A solid brass rod is
screwed into the bottom of the cap and
extends down through the hole in the in-
sulator. This rod is fastened to a three-
way connector, as shown in the drawing.
In order to increase the sparking distance,
this rod is covered by a porcelain tube,
which extends well up into the hole in
the insulator. This method of installa-
tion has proved very satisfactory, and al-
lows the wires to be brought in without
the necessity of open places, which would
allow birds and insects to fly in and out
of the substation and motor-house.
Exhaust Steam Turbines
The recovery of power from exhaust
steam, by means of exhaust-steam tur-
bines or mixed-pressure turbines is a
subject which has come prominently for-
? eS mn
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Fic. 3. SELF-STARTING SYNCHRONOUS Motor AT MCKELL:PLANT
less means are taken to prevent such an
occurrence. In the present installation
this is accomplished by means of a re-
verse current relay, which, immediately
upon reversal of the direction of current
in the line, opens the switches and cuts
the motor off the line.
METHOD OF BRINGING WIRES INTO MOTOR
HOUSE
It may be of interest to note the
method of bringing in the high tension
wires to this motor. This is shown quite
distinctly in Fig. 2. The main wires are
brought to a dead end at an anchor pole,
and then are dropped to the insulators,
which are cemented into the concrete roof
of the fan house. These insulators are of
the strain type, and therefore have a hole
directly down through the center. The
top of this hole is covered by means of
ward during the past few years. The
success which has attended the introduc-
tion of such turbines into various manu-
facturing and other industrial plants has
led to their recent installation in con-
nection with a group of English collieries.
Heretofore engineering effort in con-
nection with extracting the energy from
exhaust steam has been directed chiefly
toward the use of condensers and feed-
water heaters. The application of these
to engines having rapidly fluctuating and
intermittent loads has often been attend-
ed by marked difficulties, and as a result,
the majority of colliery hoisting engines
and large haulage engines are still ex-
hausting into the air.
The scheme of the English installation
referred to was based on an existent
grouping of eight pit centers or mine
openings within an area consistent with
October 28, 1911
electrical distribution. At three of these
centers were large hoisting engines hav-
ing possibly 500 kw. in exhaust steam
going to waste, and the conversion of this
into electrical energy for distribution
amoung members of the group, and there-
by eliminating small isolated boiler
plants, was the object sought.
It is claimed in this connection that
even were the application of condensers
to hoisting engines a comparatively easy
and commercialiy safe matter, the tur-
bine would still possess decided advan-
tages as an extractor of power from
exhaust steam.
Two Constituent Compounds
in Coal
Recent experiments by M. J. Burgess
and R. V. Wheeler, regarding the volatile
constituents of coal, lead the experi-
menters to believe that coal can be sep-
arated mechanically into two distinct sub-
Fic. 4. SwITCHBOARD, MCKELL CoAL Co,
stances, and they hope to compare the
results of destructive distillation of these
substances, as regards both their liquid
and gaseous products, with those pro-
duced by the action of heat on cellulose
and its derivatives, because they feel just-
ified in assuming that one type of com-
pound in coal is a degradation product of
cellulose.
Their experiments have already shown
that two more or less distinct compounds
exist in coal; one decomposes easily at a
comparatively low temperature and yields
the paraffin hydrocarbons; the other more
stable compound is found to decompose
rapidly at a temperature between 700 and
800 deg. C., and yields principally hy-
drogen, together, possibly, with oxides of
carbon. The latter and more important
compound they hope to identify as cellu-
lose or one of its derivatives.
Oetober 28, 1911
Issued Weekly by the
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CIRCULATION STATEMENT
Of this
6000 copies.
issue of CoAL AGE, ire trill) print
Vo copies will Le sent free rey-
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will represent lire, net circulation.
This journal is interested solely in mat-
ters relating to the fuel industries, and is
designed to be a medium for the free in-
terchange of ideas, the detailed descrip-
tion of coal-mining practice, and the ex-
pression of independent thought calcu-
lated to benefit both operator and miner.
Contents esiie
HGEGWOME (o5 cas. csc cess oes sce ce eenenes 67
Electrical Machinery for Coal Mines.
Sydney F. Walker 68
Preparation of Anthracite Coal.
U. A. Walker 71
Steel Belt CaOnvevers. <6... cvcesc cas 73
Oi) Bngines in Coal Mines....2..0...%.. 74
Coal Mine Inspectors and Their Appoint
ment
Anthracite and Bituminous Mining.
Ali T. Conner 76
Electrical Details at West Virginia Plant.
Henry D. Jackson SO
Wehavnet Steam ‘Turbines. .<...c600s005 0% 82
Two Constituents Compounds in Coal. . 82
Editorials :
Birenroot- Breakers: « .. 0 6h cnc dcwacs 83
Limitations of Shaft Output.......... S84
Cre Bice EWG eos 1c ela bo ort ere cecctwree 84
Colliery Notes and Comments........... 85
Inquiries of General Interest:
Working Coal tm DHDS..< «6.6 coin e eee S86
Size of Shaft and Fan Required....... 86
Anchoring Gravity Planes............. S87
Discussion by Readers:
Electric Lamps in Mine Rescue Work.. S88
Siphon vs. Gravity Drainage.......... 8s
Government Coal Mines.............. 89
Sociological Department :
Liquor Problem in Mining Communities 90
Birst Ald’ MGVeMOene. ots. ssc ceric cece 90
NNR car's, Saree ere ws ook oe are a 91
Mine Safety Demonstration........... 91
Examination Questions and Answers..... 92
Cant and Coke: NEW. <6 dic v6 cdeacccas 94
Cont Trade Reviews... «<2... 6. s.cccewce 97
COAL AGE
GOAL AG
83
Fireproof Breakers
That anthracite breakers should be of
fireproof construction if at all compatible
with the expected life of the colliery, is
a conclusion which has been definitely
reached, to judge from the best of the
recently completed and proposed new
construction.
Over 20 years ago, Eckley B. Coxe
built the Drifton breaker of cast
In recent years
and
rolled metal throughout.
the Reading, the Delaware, Lackawana &
Western, the Erie and the Lehigh Valley
companies have all erected breakers of
fireproof or partially fireproof construc-
tion. The only valid objection is expense.
Whether or not the additional
justified is a matter that must usually be
cost is
worked out for each case on its individ-
ual merits; however, for new _ plants
which have an expected life of 20 vears
or more, fireproof construction should
be preferred.
Opinions differ considerably, however,
as to whether steel, reinforced concrete,
or a combination of concrete incasing steel
members is the best medium for secur-
ing this result. Of structural steel it
may be said that it is a well known quan-
tity. Those familiar with its use can pro-
portion a framework to its loading with
an accuracy which practically eliminates
that waste of material so often met with
It makes
possible a which
takes up a much smaller proportion of
the housed-in space than either concrete
and while not so elastic as
in heavy timber construction.
light, strong frame
or timber,
timber, it is immensely more so than
concrete.
On the other hand a steel frame has
comparatively little mass, and unless
given ample weight and a liberal supply
of diagonal bracing, is liable to be ser-
iously affected by vibrating machinery of
the kind found in most breakers. In
this connection, however, it may be re-
marked that much can yet be done to-
ward reducing vibration by the proper
balancing of the machinery. Some ap-
prehension must also be had in regard
to effectively protecting steel against the
action of acid water. Certain special
paints have given good results in this
respect, but they must, of course, be fre-
quently applied and the structure de-
signed with this fact in view.
Reinforced concrete is a quantity not
quite so well known as steel, and for a
lines of the
likely to
structure built along the
usual wooden breaker, it is
Some of
the advantages of this type of construc-
prove exceedingly expensive.
tion are those which pertain to a rigid
monolithic structure of sufficient mass to
absorb the shock and vibration brought
to it from the supported machinery, but
unless so designed as to unquestionably
secure this result, the outcome seems to
have a rather dubious aspect.
Another advantage of concrete con-
struction is its great durabiliy and con-
On this
score, as with steel, apprehension need
sequent low cost for repairs.
only be had regarding the effect of the
acid water. Ordinary concrete is easily
permeated and itself more or less dis-
integrated by such water, and the danger
consequent upon acid attacking the in-
closed steel is immensely increased by
the fact that it cannot be kept under ob-
servation. There are on the market cer-
tain waterproofing compounds which may
be ‘able to give adequate protection in
this respect at a price which is not pro-
hibitive, and others are likely to develop,
but so far the effectiveness of none has
been finally demonstrated under the con-
ditions which obtain in most breakers.
In regard to a steel framework pro-
tected by incasing with concrete, it may
be said to offer an admirable and conser-
vative, albeit expensive, type of con-
struction, in which the known strength and
reliability of steel is combined with the
mass and durability of concrete. But
unless the fact is indubitably established
that the inclosing concrete will effect-
ually protect the steel against the pos-
sible inroads of acid water, this type of
construction should scarcely be consid-
ered for wet breakers.
On the whole these several types of
fireproof construction all have their spe-
84
cial advantages, as has also that of
heavy timber, the prevailing type at
present in breaker construction. One
thing obviously to be avoided in the de-
sign of new work is coming to an un-
alterable decision upon any one certain
type of construction, and then merely for
the sake of building something “all steel”
or “all concrete,” as the case may be,
sticking to it even to the extent of using
such construction in places for which it
is absolutely or comparatively unsuited.
Concrete has its field in this work ap-
parently close to the ground, where mas-
sive construction is easily possible and
particularly desirable. Steel is admir-
ably suited for the superstructure, and
there are numerous places where noth-
ing will do quite so well as a few sticks
of timber or a plank flooring. In short
it would seem that the desired end of a
suitable breaker structure of fireproof
character will best be attained by com-
bining these various materials of con-
struction in such way that each will con-
stitute that part of the completed build-
ing to which it is peculiarly adapted.
Limitations of Shaft Output
The constant demand for greater out-
puts from shafts is met with a blunt non-
While 4000 tons is frequently
reached from easy slope- and drift-open-
ings, such a tonnage is well-nigh im-
possible from a shaft. When a large out-
put is desired, two or more hoisting shafts
must be sunk and even then such ton-
nages as have been mentioned are diffi-
cult te obtain. The cars must be increased
possumus.
in size and two cars must be caged end
for end. There are obvious objections to
both these methods of circumventing the
dilemma. Large cars demand large and
high roadways and wide gage. Two cars
set tandem, if not of equal weight, are
said to put the cage so appreciably out of
balance that it crowds the guides. Deck-
ing the cage involves stoppages which
are undesirable in deep shafts and which
render decking useless in shallow ones.
The tendency in mine haulage is toward
the endless rope, traveling continuously
in one direction. Slow speeds are pos-
sible with large tonnage where the haul-
age is not reciprocating because the out-
ward flow of coal is not obstructed by the
inward travel of empties.
But it is in shafts that reciprocation
reaches its limit. Each car or pair of
cars must be caged, the signal be given
COAL AGE
to raise, maximum speed be reached and
almost immediately reduced. Then the
cars must be landed and empty cars caged
or else the cage must stop the length of
time necessary for self-dumping, however
short that may be. The reciprocation in-
volves engines of great power acting only
a small percentage of a full day and
wasting much available energy in brake
friction.
We may never see the abolishment of
cages in shafts where coal is fragile and
the market disposed to call for large
lumps. But with the increasing sale for
small sizes, there may well be a time
when the demand may come to produce
coal regardless of dimension. Even now
small coal is preferred where it is pro-
duced for coking purposes, and in at
least one field, the size of the fuel is not
regarded as affecting its sale.
It is possible, then, that in a few years,
we may see conveyer lines raising con-
tinuously up a shaft, buckets, skips, or
even whole cars of coal, and dumping
them automatically. It is easy to point
out difficulties. There never was an in-
novation which did not involve them.
But modern progress in conveying ma-
chinery will hardly fail at some time to
solve these problems. There is still too
much uncertainty in conveyer machines,
especially in places where they are sub-
ject to corrosion from mine air, mine
water and atmospheric moisture.
Furthermore, the weight of the coal to
be kept in motion will be considerable and
will furnish some difficulties. But the
chief difficulty is to be found in the weight
of the lengthy conveyer chains or ropes,
yet even this is not insuperable. A Ger-
man inventor by the name of Schwidtal
in Silesia, has patented the interposition
of sprocket-wheels in between the head
and foot sprockets of a conveyer drive.
These sprockets actuated by separate mo-
tors would serve to relieve the links and
sprocket teeth from any weight except that
of the chain, the buckets and bucket loads
between one sprocket and the next below.
Coal Land Laws
No single detail of the coal-mining in-
dustry has received the national attention
given the formation of adequate coal-
land laws. The unfortunate Alaskan epi-
sode, together with Mr. Roosevelt’s pro-
mulgation of an active conservation pol-
icy, has brought this topic home to all
coal men generally.
October 28, 1911
The hue and cry is for laws favorable
to the “poor prospector,” and the exclu-
sion of corporate interests. Few people
appreciate the fact that in the West, as
a rule, only the largest corporations are
in the coal business—and these com-
panies only because they are forced into
it. The large railroads and metal-mining
corporations are compelled to maintain
their coal departments for the reason
that there is not sufficient coal in the
open market to meet their requirements.
A cursory examination of a list of
Western coal operators will show that
small percentage of coal is
mined by interests not connected either
directly or indirectly with the large
corporations. The obvious conclusion is
that Western coal mines have not, as a
only a
rule, proved to be a profitable invest-
ment. To one familiar with the Cre-
taceous coals, also the geology and the
topography of some of the Rocky Moun-
tain States, this needs no explanation.
A law to be effective to the interests of
the man of moderate means must be
something on the order of the leasing sys-
tem. To acquire a section of land at, say,
$50 per acre (an average or even low
price for land available to transportation
facilities) requires an almost immediate
expenditure of $32,000, not to mention
the cost of prospecting and developing.
Under these conditions the ordinary pros-
pector must immediately enlist the aid of
capital, thereby sacrificing a large share
of his interest.
More Daylight
It is said that a sailor will build him-
self a house like a ship’s cabin, but it
would probably be considerably over-
shooting the mark to suggest that the
coal-mining fraternity build their surface
structures in simulation of conditions be-
low-ground. Nevertheless, there are cer-
tainly some breakers, dark enough, dirty,
damp and devious enough to give body
to the idea, and nearly all colliery build-
ings suffer to some extent from the lack
of light and space.
It is well to remember that daylight is
usually about the cheapest thing that can
be put into a building and has a wonder-
ful earning pewer. Space, it is true, is
likely to be expensive, but so is the neces-
sity for having men climb, crawl, duck
and dodge about their work instead of
going easily, directly and corfidently.
October 28, 1911
COAL AGE
Practical Hints Gathered Here and There, and
Condensed to Suit the Busy Reader
{J}
English authorities are inclined to fa-
vor a stoppage of the fan after an ex-
plosion, so that poisonous gases are not
spread through the mine.
Explosives should not be taken into
the mine in a frozen condition as they
are then very susceptible to shock and
require extra care in handling.
A long exposure to humid conditions,
it has been found, renders coal dust moist
and inert, but the presence of moisture
in the air at the moment of explosion is
not sufficient to prevent an explosion;
that is, not enough moisture is carried
hy the mine air to reduce materially the
temperature of the flame.
It has been ascertained that fuses hav-
ing a normal rate of burning of 27 sec.
per ft. may, under the influence of pres-
sure alone, burn as fast as 8 sec. per
ft. On the other hand, conditions of
temperature may cause it to burn as
slowly as 70 sec. per ft. It is suggested
that accidents may arise owing to the
liability of explosives to exude nitro-
glycerin from cartridges.
The advantages of the endless-rope
method of haulage are regularity of de-
livery and low speed. This latter need
not exceed 2 to 214 mi. per hour, which
means fewer runaway cars and other ac-
cidents, reduced cost in wear and tear on
the road bed, longer life of the rope (four
times that in main and tail haulages), and
not so much power required because the
empties can be run in by gravity.
Pine and red or black oak commonly
used in mines, each have their own de-
structive fungi. Fomes .annosus .at-
tacks pines and Polystiaus versicolor is
confined to the oaks. The germs may
enter the timber before or after cutting,
but usually decay is contracted in the
mines from nearby decayed timbering;
hence the importance of removing tim-
ber as soon as it shows signs of decay.
When it is desired to secure an ap-
proximate idea of the movement or ve-
locity of an air current that appears al-
nost stagnant, and if an anemometer is
unavailable for immediate use, a heavy
rag, or a piece of brattice cloth charged
with dust will prove a ready means of
making the test. A rap of the hand on
the rag or cloth will raise a cloud of dust
which the air current will carry away, al-
lowing the observer to form an estimate
of the velocity.
The fumes from colliery waste banks
may constitute a danger to the crops of
surrounding farms and fields. For in-
stance, the fumes from a waste bank, in
Yorkshire, were blown on to a field of
turnips. The effect of the fumes was to
cause sulphuric acid to settle on the
ground, kill the bacteria in the soil and
stop the growth of the crops. The crop
of turnips was short by ten tons and the
farmer sued the colliery company, which
was fined and made to pay costs.
At the Whitburn colliery, in Durham
county, the mine ponies are fed with a
mixture of 35 per cent. chopped hay, 29
per cent. crushed oats, 27 per cent.
crushed maize and 9 per cent. crushed
beans. At the week end they have oc-
casional bran mashes. Each stableboss
looks after an average of 15 ponies, and
each pony is provided with a separate
set of harness. During the week, a
stableboss is on duty in the stables dur-
ing practically the whole of the 24
hours.
The only absolute cure for what is
known as the “clinkering” of a poor coal
is said to be low-temperature combus-
tion. This clinkering is due to the pres-
ence of calcium, iron and sulphur. It has
not been definitely ascertained in what
proportion these elements may be pres-
ent without causing clinkering, but
Brost’s formula is generally applied,
namely, the fusion temperature rises as
the alumina increases, and falls with the
increase of the other elements, but it
cannot be relied upon for any particular
ash.
The native miner in India is usually
accompanied by his wife, who conveys:
the coal from the working place to the
main road where the cars are kept. The
man cuts the coal and the woman carries
it out in a basket on her head. The Hin-
doo will not work in a mine where he
cannot stand straight up with a basket on
his head. Some of the seams in the
Iharia district are 30 ft. thick, and in the
average working day a man and his wife
will fill two cars. The rate of pay is from
10 te 12c. per car, and a man can keep
his wife and family on about one-third
of his earnings.
Nystagmus is a disease common among
miners. It is claimed that it is much in-
creased with the increased use of safety
lamps. The miners put this forward as
an argument against the use of the
safety lamps, maintaining that these
should never be used while it is possible
to so thoroughly ventilate the mines that
naked lamps can be employed without
danger of explosions. This indicates one
of the difficulties which have to be con-
tended with in introducing safety ap-
pliances in the mines. In some cases,
English miners are paid from 2 to 4c. a
ton more when they use safety lamps.
Speaking from a practical point of
view, R. R. Smith considers that its ex-
cessive speed is an objection to the tur-
bine pump in collieries, especially in
the event of a breakdown occurring.
Makers claim that a turbine pump can-
not break down, but motors can, and it is
very necessary to be in a position to
put on another motor quickly. Motors,
however, are not often made for the
higher speeds of from 1500 to 2000
r.p.m., and he, therefore, considers that
gearing or a belt drive should be ar-
ranged so as to allow of a low-speed
motor being used.
A memorandum of the Manchester
Steam Users’ Association explains that
dense smoke indicates either that a boiler
is overworked, that the draft is insuffi-
cient, or that the stoking is badly done.
Light smoke indicates efficient stoking.
With poor draft the fires should be
kept thin and level by firing frequently
and at one side of the grate at a time.
If necessary, keep the air grids in the fire
doors slightly open just after coaling, but
a continuous admission of much air is
wasteful; it spoils the draft and mere-
ly dilutes the smoke. When low water is
discovered, cool the furnace plates from
both sides as quickly as possible.
The average life of a pony underground
varies a good deal. At the Harton collier-
ies, in Durham county, it is slightly over
Six vears, but in many cases the actual
working life is very considerably more.
The general manager of these collieries
says that ponies under four years old
are not sent underground. Recently three
ponies were drawn out of these. pits,
which had been at work below ground
for 15, 17 and 22 years, respectively. The
one which had been at work 22 years
was still fit and fresh and had both
his eyes, but he was getting a bit stiff.
To the foregoing we may add that in July
at the New Hawne colliery, Worcester-
shire, a pit pony died which had worked
in coal mines for 40 years, during 12
of which it never saw daylight.
a ates
Working Coal in Dips
In a certain butt heading there is a
continuous dip from the top of the hill
at A to the bottom of a small basin at B.
The dip to the basin is so steep and the
measures are so saturated with water,
that from the top of the hill to the cen-
ter line of the basin, the rooms when
started would have to be widened to the
left. The roof is very weak. How
should the coal be worked so as to pro-
vide for adequate drainage for the rooms
and for the safety of the men in drawing
pillars? It is assumed that the ordinary
room-and-pillar system has been adopted
up to the point marked A.
MINE
It is assumed that, as the roof is weak,
a break can be secured anywhere so that
it is not necessary to carry on the break
obtained in the first rooms of the heading.
It is permissible, therefore, to lay plans
to obtain a new break in rooms near
the dip. The rooms should be marked
off, on the heading rib from the last al-
ready turned to the end of the heading.
The first of these rooms so marked off
should be set at the regulation distance,
plus the standard widening of a room,
added to 10 ft.. so as to permit of a re-
versal in the widening of that room and
an increase of pillar width in order that
a skip may be taken off one side of it.
All the other rooms down to the dip
should be regularly spaced, but in the
bottom of the basin the width between
two of the rooms should be reduced
by the amount of widening of one room.
The rooms should be started first at the
bottom of the dip and in due order other
rooms should be opened to the left and
right of the same. Those to the left of
the dip should be widened to the left;
those to the right should be widened in
like manner to the right. It is assumed
that the roof in the first section has al-
ready broken down. When the last room
in the dip section on the left, marked for
recognition as Room 8, is driven half
way up, a track should be laid through
a crosscut to the next room (Room 7),
and a skip taken off the side of that room
all the way up to the face.
The accompanying illustration shows
the status of the working, when the skip
is just commenced.
The pillars of the rooms at the bottom
of the dip should be first attacked, fol-
lowing with those to the right and left.
The order of progress in starting and
drawing the room pillars should be a
FOREMAN.
COAL AGE
ae to Those dhe want a een All icnaiicaiie
_Inust be Accompanied by the Name and Address of Inquirer
continuous recession from the center of
the dip. The room made out of the skip
off Room 7 should be drawn back when
its turn comes. The figure following il-
lustrates the manner in which the pillar
drawing should proceed.
This method of work only satisfies min-
ing conditions where the roof is weak. If
the rooms up to and including No. 7 had
not caved well, the skip could not be
taken with any safety, for it would be
involved in the ultimate fall of the first
seven rooms. If, again, a large area was
being upheld, because fracture did not
occur, it would be wrong to attempt to
try to create another fracture at Room
7, because the pillars between rooms 7,
6 7
|
FOSS
COAL AGE
“ine og QMp
BEFORE ROOMS ARE DRIVEN
Sa mye pe iene
AL,
a
DRIVING OF Rooms AND SKIP
een Ley Bre tf ai AL
| ae | sae ee
Com AGE
“Nee f
We a Ds
PILLAR DRAWING
8 and 9 would probably be lost, if more
were not involved. As a general rule,
where the roof is good, it is not well to
arrange to use such strategy that pillars
have to be drawn between two falls.
Moreover, where the roof is sound and
gives plenty of warning of its caving,
some variance from accepted method can
be safely permitted. It is customary in
strong roofs to drive rooms 40 to 50 ft.
wide, with a road on each side. The min-
er, who is removing the coal on the side
nearest the fall, whether that fall be
actual or anticipated, is situated in what
would be considered a very perilous po-
sition, were the roof weak. On the other
hand, if the roof be weak, especially if it
October 28, 1911
be also broken, the system set forth in
the illustrations would necessarily be
used to safeguard the miner.
Size of Shaft and Fan
Required
We have a 1500-acre tract of coal land
underlaid with a 5-ft. seam of bituminous
coal, gaseous and lying flat. If a ca-
pacity of 2000 tons per day is desired,
what should be the size of a double-com-
partment shaft, and what size of fan
would be required to furnish the air for
this mine, in accordance with the Penn-
sylvania bituminous-mine law ?
PENNSYLVANIA OPERATOR.
This is a large daily output to obtain
from a shaft with one car to a cage and
working only 10 hours per day. Prac-
tically, the size.of the hoistways is de-
termined by the necessary dimensions of
the mine cars, which again are deter-
mined by the required output per hour,
the speed of hoisting, -and the conditions
in the mine with respect to the thickness
of the seam or the available headroom
and width of mine roads.
In the absence of actual data, it may
be assumed here that the coal (5 ft.
thick) is overlaid with an 18-in. draw-
slate, which is allowed to fall, a few feet
behind the face. The total hight in the
passageways and rooms is then 5 X
12 + 18 = 78 in. Using 18-in
car wheels and allowing 12 in. for
ballast, ties and road; 3-in. car axles,
and 13'% in. for crossbars, clear-
ance and creep, gives 78 — (12 + 9 +
14 + 13%) = 42 in. for allowable
depth of coal in car, including topping.
Assume the track gage is 4 ft. Calcu-
late the cross-section of the mine car
as follows: g = 4 ft., d = 18 in. Then:
Lower section, 42 « 9 = 378 sq.in.; mid-
56 + 42
dle section, s T= S43 sein:
upper section, 56 [42 — (7 + 9)]
1456 sq.in. Total sectional area = 2177
sj.in. = 15.12 square feet.
To find the length of the car it is neces-
sary, first, to find the weight of material
per hoist and the cubic contents of the
car; thus, assume, for this depth of shaft,
that the maximum speed of hoisting is 40
ft. per sec., and allow 30 sec. for starting
and stopping each trip and — car.
~~ + 30
Now, allow 30 ae ii un-
The time of hoisting one trip =
= 40 sec.
avoidable delays each day of 10 hours,
making the actual time of hoisting coal
October 28, 1911
10 ~ 60 — 30 = 570 min. The total
: , pat 6
number of hoists per day is then sa =
— 855 hoists. The weight of material
per hoist is then 2000 + 855 = 2.34 tons,
or 2.34 « 2000 = 4680 Ib. Average bi-
tuminous coal (run-of-mine) may be es-
timated as occupying 40 cu.ft. per short
ton (2000 lb.) The cubic capacity of a
mine car, including topping of coal, must
be, then, 4680 — 40 = 117 cu.ft. To have
this capacity the inside length of the car
musi be, in this case,
117 X 144
2177
Allowing, say 21 in. for end-boards and
bumpers and 18 in. for clearance at the
two ends, the necessary width of the
shaft should be 11 ft. The inside width of
the car is 4 ft. 8 in., and allowing 2 in.
for side of car, 4 in. clearance, 4 in.
for exposure of guides, 8-in. buntons,
and a pumpway and manway 6 ft. wide,
makes the length of the shaft 20 ft. in
the clear. The size of the shaft is, there-
fore, 11x20 ft. inside dimensions.
It is only right to add that as miners
in the bituminous parts of Pennsylvania
work only eight ‘hours, with considerable
=i Ae. OF ft Siem.
CAPACITY CF MINE CAR
deductions at both ends of the day, coal
heing relatively scarce in the early morn-
ing and late at night, it is not well to
lock for a production of 2000 tons from
a single shaft with a one-car cage, even
if the hoisting should continue 10 hours.
On many days the delays will much
exceed an aggregate of 30 min.; also holi-
days, their approach and their aftermath,
cut a wide swath on the exact results
of mathematical calculation, for even if
men are plentiful, the absence of a few
will disturb the balance arranged between
headings and diminish tonnage. The
problem, however, excludes a larger car
than that proposed and does not seem to
warrant a five-compartment shaft with
two hoisting engines, nor a double-deck
cage carrying two cars on one deck. It
would seem better to meet a problem in-
volving only 1500 acres of 5-ft. coal by
preparing an equipment which might pro-
duce 2000 tons, but which might fail
to reach that tonnage by a few hundred
tons. .
COAL AGE
In regard to ventilation, the revised
bituminous mine law of Pennsylvania re-
quires the circulation of 200 cu.ft. of air
per min. for each person employed in
a gaseous mine. The records of the past
nine years show that the average daily
output of coal per man employed under-
ground is as follows:
Fittshurge Coal Company.........<.. 3.4 tons
EG. 6vick - Company... «<0 cence. 6.2 tons
Monongahela River Consolidated Coal
sng. Coke CGmpang... 2c... ces es 4:2 tons
Berwind-White Coal Mining Company 3.5 tons
Average +.4 tons
Taking this average as a basis of cal-
culation, the number of men employed
below ground in a mine putting out 2000
tons of coal a day would be 2000 — 4.4 —
454 men. It would, therefore, be amply
sufficient, as far as the mine law is con-
cerned, to estimate on air for, say 500
persons, or a circulation of 500 x 200
= 100,000 cu.ft. per min. However, the
practical needs of this mine, which is
may
gaseous, require, in emergency,
87
would be increased to about 5.5 in, This
would require about 360 i.h.p. The fan
for this service should be 15 ft. 10 in.
diameter, 5 ft. 7 in. wide, with a cen-
tral opening 8 ft. 11 in. diameter. This
makes the radial depth of blade 3 ft. 5%
inches,
Anehoring Gravity Planes
I have much trouble with a steep grav-
ity plane which is always washing out; I
cannot keep the ties in place. Please
recommend a cheap remedy.
ROADMAN.
Your best plan is to lay a line of tile
on one side of the track with properly
cemented joints. All the water you can
divert from the head of the plane should
be passed down this drain. Several wyes
should be put in the line and 6-in.
branches run from these under the track.
These branches should be cemented on
the under half. The upper half should be
Buried Sewe
\\\N3
Haulage
DRAINING A GRAVITY PLANE AND SECURING IT By HAULAGE ROPES
more than double this quantity of air;
and the normal working of the mine may
even require more air than the law de-
mands.
ESTIMATING SIZE OF FAN
For this reason, in estimating the size
of fan required for the proper and safe
ventilation of the mine under all condi-
tions, it should be designed to pass, sav
156,000 cu.ft. of air per min. against a
2-in. water gage, at a moderate speed of,
say 100 r.p.m., requiring for this ser-
vice an indicated horsepower of the en-
gine of, say 80 h.p. This would be the
rormal working condition. The engine
driving the fan, however, should be ca-
pable of increasing the speed to 190
r.p.m., at which speed the fan would de-
liver about 250,000 cu.ft. of air, and, for
the same mine conditions, the water gage
left uncemented so as to drain the road-
bed. Cover the ditches in which the
branch pipes are laid, with broken stone.
Some planes are laid with anchored
wood-sills into which the cross-ties are
notched. The notching results in speedy
rotting of the timber and the expense of
such a method is considerable. The use
of long ties common to both tracks is to
be recommended, but perhaps the best se-
curity and the cheapest is the use of a
spiked haulage rope at the end of ties se-
cured to a heavy timber, masonry or con-
crete support at the head of the plane.
If the plane is long, two or three of these
may be necessary so as to divide up the
expansion from heat. Old, disused ropes
will do, and a heavy coat of tar will pre-
vent them from rusting away, this coat
being applied before and after their at-
tachment to the ties.
Y
Electric Lamps in Mine
Rescue Work
The use of portable electric lamps in
mines is rapidly becoming general. In
gaseous mines, the portable electric lamp
has been used effectively in so many in-
stances to replace the ordinary so called
safety lamp as to call properly for its
classification as a safety lamp.
In the meaning of the anthracite mine
law an electric lamp is not-a safety lamp.
Indeed, the law needs revision in this re-
spect. When the present law was passed
there were only two general types of
safety lamps in use, the Davy lamp and
the Clanny lamp. These laws, however,
are now obsolete in respect to many pres-
ent methods of mining anthracite coal,
and we can but hope that the new law
when drafted will provide effectively and
intelligently for these changed conditions
of mining, and treat specifically the new
methods and new devices introduced
since the old law was made.
Not long ago the government rescue
car visited our coalfield, and trained men
in the use of electric lamps in gassy
mines, in connection with rescue appar-
atus. In the strict meaning of the mine
law the electric lamp is not a safety lamp.
I firmly believe in the electric lamp as
the !aimp that can be most effectively used
in mine-rescue work; because where this
lamp is carefully used the chances of ig-
nition of gas are reduced to a minimum,
and because the lamp gives a good light,
which is very necessary.
A short time ago there occurred a
heavy cave, in a mine, along the gangway
road, in a steep-pitching (80 deg.) seam.
An entire pillar of coal came down on the
gangway, as shown in the accompanying
sketch. Two men were working in the
face of the gangway at the time of the
cave, and their escape by that road was
completely cut off. The ventilation was
also cut off by the cave, and gas began
to accumulate rapidly in the workings be-
yond. Soon a fireboss with an ordinary
safety lamp reached the point marked X
on the airway, but could go no farther.
At this point, the gas was so thick that
it extinguished the light. There was no
way to reach the entombed men except
through the airway or monkey heading
above the gangway. Two ladders were
brought in and placed in the manner
shown in the sketch. Two men, each
provided with rescue apparatus and elec-
tric lamps, traversed the fall by means
of the ladders, and reached the entombed
COAL AGE
SSION by READERS
Canc Criticism and Debate upon Previous Articles,
and Suggestions from the Experience of Practical Men
men in the gangway. These men were
found in a very weak condition, at the
point marked X X. The two rescue men
were unable to take them out, so one res-
cuer returned for help while the other
stayed with the men. The man who went
out brought in another rescue man and
two sets of rescue apparatus, which they
put on the unfortunate men. The three
rescuers then took the men out, one at
a time, thereby saving these two men
who were almost at the point of death.
They would have perished had the elec-
tric lamps not been used.
This incident illustrates one case where
the electric lamp was used effectively in
saving life, under conditions that ren-
dered the ordinary safety lamp useless.
The question may be asked here, how-
ever, if anything. had happened to the
rescue party or the men through the use
of these lamps, would those responsible
for their use in a gaseous mine have
been held accountable to the mine law ?
Should not the electric lamp be classed
in the mine law as a safety lamp? The
true aim of the law is to protect lives and
property, but when a law becomes ob-
solete it is then a menace rather than a
safeguard, and should be changed to meet
the changing conditions.
A RESCUE FOREMAN.
[Epitor’s NotE—The term safety lamp
is a misnomer, and too often misunder-
stood by miners; particularly by those
who are unacquainted with the use of
the safety lamp. This misunderstanding
may and often does lead to serious acci-
dent, because the one using the lamp has
the idea that it is safe under all condi-
tions, and cannot pass flame or cause
trouble.
This is a grave error. The so called
safety lamp is safe only when properly
used by one who understands the principle
of the lamp and the properties of mine
gases, as well as the dangers to which
fe exposes himself and others by a care-
less use of the lamp. As a matter of
fact, no lamp, however well protected, is
safe under every condition of mining, and
therefore, care and intelligence are neces-
sary on the part of the person using the
lamp.
Our correspondent has drawn attention
to a very important point and one that
is growing in importance every day. Port-
able electric lamps are rapidly coming
into general use in the mines. We think
the day is not far off when they will en-
tirely displace the lamps and torches now
in use. Mining law should take cogni-
October 28, 1911
zance of this fact and special reference
should be made to the use of such lamps.
The electric lamp, has the same right
to classification as a safety lamp, as the
present types of so-called safeties now
in use.
The determining feature of the safety
lamp is the more or less complete isola-
tion of the flame of the lamp from the
surrounding atmosphere. In the incan-
descent lamp the carbon filament of the
lamp is more completely isolated from
the outside atmosphere than is the flame
of any oil-burning safety lamp. The
glass globe of the incandescent lamp
needs to be protected, but is not so apt
to be broken as the glass cylinder of the
mine safety lamp is liable to be cracked
and broken by the heat of the flame and
gas burning within the lamp.
The disadvantage, thus far, of all elec-
tric lamps, for mining use, is the fact that,
as constructed at present, they do not re-
veal the presence of gas. It is to be
hoped, however, that even this difficulty
may be overcome and that some device
will soon be found that will supply this
lack.]
ee
Siphon vs. Gravity Drainage
The accompanying sketch shows a mine
in skeleton, with the elevations of the
rail and ditch above tide. When the
mine was first opened, there was much
water at A, which was handled by a small
hand pump, but later this water drained
through crevices in the limestone measure
below and no more trouble was experi-
enced till the workings in the headings
beyond B and C were reached. The fur-
ther developments gave so much water
that a sump was established in a low-
lying rooni, as shown, and the water was
removed by a siphon, much dissatisfac-
tion resulting from its irregular service.
It might be noted that the drawing is
more of a diagram than an actual plan.
This was necessary to avoid making too
large a drawing. The obvious criticisms
that it would be better to shoot the dip
and to disregard the accumulation of
water to the right of the drift mouth
would not be obvious nor even applicable
to the actual mine.
The following method was suggested
for improving the drainage system:
By drawing a dotted line on the map,
representing all the area in the mine
above the elevation of the highest point
of the drainage ditch, we obtained the
area which could be drained if we con-
structed another ditch in the mine fol-
October 28, 1911
lowing that line, with ditches leading
leading thereto. It was apparent in the
early development work that all water
originating below that line would pass
away through the creviced substrata.
What originated above the dotted line
could, for the most part, be led to the
several adjacent headings and run down
to points D and E and piped from those
points to the surface, by stringing pipes
from D and E to the siphon line at A and
connecting thereto. This suggestion was
followed. The flow of water then de-
pended not so much on the vacuum at
the summit F as on the pressure of the
water in the pipe, driving it forward and
eventually upward to its own level. The
custom of leading all water immediately
~
Gs
psi
ad S
we mat mS
COAL AGE
stored at D and E, in order that it would
not be necessary to drain the upper part
of the mine continuously.
Preparations were made for using the
eld siphon, priming it with the water in
the higher part of the mine. A valve H
was put in the water line just above 4,
where the siphon line and the high-level
branch join. A valve was located at the
point of discharge J. By closing the
valve J and removing the plug at F, all
the air could be driven out at that high
point. When the plug F was replaced
and the valve H closed in the order
named and the valve J opened, then as
both legs of the siphon were fully primed,
the siphon began working and continued
to pass the water through the line till the
89
For 12 months inquiries and investiga-
tions have been in progress to determine
the best sites for the shafts and, in July,
Mr. Edden obtained permission to intro-
duce a bill giving legislative authority to
acquire lands and establish mines.
The scheme is to have a mine in the
north, one in the west and another in the
south, one of the proposed shafts to be
in the neighborhood of Lithgow. When
successfully launched these three mines
will supply all the requirements of the
government railways, street railways,
brickworks, steam vessels, etc. Any
surplus coal will be sold to private con-
sumers.
At present the railway department has
contracts with 24 collieries from which it
Tt
| ]
\ !
‘ {
‘CO '
‘9 ! .
1 ee | |
\S i
‘SQ A fas
‘< ‘S
/ Sl}. 2
v ~ EL. 1537.06 SEVEN. 1524.52
F ditch, E1.1540.0
El.1542.05
Ditch, El. 1539.70 s
s ‘\
S S at) re we
~ Sb
my | ym Ss
aS 4 |S&
ZY S wz S
pp bs “yy | &
i 1S AW COAL AGE
& Discharge Valve
SYSTEM OF DRAINAGE WITHOUT U
to a common sump situated at the lowest
point in a mine and thence _labori-
ously lifting it out is a common and de-
plorable source of waste of energy. A
check valve was placed at G to avoid
the discharge of water into the original
sump. The water was accelerated in the
pipe by occasionally opening the plug in
what was once the high spot in the
siphon, viz., F. When the flow of water
was reasonally continuous, no air accum-
ulated at that point.
Later, the crevices in the floor proved
insufficient to drain the area below the
contour line 1540, partly because of leak-
age from higher levels, the drainage of
which could not be controlled after the
pillars were drawn. Provision was then
made so that water could be temporarily
6 Discharge Valve
SE OF SIPHON
low-level sump was empty. As soon as
that occurred the valve H was reopened
and the drainage of the upper area con-
tinued as before, for the check valve G
prevented any water running down to the
low-level sump. The siphon, being rap-
idly and efficiently primed under that sys-
tem, gave better satisfaction and had less
water to handle than it did before.
Chicago, III. A. O. Burt.
Government Coal Mines
Coat AGE readers may be interested
in a plan of the Minister for Mines in
New South Wales. He has in hand
a project by which the government
there will supply all its own coal
requirements from its own _ collieries.
SYSTEM OF DRAINAGE BY BOTH GRAVITY AND SIPHON
obtains approximately 840,000 tons of
coal per anum. The Minister of Mines es-
timates that by owning its own collieries
the state will effect a saving of half a
dollar on each ton of coal, or roughly
$420,000 on the total yearly supply.
The idea of state-owned coal mines is
not a new one. New Zealand and Vic-
toria own mines with, it is claimed, sat-
isfactory financial results. It may also
be recalled that in Germany, France, Rus-
sia and Belgium the various governments
have their own mines for railway pur-
poses, and in the United States and Canada
certain large private companies have
found it a paying proposition to own and
run their own coal mines.
R. L. BERESFORD.
Sydney, N. S. W.
COAL AGE
October 28, 1911
ee
Liquor Problem in Mining
Communities
By G.. 1, Fay"
One of the curses of the mining town
is the “beer wagon.” A superintendent
of one of the large anthracite companies
said recently: “It would be a forward
_ step if we could stop the sale of intoxi-
cating drinks which are hauled in by
teams and peddled through our ‘Patches.’
It is against the law and if it could be
stopped, I believe good would result. If
the men had to order liquor or go after
it, they would not use nearly as much as
when it is hauled to their doors. In the
‘Patches’ where the beer wagons do not
visit there is the least trouble, and the
men do not lose so much time from
work.” Quoting further: “At one of our
collieries, I never saw a beer wagon enter
and I have never had complaints from
there regarding quarreling or fighting;
at one of our other mines, they are never
without drink and the people are al-
ways in a ‘scrap’ about something-—one
lawsuit after another—there the women
drink almost as much as the men.”
Another official of the same company
says: “Some time ago I went with the
paymaster on payday and saw the beer
wagons standing on the public roads sell-
ing beer at Sc. per bottle, or six bottles
for 25c. I am told they do not do this
now, but that they sell it by the case right
from the wagon, which also is a violation
of the law.”
The “speak-easy” reveals the fact of
the need of law enforcement.
In one county, officials in a position to
speak with authority, say that there are
as manv illegal selling places in the coun-
ty as there are licensed saloons.
In the last issue we saw the outcome:
Here we have an illustration of an inter-
pretation of law preventing an industry
from minimizing the drink evil and here
also we have a lack of enforcement of
law, which permits the increase of liquor
consumption to the detriment of an in-
dustry which is the support of the com-
munity.
While both the interpretation of the
law and lack of law enforcement may act
as obstacles to dealing with the liquor
problem on the economic basis, there are
also local conditions that add to the dif-
ficulties.
; *Secretary, Coal Mining Institute of Amer-
ica, Wilkes-Barre, Penn.
Note—tThis is the third
the above subject.
article discussing
ntsc nc
ABureau Devoted to the Welfare of Miners Everywhere,
YYW MW le
Stock FOR MORAL SuPPORT
A mine superintendent, in discussing
this phase of the problem, said that the
brewing company in his district offered
him a block of: stock in the brewery
svndicate at 50 per cent. less than par
value. He did not accept the proposition
and the stock was then offered to him at
25 per cent. cf par value. Again he re-
fused the offer. The agent of the brewery
then told him that he (the superinten-
dent) was a “key man” in that district,
and that the brewery syndicate desired
bis good will, and that they would make
him a present of the block of stock. The
superintendent again refused to accept
the offer. One of the chief officials of
that brewing syndicate told me that the
same year they paid a dividend of 66
per cent. on every dollar’s worth of
stock
Surely a tempting
mine superintendent or foreman. But
when officials of coal companies hold
stock in a liquor syndicate and that stock
pavs large dividends, effective measures
to reduce the sale of liquor in the com-
munities thev control will be out of the
question, even though the coal company
may lose in tonnage every month.
But the industries are asking, “How
shall we deal with the problem?” and
that is significant. In the meantime, be-
fore a satisfactory answer is given, sev-
eral large operating companies are pro-
jecting various plans in an effort to
mitigate the demoralizing conditions.
One of the largest holding companies
in West Virginia has written into all leas-
es to operating companies the following
article: “The lessee shall not sell or
knowingly permit the sale or introduction
of any intoxicating liquors upon _ the
above described tracts or parcels of land
or any lands adjacent thereto.”
In a letter dated Sept. 28, 1911, the
general manager of one of the largest
railroads in this country says: “In our
book of rules and regulations governing
emplovees. we have the following rule
with reference to the use of intoxicants,
etc. ‘The use of intoxicants by employees
while on duty is prohibited. The habitual
consumption or the frequenting of places
where intoxicants are sold is sufficient
cause for dismissal.’ It is the duty of our
division officials to see that this rule is
enforced.
“Our
BREWERY
investment for a
superintendents, trainmasters,
master mechanics, road foremen of en-
gines and other officials, whose duties re-
quire them to be on the road a consider-
able part of their time, are in a position
‘time for minimizing
eciall
to observe whether or not the employees
are violating the rule, and when they dis-
cover a case of this kind it is the usual
practice to caution the. offenders and give
them good advice; then if they persist
in violating the rules, the penalty is en-
forced by dismissing them from the ser-
vice.
“While, of course, with the large num-
ber of men employed on a railroad it is
impossible to get at every case, we be-
lieve we are fortunate on our road in
keeping the infraction of this rule down
to the minimum, as the number of men
dismissed for intoxication, is a small per
cent. of the total.”
A Law
As society progresses, the leaders of
any period may discover the conditions
that ought to be maintained in society
and industry. Such leaders are a law
unto themselves—and by making con-
quest and planting their flag on the ad-
vance line, they gradually draw other
leaders to that line, then the law is
brought up to the same mark and the
law brings up the mass.
When society and industry demand an-
other forward step, leaders blaze the
way till finally a new advance line is
establisned. Again the law is gradually
brought to that line, causing the masses
te struggle toward that new advance
line and thus the wheels of progress go
round and round, but what a “sprag” in
the wheels is nonenforcement of the law!
Enforcement of law reveals its strength
or weakness, whether good or _ bad,
whether or not it is equal to the needs
of the times and the demands of the pres-
ent advance line of progress.
In the succeeding article on _ the
“Liquor Problem in Coal-Mining Com-
munities,” I will describe what is, per-
haps, the best method in operation at this
the drink evil in
Unto THEMSELVES
mining camps.
First Aid Movement in Hard
Coal Region
During the past six weeks the First
Aid Corps of the mines which have or-
ganized these helpful institutions have
been holding contests throughout the an-
thracite regions, and remarkably inter-
esting and instructive these have been.
The contests have now become annual
events in most mining localities in north-
eastern Pennsylvania. The men who are
engaged in these contests take a personal
October 28, 1911
pride in the efficiency of the corps to
which they belong.
During the time that these contests
have taken place, exhibitions have
been given in various centers, gen-
erally in the vicinity of Scranton, Wilkes-
Barre, Pottsville, Shamokin, Mahanoy
City, Carbondale and occasionally in
the neighborhood of mining settlements.
The contests are not competitions in the
conventional sense. Although medals are
sometimes distributed among the winners
of a contest, the men are for the most
part indifferent to the honor conferred by
these, and to their intrinsic value. Indeed
they seem almost to deprecate their in-
stitution as awards.
About two hundred corps have taken
part in these contests during the time
that they have been in progress. It
is no exaggeration to say that first aid to
the injured, scientifically administered, is
now as much a part of the machinery of
the anthracite mines as any other depart-
ment of the executive administration of
the colliery. Each mine with a first-aid
corps has its dispensary at the foot of the
shaft, fully supplied with such appliances
as are immediately needed in any ordi-
nary emergency.
While distributing medals at one of
these contests recently an old clergyman
declared, with considerable truth, in the
presence of the men and officials of the
two collieries between which the contest
was held, that within his own recol-
lection, some 35 or 40 years ago,
the lives of the mules in the anthracite
mines were much more carefully guarded
than those of the miners, it being ac-
cepted as a managerial axiom that the
less of a mule was estimated at S3 a day
for the period of its working life, while
the life of a miner was of no economic
value, no material difference in the profit
and loss account of the working of the
mine resulting by his accidental death.
Marriage
By F. A. Boac
The conditions of the gold-mining
camps of the West are being duplicated
in the coal camps of the country, near
and far. The unrestrained wildness of
the erstwhile inhabitants of the gold dig-
gings was due mainly to abnormal earn-
ngs, the lack of home restraint and the
ibsence of the matrimonial curb. True!
he earnings of the miners do not appear
xtravagantly large to Americans, though
ney are larger than is commonly sup-
rosed. But to peasants from Central
“urope they seem so bounteous that to
pend the balance after their frugal ap-
etites for food are appeased, demands
‘requent carousals. The new environ-
nent acts as new wine in exciting their
spirits. But more obvious than all is
the effect of the lack of family ties.
The same adventurous spirits of a like
‘eople went to the Dakotas and to Colo-
COAL AGE
rado. But the Oregon adventurers were
quiet homemakers, were married and
peaceable. The Colorado men, on the
other hand, prided themselves on their
wildness and wooliness. They had, no
less than their neighbors, the qualities of
good citizenship, but the rewards being
high and the restraints weak, a wild pe-
riod intervened between settlement and
steady development. The governors and
mayors of the West have not been un-
mindful of the strife-assuaging virtues
of marriage and have from time to time
sought to restore the uneven balance of
male and female by assisted or encour-
aged immigration of the latter. More-
over, today, a trip west to the region of
the Rockies of an Eastern maid almost
invariably spells matrimony, usually
under the most favorable auspices.
Two Ways To MEET PROBLEM
There is but little question but what
marriage would make a healthy improve-
ment in the foreign population of our
mining villages. The difficulty is to find
a way to increase it. The immigration
authorities, dreading the already too great
advance of the white-slave traffic, would
not favor any activity toward increasing
the immigration of females even if the law
permitted it. There are two ways by
which the difficulty might be met: The
operator can always discriminate in favor
of married men, and Congress, which is
always discussing the restriction of im-
migration, might provide for the exclu-
sion of unmarried foreigners who did not
meet certain other important require-
ments, leaving the bars a litle lower for
married men.
Occasionally we read of a lifelong ro-
mance. An Italian peasant girl comes to
America to marry an acquaintance of
boyhood days, on money furnished by her
future husband. Such accounts furnish
good headlines, but, as a matter of fact,
the Italian laborer unable to find a coun-
trywoman in his new home, and too un-
desirable to be able to cross the race
line for a wife, recails an unmated girl
acquaintance of earlier days and sends
for her. Without thought of love, she
recalls the fact that there is a living for
her in America, a chance to escape an en-
forced diet of polenta, with hard stone-
picking and burden-carrying in the fields,
and joyfully she comes over to meet her
promessi sposi!
BRAWLS, THE OUTCOME OF CELIBACY
One does not wonder that an Ameri-
can-barn Italian woman is in many cases
a chattel for profitable sale and barter,
so many are the would-be husbands, so
few the would-be brides. Nor can we
wonder at the fights and jealousies en-
gendered when five kegs of beer and one
woman are together in a house where
there are as many as 14 boarders; for
though statistics prove that the Southern
European is more chaste than the Amer-
ican or Briton, his lust for revenge and
91
the temptations of liquors to which he is
unaccustomed, more than overbalance his
other moral qualities.
It sometimes appears to me that more
urgent than a reduction of white slav-
ery, is the need for a _ suppression
of white lawlessness in the mining cen-
ters. It is a need, moreover, deeply
felt that, more and more, Europeans
who come here should be naturalized
and stay, leaving their wages here, not
sending them abroad. Furthermore, we
desire to be saved from the trouble of
nationalizing continually new influxes of
strangers who come, develop a little and
leave, to be replaced by others equally
needful of the action of the American
“melting pot,” to quote [srael Zangwiil.
farriage is the hobble that will effectu-
ally hold such men. Without marriage,
life is essentially incomplete and the lack
of it always makes man a wanderer.
Mine Safety. Demonstration
The National Mine Safety Demonstra-
tion takes place Monday and Tuesday,
October 30 and 31, at Pittsburg, Penn.,
the board of managers comprising H. M.
Wilson, representing the Bureau of
Mines; Dr. M. J. Shields, the American
National Red Cross Society; S. A. Taylor,
the coal operators of the United States;
Francis Feehan, the United Mine Workers
of America; John Laing, the State mine
inspectors; and Thomas B. Dilts, the in-
dustrial department of the Y. M. C. A.
On October 30 a meeting, commencing
with an address of welcome by Director
J. A. Holmes, at 9 a.m., will be held at the
arsenal grounds. Following the address
the visitors will be shown the varigus build-
ings and the nature of the work being
conducted in them.
For the afternoon an inspection is ar-
ranged, at the Bruceton mine, followed by
an explosion in the same with a further
inspection later.
The Tuesday meet is to be held at the
Forbes field, beginning with ten first-aid
problems open for solution to teams
from all over the United States. Then
will follow tests in a dust gallery, where
similar experiments will be made to those ~
made at the arsenal on the previous day,
but with coal dust present and with gas
entirely absent. A demonstration of the
action of afterdamp on birds will be a
feature of this meet.
The prizes for first-aid work will be
presented by President Taft and addres-
ses given by John K. Tener, governor of
Pennsylvania, Walter L. Fisher, Secretary
of the Interior, of whose department the
Bureau of Mines is a part,,and Miss Ma-
bel Boardman, of the American Red Cross
Society.
A parade of 19,927 miners, each of
whom represents one of the 19,927 men
killed in the coal mines of the United
States in the last twenty years, will im-
press on the spectators the terrible toll of
life taken by the coal industry.
92
COAL AGE
October 28, 1911
ATION QUESTIONS and ANSWERS
To Encourage, Assist,and Instruct Those Preparing for Firebosses, Mine Foremen,
and Inspectors Examinations, Selected and Original Questions Are Carefully
Answered And Fully Explained
Suggested Questions
STRIKE, DIP AND PITCH
Ques.—Explain the meaning of the
terms strike, dip and pitch, as they relate
to coal seams or “veins.”
Ans.—These terms all describe cer-
tain lines or directions in inclined seams.
For example: The strike of an inclined
seam may refer to any level line in the
seam, or it may refer to the direction
of such a line. The strike line, or the
line of strike, is always a level line, and
may have any position in the seam. The
outcrop of an inclined seam on a level
surface is a line of strike. The term dip
relates to the inclination of the seam.
Any line drawn in the seam at right
angles to the strike is a line of “full dip”
or “full pitch” according as it is drawn
to the rise or to the dip of the seam. The
terms full pitch and full dip of the seam
describe the same lines drawn in op-
posite directions. Any line in a seam
drawn in a direction oblique to the strike
or to the full dip of the seam has a dip
or a pitch less than that of the seam. By.
the dip or pitch of a seam is meant its
full dip or full pitch.
DIRECTION OF SLANT ROAD
Ques.—In what direction must a slant
road be driven in a seam having an in-
clination of 5 deg. in order that the road
shall have a grade of 3 per cent.? The
direction of the full dip of the seam is
S 34 deg. 30 min. E.:
Ans.—In an inclined seam the ratio
of the tangent of the grade angle of a
road driven across the pitch, to the
tangent of the angle of full dip of the
seam, is equal to the cosine of the angle
the road makes with the line of pitch.
Calling this angle a, in this case,
0.03 0.03
aie tan. 5 deg. 0.08749
and a = 69 deg. 57 min. Therefore,
the angle between the road and the full
pitch of the seam is 69 deg. 57 min. But
the direction of the full pitch of the
seam is N 34 deg. 30 min. W, and since
the required slant road may be driven
either to the right or the left of the full
pitch, its direction may be either N 35
deg. 27 min. E, or S 75 deg. 33 min. W.
==0;2428;
VENTILATION IN ANTHRACITE MINES
Ques.—How is ventilation produced in
mines in the anthracite region ?
Ans.—In the anthracite mines of Penn-
sylvania, ventilation is most commonly
produced by mechanical means. The
larger mines are mostly equipped with
different types of centrifugal fans. Many
mines are still operating the old style
of 14-ft., open-running fan; and some
disk fans are in use. The modern type
of mine ventilator, however, now being
generally installed, is the large centrifu-
gal fan inclosed in a spiral casing, and
having its blades curved to conform to
the conditions at the mine. This type
of mine fan when designed to run nor-
mally at a fairly moderate speed of, say
150 r.p.m., gives the best service and
the highest efficiency. In case of need
the speed of the fan can then be in-
creased at will to supply a larger volume
of air.
MINE VENTILATORS COMPARED
Ques.—What are the comparative
merits of the several appliances for
producing ventilation in the collieries of
the anthracite coalfield? Give reason.
Ans.—The mine ventilator that is de-
signed to meet as far as possible all the
conditions that are liable to arise in the
operation of the mine is the ventilator
having the greatest merit. Owing to the
widely varying conditions in mines, no
absolute rule can be given. There is,
however, a growing preference among
mine operators for the large centrifugal
type of fan, designed to run normally
at a speed that can be increased or de-
creased as the requirements of the mine
may demand. Such a ventilator possesses
a greater margin of service than the
small, high-speed types of fan, which are
better adapted to the work of blowing air
against a considerable water gage.
The open-running type of fan, still
in use at some mines, is very inefficient,
because it discharges the air at a high
velocity all around the circumference of
the fan, which means a great loss of en-
ergy. Closed fans having a tight-fitting
casing are also inefficient, because the
air is only discharged from a small por-
tion of the fan-wheel at one time. The
spiral casing, on the other hand, permits
the discharge of air almost completely
around the circumference.
The disk fan is not an efficient type of
mine fan, except for the ventilation of
small mines. It is a convenient form of
ventilator, however, when it can be used,
for the reason that it admits of reversing
the air-current in the mine, simply by
reversing the engine driving the fan. The
necessity for reversing the air in a mine
frequently arises.
BLOWING VERSUS EXHAUST FAN
Ques.—Give your opinion as to the
advantage, if any, of a forcing fan over
an exhaust fan working under the same
conditions.
Ans.—Both of these types of fan are
equally advantageous under the particu-
lar conditions to which each is adapted.
The blowing or forcing fan is adapted to
the ventilation of a non-gaseous mine
where the main-return airways can be
made the haulage roads. In a gaseous
mine, however, haulage must generally
be performed on the intake airways to
avoid the danger of the ignition of gas
by the lamps of the drivers. In this case,
in order to avoid the use of doors on
the main haulage roads, at or near the
shaft bottom, it is necessary to adopt the
exhaust system of ventilation and use an
exhaust fan.
This much is offered in explanation of
the proper use of the exhaust fan. For
the same conditions, however, the forcing
fan is the more efficient ventilator, be-
cause it is operating on the cooler out-
side air and under the mine water gage
or pressure, whilegthe exhaust fan is
operating on the generally warmer mine
air and under atmospheric pressure only.
The forcing fan, therefore, by virtue of
its position in the air-current is always
operating on denser air than the exhaust
fan, which gives it a higher efficiency
under like conditions in the mine or air-
way.
In the mine, the forcing or blowing
system of ventilation possesses a greater
advantage over the exhaust system, be-
cause the gases generated in the old
abandoned workings of the mine are
forced out, in this system of ventilation,
through any crevices or openings extend-
ing to the surface. They are not drawn
into the mine as they are necessarily in
the exhaust system. If there is a break-
down, however, and the fan must be
stopped suddenly when the men are in
the mine, there is greater danger of the
outflow into the mine airways, of the
gases accumulated in the old workings,
in the blowing system than in the ex-
haust system of ventilation.
OPENING A COLLIERY
Ques.—It is proposed to open a col-
liery on the following workable seams:
Buck Mountain, 10 ft. thick; Skidmore,
8 ft. thick; and Mammoth, 25 ft. thick,
pitching respectively 30 deg., 35 deg. and
38 deg. On which seam would you sink
your slope; where would you place your
October 28, 1911
fan; and what kind of a fan, in your
opinion, would give the best results, a
forcing or an exhaust fan?
Ans.—Assuming that the conditions on
the surface, at the outcropping of these
seams, are equally favorable for locating
the plant and for the loading and ship-
ping of the coal, it would be generally
preferable to drive the main-haulage
slope in the thickest of these seams;
namely, the Mammoth seam. This will
give a good roof of solid coal while pro-
viding all the headroom desired in the
slope. It would also afford easy access
to the largest supply of coal. The other
seams would be reached by driving
cross-tunnels from the Mammoth seam,
at the different levels. An exhaust fan
should be located at the mouth of an air-
way driven in the middle or Skidmore
seam. This main-return airway should
be large enough to ventilate both the
Buck Mountain and the Mammoth seams.
BALANCE POINT OF TILTED CAR
Ques.—If the tilting of a car through
an angle of 40 deg. puts it into balance
on the front wheels so that no force need
be applied to hold it in place, how far
is the center of gravity located above the
plane of the axles when the wheel base
measures 2 feet.
Ans.—The accompanying figure shows
a car tilted on the rails 40 deg.
and the point marked C shown there-
on is the arbitrarily chosen position
BALANCING OF TILTED CAR
that is to be found. A line is drawn
joining the centers of the two axles B
ind D and then from C a vertical is
lropped to intersect B D in A. Join CB.
While the car stood on both wheels
n a level track, CA was perpen-
licular to that track. Now CB is per-
endicular to it or else the vertical line
hrough the center of gravity must pass
) the right or the left of the center of
upport (which is, of course, the axle of
‘e car and the wheel tread beneath it).
‘tf it pass to the left, the car will fall
ack on the track, for there will be a
ravity moment to replace it. If it pass
0 the right the car will fall forward, for
iere will be a gravity moment to upset
But the terms of the question de-
lare that at 40 deg. uptilt the car bal-
ances. Hence C B must be perpendicu-
COAL AGE
lar to the track when C is rightly located.
As the car has tilted 40 deg., AC, the
original vertical, must form an angle of
40 deg., with C B the new vertical. A B,
being half the wheel base, measures 1
foot.
AC = AB X cotangent 40 deg. =
ix LW= Te oe me
Thus the center of gravity of the car,
when standing on the track, must be
1 ft. 2'%4 in. above the plane of the axles.
Example—-A car has its center of grav-
ity situated 9 in. above the plane of its
axles, and has an 18-in. wheel base. As-
suming that the car is symmetrical, how
many degrees must it be tilted to balance
on its front wheels?
Answer—45 degrees.
mt eee
a
Glen Jean, W. Va., Ex-
amination
JANUARY 11-12, 1911
FIREBOSS QUESTIONS
Ques. 1—What are the qualifications
and duties of a fireboss as required by
law? What other qualifications should
he possess which are not defined by law ?
State fully.
Ans. 1—The West Virginia mine law
requires that a fireboss shall be a citizen
of this State and have such knowledge
of firedamp and other dangerous gases
as to be able to detect the same with the
use of safety lamps, and shall have a
practical knowledge of the subject of the
ventilation of mines and the machinery
and appliances used for that purpose,
and be a person with at least three years’
experience in mines yenerating explosive
gases.
In addition to the qualifications re-
quired by the mine law, the “fireboss”
should be sober, reliable and a man of
good character.
SAFETY LAMPS
Ques. 2—(a) State in your own words
the principle of safety embodied in the
safety lamp. (b) How are safety lamps
usually constructed? (c) Why are they
usually made in a cylindrical form and
within certain limits as to size and
shape? (d) Under what conditions do
they become unsafe? (e) What consti-
tutes a good safety lamp? (f) Name six
essential features of a good safety lamp
for general work. (g) Are there any
conditions under which the flame will
pass through the gauze of a safety lamp ?
Ans. (a) The safety lamp depends
for its safety on the cooling effect of the
metal gauze on the flame when an ignition
of gas takes place within the lamp.
(b) They are usually constructed with
an airtight glass surrounding the flame,
the gauze being above it, in the upper part
of the lamp. Where the air supply to
the burner is brought into the lamp below
the flame, there is usually a gauze below
the glass also. The bottom of the lamp is
93
usually the receptacle for oil, wick, ig-
niters, etc.
(c) They are made in cylindrical form
so that when an ignition of gas takes
place in the lamp, the wires are all equi-
distant from the center or hottest part of
the flame and all equally absorb, conduct
and radiate the heat generated. It has been
determined by experiment that if the diam-
eter of the gauze is too great, the wires
at the top of the gauze have more than
their proportion of heat to dissipate, and
for this reason a gauze cap is sometimes
used, making, at the top, a double thick-
ness of gauze.
(d) A safety lamp becomes unsafe,
when an ignition of gas takes place in
the lamp, and when it is allowed to stay
in a gaseous mixture until the wires
of the gauze are heated up to such a
degree that they will ignite the gas out-
side the lamp, or, when the glass is
broken, the gauze dirty, or the lamp un-
locked or damaged in any way, or when
a heavy current of air deflects the flame
against the gauze. The safety lamp is
also unsafe when it is placed in the hands
of an ignorant, inexperienced, incompe-
tent or uninstructed person. It should
be constantly guarded against the possi-
bility of breakage.
(e and f) Six essential features of a
good safety lamp for general work are:
1. It must give good light and the
glass should be of good quality and clear
so as to make the utmost of the illumina-
tion.
2. It should contain oil enough to last
a whole shift.
3. It should go out in a gaseous mix-
ture.
4. The gauzes should be protected by
a metallic shield.
5. The lamp should be strongly con-
structed.
6. It should have a lock that cannot
be tampered with and the lock should
show when it has been meddled with.
The size of the lamp should be such as
to admit of its being placed as near the
roof as possible.
(g) The flame of a gas ignition will
pass through the gauze of a safety lamp
when the wires are sufficiently heated or
when the lamp is placed in currents of
high velocity.
OuTBURST OF GAS
Ques. 5—If a large outburst of gas
took place in your mine when all your
men were at work, what would be your
first consideration to prevent an explo-
sion? Explain fully.
Ans. 5—All open lights should be ex-
tinguished and the men gotten out as
rapidly as possible, through the intake
airway. No one should be allowed to
travel the return airway. The fan should
then be “speeded up” so as to increase
the quantity of air circulating in the mine
as much as possible without causing a
breakdown or disabling the fan.
Editorial Gomes from our own Representa same in Variouw
Important Mining Centers,and a Record of Legislative and Other Action
Affecting the Coal Industry
Washington, D. C.
The Court of Commerce has begun
consideration of the Hillsdale coal-car dis-
tribution case which has come up to it
from the Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion, and already has had, on Oct. 11, an
important hearing. In this case is in-
volved the question of the distribution of
cars to those coal companies which al-
ready own private cars.
The Pennsylvania railroad has had a
rule that any company owning private
cars should be given all its own cars
available and that the number of these
should be subtracted from the previously
determined allotment to which the com-
pany’s business entitled it. The Inter-
state Commerce Commission not long ago
established a rule that private cars should
be considered as railroad property. Thus
in some cases the private cars of a mine
would be taken away from it and given to
another mine. Hence arose opposition on
the part of the Pennsylvania company
and of various private-car owners.
In the argument before the Court of
Commerce it has been contended that the
rule of the commission did not hurt the
railroads and was intended to prevent
discrimination as to the time and avail-
ability of coal cars at the mines. The
railroad lawyers have argued that the
commission had no right to establish a
condition under its rulings, whereby cars
would be taken away from their owners
at any time and turned over to other
competing operators for their use in
shipping coal. It is believed that the
Court of Commerce will attempt to deal
with this subject at an early date.
REPORT FROM BUREAU OF CORPORATIONS
The Bureau of Corporations has just
issued its complete report on the first
section of its investigation of the iron
and steel industry in the United States.
In the course of the discussion of the
United States Steel Corporation and its
subsidiary concerns, considerable atten-
tion is paid to the question of coal hold-
ings and coal values.
The purchases of coal made by the
corporation are carefully surveyed. Since
its organization, some substantial addi-
tions to its holdings of coal and coke
property have been made. In December,
1901, it secured a lease of 50,000 acres
of desirable coking-coal and fuel-coal
property in the Pocahontas region.
Other important additions have been;
the coal property of the Union Steel
Company; 2650 acres in Fayette county,
COAL AGE October 28, 1911
Penn., taken over with the Clairton Steel
Company in 1904; 1200 acres of coking
coal in the Connellsville region and 1072
beehive ovens originally belonging to the
Hecla Coke Company; and 1766 acres
variously acquired in the same region.
CoAL HOLDINGS OF TENNESSEE COAL AND
IRON CoMPANY
In 1907 an enormous addition to the
coal property of the corporation and an
important addition to its coke property
were made through the acquisition of the
Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Com-
pany. These properties are very exten-
sive. The 1904 report of the company
placed the total tonnage of coal at over
1,600,000 tons. The 1906 report stated
that the coal reserves were, aS com-
puted by competent authorities, estimated
to be 2,000,000,000 tons.
More careful estimates were made sub-
sequently by agents of the Steel Cor-
poration. The estimates of these agents
grouped the resources in three classes,
namely, “proven,” “probable,” and “pos-
sible.” Their estimate of the coal prop-
erty of the company follows:
mates its coal property at about S47,-
000,000 more than does the Bureau of
Corporations.
Alabama
Bessemer—Coal mines are again active
throughout this district. Operators do not
concede that there will be a falling off
in production in Alabama this year.
Birmingham—On account of the in-
creased demand for coal and coke, the
Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Com-
pany has started up the No. 6 Blue Creek
coal mine, which has been idle for the
last year.
The Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad
Company has ordered from the General
Electric Company eight motor-driven air
compressors of the reciprocating type for
its coke ovens at Corey. These will be
used to raise and lower the coke-oven
doors by remote control with compressed
air.
Colorado
Denver—The sale of the Northern Coal
and Coke Company to the Rocky Moun-
tain Fuel Company, which has been pend-
Probable | Possible |
| Prove n Total
ae c ons Tons Tons Tons
Coking | ee eT ee 217,000,000 90,000,000 | 1. 50,500 ,000 457, 500 ,000
Steam and domestic coal........... 68,000,000 3. 51800, 000 | 5 20,000, 000 | 939. 800 “000
NOUNS ice ee sien are see Cree reraees 285,000, 000 i 441,800,000 670,500,000 1,397 300,000
In 1909 and 1910 the Corporation ac-
quired extensive coal properties in II-
linois and Indiana. An exceptionally im-
portant addition was made in June, 1911,
through the purchase from the Pittsburgh
Coal Company of about 7000 acres of
coking-coal property, known as_ the
Colonial Coke Company tract and also
about 9000 acres of virgin or unimproved
tracts of coal rights owned by the
Monongahela River Consolidated Coal
and Coke Company, the control of which
is held by the Pittsburgh Coal Company.
The total consideration was reported at
approximately $17,800,000.
VALUE OF THE STEEL CORPORATION’S
CoAL PROPERTIES
The value of the original investment in
coal and coke properties is estimated by
the Bureau of Corporations as $80,000,-
000, although an estimate originating from
a private source places it at $99,915,000.
It is stated that the value of the coal
lands has been materially increased by
concentration of ownership. In conse-
quence the Steel Corporation now esti-
ing for some months, has been announced
here. The consideration was close to
$2,000,000.
The sale included all the Northern Coal
and Coke Company’s mines, both in
northern Colorado and in the southern
part of the State.
As a result of the sale the Rocky
Mountain Fuel Company will increase its
stock to 58,000,000.
The American Fuel Company, with a
capital stock of $1,000,000, has been
formed to control eight mines in the
northern fiélds with more to be taken
over in the near future. The eight mines
already controlled are in the vicinity of
Louisville, Lafayette and Frederick.
Illinois
Peoria—The five self-appointed direc-
tors of the Wolschlag Co6perative Coal
Company, who have for the past few
months managed the affairs of the com-
pany, were ousted from their offices by
the ruling of Judge Puterbaugh, Oct. 13,
and the regular directors were reinstated.
October 28, 1911
Belleville—-Nearly all the operators in
the St. Clair county field appeared before
the board of assessors recently and
claimed a reduction in assessments, on
account of the past unprofitable year.
Harrisburg—Eight miners were killed
and eight others temporarily overcome by
an explosion in O’Gara No. 9 mine, Oct.
23. The dead and unconscious were re-
moved from the mine by rescuers, three
»f whom were overcome by gas, but were
later resuscitated at a hospital.
The explosion occurred as the shifts
were changing, and only 16 men were in
the north entry, where it originated, al-
though 360 had reported for work, but
had not gone into the workings.
Two men were instantly killed, and
six others, sent to the surface, died
within an hour.
Indiana
Linton—The dullness of the coal mar-
ket has caused the shutting down of
Nos. 2, 4 and 21 of the Van-
dalia Coal Company. There are nearly
1000 men out of employment in _ the
mines here. The strike at the Chicago
and Indianapolis mine is still unsettied,
the men having failed to arrive at a sat-
isfactory agreement with the mine oper-
ators.
The Shirley Hill Coal Company is
installing at its No. 3 mine a washer to
ciean coal for the market just as eastern
coal is cleaned. This is the first attempt
of the kind in the Indiana coalfield and
the experiment is being watched with
much interest by the other operators.
Brazil—Work on the new tipple at the
Schrepferman Coal Company’s' mine
south of this city has been completed and
the mine will resume operation.
M. H. Johnson, who was appointed re-
ceiver for the Treager Coal Company,
some time ago, has sold the mine and
mining equipment to Oscar Schlatter and
son. The new owners will begin opera-
tions at once.
A fire in the No. 8 mine of the Brazil
Block Coal Company, Oct. 20, threatened
the lives of 100 or more men. A rescue
party, amounting to two cage loads, was
organized and finally succeeded in ex-
tinguishing the fire. One member of the
party was killed by a fall of rock; this
was the only fatality.
Terre Haute—The Deep Vein Coal
Company recently leased to the Deep
Fourth Vein Coal Company the mine
known as Deep Vein mine for a period
of five years. The consideration speci-
fied is 10c. a ton for all coal mined and
the lessee agrees to mine not less than
2000 tons of coal per day.
_ North Dakota
New Salem—tThe new machinery in the
plant of the Dakota Coal Products Com-
pany at this place has been installed and
is now in working order. ‘ The building
nines
COAL AGE
and the mine are lighted by electricity.
the first electric-power coal-cutting ma-
chine has been placed in use.
Kentucky
Louisville — The Consolidation Coal
Company, of Baltimore, has under ad-
visement the opening of two additional
coal mines in the Miller’s Creek dis-
trict at an approximate cost of $600,000.
Barbourville—Two new coal mines are
being opened on Brush creek. The Brush
Creek Coal and Manufacturing Company
is making an: opening near Jones’ trestle,
on the Cumberland railroad. The incline is
being graded and a siding put in. The
Gibson-Carr Company, of Middlesboro, is
putting in a plant on the Croley lease on
Tye fork, and both companies expect to
be shipping coal by the first of the year.
The Interstate Coal Company still re-
tains the Brush Creek coal plant, which it
leased some months ago and closed
down.
The Greasy Creek Coal Company is
opening a new mine on Greasy creek,
near the Knox-Bell county line. A long
extension track is being added to the
Bell-Jellico railroad. The Continental
Coal corporation is running all of its
fourteen mines in Bell and is calling for
more miners.
The Martin’s Fork Coal Company has
been organized recently in Bell county
and will develop land heid by it near the
town of Harlan.
Ohio
Columbus—The tipple, power house
and other buildings of the Black Dia-
mond Coal Company at Amesville are
nearing completion and when _ finished
will make one of the best equipped mines
in the country. All buildings are of
reinforced-concrete construction, and per-
fectly fireproof. The management hopes
to be mining coal by the first of Novem-
ber.
The Big Run Mining Company, of Bel-
laire, has been incorporated with a cap-
ital of $150,000 to mine and sell coal.
As a result of the agitation against the
wholesale stealing of coal from the cars
of the Big Four railroad while passing
through Columbus several changes have
been made lately in routing coal. The
Norfolk & Western is now turning its
cars for local business over to the Big
Four at Urbana while the Hocking Val-
ley is switching at the Mound Street
crossing.
Pennsylvania
BITUMINOUS
Pittsburg—lIt is reported that a merger
of the interests of the Pittsburg Coal Com-
pany, Monongahela River Consolidated
Coal and Coke Company, H.C. Frick Coke
Company and the Ellsworth Collieries
Company, owned by the Lackawanna
Steel and Iron Company, is being ar-
ranged, and that thése interests will be
taken over by the United States Steel
Corporation.
Government representatives are at
work in the Irwin coal-mining field, glean-
ing information regarding the recent
strike there which lasted 18 months and
involved over 18,000 miners. They will
make a report of their findings to Con-
gress when it convenes in December and
it is expected that some action will be
taken by that body regarding the indus-
trial struggle.
Engineers of the H. C. Frick Coke
Company have made preliminary surveys
of the coal and coke properties in Wash-
ington county. purchased recently from
the Pittsburg Coal Company and the Mo-
nongahela River Consolidated Coal and
Coke Company, preparatory to building
additional ovens.
The Crucible Coai Company of Pitts-
burg is erecting 250 coke ovens and con-
templates building 350 ovens additional
at its mines and docks at Rice’s Landing.
A contract has also been awarded for
the construction of three eliptical re-
inforced-concrete shafts, each 150 ft. in
depth, two coal shafts and one air shaft.
There will also be two railroad and one
river tipples, the structural steel for which
will be furnished by the American Bridge
Company. Five new tow boats and 90
steel barges are in course of construc-
tion, which will be utilized in transporting
coal from the company’s mines, to Mid-
land, Penn.
ANTHRACITE
Wilkes-Barre—Carelessness on the
part of an employee is given as the cause
of a fire in the No. 9 colliery of the Le-
high & Wilkes-Barre Coal Company, at
Sugar Notch, on Oct. 14, shortly after
the men had left the mine. The fire was
found within a short distance from the
mule barn, and for a time it was feared
that the blaze would develop into a ser-
ious mine fire.
Scranton—Work has been completed
on the new concrete breaker of the Lack-
awanna Coal Company, at Taylor, and
the officials are making plans for its
opening within a few months.
The first meeting of the Pennsylvania
State Anthracite Mine Cave Commission
since its organization late last June, was
held recently in Scranton. W. J. Rich-
ards, of Pottsville, presided, and George
M. Davies was secretary.
The next meeting will be held the sec-
ond week in November. It will be prob-
ably several months before the commis-
sion will have completed enough of its
labors to interest the public, for much
detail work must be done before any-
thing definite as to remedial legislation
can be formulated for the next legisla-
ture.
Pittston—The discovery of an expected
cave-in on the tracks of the Delaware &
Hudson railroad, saved a train from
96
plunging into a hole on the curve below
the Cork Lane station. Officials of the
Erie company had previously notified the
Delaware & Hudson company that they
were going to remove the pillars under
the tracks and that a settling was inevit-
able.
Washington
Seattle—There seems now some pros-
pect that the valuable deposits of anthra-
cite discovered some years since in the
neighborhood of Glacier, in Whatcom
county, may at last be utilized in this
State, where such a coal is imperatively
needed. It is believed that the forestry
service will consent to patents being is-
sued to half a dozen claims. If this is
done, a tramway four miles long will be
constructed from the mines to the Bel-
lingham Bay and British Columbia rail-
road at Glacier, and the coal can then
be put upon the market. —
There is apparently no doubt that
the coal measures are large and un-
broken. The coal itself is of good qual-
ity. It is the only workable deposit of
hard coal of the kind in the State so far
discovered, and the coal is badly needed
here, where even the local soft coals are
constantly advancing in price, with pro-
duction never fully equal to the demand.
West Virginia
Fairmont—Fifty four-room brick houses
have recently been built at the Annabelle
mine of the Four States Coal and Coke
Company, near Worthington, W. Va., and
now are ready for occupancy. This is
one of the best drained, ventilated and
equipped mines in the State.
Grafton—The Maryland Coal Com-
pany, with mines located at Windell, has
been reorganized, and a new board of di-
rectors and new officers have been elected.
Canada
Cape Breton, Nova Scotia—The Glace
Bay mines of the Dominion Coal Com-
pany have this summer had the best sea-
son in their history. The company has
now 12 collieries in full operation, and
four in course of development. In the
month of August the output was 387,927
tons, about 16,000 tons in excess of any
previous monthly production. For Sep-
tember the output was 324,311 tons, mak-
ing the total output for this year 2,973,-
791 tons, compared with 2,607,591 tons
at the end of September, 1910.
The two years agreement which the
Dominion Coal Company has with the
Provincial Workmen’s Association expires
at the end of this year.
Alfred, Ontario—The mines depart-
ment of the Canadian government has
now about 1000 tons of peat fuel manu-
factured at its demonstrating plant, which
will he disposed of at $3.50 per ton. The
experiments have shown that in order to
manufacture this fuel on a commercial
COAL AGE
scale, hand excavators will have to be
replaced by mechanical excavators. The
present cost is abcut $2 per ton.
PERSONALS
S. K. Smith, formerly with the Vinton-
dale Colliery Company, Vintondale,
Penn., has opened an office in St. Louis,
Mo., as a mining and consulting en-
gineer.
Dr. C. W. Hayes, who last Saturday
resigned as chief geologist of the U. S.
Geological Survey, has left Washington
for Tampico, Mex., to assume his new
duties as first vice-president and general
master of the exploitation department of
the Compania Mexicana de Petroleo “El
Aguila,” at a salary of $25,000 gold per
annum. For two years he has been in
charge of the exploratory werk of these
oil interests, having taken leave without
pay two months each year for this pur-
pose. He, therefore, goes to his new
work having a complete familiarity with
the conditions under which oil produc-
tions must be carried on in Mexico.
In transmitting to Secretary Fisher the
resignation of Doctor Hayes, Director
George Otis Smith, of the Geological
Survey, paid him high tribute, saying in
part:
“I deem it my duty to bring to your
attention my estimate of the loss which
the public service sustains. As his as-
sociate for 15 years I know and ap-
preciate the scientific attainment and the
administrative thoroughness with which
he has devoted himself to the Geological
Survey, first as a field geologist, and later
as its chief geologist, a contribution that
has meant much in bringing the geologic
work of the Survey up to its present high
degree of efficiency. Doctor Hayes’
standard of the highest attainable ac-
curacy and his policy of absolute fidelity
to scientific truths, whatever the conse-
quences, have won for himself the re-
spect of his associates, and for the work
under his charge the confidence of the
public.”
Obituary
Eugene Nelson, for a number of years
prominently identified with the coal trade
of Boston and New England, died Oct.
16, at his home in Malden, Mass. Mr.
Nelson was vice-president and sales agent
of the Metropolitan Coal Company of
Boston.
John R. Walsh, banker, publisher and
railroad owner, died at his home in Chi-
cago, Oct. 23. He was an important
financial power in Chicago and the Mid-
dle West until 1905, when speculations in
Indiana coal lands and railroads brought
abeut a collapse of all his interests end
led to his subsequent sentence to the Fed-
eral penitentary for misappropriating the
funds of the bank of which he was at
the head.
October 28, 1911
Recent Coal and Coke
Patents
UNITED STATES
Mine-car stop; George W. Jenkins and
Edward Lowry, of Nelsonville, Ohio. No.
1,004,652.
As shown in the sketch, Fig. 1, this de-
vice consists of two cams, mounted on
shafts which lie parallel to and just out-
side of the rails. A spring tends to keep
the cams in a vertical position where they
act as car stops, ‘the inside face of the
cam being curved to suit the car wheel.
Fic. 1. MINE-CAR STOP
The cam shafts extend out into an ele-
vator or cage way, and their projecting
ends are given a right-angled bend. When
the cage descends to a level with the
landing, projections on it engage the
bent-out portions of the cam shafts and
throw the cams down toward a horizontal
position, releasing the car.
Rail and rail-tie plate; Harry E.
Haight, Marshfield, Wis. No. 1,004,778.
Signaling system for mines; Edgar M.
Johnson, Hancock, Mich., assignor of
one-half to Ross D. Blackburn, Hancock,
Mich. No. 1,004,879.
Axle lubricator; George C. Benjamin
and John C. Benjamin, Barre, Vt. No.
1,004,972.
Tie and rail fastener; William G. Lu-
cas, McKeesport, Penn. No. 1,005,050.
GREAT BRITAIN
An improved apparatus for quenching,
screening and loading coke from byprod-
uct coke ovens; J. Mackenzie, Middles-
brough, England. No. 24,086 of 1910.
Improvements in coal-washing machin-
ery; A. Sheppard, Bridgend, Glamorgan,
Wales. No. 29,307 of 1910.
Trade Publications
Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, Co-
lumbus, Ohio, Catalog No. 26-A, Mine
Fans, 6x9 in., 36 pp., contains numerous
illustrations and_ engineering formulas.
Roberts & Schaefer Company, Chi-
cago, IIl., bulletin No. 24, Modern Coal
Washing Plants, 6x9 in., 42 pp. A large
number of coal-washing installations are
described and illustrated.
Ingersoll-Rand Company, New York,
pamphlet 6x9 in., 12 pp., descriptive of
class “N E-1” power-driven single-stage
air compressors.
Yarnall-Waring Company, Philadelphia,
catalog 714x9™% in., 12 pp., descriptive
of “Lea” water-flow recorders.
October 28, 1911
COAL AGE
snare
AB BALES
Current Prices Coal and Coke and Market
Conditions in the Important Centers
General Review
The condition of the coal market is
slowly improving as the season advances,
ind coal men generally appear to have
optimistic views for the winter trade. The
late season has no doubt seriously af-
fected the market in most sections, but
the tonnage reports of the large carriers
are equal to or greater than those for the
same period last year, which is encourag-
ing.
In the Eastern market, trade is reported
good almost without exception. While
there is little demand for spot coal, con-
tract is moving well and strike talk may
cause an unusually active market this
winter. The Lake shipment from Buffalo
has been far in excess of any previous
season, and demands for anthracite are,
i some instances, becoming urgent.
Lake shipments in the middle East are
about finished, and no improvement has
appeared in the Pennsylvania market, es-
‘pecially the coke trade, which is unusually
heavy. The demand for Ohio and West
Virginia coals is increasing, with a con-
sequent steadying of prices, and the ton-
nage report of the Chesapeake & Ohio
railroad for August shows an increase of
14 per cent. above that for the same pe-
riod last year.
The smallest car surplus, since Nov.,
1910, is reported at Chicago, and it is
said some mines on the Illinois Central
have been unable to get cars because of
the strike on that line. Trade contin-
ues unusually poor in Indiana, with ap-
parently no hopes of improvement.
In the Rocky Mountain States the mar-
ket is reported normal or active. The
strike situation on the Harriman lines re-
mains unchanged, and there is a serious
car shortage as a result of which many
mines are behind with their orders. The
mild weather on the Pacific coast has left
conditions unchanged with the market
rather dull.
Boston, Mass.
Tidewater prices on bituminous are up,
so far as deliveries alongside and on cars
are concerned, but the net figures at the
mines do not yet show the hoped for im-
provement. This is due to the volume of
coal that is being applied on contracts,
and to the continued shortage in water
transportation. Current sales of cargoes
are so few as to be negligible in amount,
and the sharp advance in marine freights
has not yet been made apparent to buyers
less closely ia touch with the market.
There is generally, however, a better
tone than last week, and while the
weather has been continuously rainy and
mild, it is felt that we are now facing the
seasonable demand that is always so wel-
come to the wholesaler. Inquiry for in-
land shipments is active and we shall
soon be settling into a November market.
With wise prophets pointing to the thick
feathers on the birds, and salesmen mak-
ing knowing remarks about strike pros-
pects, it is fair enough to say that the
fall season will be a good one, both in
anthracite and bituminous.
The demand for anthracite is getting to
be urgent, and there is delay with almost
all the shippers. Barges have been mov-
ing very slowly along the coast, there
having been just one day during the past
week when there was any considerable
tonnage arriving. With no longer any in-
ducement in prices for anticipating their
needs, many of the smaller dealers had
postponed placing orders, with the result
now that they are all insistent on prompt
delivery.
All-rail bituminous is looking up, and
prices are slightly better for spot coal. A
good tonnage is coming forward on con-
tracts. Georges Creek is being held at
$1.50 to $1.60 at the mines, with the bet-
ter brands of Cambria county, South Fork
district, selling at from 10c. to 25c. less.
Pocahontas and New River have been
advanced, on cars, Mystic wharf, Boston,
and at other points in proportion, to $3.43
and $3.53, more nearly the level at which
the spring prices opened, but these fig-
ures are really no better, from a coal
standpoint, than were the prices of a
fortnight ago, at 20c. less, that amount
representing the recent advance in water
freights. Coal, f.o.b. Hampton Roads, re-
mains at or around $2.50, or $1.10 at-the
mines, less the selling commission, not
by any means a remunerative figure for
some of the mines.
Marine freights from the Virginia ports
are now firm at 75c. to 80c., 2500 tons
and upward, with very little tonnage of-
fering. It rather looks as if there
might be a still further advance, and if
there is we are likely to see a more ac-
tive bituminous market.
New York
Although there is no letup in the de-
mand on contract, the standing tonnage
at the New york piers is today somewhat
above the amount of the normal supply,
and the spot market shows some signs
of weakness. As there has been no car
shortage to restrict the output, and with
the railroad movement prompt, coal is ar-
riving here faster than most shippers are
prepared to dump it.
There is scarcely any new business
coming into the market at this time, and
the trade has to look to contracts for
disposition of accumulations. Contract
business is heavy enough to keep the
better grades of steam coal moving ahead
of demurrage, but inferior steam coals,
which are not contracted to any extent,
are not in so fortunate a position, and
shippers of these grades are experiencing
difficulty in avoiding detention penalties.
At some of the piers where accumula-
tions have been heaviest, those shippers
who have brought down more coal than
they could readily provide disposition for,
have been embargoed.
On the other hand, while the market
is se weak for the lower grades of steam
coal, it is noticed that some of the ship-
pers of fancy grades of Pennsylvania
steam coals are having all they can do
to take care of the deliveries required
of them on their contracts, and in some
instances consumers buying of them
have supplemented their supply by pur-
chasing on the market.
Prices, except for free coal on demur-
rage, show little, if any, change from
those ruling for the past two or three
weeks, ranging from $2.35, f.o.b., for
West Virginia steam coals; $2.55 for or-
dinary Pennsylvanias; $2.65 fair-grade
Pennsylvanias, and $2.75 to $2.85 for the
better grades.
All-rail business in the territory adja-
cent to New York City is moving in good
volume on contract, but as in the tide-
water market, there is but little, if any,
spot inquiry, owing, no doubt, to the fact
that consumers are receiving from their
regular suppliers all the coal needed for
immediate use.
Buffalo, N. Y.
The demand for soft coal improves
slowly from week to week and is now in
a volume to be fairly satisfactory to the
trade except for the low prices, which
will hardly be likely to advance this fall
unless there is a stir in iron, which is
not looked for. Many iron manufactories
are reporting a good run of trade, and
this is enough to satisfy a very fair de-
mand.
The complaint of poor business in soft
coal is almost entirely on account of the
98
small margin of profit to the jobber and
still smaller profit to the operator. There
is much building on the expectation that
the stocking-up demand, against expected
labor troubles next spring, will begin soon
after the first of the year. This keeps
all members of the trade eager to main-
tain their present tonnage in order to be
in close touch with the consumer the
moment he begins to lay in a stock to
hold till the labor difficulties are adjusted.
The prices of bituminous continue
rather weak at $2.50 for Pittsburg three-
quarter, $2.40 for mine-run and S2 for
slack, with Allegheny Valley 15 to 25c.
lower. There is no improvement in coke,
which is quotable at former prices, $4.25
for best Connellsville foundry, down to
$3.50 for stock coke.
The anthracite circular prices remain
without change, but such is the natural
demand for chestnut in excess of pro-
duction that independent mine owners are
already sending out notices that they ex-
pect to ask a premium for that size in
a short time. At present the shortage
is almost entirely in the stove size, with
egg verv plenty.
The Buffalo city market for soft coal
helds up well, and there is a steady im-
provement in the demand for hard coal,
though the activity of the natural-gas
companies is cutting in on the anthracite
trade, especially in the residence dis-
tricts, where the extension of gas mains
is going on at a rapid rate.
The heavy movement of hard coal by
lake continues. With about 300,000 tons
in excess of any former season to date
shipped, the average loading is still more
than 100,000 tons a week, which will con-
tinue till either the lake season closes
or room on the upper-lake docks is ex-
hausted. There is considerable delay in
unloading coal at most of the docks on
Lakes Michigan and Superior, but it is
much more serious in the soft-coal trade
than with hard coal as yet.
The movement of soft coal from the
mines, which was somewhat interrupted
by freshets, has been resumed fully. As
a rule the filling of orders is much more
prompt than it used to be, for which
reason the consumer is carrying only a
light supply as a rule, confident that he
is in close enough touch with the mines
to make this course quite safe.
Philadelphia
There has been practically no change
in the retail situation since our last re-
view. All the dealers report good busi-
ness for the various sizes of coal. Stove
is getting to be quite scarce, and dealers’
orders are not filled as promptly as they
would like. The past week, while not at
all cold, at the same time has been
damp and gloomy, and a small fire in the
furnace has been necessary to keep the
house in a good, dry condition. Taking it
all in all, the anthracite trade is good.
COAL AGE
In the wholesalers, the same cptimistic
spirit still prevails. All sizes of coal are
moving off promptly, and the companies
report large increases over their tonnage
for the corresponding period of last year.
Chestnut coal is moving in such large
quantities that if the demand keeps up,
stocks will soon be depleted, and the in-
dividuals will be asking a premium for
their product. Prices, egg and stove, $3.75
at the mines; chestnut, $4; pea, $2; buck-
wheat, $1.50; rice, 90c. This last size
is going to be very ‘scarce this winter,
from the present outlook, and it is under-
stood that the companies are very chary
about making any new obligations.
There is a slight improvement in bi-
tuminous circles, particularly with certain
coals. It is understood that some coal
was on demurrage at this point, and quite
a sacrifice had to be made to move it
off. However, this may be only an in-
idividual case, as most of the bituminous
operators insist on having their orders
in hand before shipping the coal down
to tidewater, rather than taking a chance
on placing the coal in the open market.
Pittsburg
Bituminous — Manufacturing demand
for coal has shown no improvement, al-
though at this season there is usually a
slight increase in the movement, for the
purpose of increasing stocks. Industrial
conditions in this district are hardly as
good as they were a month or two months
ago. The domestic trade has also been
slack, dealers buying with a great deal of
reserve.
Lake shipments have been greatly cur-
tailed. Instead of the spurt toward the
close of the season, which has long been
expected, the season is closing unusually
early. Less difficulty in securing vessel
room is being encountered than was ex-
pected, as the iron-ore movement is hold-
ing out quite well. Prices continue ir-
regular, and the regular season prices are
being uniformly shaded, sometimes to an
extreme degree. Slack has not shown the
strength which usually occurs at this time,
October 28, 1911
Connellsville Coke—Purchases of odd
lots of prompt furnace coke continue ar
the unchanged price of $1.50, which has
represented the market for several weeks.
The total turnover in the past fortnight ir
prompt furnace coke has been somewhat
in excess of 5000 tons. Nothing has been
done in contract coke, there being very
little uncovered consumption for the bal-
ance of the year, and this being com.
mitted to purchases of prompt coke from
time to time. The matter of contracts
for the first half or all of next year has
not been taken up yet. Furnaces are in
no mood to buy, and producers are in
ne hurry to sell. They realize that it is
practically impossible to secure any great
advance over the present spot market,
and some of them also appreciate that a
continuance of anything like present
prices will mean financial embarrassment
te some of the operators. It is impos-
sible to exist on $1.60 1.65 coke if the
coal acreage is carried at the prices
which some operations have paid, and in
many cases a large proportion of the
acreage price paid is carried in bonds.
The situation has been growing serious
and the outcome is not easy to foresee.
There is no influence apparent to put up
the price and there is no contract price
quotable. Operators would like to ob-
tain about $1.75 for first half, but buy-
ers will not close in the near future at
such a price. Foundry coke has been
quiet, and remains quotable at $1.80@
1.90 for prompt and $2@2.25 for con-
tract.
The Courier reports production in the
Connellsville and Lower Connellsville re-
gion in the week ending Oct. 14 at
310,205 tons, a decrease of 4000 tons, and
shipments to Pittsburg, at 3728 cars,
4690 cars to points west, and 1059 cars to
points east, a total of 9477 cars, which
is a decrease of 150 cars.
Columbus, Ohio
The lower temperature which prevailed
during the past few days had the effect of
making the domestic trade in Ohio more
Anthracite coal, short tons
Bituminous coal, short tons.......
RSE URONS MAIER. 6% oo! cure aes ene
January 1 to
September } Increase or |September 30.) Increase or
1911 Decrease 1911 Decrease
839,754 » 35,540 8,489,450 450,173
3,629,042 101,838 30,504,343 183,350
918,294 13,671 7,880,607 2,311,406
5,387,090 123,707 46,874,400 1,677,883
owing to decreased production through
the curtailment in shipments of 34-in.
in the lake trade. We quote ordinary
market prices, which are below the nomi-
nal figures, but are sometimes shaded
further: Nut, $1@ 1.05; mine-run, $1.05
@1103; 34-in., $1.15@1.20; 1%4-in., $1.25
@ 1.30; slack, 40@50c. per ton at mine,
Pittsburg district.
active and brought the market out of the
slough into which it was forced several
weeks ago by the continued warm
weather. As a result orders from deal-
ers are better and the general tone of
the market has improved.
The lake trade is continuing active and
the records compare very favorably with
those of the corresponding period in 1910.
vighiei ays s
Seana iay Sip
ie
October 28, 1911
the upper lake ports but not sufficient to
seriously affect the trade in this State.
Up to the present time the New Pittsburg
Coal Company has about equaled its lake
record of last year, when about 560,000
tons were shipped, and the Sunday Creek
Company, is moving slightly more than
last year. The Hocking Valley docks at
Toledo have loaded 2,058,000 tons since
the opening of navigation.
The steam business continues steady
but there is nothing to indicate an im-
provement. Many factories are taking
only a small amount of fuel and there
is no disposition to stock up for the fu-
ture. The demands for railroad fuel are
not very great as the freight movement
is comparatively light at this time.
Operations in the various Ohio fields
have been fairly active during the past
week, the production being about 80 per
cent. of the average. In the strictly do-
mestic fields, considerable activity pre-
vails, and in the fields supplying lake coal
there is a good production.
Retail trade is a little better with prices
ranging from $3.25 to $3.50. The heavy
rains of the past few days have made it
difficult to make deliveries and there is a
disposition on the part of the large users
to wait until later to place their orders.
Chicago
Chicago coal dealers predict a severe
cut in car service. The current report of
the American Railway Association shows
that the total car surplus amounts to 48,-
854 cars. This is the smallest surplus re-
ported since November 23, 1910. During
the two weeks ending Oct. 2 the tota!
car surplus decreased 9528 cars.
The Illinois Central strike situation is
still an important factor in the coal trade.
Despite statements issued by the com-
pany to the effect that business is being
handled in the usual way, coal dealers
declare that they are not getting the same
service that was furnished prior to the
strike. It has been learned that some
mines located on the lines of the Illinois
Central have been unable to move any
coal. Before the strike was called Spring-
field coal was quoted at $1.25 in Chicago
and $1.40 in the country. The minimum
now is $1.40 with a tendency to add 10c.
aton. As a result of the strike the mar-
ket has been so strengthened that the
country and city prices have reached a
parity on the higher level.
Prices direct from the mines in net
tons to retail dealers and steam users on
spot shipments are as follows:
Clinton: Chicago F.0.b. Mines
Domestic lump.... $2.17@2.27 $1.40@1.50
Steam lump...... 2.00@2.10 1.25@1.35
Mine-run........- 1.77@1.82 1.00@1.05
Screenings........ 1.22@1.32 0.45@0.55
Pocahontas and New
River:
Mine-run......... $3.00@3.05 $0.95@1.00
Lump and egg.... 4.05@4.30 00@2.25
There is some congestion at the docks of
COAL AGE
Spr*ngfield:
Domestic lump... . $2.22 $1.40
Steam Jump...... 1.92@2.02 1.10@1.20
MANG-TUD . 066 550 1.82@1.87 1.00@1.05
Screenings........ 1.22@1.32 0.40@0.50
Sullivan County:
ete lump.... $2. 662-4 acini: 3h
-40
1 Ae pre 2.25
Steam lump...... 2.10 1.25
Screenings........ 1.22@1.32 0.35@0.45
Coke:
Connellsville . $4.50@4.65
Wise county...... 4.50@4.65
By _. egg and
nL Cee 4.95
By eh SA nut. 4.55@4.65
Gas house........ 4.95
Cincinnati, Ohio
The coal situation here is improving.
The coal men are picking up orders in
larger volume than heretofore, and the
indications are that, while slow, there is
a general bettering of conditions. The
most backward are the fine coals for
steam purposes, while the best is in do-
mestic lump, which has revived consid-
erably. This, despite the fact that there
has not been the cold weather that is
usual at this time of the year.
The only authoritative change in prices
recently has been the circular drop in
Pocahontas lump from $2 and $2.10 to
$1.90 and $2. It is said by some who
were opposed to this change in prices that
it was unwarranted by existing conditons,
excepting internal matters which have
come to the surface in spots. In con-
nection with this, it may be said that an
official announcement concerning Poca-
hontas matters of wide importance, would
not be surprising within a few days.
About Nov. 1 is the date now set, al-
though it may not become effective until
the new year.
Charleston, W. Va.
There is some feeling of activity in the
coal trade over that of last week, due to
the increase in demand for winter ship-
ments. This increase is general—the east
and west sharing almost equally. Prices,
too, it is claimed, have received a slight
boost, but as usual it is almost impossible
to ascertain just what the prices are, since
there is little attempt at uniformity along
that line.
Indianapolis, Ind.
The present condition of the coal-
mining business of Indiana is best illus-
trated by the thousands of empty flat cars
on side tracks in the mining districts. As
a rule at this season of the year, there
is always a fight for empties and charges
of partiality and discrimination freely
made. Every side track of the coal-
carrying railroads has its capacity taxed
by empty coal cars, while during pre-
vious years the miners have worked
nearly steadily during this month.
Viewing the field over, there has been
little in the way of diversity in Indiana to
99
Stimulate the coal trade during the past
week. The operators, however, are op-
timisitic and maintain the prices at the
mine in the face of a small demand.
There is apparently no foundation for re-
port that the operators are restricting the
output for the purpose of controlling
prices. Compared with prices at this
period last year, it is claimed that present
ones are a shade lower for all grades of
coal. With sufficient cars the operators
could overship the market, but they nat-
urally have no wish to do so as they are
confident there will be a revival of busi- ,
ness generally after the first of the year.
St. Louis, Mo.
The higher-grade coals from the Stand-
ard field are bringing from $1.75 to $2.25,
with the demand slightly increased over
that of last week. The middle-grade coals
from the standard field, such as Mt. Olive
and Staunton, are bringing from $1.15 to
$1.35 at the mines, for domestic lump and
other sizes are bringing what the market
will pay.
Ee Is (at S98 RCo ea tees $1.05@$1.15
Si NEN PRIN 6, oo 6 6 orercerace hu oa oeenae 0.95@ 1.00
aera MUNG Eo: a4. 6 0 a: caererasaeenl wea ane tg 0.95
REI odo: oho de ila's decloiar occas 0.7
WONGRIIINS So chic nc wckede ween ease 0. 5@ 0.30
There is very little Springfield coal
coming in, and some from Saline county.
The Carterville prices are as follows,
f.o.b. the mines:
Gin. lim... ode. oe ces ov SEAORELS
TC Oa age a A a cet) 1.40@ 1.50
MR TIRE goo ide as wee elewe wns 1.15@ 1.25
IIE NNR sd i's oan a esd ale eel ails 1.02@ 1.15
NNR NI oo ia cerca ca eater ae 1.00@ 1.10
UE Fong: col ocsicw aaa oscars bra 0.35@ 0.45
Franklin county coal is selling at the
following prices:
Cis NR eos ois ce cc cvens + GSEs
DUMGGMN Sc cee nrg edacaeads 1.55@ 1.65
Wee ON iiic 8 users ho tae wowns 1.35@ 1.45
10 GET Serene ae 1.15@ 1.20
MENON So Go etn id Maaco aes 1.10
PONGGM IIE 4 66.56 wos ween eceaces 0.50
Colorado
The lump and nut grades advanced 25c.
per ton, Oct. 1. The increase has not
tended to lessen the volume of trade, as
it is evident current shipments are being
sold from the cars and not placed in
stock. The quantity of storage coal in the
territory is comparatively light, and espe-
cially in the southern portion is this fea-
ture most pronounced. A high percentage
of the orders for early delivery are trace-
able to this district.
The car situation shows no improve-
ment. Available cars are barely adequate
to fill orders placed by the mines work-
ing on the present basis. Some delay
has been reported chargeable directly to
car shortage, but of trivial consequence.
Steam orders show a slight gain over the
previous week, due generally to the sea-
son’s advance. However, renewed activity
in railroad and industrial traffic is obvious.
The sugar-beet plants are now operating
and a good many alfalfa mills have al-
100
ready opened this year’s campaign, which
wili provide a market for considerable
steam coal.
No change is perceptible in the coke
demand, which is considered normal at
this time with prices firm.
Salt Lake City, Utah
There is no relief promised from any
source except the weather man, and he
has been doing very well for us the past
few weeks. The mines are still operating
on reduced time, due to a shortage of
cars. On Oct. 18, but one mine in the
state operated, and that only half a day.
Cold weather in Idaho and Montana has
increased the demand on Wyoming mines,
and they are about 30 days behind orders.
This means that Utah will get but little
coal from that source.
Local retail trade is consistent with the
weather. Stocks are diminishing gradually
and a cold snap would be serious. Lump
ceal at the Utah mines is $2.40, nut $2.15
and slack $1.25. Wyoming lump costs
$2.50, nut $2.25 and slack $1, f.0.b. mines.
There are rumors of an advance both
wholesale and retail, but nothing defin-
ite has developed.
New Mexico
The New Mexico mines show but little
change in the volume of business over
previous week. A slight depression in
railroad orders is observed, which is
counterbalanced by an increased require-
ment of commercial coal. Western New
Mexico is operating full time with an oc-
casional delay, due to short car supply.
The prices in this district advanced 25c.
per ton, Oct. 1, and remain firm with a
constant demand.
Portland, Ore.
This week brought almost sum-
mer skies and summer — sunshine;
hence the consumers are not giv-
ing serious thought to the fuel problem
as yet. Prices remain the same as last
week and there is no indication of an
immediate change. Only a severe and
long cold spell will have the effect of
driving values high this winter, for much
fuel has been put in during the summer.
No new cargoes have been reported as
listed for this port at Australia, the num-
ber of vessels on the board reported as
heading for this port being only three or
four.
Following are the prices asked here,
per ton, including cost of-delivery to
points within the city proper:
ce cccccccce $7.50
Tapanese
Washington lignite... $7.00@ 7.50
DAIBETRONOR 66646 sen woe 10.00@10.50
Rock Springs, Wyo 10.00@10.50 nut $9.50
TMiamond, Wyo....... 10.00
Carbon Hill, Wash.,
LS ae ere 10.50
Carbon Hill, steam... 7.50
Newcastle, Wash.....
Seaver -Hill, Ore.....
Blacksmith coal
eevee
COAL AGE
San Francisco
The arrivals of coal for the past week
by water are as follows:
British Columbia
Newport News (fer U. 8.
Total
Market conditions have not changed
during the past week, and _ continued
warm weather, the warmest of the year,
has caused a decrease in domestic con-
sumption. Retail dealers, taking advan-
tage of the fair weather, are stocking up
for their winter supply.
The effect of the railroad strike of
shopmen is, as yet, scarcely felt in the
coal market. Coal, being an imperish-
able article, would be one of the first com-
modities to be sidetracked in case of lack
of motive power or other equipment, but
up to time of writing it seems to be com-
ing through on regular time.
Prices for the week remain unchanged,
and are as follows, per short ton:
EY Se ee 1850 tons
. 5768 tons
7618 tons
O + 6-6 06; 6.8:'0 0 0D 08 67886 e 8 O88 e
Wellington—clean .........-......--- $8.00
Wellington—average ..........-+-.--- 7.50
Meaegtralian—-CllAN oocsccciesic vs ciesccees 8.00
Australian—average ........+.-eeeeee- 7.50
PN —eMPIND i corso 6 wae eis RH oo 6.50
RNR AIBN: 5 ays .gseis 4 ois 4 orks Cee ao 5.00
Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico—clean
October 28, 1911
The inquiry for steam coals remained
quiet, and with supplies of both large
and small still in excess of requirements,
prices tend to further easiness. A com-
parison of exports for 1910 and 1911
shows but little change. Quotations are
approximately as follows:
Best Welsh steam coal...........000.% $4.02
PIININ © 605) erquinl scae eralavene 4-6/e: Raia Rare eters 3.72
NRE MAM S's S6so. Gh Oo vraa Ware teehenetal Soke ede 8eslste 3.66
RN MA ines io raion oa Roxas) ow wignao-oalanes 4.08
SORE UOPTIOUUHENITO: oy. ose 5.0 0S cose ws 3.72
WN NNNN i502 515.a)-4: oh scik eaves nici o wier eee a ae 3.60
Best Cardiff small steam coal......... 2.10
RES AAS RR eS de ee Ee ge eae e 1.86
The above prices for Cardiff coals are
all f.o.b. Cardiff, Penarth or Barry, while
those for Monmouthshire descriptions are
f.o.b. Newport, both exclusive of wharf-
age, and for cash in 30 days, less 2%
per cent.
For prompt loading admiralty steams
fully maintain their position, while the
cheaper classes of large, in view of a
better inland demand, are now firmer.
Smalls of all classes are, however, ex-
ceptionally weak.
For forward delivery business is dif-
ficult to arrange in view of the possibility
of further labor troubles.
(for domestie use only)............ 8.15 Total exports of coal from Great Brit-
Pennsylvania anthracite ............. 15.00 ain for September with comparative state-
SN hc | ta a See tee er rere” 13.50 t i Sentai |
Colorado and New Mexico anthracite... 12.50 Ment wi eptember of last year was
Cumberland—smithing ............... 12.50 as follows:
SEPTEMBER First 9 MontTHs
1910 1911 1910 1911
lek CAIRN 6.5 oss ns cos cases 215,595 217,319 1,812,352 1,762,204
MUstRNISUONTR So. bc oe kee conc enGee 4,096,835 4,289,349 33,831,913 34,735,081
og ss Gael ee 1,012,224 918,305 7,714,341 7,743,871
eG nN Eero 157,690 124,479 1,118,538 1/098'581
GEN IEE BOEES 33665 5 5 se ees Oe a eee 228,762 238,198 2,050,733 2,278,953
Mptals'...:.%<;- eee ee arn nee 5,711,106 5,787,650 46,524,877 47,618,690
Total of coke exported.............. 87,409 94,403 658,378 711,697
Total patent fuel exported.......... 101,402 118,799 1,139,144 1,236,582
Total coal, coke and patent fuel... 5,899,917 6,000,852 48,322,399 49,566,969
Coal, bunker, for foreign trade........ 1,789,126 1,681,507 14,528,745 14,346,947
British Coal Market
There are many causes which made the
condition of the British coal industry
rather a disturbed one. There is a short-
age of railway equipment, an inadequate
supply of shipping tonnage available, the
labor outlook is uncertain and there is
still a sudden and sharp demand for
house coals. The last feature of the
market is growing less as the public
needs are supplied, but manufacturers
and industrial concerns are still stocking
against emergencies.
On the whole the markets are much
firmer, the output big and future prices
are considerably enhanced as compared
with the prices ruling a year ago; there
is an advance of about 48c. per ton all
around. Patent fuel and coke trades are
practically stationary, as they have been
for some time past, while pitwood is very
irregular.
German Coal Trade
Coal production of the German Empire
for the eight months ended Aug. 31, is
reported as follows, in metric tons:
1910 1911 Changes
Coal ......... see. 99,719,729 106,176,645 +6,456,916
Brown coal...... 43,948,178 46,897,544 +2,949,366
Total mining.. 143,667,907 153,074,189 -+9,406,282
Coke tradé....... 15,373,605 16,631,800 +1,258,195
Briquets trade... 12,593,688 14,044,936 +1,451,248
Of the briquets reported this year 10,-
760,172 tons were made from brown coal
er lignite.
The foreign coal trade of Germany for
the eight months ended Aug. 31 is re-
ported as below, in metric tons:
Exports Imports Excess
Coal........+++- 17,340,092 6,981,230 Exp. 10,358,862
Brown coal.... 38,478 4,544,188 Imp. 4,505,710
MPO ickawsincene 2,965,933 402,626 Exp. 2,563,307
TOCAR secs 21,942,389 12,068,744 Exp. 9,873,645
The exports this year included 8161
tons of coke to the United States.
