s - Clpdigital.org

26
COAL AND TIMBER
March, 1905
COAL PRODUCTION
FELL.
Twelfth and Thirteenth Anthracite Districts
Show Decrease.
Mine Inspectors M. J. Brennan and John
Curran, of Pottsville, representing the
Twelfth and Thirteenth anthracite mining
districts, have filedtheir reports for the past
year. In the former district there was produced
a total of 2,961,468 tons, which, compared
with the production of the previous
year, 3,498,306 tons, show a decrease. The
production of the Philadelphia and Reading
collieries in this district was 1,762,274 tons,
as against 1,818,592 tons for the previous
year.
In the Thirteenth district, the total production
for last year was 3,066,770 tons as
against 3,476,312 tons for the previous year.
The decrease in this district was due principally
to the fact that Kaska William colliery,
a large operation in the Schuylkill
valley, worked but 125 days, and the Morea
colliery but 135 days.
JANUARY COKE
PRODUCTION.
The January record in coke production
compared favorably with the month of December
of last year and encouragingly well
as compared to January of 1904. The
estimated production of January, 1905.
amounted to 1,108,551 tons as compared to
1,020,340 tons in December last year, and
686,020 tons in January, 1904. The shipments
were not up to the high record of
production last month but were greatly
in excess of the shipments for December
and January of last year. The estimates
for January show a shipment of 1,015,626
tons as compared to 923,416 tons for December
and 695,648 tons for January of 1904.
The Masontown field last month sent out
236,303 tons as compared to 216,176 tons in
December and 106,240 tons for January of
last year.
Furnace production for January shows
an equal-if not a better gain than the coke
trade. The American Manufacturer's report
for January shows a net increase in
active furnaces of 16 for the month and
a net weekly increase in furnace productin
of 24,812 tons. On February 1, there
were 279 blast furnaces in operation with
a weekly capacity of 417,607 tons as compared
to an active list of 263 furnaces on
January 1 with a weekly capacity of 392,790
tons. The steady growth in production of
iron and coke the past few months indicates
the better condition the business of
the country is in. Exceptionally strong
claims are being made by many authorities
of still better gains for the year but it is
a guess as to just how much better it is
possible for the trade to become. The
season for real consumption is not on yet
and buying at this time to say the best is
largely contingent upon future consumption.
There has been a perceptible showing up in
the buying of iron in the past few days
with a considerable lowering of values. The
tardy buying in iron stocks has not been
reflected in the demand for coke but prices
in the lesser grades of coke are showing
a weakened condition. The past few weeks
it has been a question of getting coke at
most any price demanded. While there are
no large stocks reported in the furnace
yards there has been some hesitancy in
paying the price demanded for coke from
the outlaying fieldshas fallen off to the extent
of 50 cents per ton. With spring
weather train movement will improve and
coke supply greatly increase. The spring
months will probably much lower values
in coke and probably iron lines as well.
BALTIMORE & OHIO.
Said to Discriminate Against Ohio
Operators.
Is the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad discriminating
against the coal operators on the
C. L. & W. division of the road, in favor of
the operators of West Virginia? This is a
question that the operators are discussing.
If the railroad is guilty the matter will be
reported to President Roosevelt.
It is said that the B. & O. hauls West
Virginia coal over the C. L. & W. division
to the northern trade. During this time
the coal operators on the C. L. & W. have
not been given sufficient cars to fill their
orders. What does the railroad do with
the empty cars? It is claimed that they have
the empty cars brought back over the main
line of the B. & O. west of Bellaire, in order
that the operators on the C. L. & W. division
will not know the railroad has them.
If such discrimination can be proved by the
coal men on the C. L. & W, the B. & O.
railroad will be up against a proposition
that is new in this territory.
OHIO
MINES
Must Have Two Openings.
A very important matter for all mining
interests in the state was referred by Ohio
State Mine Inspector Harrison to Attorney
General Ellis.
The Ohio law says that all shaft mines
except new ones which are to be connected
with other mines by underground workings,
and. in which more than 20 men are employed,
shall have at least two openings.
Mr. Harrison's interpretation of the statute
is that no mine can be operated with
but a single shaft where more than 20 men
are employed. If the attorney general sustains
this view of it and the law so interpreted
is enforced by the State inspector, it
will result in the closing of a number of
mines in the northeastern part of the state,
where practically all of the mines are shaft
mines.
RECEIVER APPOINTED.
C. F. Evans Takes Charge of the Ruthven
Company's Property.
Action for a receiver for the Ruthven
Coal Company was filed in the common
pleas court February 18, on request of the
National Fuel Company. The petition asserts
that the company owes debts amounting
to $10,000 and that its royalties are becoming
due. The company is unable to pay
these royalties and for that reason is in
grave danger of losing its lease upon the
mines in Jackson county. An account of
$1,600 is also said to be due working miners.
Judge Dillon upon a hearing of the petition
appointed C. F. Evans receiver upon a
bond of $10,000. This company was formed
but a short time ago. The petition claims
an amount of $326.02 due against the company.
FREEPORT COAL.
Director of Geological Survey Describes
Lower Vein in This District.
In a communication to Representative E.
F. Acheson, Director Charles D. Walcott of
the Geological Survey, Washington, D. C,
throws some important light on the character
of a vein of coal located about 500
feet below the Pittsburg coal that has attracted
considerable attention in Washington
county. Mr. Walcott says that although
it is generally inferior to the Pittsburg
coal in some localites it can be profitably
worked. In his letter Mr. Walcott
says:
"The coal referred to is undoubtedly what
is known as the Upper Freeport. In oil and
gas wells in Washington county it is the
principal coal noted by the drillers below
the Pittsburg bed, and occurs at an average
depth of 650 feet below the Pittsburg vein.
This interval, however, varies from 600 to
700 feet in the Amity quadrangle. The one
other coal in this interval has been noted in
a few wells only, and occasionally reaches
a thickness of 3 feet, but is believed to be
of little or no economic value.
"On account of its great depth we have
at present no means of knowing the quality
of the coal beneath Amwell township. The
nearest outcrops are in the valley of the
Youghiogheny river and Jacobs creek, 5 to
8 miles northeast of Connellsville. Where
known in that region the Upper Freeport
varies in thickness from 3 to 7 feet and it is
often a good workable coal. It contains,
however, considerably more sulphur than
the Pittsburg bed. In the vicinity of Amwell
township little is known regarding
thickness.
—The Moorhead Coal Co., of Brownsville,
Pa., have sold their holdings of 3,000
acres of coal land situated near Wheeling.
W. Va., to eastern capitalists for $360,000