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24 COAL AND TIMBER May, 1905
COAL AND COKE MARKETS. the same time supplying the United States be realized. The late season will result in
Steel Corporation. The railroads had trouble a heavier summer and fall trade. There is
John H. Jones, president of the Pittsburg-
Buffalo Coal Co., says that the present year
early this spring in securing a sufficiency
of cars, but that trouble has been obviated
more work to be done this year than ever
before in the United States and the coal
in coal producton will make a record. He and now the cars will be furnished as fast and coke men will be called upon to furnish
says: "This will probably be the greatest
year ever known in the coal trade. Everything
points to the largest production ever
as they are needed. The future of the coal
trade in the Pittsburg district could not be
better than as we are enabled to view it.
fuel. They will be ready and everything
will go with a rush from now on. There is
not the least doubt about that. I have no
made. Last year there was a falling off, The hesitency of the early spring is fast hesitency in saying that I feel sure that I
not large, it is true, yet still there was a
shrinkage in production. This year, I expect
passing away and with all of the blast furnaces
running or preparing to be operated,
am right when I predict months of unexampled
prosperity in the coal and coke
a very different story. I would not be at all the demand for fuel is gaining steadily. trade."
surprised if the production would reach With uninterrupted traffic facilities we
120,000,000 tons in Pennsylvania alone; 1 should have no difficulty in producing
certainly expect that 110,000,000 tons will enough coal to make this the banner year
HECLA COMPANY ABSORBED.
be mined. Several conditions militated for The Pittsburg Coal Co. This I feel
against the production last year and these
conditions are not at all likely to be repeated,
in fact they hardly can be this year. The
lake trade is slow, very slow this year, due
to the late opening of navigation. Not in
years have the lake vessels been delayed
sure that we will do in the coming five
months. Prospects for industrial activity in
the way of manufacture such as the country
has never known are most reassuring at
present and they are all pointing to still
better things to come. The call for both
The Hecla Coke Co., one of the largest
ndependent coke interests, has passed from
the contral of the Thaw heirs to the H. C.
Frick Coke Co. The sale marks the removal
of another independent from the path of the
United States Steel Corporation. The price
as they have been this spring. By the coal and coke is steadily gaining and the said to have been paid for the Hecla company's
tenth of May things should be different. By
that time all of the lake boats should be in
commission and making their regular trips.
The ice which blockaded the Soo retarded
volume which will be consumed in the next
six months bids fair to be far ahead of anything
which this country has ever known.
The ice at the Soo retarded shipments last
properties of all kinds is $2,500,000,
or thereabouts. This is at the rate of $2,000
an acre, which the improvements added.
The company has three plants in Mt. Pleasant
the boats as they have not been for many month not a little, but now this has melted
township, of Westmoreland county.
years. By May 10th all ice will be gone and
the vessels will have cleared the Soo and
the straits will be fully open. This dragging
delay was very bad for the coal trade
and the boats are running on schedule time.
In a week or so every coal and ore carrying
boat on the lakes will be in commission
and will be handling its cargoes as fast as
Hecla No. I plant consists of 246 acres of
coal and has 56 J /2 acres of surface. No. 2
plant consists of 420 1-3 acres of coal and
131 acres of surface. No. 3 has 359 acres of
during last month. Everything was awaiting
can be done. The spring trade, though coal and 340 acres of surface. There are
for the opening of the lakes and until
they opened shipments were the minimum.
From now on everything will get more and
slow in starting, will gain in volume until
it is heavier than ever known before."
W. C. Magee, president of the Pickands-
1,072 ovens in operation at the three plants.
Nos. 1 and 2 were built about 20 years ago,
while No. 2 has been in operation less than
more active. There is a good, strong healthy
Magee Coke Co., is confident of the future two years. Out of the 30,000 coke ovens
demand for coal and it is bound to con­
of the coal and coke trade in the Pittsburg in the coke region, the H. C. Frick Coke
tinue for months. I feel perfectly safe in district and in the country generally. He Co. now has in round numbers 18,000. Of
saying that the outlook in the coal trade said: "This season so far, has been what this number 15,748 are in the Connellsville
is better than it has been in years. Other you might truthfully call flat. But this region proper and 2.243 in the lower Connellsville
things are operating to the advantage of the
coal operator. Natural gas is playing out
in several places and many manufacturers
stagnation is merely temporary. The coke
market has hesitated for over a month
simply because the. railroads were able to
region. The Frick company's out­
put is probably three-fourths of the entire
output of the two regions.
are turning again to coal as a staple and relible
offer all the cars every one needed. That at
fuel. The great Indiana gas fieldhas once caused the consumers to hesitate and
seen its best days and the manufacturers delay sending in their orders, they feeling
READY TO OPERATE.
who have depended upon it for their supply that they could get coal and coke when and
The plant of the Glen Easton Coal Co.
are again making preparations, or have how they pleased. Of course when cars are
of Moundsville, W. Va., has been practically
completed and the mining of coal is
made arrangements, for their supply of coal plenty, the output of the ovens regulates
as fuel. Washington, Pa., and East Liverpool,
O., manufacturers are also turning to ited in supply, the prices are fixed accord­
the prevailing prices. When cars are lim­
to begin at once. The boiler and engine
house are of brick and are complete and the
coal because the gas fieldswhich they have ingly. Owing to a great abundance of cars,
machinery has been installed. An immense
been depending upon are failing them. Generally
all conditions are such as to make own time to order, with the result that the
manufacturers and consumers took their
fan has been set up, the fan house having
been finishedabout the 10th of last month.
the future big with promise for the coal market became very flat throughout April.
The frame work for the tipple was assembled
and the stone foundations for the load­
operators."
Things are different now. May will see a
"The Pittsburg Coal Co.," said an official great change, and in June the market will
ing tipples and the screens is almost complete.
It will not be long before the two
of this great concern to a representative of be even stronger than in May. Operators
Coal and Timber, "never confronted such a have, quite naturally, hesitated in beginning
stages will be ready to hoist coal. Foundation
work for the superstructure is fin­
bright future. Everything seems good to
new undertakings and have not tried to
supply more than the demand. With the
us. While the coal trade has been quiet
ished. A tramway has been built across
this spring, and April was particularly so,
re-opening of lake navigation, which this
the ravine and the fillupon which the railroad
switch is laid is being widened to per­
year has been very late, everything will
the future is bright with promise. The lak;
trade has been quite slow opening up, but
fast resume the normal and general conditions
the country over warrant the assertion
mit double tracking. The water supply will
from now on it will develop remarkable
be obtained from a large reservoir which
strength. By the middle of this month, I that the spring and summer of 1905 will
has been erected near the plant. When the
look for operations as large as we have ever be better for the coal and coke operators
buildings are all completed and the machinery
installed it will be one of the
had. Pittsburg Coal Co. has secured several than they have ever known before. We
large contracts in the Northwest and we expect
to be kept very busy filling them and at
hope for good things this year and feel
quite confident that our expectations will
best equipped coal mining plants in that
part of West Virginia.