1898 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

No. 11. SIXTH ANTHRACITE DISTRICT. 185the 1-ound trip iii 35 iiiiiiutes. After bringing- a trip out of the eastHide it crosses over the slope to make a trip to the west side anddoes the same thing there, making the round trip in 30 minutes.takes two charges to each round trip. The grade is from .5 to 3.1per cent, averaging 1 per cent, in favor of the load. This locomotivedelivers 130 loaded cars to the slope, per day of ten hours, anddoes the work of 12 mules. The locomotive has ample capacity tobring out to the bottom 300 cars per day, and would, were it not forthe delay in waiting for the cars to be loaded, and shifting the carsti round the turnouts. If we had mules in the faces of the gangways10 collect the cars, it would bring out that number easily.Our mine cars weigh 3,400 pounds empty and about 10,120 poundsloaded (assuming three gross tons of stuff in each car), and arehauled in trips of 12 which can be increased to 20 if required.The mule exceeds its first cost in feed, harness, attendance, etc.,every year, leaving out the likelihood of an epidemic which occasionallyprevails. Of course, there is a likelihood of a ''smash up"v.'th the locomotives, too, which will cost a considerable amounto^ money; but the annoyance from delays, caused through balkymules, is overcome by the locomotive, and this, in itself, is a savingof a considerable amount of money, in course of time. It will benoticed in the table that the saving between the two powers is equalto 52.3 per cent, in favor of the locomotives, and the saving in the investmentper year is 27 . 7 per cent.F. C. JONES,Superintendent.It