coal trade bulletin - Clpdigital.org

The lower percentages of recovery in the table
are influenced by the fact that in some instances
pillars are now being robbed that have been standing
for many years. In the mine of the United
States Coal & Coke Co. at or near Gary, W. Va.,
where all of the work has been clone in recent
years, the average percentage of recovery per
acre since the beginning of operations, has been
better than 95 per cent., and of the area mined,
over one-third has been final mining. (Digressing
for the moment, if I may, from the main subject
of this paper, 1 would say that perhaps nowhere
is more thought being given to the subject
of
ECONOMICAL AND SAFE MINING
than at the mines of the United States Coal &
Coke Co. The writer has visited all of the socalled
"model mines," including those of the anthracite
field, for the express purpose of studying
them and it is a pleasure to be able to say that
here in our own state, at Gary, by the untiring
efforts of and under the direction of Edward
O'Toole, general superintendent of the above company,
there has been built up a mining organization
which for efficiency is unsurpassed, and,
1 am told, for accidents and deaths per 100,000
tons of coal produced it holds the record of the
coal mining world. Not only are the present
methods of mining efficient but the O'Toole combination
coal cutter, loader, and transporting machine
bids fair to revolutionize the present method
of niining coal for coking purposes. Any one
wishing to visit Gary is always welcome and the
officers of the company will go to the extreme in
making your stay instructive and entertaining).
Returning to the main subject of the paper I
would say that in so far as the cost of production
is concerned as compared with other methods of
mining the cost of entry and room coal is the
same and that of pillar coal less per acre of coal
mined.
In addition to the above statements all operating
companies, I presume, have a statement showing
the revenue derived from operations per ton
of coal mined based on the net receipts from operation*)
DIVIDED BY THE TONNAGE.
On this statement a further figure should be
shown in red by placing a value, which can be
very closely approximated, on the recoverable coal
lost, add it to the net receipts and show what the
revenue per ton derived from the operations
should have been under clean mining.
Statements of the above nature have a further
value from a financial point of view for if it can
be shown a bonding concern that a property contains,
let us say $500,000 worth of coal in the
ground, 90 per cent, or more of which will be
mined: it is certain that a greater asset value
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 39
will be placed on the property than if the engineers
of the bonding house report that under the
methods of mining pursued by you, only 50 per
cent, of the coal in the ground will be mined and
the rest irretrievably lost.
In conclusion, I desire to express thanks to all
those who have in any way contributed to this
paper, and especially Mr. Thomas H. Clagett, chief
engineer, Pocahontas Coal & Coke Co.; Mr. W. A.
Phillips, general manager, Ashland Coal & Coke
Co., and Mr. James Elwooel Jones, general manager,
Pocahontas Consolidated Collieries Co., Inc.,
for the use of the maps and other data.
IDLE CARS SHOW BIG INCREASE.
The report of the American Railway association
issued Jan. 7. giving the car surplussages and
shortages shows:
Surplussages:
Jan. 1, 1914 190,521
Dec. 31, 1912 50,659
Shortages:
Jan. 1. 1914 1,071
Dec. 31, 1913 33,601
These figures show a net surplus of 1888,850 cars
as compared with 101,545 on Dec. 15, and a shortage
of 17,058 cars Dec. 31, 1912.
Mrs. Elizabeth Vicary, of Pottstown, 111., the
only woman coal operator in the state, died recently.
On the death of her husband, Henry
Vicary. 12 years ago, she assumed management
of the Vicary mining properties and conducted the
business with remarkable success. Mrs. Vicary
was born in Lancaster, England, 74 years ago.
She came to the United States when a young
woman, and spent several years in Pennsylvania,
later moving, with her husband, to Illinois. She
is survived by two sons and three daughters.
Thomas Burke, formerly a member of the International
executive board of the United Mine
Workers from Illinois, afterward employed as
commissioner for the Montana and Washington
coal operators, died of pneumonia in Seattle,
Wash., Jan. 3.
Mr. William H. Howells, 74 years old, a veteran
of the Civil war and one of the oldest mining officials
in the anthracite region, expired at his home
in Shamokin, Pa., Jan. 7. He was considered
one of the most expert mining men in that vicinity.
Mr. William Stein, formerly state mine inspector
of the Sixth anthracite district of Pennsylvania,
died recently at his home in Shenandoah, Pa.