coal trade bulletin - Clpdigital.org

46 THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
Redmayne© quotes the Prussian Fire Damp
Commission as publishing analyses made by Dr.
Scbondorf in 1882-1,884 of fire damp containing
from none to 5.84 per cent, hydrogen and from
none to 37.62 per cent, ethane.
He also quotes Dr. Poleck as finding 2.89 and
3.99 per cent, ethane and 1.87 per cent, and no
carbon monoxide in two samples of mine gas taken
from a dip drift in the Gluekhilf colliery at Wal-
denberg.
Porter and Ovitz,® in their work on the gases
given off by coals at ordinary temperature, report
no hydrogen, olefin hydrocarbons, higher paraffin
hydrocarbons, or carbon monoxide as the result of
the examination of nine ccals taken from six
states. They state that ther error of experimen­
tation was 0.2 per cent.
Bowen and French 1 . 1 grant that coal gas may
be more sensitive to ignition than methane, but in
part justify its use for their tests of safety devices
for electrical mine equipment by attempting to
show that hydrogen and ethane are believed to be
constituents of mine air.
Parr and Parker© analyzed 67 samples of gases
extracted from eoal at ordinary temperatures and
reported no combustible gas other than methane.
Hargei© states that the assumption that the in­
flammable gas of fin- damp is methane is incor­
rect. He reports the combustion data obtained
from the analysis of 20 samples of mine air which
indicate the presence of combustible gases other
than methane.
Work performed by other investigators shows
that combustible gases other than methane are
given off by coal at temperatures above normal.
This report concerns itself with the gases that escape
at ordinary temperatures.
(cox I IN I -KIP IN ISSUE OF MAY 1 )
©Redmayne, It. A. S.. The ventilation of mines. Mod
p-rii practice in c-oal mining, vol. 4, Fill, pp. :;i and 35.
©Porter, II. ('., and Ovitz, F. K.. Tbe eseape of ens
from coal. Technical Paper 2. Bureau of .Mim-s, loll.
U pp.
S-Rowcn, David, ami French, VV. F. Safely devices:
in connection with electrical machinerv, for coal mines:
loll. Guard., vol 103, 1012. p. 1136.
©Parr, S. W.. and Parker. P.. Occluded sas,-s in coal:
Fniv. Illinois Bull. 32, vol. 0, 1909, 28 pp.
©Ilarger, John, < hemistry applied to coal mining:
.("in-. So,-. Chem. lnd.. vol. ."2. 101::. No. '.1, p. 4011.
Charges of violating a mine law which speci­
fies that bore boles shall be kept three feet ahead
of the eoal ill narrow mine workings, made April
3, by Mine Inspector P. J. Walsh of Connells­
ville, Pa., against Supeiintendent I. T. Mullen
and Mine Foreman E. L. Halbert of the Royal
works of W. J. Rainey, are expected to bring to a
head the question of the necessity of using such
bore boles.
MARCH ANTHRACITE SHIPMENTS.
The anthracite shipments for March, 1914, as
compared witli 1913, were:
Companies. 1914 1913
Philadelphia ii Reading 936,304 976,712
Lehigh Valley 926,701 829,502
Cential R. R. of N. J 750,381 665,856
Dela.. Lacka. & Western.. 668,038 532,247
Delaware & Hudson 446,135 562,440
Pennsylvania 585,190 429,211
Brie 660,924 700,388
Ontario & Western 191,030 212.932
Total 5.164.703 4,909,288
The shipments for the three months as com­
pared witli 1913 were:
Month. 1914 1913
January 5,175,732 6,336,419
February 4,121,451 5,674,169
March 5,164,703 4,909,288
April 5,966,189
May 5,995,742
.June 5,970,047
duly 5,487.852
August 5,369,900
September 5,572.279
October 6,338,194
November 5,786,931
December 5,662,618
Totals 5,461,886 69.069.62S
The Montour Coal Co., a new Illinois concern,
has leased four mines of the Illinois Collieries
Co., in the Springfield, 111., district and will
operate them for a year on a royalty basis. The
new company will pay five cents per ton for all
coal mined, and will pay the taxes and tbe up­
keep of the mines. The mines are situated at
Springfield. Virdin, Girard and Auburn, 111.
The annual report of the Island Creek Coal Co.,
for the year 1913 shows net earnings after all
charges have been deducted of $629,672, ancl divi­
dends paid of $S29,696, leaving a deficit for the
year of $200,024. this deficit reducing the profit
and loss surplus from $1,04S,S20 at the close of
the year 1912 to $S48.796 at the close of 1913.
Last year South Africa purchased only 65,202
Ions of coal from Great Britain, as its own output
is now supplying the domestic market. In 1913
the South African collieiies are said to have pro­
duced upward of 4,500,000 tons. South Africa
furnishes about 2,000,000 tons yearly for the ship
bunkering trade.