coal trade bulletin - Clpdigital.org

38 THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
with a plus sign each point where the rails have
to be raised, and with a minus sign that where
they have to be lowered.
If the contour is found before the road is
brushed, first, the gradient is determined, and, of
course, the ideal is a mean gradient throughout.
Before fixing the gradient, it is well to consider
that part of the road with reference to the part
outbye, the gradients of which may be modified,
and so effect the part under consideration. Then
the probable contour to be got inside has to be
thought of, as it might well happen that, in order
to get on a given length of road a gradient of
1 in lo. 2 feet is ripped out of the pavement within
50 yards of the face. Then an upthrow is
got, and, which improvements
ARE NEXT WROUGHT,
it may be found that a mean gradient throughout
the old and the new parts of the road is what
is wanted—which, by the way, means not only
filling up the place where the pavement was
ripped, but taking extra height from the roof to
raise the level 2 feet higher at this point than
the original pavement level. Assuming that the
mean gradient of 1 in 60 is determined on, this
means a rise of 2 in. in 120, the length of the
straight-edge. These figures are then put in column
A, and in column B is shown the amount
in inches at every point by which the road has
to be raised or lowered. A note is handed to the
man in charge of the brushing, showing howmuch
he has to bank the rails at each chalked
mark, or how much he has to cut lower in the
pavement.
Again, supposing that a mean gradient will cost
too much time or money, then varied gradients
can be easily got from the booked level. The
writer frequently adopts varied gradients, so as
to avoid cutting into the pavement or into hard
roofs. Generally speaking, he finds that, in ordinary
metals, to rip 2 feet out of the pavement
in order to lower the rails costs twice as much
as 2 feet cut out of the roof so as to raise the
rails. He has taken down as much as 16 feet
from the roof cheaply, but to cut even 4 feet from
the pavement is costly, as well as being slow.
The Monongahela River Consolidated Coal &
Coke Co. has filed complaint with the interstate
commerce commission against the Union Railroad
Co., the Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh & Lake Erie
and other iines, alleging that it had been forced
to close the Risher mine, in Mifflin township,
Allegheny county, because of discrimination
against it by the trunk lines made defendant in
the proceeding.
The Norfolk & Western Railroad has ordered 40
freight locomotives of the Mallet type from the
Baldwin locomotive works.
For violating the rules of an injunction of the
Federal court, Judge A. C. Dayton, in the Federal
court at Phillipi. W. Va.. April 25, sentenced 13
miners and one woman who were implicated in
the trouble with the strikers and the officials of
the West Virginia & Pittsburgh Coal Co. at Col­
liers severals months ago. Attorney Palmer, representing
the strikers, said the defendants would
not appeal their cases and would begin to serve
their sentences.
President John P. White of the United Mine
Workers, on April 27, called a special meeting of
the International Executive board for May 4 for
the purpose of considering the question of a gen­
eral strike of the mine workers throughout the
country as a protest against the Colorado mining-
situation.
The Scalp Level Coal Mining Co. has put in
operation a relief system for its men, the company
duplicating all the amounts paid by the
employees and the total sum will be used in
paying relief to the men when they are sick or
injured.
Mine Inspectors T. A. Furniss, of the Tw-elfth
district; Thomas T. Thompson, of the Twentyeighth
district, will hold examinations for mine
foreman, assistant mine foreman and fire boss in
Punxsutawney, Pa., on May 5, 6, 7 and 8.
Employees of the Berwind-White Coal Mining
Co. at Windber. Pa., wili be paid cash prizes
ranging from $25 to $5 for the best kept yards,
gardens and houses, the competition ending No­
vember 14.
President J. T. Dempsey, of District No. 1,
United Mine Workers, has announced his candidacy
for the State Senate from the Scranton,
Pa., district on the Democratic ticket.
The strike of 170,000 coal miners in the Yorkshire
district of England has been settled, the
men going back to work pending an adjustment
of their wage demands.
The Jacob Singer estate, Johnstown, Pa., has
sold to Charles Suppes, Jr., and Telford Lewis, of
Johnstown, and W. P. Graff, of Blairsville, Pa.,
200 acres lying in Conemaugh township, Cambria
county, Pa., for $90,000. Three seams of coal underlie
the property.
Newspaper reports are to the effect that the
tonnage of the Consolidation Coal Co. contracted
for from the Somerset, Pa., field for export in
1914 amounts to 1,140,000.