COAL - Clpdigital.org

POSSIBILITIES IN EXPORT TRADE.
In a recent article on the possibility of Pittsburgh
extending its export trade to foreign countries,
A. A. Rutis, bankers' and financial agent,
and a member of the Merchants aud Manufacturers'
Association of Pittsburgh, called attention to
the following facts regarding the coal situation:
In this moment of general prosperity one industry
which does not seem at all in its full capacity
is the coal mining industry. In fact, as
by reports received, many mines are only working
a few days per week; others store their output,
expecting an increase of general demand, and this
may indicate a kind of stagnation.
Should it not be the aim of our coal dealers to
look a little farther for their trade? Why not
attack the world's market to supply it with our
coal? It is just in time of prosperity that a
provident man looks ahead for these moments, as
stagnation may come.
In fact, very few industries have failed to do
their best, as did the coal producers. Some years
ago sample cargoes were sent to Europe and South
America, in a kind of supposition that any quality
was "good enough" for the foreign countries. Not
enough attention was given to compare the quality
and form of the coal sent abroad with that of Cardiff.
The writer participated in different deals for
sample cargoes, and the results of not one were
satisfactory, the coal being too small. The impression
was created abroad that Pennsylvania had
no lump coal. England knew well how to spread
this idea in the most important centers, and instead
of 60 per cent, of lump coal, the arrivals
were 80 per cent, of dust and very small pieces.
France, Italy, Switzerland and Spain were, therefore,
lost to our export market, and the few cargoes
sent to the Brazilian ports had the same difficulty
in being accepted. Only Pocahontas quality
was a little more fortunate and has kept up the
American banner, as the outgoing steamers in New
York are generally supplied with this kind of
coal, being cheaper that that obtained from the
English miners.
How unfortunate it was to create the impression
of having in our Pennsylvania fields only small
and powder coal is proven again by a document
the writer received a few days ago from Brazil.
The most important railroad of the government
calls for offers for 70,000 tons of coal to be supplied
to its road, and a kind of concession is
made that American coal may be accepted to the
amount of 10,000 tons only (one-seventn of the
whole supply) provided it compared in quality
and size to the Cardiff quality! This proves again
that our English friends knew how to profit by
our first failures.
We have the facility to send the best coal, and
even 70 per cent, lump coal, as the writer wit­
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 35
nessed very often on the barges leaving for the
south; and with the connections in New Orleans,
why should our coal miners not have their share
in supplying the world's coal needs?
All our companies are in very good financial
standing, having ample means to wait even for
the settlement after the arrival of the coal. Why
not now put all their energy to conquer once and
forever all these foreign markets?
Coal is not sold on samples, but on the assurance
of so much per cent, lump quality and the
chemical analysis. If a kind of practical clearing
or advertising department would be created in
Pittsburgh, taking this business up in a general
way, circularizing the most important facts in
favor of our coal production and output in several
languages direct to large dealers and factories,
interesting also the United States consuls to help
to such a propaganda, and making uniform offers
and rates, in a year from to-day we would see
thousands of barges leaving our zone and passing
through the Iron City for a shipping point, and
our black diamonds would keep an important place
in the financial returns from foreign countries to
our great center.
SECOND EDITION OF COKE.
The second edition of "Coke," by John Fulton,
published by the International Textbook Co.,
Scranton, Pa., is now ready. The first edition of
"Coke," which was published ten years ago, has
been a standard on the subject. In the second
edition Mr. Fulton has completely revised his
original manuscript, taking out processes and
apparatus which are no longer in use, and replacing
this matter with a large amount of new
material. A slight rearrangement of the order
of the chapters has also been made. After devoting
two chapters to the coal fields of North
America and the formation and chemical properties
of coal, an entirely new chapter on the preparation
of coal for the manufacture of coke is
given. This presents the most exhaustive treatment
of the crushing and washing of coal which
has yet appeared. It takes up, first, the necessity
for preparing coal in order to remove impurities
before making blast furnace coke, and then goes
into the description of the crushing appliances,
with costs of the crushing plant. Trough washers,
jigs, inverted core washers, and the Baum
washer are each taken up in detail, together with
detailed descriptions of a number of complete
plants, accompanied by two-page working plans
and in many cases by costs and results obtained.
Chapters four and five treat of the history and
development of the coke industry, and the manufacture
of coke in the bee-hive oven. Chapter
six, on the retort and by-product saving coke