COAL - Clpdigital.org

4U THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
EXTENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS IN*
LOWER CONNELLSVILLE FIELD
Taking advantage of the summer slump in the
coke business, a number of independent operators
in the southern end of the Connellsville region
are improving their plants. Many thousands of
dollars are being expended and hundreds of men,
idle because of the slow coke business, have found
work on the improvements. The work is prepara­
tory to what coke men think will be the best "last
quarter's" business in the history of the region.
In the extreme southern end the Sunshine Coal
& Coke Co. has started the erection of a large coal
washer and crusher. The contractor expects to
complete the work in three months. The capacity
will lie 600 tons a day. and over 100,000 feet of
heavy timber will be used in its construction.
Another force is constructing 20 conipany houses
and a large general store. In addition, the comiiany
is building 50 additional ovens. This will
give the plant 100 ovens, and make it one of the
most up to-date and easiest plants in the region
to operate. Work is being pushed so that all the
improvements will be completed by November 1.
Adjoining the Sunshine plant the grading has
been started for the erection of 200 ovens at the
Southern Coal & Coke co.'s works, formerly the
old Riverview works. The company contemplates
the building of 400 ovens altogether, which with
the present number, 222, will make the plant the
largest in the Lower Connellsville region. A
washer with a capacity of 1,600 tons per day and
many new houses will be added to the works.
The La Belle Co., at Fredericktown has let a
contract for the building of a washer of 600 ton
capacity. Joseph Falters has started the con­
struction of a mile and a half railroad and 80
ovens near Ache Junction to develop the Semans-
Abraham coal tract there. The Orient Coke Co.
is erecting 20 double blocks of houses on Dunlaps
creek. The Briar Hill Co. at New Salem is also
carrying on a general line of improvements. Both
companies will spend in the neighborhood of
$50,000. The latter company has 300 ovens completed
and 70 more in course of construction, besides
many houses.
The extension of the Pittsburgh, Virginia &
Charleston railroad from West Brownsville to
Rices Landing, whicn has been authoritatively
announced, will be of vast benefit to Southern
Fayette county. The route has been surveyed for
some time, but no definite movement to build it
was started until a few days ago.
While no definite announcement has been made
there is considerable talk of the extension of ihe
Monongahela river road to Point Marion. The
uad terminates at Martin, ,