COAL - Clpdigital.org

36 THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
coal, nor had we any iron frames at the mouth
where the coke was drawn. The top and mouth
had to be repaired when they fell in.
"In the spring of 1S42 enough coke had been
made to fill two boats ninety feet long—about 800
bushels each—and we took them to Cincinnati,
down the Youghiogheny, Monongahela and Ohio,
but when we got there we could not sell. Mr.
Campbell, who went with the boats, lay at the
landing some two or three weeks, retailing but
one boatload and part of the other in small lots
at about 8 cents a bushel. Miles Greenwood, a
foundryman of that city, offered to take the balance
if he would take a small patent flour mill at
$125 in pay, which Mr. Campbell did. He had it
shipped here, tried it, but it was no good, and we
sold it to a man- in the mountains for $30, and
thus ended our coke business."
These gentlemen lost heavily in their venture.
Mr. Greenwood sent part of his coke to Dayton, to
Judge Gebhart, who was formerly a resident of
Connellsville, and who owned a foundry at Dayton.
He was so pleased with the fuel that he
visited Connellsville, and. as Mr. McCormick
states, "wanted us to continue to make coke, and
he would take two boatloads a year, delivered at
Cincinnati, and pay the cash on delivery; also,
that he would insure us sale for all the coke we
could make and deliver at Cincinnati at 8 cents
per bushel; but we had gone into other business,
and refused to do anything more with the coke."
EXTENDING THE TRADE.
This was the beginning of the coke business in
the Connellsville region. For some years but
little coke was made, though a few ovens were
built, and that knowledge acquired which was
necessary for the coming development of the trade.
In 1843 the ovens built by Taylor were leased to
three gentlemen named Cochran, a name which
from that time to the present has been connected
with coke making in that region. They made
13,000 bushels and floated it down to Cincinnati,
where it was sold to Miles Greenwood, at 7 cents
a bushel. Between this date and 1850 three or
four ovens were built by Stewart Strickler, who
sold his product to the Cochrans. In 1851 improved
ovens were built, and the trade increased
somewhat, but in 1855 it is stated there were but
twenty-six coke ovens above Pittsburgh. It was
not until the Baltimore & Ohio railroad was completed
to Pittsburgh, and Connellsville coke had
been used successfully in the Clinton furnace of
Graff, Bennett & Co., at Pittsburgh, that its value
as a furnace fuel was thoroughly demonstrated
and the foundation laid for the demand that has
resulted in such a development of coke manufacture
in the Connellsville region. This furnace
was blown in in the fall of 1859 to make pig iron
from coke. The coke was at first made from
Pittsburgh coal near the furnace on the south
side of the Monongahela river, nearly opposite
the Point, at Pittsburgh. The furnace was run
for about three months, when, the coke made in
this way not proving satisfactory, it was blown
out, and arrangements made to secure a supply
from the Connellsville region. The furnace blew
in again early in the spring of 1860, the coke used
being from the Fayette Coke Works on the Baltimore
& Ohio railroad, made at first on the ground
in pits. The result was so satisfactory that
thirty ovens were built in 1860 and arrangements
were made to secure a continued supply. When it
is remembered that this is only twenty years ago,
the development of this industry is remarkable.
GERMAN COAL STATISTICS.
Exports of fuel from Germany for the six
months ending June 30 were as follows, in metric
tons:
1904. 1905. Changes.
Coal 8,563,695 8,191,751 D. 371,944
Brown coal 11,363 10,545 D. 818
Coke 1,331,074 1,261,429 D. 69,645
Total 9,906,132 9,463,725 D. 442,407
The more important exports of coal were to
Austria, Holland and Belgium; of coke to France
and Austria. Exports to the United States this
year were 11,675 tons of coke.
Imports of fuel into Germany for the half-year
were as follows, also in metric tons:
1904. 1905. Changes.
Coal 3,121,076 4,819,006 1.1,697,930
Brown coal 3,799,851 3,920,718 I. 120,867
Coke 255,846 363,128 I. 107,282
Total 7.176,773 9,102,852 I. 1,926,079
The chief imports of coal were from Great
Britain; of brown coal, or lignite, from Austria.
The increase in imports was due to the coal strike.
The production of coal in Germany for the first
half of the year was as follows, in metric tons:
1904. 1905. Changes.
Coal 58,825,710 56,630,591 D.2,195,119
Brown coal 23,251,206 24,944,082 1.1,692,876
Total mined, 82,076,916 81,574,673 D. 502,243
Coke made 5,999,402 6,554,776 I. 555,374
Briquettes made 5,439,468 6,077,639 I. 638,171
Of the coal mined 52,642,163 tons, and of the
brown coal 21,086,899 tons were from the mines
of Prussia.
The Oklahoma Fuel Co. has been incorporated at
Oklahoma City, Okla., with a stock of $200,000.