i STEAM COAL - Clpdigital.org

32 THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
easily and quickly, the glands being supplied with
hinged bolts. There are no parts exposed to
rust, and in numerous instances of record it has
started and cleared a shaft of water when it has
been buried for weeks under a fallen mass of rock
and debris.
The recently patented priming device with
which all the Cameron sinking pumps are equipped
is worthy of notice. By the use of this priming
valve no undue strain is placed on the suction
hose, such as is the case when the whole
weight of the water in the discharge column is
precipitated into it. Another advantage is that
there is no danger of the valve becoming locked
or immovable from accumulations of dirt behind
it. The valves do not project laterally and cannot
be injured or snapped off by blasting, or collision
- with shaft walls, thus making the Cameron
a sinking pump that is practically invulnerable
and safe from external injury.
WAGE AGREEMENT REACHED.
The operators and employes have agreed on
wage conditions in the coal mines of Franklin
county. 111. This agreement, signed by representatives
of the coal companies and the executive
board of the Illinois miners' union, covers all
shipping mines operating in FranHlin county
except the Leiter mines at Zeigler, which have
been the scene of trouble between Joseph Leiter
and union miners for several months.
A scale of forty-five cents a ton for mining, dead
work and day labor, is to be put in force in
Franklin county until April 1. 1906. This is the
same scale that prevails in Williamson county,
and it is what the men asked for.
THE RIVER IMPROVEMENTS.
The late news from Washington indicates that
the movement for the canalization of the Ohio
with a nine-foot channel rests upon a substantial
basis and that there is good ground for confidence
in the eventual consummation of the project. The
same hopeful outlook extends to the desired Delaware
river improvements. It is also clear that
these great works will be carried out without
levying on the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
One of the items in the river and harbor bill,
it is stated upon good authority, will provide for
the purchase of the locks and dams in the Little
Kanawha river belonging to the Little Kanawha
Navigation Co. and the expenditure of $8,000 on
the improvement of the same. By the terms of
sale it will cost the government only $75,000 to
obtain possession of this valuable property. Wood
and Wirt counties and the city of Parkersburg.
which owns $81,000 of the stock, donate their in­
terest to the government, while private parties
agree to sell the balance at 50 cents on the dollar.
Great as the Ohio valley improvement is regarded
to be it probably exceeds in importance
anything that we can now imagine, for the probability
is that the effect of the construction of the
isthmian canal upon the trade of the whole Mississippi
valley is beyond all present power of conception.
ILLINOIS MINE LABOR STATISTICS.
The total output of coal in Illinois during the
last fiscal year was 37,077,897 tons, according to
the report just made public by the Illinois bureau
of labor statistics. This coal represents the entire
product of 932 mines in the 54 coal producing
counties of the state. The aggregate home value
of the year's production is placed at $50,774,223.
The report shows there are now three less mines
in operation than a year ago. 106 new mines having
been put in operation or old mines reopened.
against 109 mines closed or abandoned since the
last report. Other mining statistics are:
Total employes 54,774
Average number of miners employed durduring
year 37,987
Average number of other employes underground
9,812
Average number of boys employed underground
1,562
Average number of employes above ground 5,413
Number at work underground 49,361
Number at work on surface • 5,413
Average price paid per gross ton for hand
mining, shipping mines $0.59333
Average price paid per gross ton for machine
mining $0.4659
Number of men accidentally killed 157
Number injured so as to lose a month or
more time 507
EASTERN OHIO OPERATORS ORGANIZE.
The coal operators of Eastern Ohio met at
Wheeling on January 11 and practically perfected
plans for a consolidation of their interests for
mutual benefit. An application will be made for
a charter and the new concern will be known as
the Producers' Coal Co.
The purpose of the consolidation is to get rid
of the middlemen by distributing orders through
a sales agency to be conducted by parties to the
agreement. The company will be capitalized at
$50,000 and will have offices in Cleveland, Detroit
and Toledo. " All the operators of Pittsburgh vein
No. 8 in Belmont and Jefferson counties, O, are
in the organization. The daily output will be
about 9,000 tons.