i STEAM COAL - Clpdigital.org

36 THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
Carelessness of a criminal nature is the direct
cause of many accidents of this kind. This condition
of affairs is brought about in many instances
by reason of the inexperience of the employe.
Greater care exercised by the mine foremen
would result in less accidents from this
cause, or if timbering should be conducted in a
systematic manner. By causes for the past eight
years the fatalities, inside, have been as follows:
Causes 181)7 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 Total
Falls of roof 47 07 04 61 70 70 96 95 585
Mine cars 6 6 7 11 11 13 12 12 78
Gas Explosions.... 1 •• 50 10 .. 24 3 88
All other causes. 7 2 S 11 24 18 15 13 08
Totals (>o 76 70 133 121 110 147 125 849
TRANSPORTATION.—The five railroads within the
state, during the year, handled a total tonnage
of coal from the mines with'n the state amounting
to 24,033,424 net tons and of coke from the
ovens 2,467,368 net tons.
RIVER SHIPMENT.—For the calendar year 1903
the tonnage of coal and coke floated on the Great
Kanawha river amounted to: Coal 1,332,430, and
coke 1,500 tons of 2,000 lbs. or a total of 1.333,930
tons.
IMPROVEMENTS AT THE MINES.—During the year
there have been 55 new plants equipped; 29
power plants have been installed and 1,500 coke
ovens were constructed. Seventeen fans and five
furnaces have been added to the mine equipment
and 33 tipples were erected and 2S additional
openings were made at the older mines.
COKE OVENS AND PRODUCTION.—There is a total
of 15,857 coke ovens within the state, principally
of the beehive pattern. During the year there
were 7,321 idle and 8,536 which were operated
an average of 222 days, using 3.733,924 tons of
coal in the production of 2,276,451 tons of coke,
valued at $4,177,787.59 and giving employment to
3,511 coke workers.
CONSOLIDATIONS.—In the year 1897 there were
21 mines producing between 100,000 and 200,000
tons and 4 mines producing over 200.000 tons,
each representing a single company, with one exception.
During the past year there were 28 companies
which produced over 200.000 tons and had an
aggregate production of 13,092,677 tons or 30.8 per
cent, of the state's entire production.
These companies with their production are as
follows:
Gross tons.
Fairmont Coal Co 3,601,481
Davis Coal & Coke Co 1,301,569
Kanawha & Hocking Coal & Coke Co. . . . 854,299
Red Jacket Coal & Coke Co 517,812
The New River Smokeless Coal Co 513,284
Clarksburg Fuel Co 473,239
Norfolk Coal & Coke Co 466,018
United States Coal & Coke Co 366,615
Pittsburg & Fairmont Fuel Co 315,725
Houston Coal & Coke Co 304,940
Southern Coal & Transportation Co 295,852
McKell Coal & Coke Co 285,467
Empire Coal & Coke Co 282,641
Merchants Coal Co 278,976
Davis Colliery Co 273,168
Collins Colliery Co 267,593
Gauley Mountain Coal Co 266,654
Ashland Coal & Coke Co 257,894
Turkey Gap Coal & Coke Co 237,143
Pulaski Iron Co 237,100
The Marmet Co 223,677
Thacker Coal & Coke Co 216.851
W. P. Rend 213,707
Mill Creek Coal & Coke Co 213,176
Elkhorn Coal & Coke Co 212,077
Crozer Coal & Coke Co 207,254
White Oak Fuel Co 206,200
Boomer Coal & Coke Co 202,265
Total 13,092,677
Two consolidations of coal interests were consummated
during the year.
The first was that of the New River Smokeless
Coal Co., which absorbed the following collieries:
Cunard, Brooklyn, Red Ash, Rush Run, Sun Nos.
1 & 2. Royal and Lanark Nos. 1 & 2.
The second consolidation was the Pocahontas
Consolidated Co.. which absorbed the companies
formerly operating the following mines: Angle,
Delta, Lick Branch. Norfolk, Shamokin, Ro'fe,
Caswell Creek and Sagamore.
In addition to the above there are 49 companies,
each of whicn produced over 100.000 tons,
but less than 200,000, and 46, each of which produced
between 50,000 and 100,000 tons.
WAGES.—During the first six months of the
fiscal year the wages were about 10 to 15 per
cent, higher than for the last six months. This
condition prevailed during the previous year, but
in the reverse order.
The average wages received for pick mined coal
per gross ton, run-of-mine, was 491/. cents, the
same as for the previous year. The days worked
at the mines were 209, and the average yearly
wages received, per miner, was $484.96. Each
pick miner averaged a production of 979.7 tons
during the year, or 28.3 tons less than during the
previous year.
For machine mined coal the average prices paid
in the state were as shown in the table which
follows:
Machine miners paid per day $2.17Vi:
Machine miners paid per ton run-of-mine
in rooms 30
Machine miners paid per ton run-of-mine
in headings 35
Machine miners paid per ton screened in
rooms 51