i STEAM COAL - Clpdigital.org

2i5 THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
tricity, and 2,339 by compressed air. The total
cut or mined by machines was 38,551.076 tons, or
37.2 per cent, of the total output.
In haulage in the bituminous mines, there were
used 162 steam locomotives, 23 compressed air
locomotives, and 435 electric motors; a total of
620 mechanical motors. There were also 12,899
horses and mules reported at work.
The total number of boilers in use at the mines
was 2,460. rated at 259,211 h. p. The number of
steam engines was 1.954, rated at a total of 195.149
h. p. There were 391 dynamos at work at the
mines where electric power is used; while 446
air compressors were employed. In handling
water 1,075 power pumps were used. The total
rated capacity of these pumps was 685,208 gallons
per minute; the actual work performed was 270,-
194 gallons per minute raised, thus showing 39.4
per cent, of the rated capacity actually required to
free the mines from water.
The explosives used during the year were 1,136,-
305 pounds of dynamite and 445,829 kegs of powder.
This would give an average of 233 tons of
coal broken per keg of powder used.
During the year 402 lives were lost in and about
the mines and 1,046 employes were injured.
The variation in the quantity of coal mined per
employe is largely due to the fact that in slack
years the tendency is to diminish the number of
working days, rather than to cut down the torce
employed.
MARINE FUEL REPORT.
In order to ascertain the amount of coal which
is annually required for the fueling of vessels at
the different ports in the United States, the collectors
of customs have been making monthly reports
of the quantity loaded on steamers for fuel consumption
during the year 1903, distinguishing
wherever practicable between the quantity taken
by coast-wise vessels and that by vessels engaged
in the foreign trade regardless of nationality in
the latter class. The results are given in the
table following, as published in the Summary of
Commerce and Finance. The average price per
ton is the price reported by dealers in the customs
district or at the port where the coal has been delivered
to steamers for consumption and is to be
taken as representing the market value under
these conditions:
Net tons. Price per ton.
Atlantic ports 4,662,067 $3.75
Gulf ports 574,094 3.82
Pacific ports 578,753 4.73
Great Lakes 2,382,081 3.11
Total 8,196,995 $3.64
THE HISTORY, PRODUCTION AND GENERAL
STATISTICS OF THE KANAWHA AND
NEW RIVER COAL FIELDS OF WEST
VIRGINIA.
A large amount of useful and interesting information,
condensed into a small space, is contained
in the neat brochure compiled by Neil
Robinson of Charleston, W. Va.. on the Kanawha
and New River coal fields of West Virginia. Separate
maps of both districts are given and the area
treated embraces 840 square miles. Within this
area, it is asserted, a greater variety of coals is
found and a greater number of coal seams is
being mined than have ever been found elsewhere
in the world in a territory of similar size. These
coals are declared to be uniformly low in ash and
sulphur, and to cover every known requirement on
the part of the consumers, whether it may be for
domestic use, blacksmithing, coke ovens, by-product
plants, gas making or the generation of
steam.
Eleven seams have been opened on a commercial
scale, of which eight are in the Kanawha and
three in the New River series. They are considered
in the order in which they have their
bedding, geologically, commencing with the youngest
and highest seam in the formations. They are
known as the No. 5 Block, Belmont, Coalburgh,
Winifrede, Cedar Grove, No. 2, or Gas. Powellton,
No. 1, or Eagle, Sewell, Beckley and Fire Creek
seams. Regarding their qualities and the extent
and history of their operation Mr. Robinson says
in part:
The No. 5 Block coal is found on the crests of
the hills near the Big Kanawha river. It has
a thickness of over seven feet. It is bright in
appearance, stands handling and transportation,
mines out in large blocks, and is shipped almost
exclusively for high grade domestic trade. The
loading capacity of the field is 775 tons a day,
from five mines. ,
The Belmont coal outcrops from 100 to 120 feet
lower in the hills than the No. 5 Block. It has
been mined in the Kanawha valley for more than
25 years, and ranks as one of the standard domestic
coals. The coal is free-burning, leaves very
little ash, and stands transportation remarkably
well. Quite a large trade has been developed
throughout the Northwest and West, and regular
shipments are made each year to points beyond
Omaha. Only coal of the finest quality could
stand the freightage for so great a distance. The
thickness of the seam is from 4 to 6 feet and the
actual daily loading capacity of the four mines is
2,075 tons.
About the year 1853 the existence of the Coalburgh
seam became generally known, and mines
were opened at the village from which the seam
takes its name for the purpose of loading barges