A special report to the Legislature upon the causes, kinds, and amount of waste in mining anthracite / By Franklin Platt. With a chapter on the methods of mining. By John Price Wetherill. Illustrated by 35 figures of mining operations; a plan of an anthracite breaker; and a specimen sheet of the work of the Geological survey in the anthracite coal fields
This project is made possible by a grant from the institute of Museum and Library Sen/ices as adminisfered by the Pennsyivania Department of Education
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A special report to the Legislature upon the causes, kinds, and amount of waste in mining anthracite / By Franklin Platt. With a chapter on the methods of mining. By John Price Wetherill. Illustrated by 35 figures of mining operations; a plan of an anthracite breaker; and a specimen sheet of the work of the Geological survey in the anthracite coal fields is an 1881 historical mining reference by Platt, Franklin., preserved in the Mountain Man Mining research library. This project is made possible by a grant from the institute of Museum and Library Sen/ices as adminisfered by the Pennsyivania Department of Education…
This 1881 document, A special report to the Legislature upon the causes, kinds, and amount of waste in mining anthracite / By Franklin Platt. With a chapter on the methods of mining. By John Price Wetherill. Illustrated by 35 figures of mining operations; a plan of an anthracite breaker; and a specimen sheet of the work of the Geological survey in the anthracite coal fields, is preserved in the Mountain Man Mining Library for research and reference. Original source: archive.org.
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Map of Pennsylvania, Showing the Areas Surveyed in 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, l£78, 1879 & 1880.
Second Geological Survey Of Pennsylvania,
January, 1881.
A
Special Report To The Legislature
Upon The
Causes, Kinds And Amount Of Waste
In
Mining Anthracite.
By ERAXKLIN PLATT.
AVITII A CHAPTER ON THE METHODS OF MINING. By JOHN PRICE WETHERILL.
IlitiTJSTBATBU BY 35 FIGURES OF MINING OPERATIONS;
A Plan Of An Anthracite Breaker ;
And
A SPECIMEN SHEET OF THE WORK OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY IN THE ANTHRACITE COAL FIELDS.
Harrisburg;
PUBLISHED BY THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOli THE SECOND GEOLOGICAL SCEVEY.
Entered, for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the year 1881, according
to acts of Congress,
By WILLIAM A. INGHAM,
Secretary of the Bocu'd of Commissioners of Geological Survey,
In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.
Electrotyped and printed hy LANE S. HART, State Printer, HarrisPnrg, Pa.
Py G345/2.19/4 A2
Board Of Commissioners.
His Excellency, HENRY M. HOYT, Governor,
and ex-officio President of the Board, Harrisburg.
Akio Paedee, Hazleton.
William A. Ixgiiam, Pliiladelphia.
Hexey S. Eckeet, Reading.
Heney McCoemick, Harrisburg.
James Macfaelane, Towanda.
Joiix B. Peaese, - - - Pliiladelpliia.
Joseph Willcox, Pliiladelpliia.
Hon. Daniel J. Moeeell, Johnstown.
Louis W. Hall, - - - - Harrisburg.
Samuel Q. Beoivn-, - - - Pleasantville.
SECRETARY OF THE BOARD. William A. Ingham, Pliiladelpliia.
State Geologist.
Petee Lesley, -
Pliiladelphia
Assistant Geologists In 1880.
John F. Cabi.o; Oil regions: Pleasantville, Venango county.
Wm. G. Platt ; Jefferson county; 615 Walnut street, Philadelphia.
I. C. White; Susquehanna and Wayne counties; Morgantown, West Virginia.
R. II. Sanders ; Franklin county ; 907 Walnut str-eet, Philadelphia.
A. E. Lehman; South Mountains; 907 Walnut street, Philadelphia.
E. V. d'Invilliers ; Reading hills; 907 Walnut street, Philadeliihia. Franklin Platt; Anthracite Survey ; 615 Walnut street, Philadelphia.
O. A. Ashbdrner; Anthracite Survey; 907 Walnut street, Philadeljihia.
PI. Martyn Change ; Anthracite Survey ; 907 Walnut street, Philadelphia. Persifor Frazer; Chester county; 530 Walnut street, Philadelphia. Charles E. Hall ; Azoic belt ; 907 Walnut street, Philadelphia.
H. Carvill Lewis ; volunteer for the study of the surface deposits ; Germantown, Pennsylvania.
Andrew S. McCreath ; Chemist ; Laboratory 223 Market street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Dr. F. A. Genth ; Mineralogist; University of Pennsylvania, West Philadelphia.
Leo Lesquereux ; Fossil Botanist, Columbus, Ohio.
E. B. Harden: Topographer; 907 Walnut street, Philadelphia.
O. B. Harden; Draughtsman; 907 Walnut street, Philadelphia.
M. Chapman ; Aid ; 907 Walnut street, Philadelphia.
F. W. Forman ; Clerk in charge of Distribution of Reports, 223 Market .street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Preface.
At its last session the Legislature passed the following Joint Resolution :
Be it resolved, [the Senate concurring,) That the Board of Commissioners of the Cfeological Survey of the State be requested to cause a Survey and Examination of the Anthracite Coal Region to be made, paying special attention to the question of the rapid exhaustion of this most valuable deposit, more economy in the methods of mining, and the avoidance of the great waste and over production now threatening ruin to all interested in the trade, and to make a special report with reference to these subjects, and suggesting if possible a remedy for the evils above recited.
One of the subjects referred to the Board of Commissioners, that of over imodnction, has been happily solved by the agreement of all the parties interested to restrict production to the wants of the consumers. Others of these subjects, such as the rapid exhaustion of the coal, and greater economy in the methods of mining can onlj" be answered after a careful and exhaustive survey which is now in progress, and Avhich only requires a continuance of the appropriation to be completed as rapidly as can be done with due regard to accuracy. The snlqect of the AVaste in Mining and in the subsequent handling of the coal is answered by the Report herewith submitted. The result though long known to thoughtful and observant Mining Engineers is sufficiently appallins: when now for the first time laid before the public with the details on which the calculations are based. That not over one third of the coal lying in the ground can ever be brought to market, at least by our present methods of extraction and manipulation must seriously impair confidence in the soundness of those methods, and in
vi A. REPORT OF PROGRESS. FRATMKLIN PLATT.
the ultimate value of this peculiar inheritance of Pennsylvania. It is to l3e ho]jed that the progress of Engineeringscience and skill will do much to diminish if not entirely remove this source of loss.
Accompanying this Rexmrt will he found an Underground Contour Line Map of a portion of the Schuylkill Coal Fields in the vicinity of Mahanoy City. This Map has been prepared by Mr. Chas. A. Ashburner, who is now engaged on a branch of the Anthracite Survey which has si3ecial reference to the exhaustion of the coal. It is submitted herewith as a specimen of the plan adopted for the work, and as an illustration of the large amount of information which can be placed upon a Map without confusion or overcrowding.
With this Preface the Report on Anthracite Waste is respectfully submitted to the Legislature.
By order of the Board.
WM. A. INGHAM, Secretary.
615 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, December 31, ISSO. Prof. J. P. Lesley, State Geologist:
Dear Sir: About 1, 1880, I received your instructions to prejiare a report upon the Avastage in mining and preparing anthracite coal ; and also a notification that the report must be presented in time to alloAv of its being jirinted and published by January 1, 1881.
While the time allowed for this Avork was insufhcient to permit much original investigation, it aas possible to gatljer some information on these questions, and to apply this information to records of breaker AAmste kejit by some companies for periods jirevious to May 1. This has been done in eAery case Avhere such records Avere accessible.
The report explains sufficiently in its Avastage cha2iters Avhy a long continued and careful record at many breakers is needed for correct averages of AAaste.
Such records must embrace the different varieties of anthracite from the soft coal of the Lykens Valley bed to the hard and tough coal of the Mammoth bed at Hazleton ; the differing character of coal shijiiied, Avhether 6f large or small sizes ; the steei or flat diji of the coal bed, and the character of the roof and slate partings ; the size and purity of the coal bed ; and the jihysical structure of the coal, by AAdiich it shatters more or less in the breaker.
To properly answer such fully stated questions this AAmstage examination must be continued, using as a basis this jireliminary report.
As the rejAort is intended to be used by many persons Avho are entirely unfamiliar Avith the method of dejiosit of anthracite coal, as Avell as of the methods of mining and preparing it for market, three iireliminary chaiiters are given before treating of the statistics of Avastage.
The first chaiiter shoAAs Iioav anthracite coal lies in basins,
viii Al REPORT OF PROGRESS. FRANKLIK PLATT.
its method, of deposit requiring it to l)e worked at varying angles of dij), from vertical to horizontal, and indeed changing in the same colliery ; the iroportion that the beds of coal bear to each other in thickness, and to the thickness of the rocks separating them ; and the slate layers which overlie them, and which are also interleaved in the coal mass, separating a single coal bed into many benches of coal and slate. This chapter is illustrated by a cross section and vertical section.
The second chap) ter shows how anthracite coal is mined. This chapter is copiously illustrated, the subject being one which requires much illustration to bring it home to one entirely unfamiliar therewith. The entire chapter and the accompanying plates were furnished by J. Price Wetherill, Associate Engineer of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company.
The third chapter shows how anthracite coal is prejjared. A plate shows the construction of the breaker. This also is from Mr. Wetherill, having been made by him some years ago to illustrate a report of the Girard coal properties. It serves to show just what becomes of the load of coal and slate brought out in the mine car.
Having prepared the way to a proper understanding of processes and terms, the remaining chap)ters are devoted to the statistics of wastage at various stages from the time when the coal is lirst struck in the mine to the delivery of the prepared coal in cars for shipment to market.
Such an examination as this could not be carried on without the active aid of many p)ersons whose positions as mining engineers or as coal operators enable them to afford means of secairing exact figures concerning waste in mining and preparing.
The Survey is under special obligations to Mr. S. B. Whiting, Chief Engineer, and Mr. J. P. Wetherill, Associate Engineer of the P. & R. Coal and Iron Co. ; Mr. Israel W. Morris and Fred. Merciir, of the Lehigh Valley Coal Company; Mr. Jos. S. Harris, of the Lehigh and Wilkes- Barre Coal Company ; Col. Brown, of the Philadelphia Coal Co. ; the Messrs. Riley, Mining Engineers of Ashland ; Mr.
Lettek.
Al ix
E. B. Coxe, of Drifton ; Mr. Jones, Mine Inspector ; Messrs. Thos. McNair and Calvin Pardee, of Hazelton ; Mr. SnjMer, of the D. L. & W. RR., and many others.
I remain.
Your ob't serv't,
Franklin Platt.
Table Of Contexts.
Chapter 1.
Page.
How anthracite coal lies in the rocks, . . 1
Chapter 2.
How anthracite coal is mined, 5
Chapter 3.
How anthracite coal is prepared, 23
Chapter 4.
Waste in mining anthracite coal, 29
Chapter 5.
Waste in breaking anthracite coal in the Second Basin,
from Mahanoy to Trevorton at collieries — ... 49
No. 1, Colorado, 58
No. 2, Shenandoah, 60
No. 3, Lehigh, 61
No. 4, Packer, 63
No. 5, Continental, 65
No. 6, North Mahanoy, 66
No. 7, Mahanoy City, 69
No. 8, Elmwood, 71
No. 9, Ellangowan, 73
No. 10, West Shenandoah, 76
No. 11, Boston Run, 78
No. 12, Conner, 81
No. 13, Hammond Colliery, 83
No. 14, Preston No. 3, . 85
No. 15, Girard, 87
xii A. KEPOKT OF PROGRESS.
ERAKKLESr PLATT.
Page.
No. 16, Tunnel, 89
No. 17, Potts, 90
No. 18, Keystone, . . 92
No. 20, Mount Carmel Shaft, 9.7
No. 21, Burnside, 98
No. 22, North Franklin No. 2. 100
Chapter 6.
Waste in breaking anthracite coal in the First Basin from Pottsville to Lykens Valley at collieries —
No. 23, Pine Forest, 103
No. 24, Wadesville Shaft, 10.7
No. 25, Beecliwood, 107
No. 26, Mine Hill Gai, 109
No. 27, Pottsville Mine, HO
No. 28, Thomaston, 112
No. 29, Griendower, 113
No. 30, Otto, 115
No. 31, Phoenix Park No. 2, 117
No. 32, West Brookside, 118
No. 33, Lykens Valley Coal Co., 120
Chapter 7.
Waste in breaking anthracite coal in the Lehigh, Wyoming and Lackawanna Basins, 121
Test and comparison of old and new style rolls in L. &
W. B. Coal Co.'s breakers, Wyoming Division, 124
List of Illustrations.
Map of the Mahanoy and Shenandoah Coal Basin with two cross sections.
Plan of the Hammond Colliery Breaker.
Figure 1. Gangway without timber.
2. Gangway with single timber.
3. Gangway with Post and Bar.
4. Gangway with double timber, small size.
Contents.
A. xiii
Figs. 5, 6. Gangway with double timber, large size.
20. Vertical sections of the Mammoth coal bed.
Vertical section of coal bed at Colorado and Shenandoah. Vertical section at Lehigh and Packer Collieries.
Section 'showing Breast working. Sketcli showing Panel system of mining.
Cross section in the Southern Anthracite coal field of Pennsylvania.
/
ClIAPTEE I.
IIow Anthracite Coal lies in the rochs.
The Anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania occupy parts of the counties of Northumberland, Schuylkill, Carbon, Luzerne, and Lackawanna.
They are in four great subdivisions.
1. The First Great basin, including in this the whole basin from the Lehigh river to the Susquehanna river, passing through Tamaqua, Pottsville and on west to the. extreme west end of the Lykens Valley and Dauifiiin fields.
2. The Second Great basin, through Mahanoy and x\shland, westward to Shamokin and Trevorton.
3. The Lehigh Coal fields including the Hazleton, Jeddo, Black creek. Buck Mountain, &c., basins.
4. The Wyoming-Lacka wanna basin, from Nanticoke to Carbondale, being included in one great basin.
This quadruple subdivision will answer for general illustration, neglecting in the statement the numerous anticlinal and synclinal axes which subdivide these great basins into numerous small basins.
In addition to these fields named there is a small outhdng basin on McCauley's mountain, and also a small basin of semi-anthracite coal on the Loyalsock creek in Sullivan county. These however are very small and need not enter into the present computations or report.
liEFORT OF PROGRESS. FRANKLIX PLATT.
The tof-al area of the four anthracite fields is only about 480 square miles.
The reader Avill find appended to this report two cross sections of basins of the anthracite fields, and also a vertical section of the nieasnres.
The vertical section shows the nnniber and order of the coal beds ; how far they are separated from each other ; the character of the separating rocks which lie between the coals ; the size of the coal beds as compared to one another and also the total thickness of all the coal beds as compared with the total tiiickness of the rocks in wdiich they lie.
In chapter lY and in chapter Y there are some sections which show how the actual coal bed itself is constituted.
It is very rarely that a coal bed consists of pure coal from the roof to the floor. Usually there are seams and layers of interleaved slate or bone coal, as these sections show ; and there are numerous places Avhere one' or more of the subdivisions of coal, called benches, will be impure or "shelly" coal, or will run into a seam of worthless coal dirt.
In the Mammotli bed of the Mahanoy region the thickness of the coal is very great, running np to 60 feet, and in places the bone and slate are from 25 to 30 per cent, of the total thickness of the bed.
It is not intended here to go into the figures of bone and slate in the different coal beds, but to call attention to the fact that the percentage of bone and slate, shelly coal and dirt, all included under the head of refuse, varies not only in all the different coal beds, bnt varies in the same coal bed in different jAarts even of the same mine. In fact that such constant variation is the nafnral condition of the deposit and is to be always looked for.
This in an important factor in the AAmstage question, for coal is lost by sticking to the bone and slate : and the handling of this refuse adds materially to the cost of mining.
The cross sections show how the coal beds lie in the ground, in basin shape, ihterstratified Avitli the sandstones, slates and shales Avhich make np the coal measure rocks.
It is important that this matter should be clearly compre-
N
Method Of Deposit.
bended in order timt the reader may understand wliy tlie coal must be mined on the varying degrees of dip ; by shaft or slope ; below water level or above it.
A study of the cross section sliows this more clearly than words can describe it. The coal beds dipping in from the edge or rim of the basin plunge downward on a steex) slojie, flatten off to horizontality, roll over and over again, sometimes overturning on themselves and then rise out to daylight finally on the oxiposite side of the basin. In these various close folds it is not a matter of surprise that there is much worthless crushed coal in the seam, but that the amount of crushed coal is not verj much greater.
In some xiarts of the anthracite coal fields only the lower coal beds remain, those originally Ijdng above having been swexff away. In other parts the coal basins are very deexa,
and the coal at the center of the basin Avill be Avorked from
deep shafts, all of the coal beds being XM'esent, from the lowest to the uppermost coal beds of the vertical section.
The coal beds differ somewhat from each other in apxiearance, fracture, xihysical structure, chemical comxiositionand hardness ; and these differences determine the uses to which they are to be xnt, these uses ranging from the blast furnace or steamboat boiler down to house fuel. And this use determines a considerable XMH't of the Avastage ; for AAdiile the large sizes have little breaker loss, the coal AAdiich is for domestic use in small sizes makes a heavy xiercentage of loss in breaking, screening and loading before it reaches the market.
But AAdiile the coal beds of the Pennsylvania Anthracite basins differ somewhat from each other, yet they are all anthracite coal, or rather they vary from hard anthracite to semi-anthracite. This is the utmost range of variation in any of the four great basins already named.
In Sullivan county, Pennsylvania, there is a develoxied semi-anthracite coal bed, and 60 feet below it a semi-bituminous coal bed ; and in one case these Avarieties of coal are only 6 feet axiart. In Wales also the different varieties of coal, from anthracite onAAmrd through semi-bituminous to bituminous coal are found in the same coal field.
4 A2.
Eeport Of Progress. Franklik Platt.
Bat in tlie Pennsylvania antliracite of the four great basins all the coal found so far is anthracite.
Directly connected with the question of Avastage comes the amount of coal that remains for us to waste.
Various estimates, and widely different ones, have been made of the total amount of coal in the ground and what proportion thereof would reach market.
This volume is devoted to the qiiestion of Avhat is the wastage in mining and preparing coal. The next volume will continue the svdqect of wastage and at the same time deal Avith modilications and improvements in the present systems, as Avell as enter into the calculations of total yield aiid total loss.
Chapter II.
How Anthracite Goal is Mined.
The coal beds of the anthracite formation are over 30 in number, and vary in thickness from less than one inch n]> to 100 feet; they occur at all angles of inclination, but are seldom flat for any great extent. They contain, in various proportions, coal, slate, "bone," composed of alternating laminae of coal and slate, and an unsoliditied coal called dirt, (see sections of Fig. 20, ) a uniform seam of coal alone being rare. The thickness of the same seam is not constant over any extended area, and may vary greatly in quite short distances ; the sections of Pig. 20 are all from the same seam in different localities of the Middle and Southern Coal Fields.
The upi:)er walls are conglomerate, sandstone, or slate, the first two hard and solid in texture, and withstanding the action of the atmosphere and moisture of the mine sufficiently well to give but little trouble in the mining operations, while the latter crumbles rapidly on exposure, owing, in part, to the decomposition of iron pyrites, which it contains in large quantities, and, in part, to its own friable character, and requires constant care to avoid accidents to the men working below it, as well as to prevent its mixing with the coal mined. The floors are slate.
Seams less than to 4 feet thick are not now considered workable, but, without doubt, those as small as lo inches will be worked here to a profit, as they are in other countries, after the larger ones have l)een so nearly exhausted as to make coal higher in price.
As in all mining operations, the general S3steni ])ursiied is to reach, with a permanent outlet, such a point in the
An outline of anthracite coal mining ; by J. Price Wetherill ; a jaiper read before the American Institute of mining Engineers, at the October meeting of 1876, in Philadelihia ; rewritten by tlie author for this report.
6 Al
Report Of Progress. Franklin Platt.
seam as will insure an anionnt of coal above tlie level of that point tbat will be profitable to work, and all the winningoperations are carried on in that coal. By this means a natural drainage for the water is secured, and advantage is taken of the inclination of the seams to cause the coal to move b}" its own gravity wherever possilile. The aiuount of coal that can be prolitably worked is usually considered al)Out too yards on the pitch of the seam, and not less than three fourths of a mile on the strike of the seam ; this is called one "lift." In some cases it is advantageous to develop more than one lift with the outlet. Where two lifts are desired, the distance will be two hundred yards on the dip ; where three, 300 yards, etc.
The outlets are those passages l)y means of ivliich access is obtained to the point in the seam at wliich it is desired to begin miiung operations ; they may be of four kinds :
1. The drift, Avhich is a gallery or gangway driven from day in the seam, in the direction of the strike, and is only possilile where ravines or gaps have cut iiiountain ranges containing coal strata. As the mining operations generally begin as soon as the drift has beeii driven into the solid measures, and as coal is the softest of all the strata in the formation, this is the cheapest method of developing a colliery. Another economy is in the fact that no xmmpiRg or hoisting machinery is required.
2. The tunnel, Avhich is driven from day, at right angles to the strike of the measures, until the seam desired is reached.
Owing to the small cost at Avhich a mine may generally be ox)ened by either of these, most of the localities favorable for their adoiition were among the first developed, so tliat it is now almost always necessary to oxien a colliery by means of the folloAving :
3. The slope, A\diich is sunk in the seam in the direction of the dix) ; the coal is hoisted throngli it, by machinery, to day.
4. The shaft, Avhich is sunk Amrtically through the measures until the seam desired is reached.
AVhen the point desired is reached by the tnnnel, or sloxe,
Mining.
Al 7
or shaft, two gangways are driven, one on each side, in the seam, and in the direction of the strike, as nearly level as will admit of the water draining readily to the outlet, where it is conveyed by suitable appliances to day. The usual grade is 4 to 6 indies in 100 feet.
The gangways are driven night and day continuously, and all the coal mined for 100 yards above tlieni passes through them to the outlet.
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and G show the different sizes and form of timbering most generally in use in the Schuylkill region. Railroads are laid in them with T iron rails, 25 to 35 lbs. to the yard — the gauge varying from 3G to 48 inches, ivith the size of the seam and gangway.
The coal is loaded in the mine into mine cars, called "wagons," which run on the roads and contain from 75 to 120 cubic feet. They are of almost endless variety in size, form, and construction. '
Locomotives are preferred as the motive power in gangways, but as the exhaust-steam and gases produced by the furnace very seriously vitiate the air and complicate the ventilation, and there is great danger that the fire may cause explosions in mines producing fire-damp, their use is at present restricted to a few collieries possessing advantages in ventilation, and the motive-power is generally supplied by mules. I am not aware of any instance of the use of the moving rojies or chains used in England for that purpose, or of any case in which the plan has been tested ivith us. As soon as the gangways have reached points where mining operations can lie begun without endangering the stability of the outlet, the first breasts are started. They are excavations, or chambers in which the coal is mined, driven of a uniform width, at right angles to the strike, or directly up the pitch for 80 to 90 yards. A pillar of solid coal is left on each side of every breast, and running its entire length, to give solidity to the work, and. prevent a general crushing down of the top. The breasts are. turned as fast as room is made for them on the gangway, and when the first is finished the men are moved forward to a new one.
This is the ordinary breast and pillar or x>ost and stall
8 Al
Report Of Progress. Franklust Platt.
metliod of working, wliicli was found to be undesirable abroad and abandoned in many localities for methods secnring a greater saving of coal.
Figs. 7 and 8 show the arrangement of breasts, being a sectional view and plan on the plane of the seam.
The sliaded portions indicate those from which the coal has been removed. B is the breast, P the ihllar, A is a solid block of coal, called a "stump," left to sustain the great weight that Avonld come on the gangway timbers if the breast were opened the fidl width frotn the gangway ; the two small openings aa' answering every purpose as passages for the coal mined above to the wagon on the gangway, and for the men to get to and from the lireast. They are called shntes, and are driven 4 feet high, 4 to 6 feet wide, timbered with 6-inch timl)er, and are given, where possible, an inclination that will permit the coal to descend by its own gravity to the wagons on the gangway. They are provided with a projecting apron that reaches out over the wagon, and a gate by which the coal can be held back until it is required.
In steep-pitching seams the coal mined at the face of the breast falls to the shute, and through it into the wagon by its own weight, is hauled to the outlet, and thence to day, and is never handled at all in the process of mining. The headings marked c are small passages 4 to G feet wide, 6 feet high, driven continuously like the gangways, and used for purposes of ventilation ; tlie dotted line across each breast shows its upper side previous to the removal of the coal aud the opening of the lu'east. The breast-headings cl are also used for ventilation alone.
Figs. 9, 10, and 11 show the details of a shute and breast. A is the stump and P the pillar. The floor is laid with twoinch plank, and where the x>itch requires it is covered with sheet-iron to allow the coal to slide over it more readily. C is the " battery"-prop ; the entire shute being closed with plank, except an opening to allow the coal to pass through, which stopping is called the "battery."
Where the top rock is strong, it will not break down until there has been a great deal of coal excavated beneath it ;
Mining.
Al 9
but when it does start, the crusli is much greater than it is where the top is weak and falls in short distances, before large excavations are made, tilling up the vacant spaces with masses of rock, which act as supports. In the former case it may happen that the pressure will be so severe as to crush the coal when it is left standing for some distance, into the solid ; a coal support, therefore, that is intended to continue a crush within certain limits, will retpiire to be stronger where the top rock is strong, than it will Avhere this is weak.
As the gangways are the only channels for the coal to the outlet, they must be kept open at all hazards ; and where the top is strong, the "stumps" or coal supports along them (A Fig. 8) should be as large as economy will allow ; say 10 to 15 yards ; when the toji is weak they may be only 7 to 10 yards.
The character of the top generally requires the breasts to be timbered (single timber or props, 6 inches diameter, being used), and where the j)itch is great, the labor of conveying this timber from the gangway to the face of the breast, which must be done bjhand, will limit the length of breast to that distance beyond which it would be too costly an operation. On the other hand, when the pitch is so slight that the cost of carrying tindier is much reduced, the coal mined must be pushed or "buggied" from the face of the breast to the gangway, as it will not descend by gravity, and the cost of this will limit the distance to which breasts may be profitably driveni The length of breast in pitching seams found most convenient is about 80 yards, shutes included, but this is sometimes slightly varied.
The width of breast varies with the nature of the top and bottom ; the stronger the top the Avider the breast, but they are never driven less than 6, or more than 12 yards wide.
This statement apparently does not agree with the one above, that the stronger the top, the stronger should be the coal supports ; but the two cases are not similar. A breast need be kept open only Avhile the coal is being mined in it, and when that is exhausted, it is of no further use, Avhile a gangway must be kept open as long as any coal can l)e mined above it, and the distinction drawn is between a tern-
10 A. Kepokt Oe Phoghess. Franklin Platt.
porary and a permanent security. Another difference is, that when the topis bad and liable to fall in short distances, portions of the rock or slate may fall and mix with the coal mined in the breast, causing serious trouble to separate again ; therefore, in the case of the breast, the excavations must be smaller, as compared with the strength of the support, tlian when the toj) is strong ; while in the case of the gangway, the liability of the top to fall in short distances relieves the weiglit, and the coal supports need not be so large as where the top is strong.
Breasts are worked by the miners under eitlier of two arratigements, according to the requirements of the seam :
1. "By the run," as it is called, where they receive a sum per lineal yard for driving a breast of a specified width, it being the duty of the mine boss to see that the proper width is maintained.
2. "By tlie wagon," where they receive a sum per wagon for properly cleaned coal, the width of lireast and lineal distance not entering into the account.
Breasts are worked under the first arrangement only where tlie pitch is so great that the men working them cannot keep np to the face of the work without supports, or, in other words, where the pitch exceeds 40°.
Breasts worked l)y the run may be opened in several ways ; the most commonly used are illustrated in Figs. 12 to 19 inclusive.
In the plan shown in Fig. 13 which is the one most frequently used, four strong ju'ops (of 8-inch timlier) are set at a a and a just above the stumj). Against these, two log batteries (h /i),are built, in each of Avhich an opening is left that will ])erniit large lumps to pass through freely, say four feet square. The miner then starts his work, and the coal cut is allowed to fill the space excavated, just enough lieing drawn from the shntes to leave room at tlie face for Inm to work. It is, however, necessary to provide means l)y which air shall be sniijfiied across the face of the breast, and this is done by keeping a small opening on each side of the breast, marked I), so that the air may ascend on one side, cross the face, and descend on the other. The arrows
Mining.
Al 11
indicate the course of the air. Tliese openings are called manways, and are timbered in the manner shown, l)eing made as near air-tight as possible, with 2-inch idank nailed against the upper side of the timbers. It will be observed that each timber is notched into the pillar to keep it in place. These tiin tiers are called "jugglers," and are set four, live, or six feet apart, as may be most convenient for the men in carrying up the planks.
As the driving of the breast progresses, the manways are constructed, and should never be allowed to be more than six feet from the face. The great body of the coal is retained in the space marked "loose coal," until the distance is reached to which it may be desired to drive the breast, in order that the men may have a snxiport to keep them np to the face on which they ivork. After that distance is reached, the coal is drawn from the openings in the log batteries b, until it is exhausted. It will be observed in this method that in case any accident should happen l)y which one of the manways in a breast should be obstructed so as to prevent or very nincli lessen the circulation of the air at that point, all the breasts inside of it would be deprived of ventilation until it ivas repaired. This, in seams making much hre-damx), ivould be a most serious delay, and the xilan shoivn in Fig. 15 is used to overcome this defect.
The breasts are started w-ith only one shnte, which is in the center, instead of two, one in each side. At the heading, three strong jiroxis {a) are set to sustain a log liattery, which may have one or two ojienings to draw' the co<11 from, as may be desired. The breast is gradually ividened in the manner shown, until the full wddth is reached, the manways D being timbered and xilanked as in Fig. 13. At the center of the three xirojis, a stopping is ])nt in wdiich turns the air up into the inside mainvay, and it is carried across the face and doivn the outside one, as shown by the arrow's.
Should any accident obstruct either of them by oxiening the stopxiing a across the heading, thelireast can be isolated and the current jiass on to the next one, until the damage is repaired. The two manways D are made to diverge from
12 Al EEPORT OF PROGRESS. ERANKLIJT PLATT.
a single sliute, in order that the excess of loose coal over that necessary to keej the men at the face may all be delivered at the bottom, through them into it if necessary. It is necessar} to draw the excess of coal from tlie manways, instead of the breasts, when the to) or bottom is bad, or both, because — 1st, the jugglers being notched into a soft material, are liable to'become nnseated by the moving mass of coal, and as it is necessary that the excess should be removed every day as fast as it is made, repairs would be required to the manways daily, and this Avhile the miners were at work in the breast. 2d, there is less liability for the moving mass of coal to rub off or dislodge portions of the top or bottom if the mass of coal lies perfectly quiet until the breast is finished, and then is draAvn out as rapidly as possible, than there is if it is moved a little each day ; and should the jugglers become unseated after the breast is finished, and the men are out of it, no difficulty arises, as ventilation is no longer required in the breast.
As the coal shiite is ahvays more or less full of coal, a smaller shute is driven from the gangway to the heading between each two breasts, and is used by the men working as a traveling Avay both to and from their Avork.
Fig. 14 shows a plan in Avliich an additional stump A' is left to keep open the heading AAdiich is continued across the breast. The stopping a in the heading opposite the center of the breast, if removed, Avould isolate the breast in case of accident as aboA-e. As this coal can all be taken eventually, there is no loss in pursuing this course.
Figs. 16 and 17 show a system pursued in thick seams sometimes, Avhere large quantities of gas are made. I have shoAvn thegangAAmy as driven against the top, Avhich is sometimes done to give greater security to the gangAvay, and also in order on very steep pitches to allow the slinte to be at such a grade as Avill permit the cf)al to be under the control of the loader in its passage from the breast to the \Amgon. The main feature of the plan is an air course c, driven against the top above the gangAvay, and connected Avith the mauAvays EE, betAveen each breast, by the passages FF. When the breasts are in operation the air -course c, called a
Mining.
Al 13
"monkey gangway," is not used, the arrows in black indicating the course of the air ; but when it is necessary to repair one of the manways DD, the course is shown by dotted arrows. The great advantage it has is in securing a permanent return fertile air after the breasts are exhausted.
The coal made along the manways D may be drawn from the manways E. The main shute, marked "coal shute," is driven large (9 feet wide), and has a traveling way on one side to allow a man to attend to the drawing of the coal.
In many cases all the coal in excess of what is necessary to keep the men up to the face is drawn from the breast shutes, and not from the manways, in order — 1st, that the manways may not become obstructed ; 2d, that the coal in falling on steep pitches may not be broken. Where this coal is thus drawn, it is desirable to draw from a center shute, instead of two side shutes, as there is a tendency in the moving coal along the manways to unseat ihe jugglers, which may be partially overcome by driving a third coalshute between the two shown in Figs. 13 and 14, and drawing the excess of coal from it. This has a tendency to allow the coal along the manways and against the sides to remain at rest while the motion takes place down the center of the breast. In all places where the bottom is bad, and the breast requires to be emptied as soon after it is finished as possible, three shutes are a great advantage, as three times as much coal can be loaded from them in the same space of time as there can from one.
Figs. 18 and 19 show rather more in detail a modification of the same plan now very extensively used in the mammoth seam where it is of great thickness and steep pitch. As in the previous case, one shute between two breasts serves for the passage of men to both, but the ' ' slant shutes" as they are called diverge from it over to the breast manways at such a grade that any coal desired to be sent down the breast manways is not delivered into the main coal shute but into the shute between the breasts. The advantages are that when the loader is at work drawing coal from the battery, the manway coal coming down does not interfere with him, and the miners always have
14 Report Of Progress. Fraftkerst Platt.
free access to and from the breast even when coal is being drawn from the battery.
Under some conditions of seam working by the run, it is desirable not to make any juggled manways along the sides of the breast, but to drive a manway up the center of each pillar in the upper bench of the seam, as far as the breast extends, headings being driven every 16 yards into the breasts on each side of the x)illar. The headings are driven alternately one every 8 yards, the first into the breast on one side, and the second into the one on the other side, and so on — and ai'e driven near the top because the loose coal in tlie breasts will not cover them there as soon as if they were on the bottom, and the manways must be driven near the top because the headings are.
It will be seen that in all ilans of working by the run, there is no opportunity to leave in the breast any of the impnrities contained in the seam ; everything must be taken out with the coal. . As shown in the sections. Fig. 20, the amount of nnprofitable material necessary to move in some cases is excessive. As the breast must remain full of loose coal until it is driven to its destination, there is always a liability of portions of the top or bottom becoming detached and adding to the impurities, and in some cases these causes operate so seriously against working by the run that it is impossible to use the plan.
When the imjmrities are so great that they will fill up the space indicated in Figs. 12 to 19 inclusive, as being filled with loose coal, so as to keep the men up to the face of the breast, the good coal may be thrown down the man- Avays, and the breast worked in that Avay until it is finished. If there are not enough impurities to do this, breasts on steep pitches are worked "on batteries," as it is called, where the thickness of the seam is not so great that it cannot be timbered. When the seam is over 12 feet, and so impure that it cannot be worked by the run, it is now considered not workable, and must be abandoned until some imjirovement in our system of mining is made; seams of 12 feet and under 12 feet in thickness may be Avorked on batteries. Figs. 21 and 22 illustrate the course pursued. Roavs of
Mixing.
props of G to 8-incli tini.beitiire.set.acriiss _thg breast every 15 to 20 feet up the pitch as it progresses, and a few planks or laggings nailed on them, making a i:)platform on which the men stand to carry on rhe work. Two manways, here called shntes, are kept open, as in the former method, for ventilation ; bnt it is only necessary that the inside one, or the one delivering the air at the face, shonkl be made airtight. As the coal is mined it falls upon the platform, and the good coal is separated from the refuse and thrown down the shntes, the refuse being thrown into the breast, where it remains, occupy ing the space filled Avith loose coal in the previous figures, and is called the gob." Breasts Avorked " on batteries " are AA'orked by the AA-agon. Care must be exercised, as far as practicable, to keep the jugglers and planking covered AAdth the gob, in order that any falling portions from the top, or elseAvhere, may have the force of the bloAv deadened, so as not to break them down, AA'hich AAmuld not only obstruct the air, bnt also cause the impurities in the gob to mix A\dth Avhatever coal AAas in the shntes at the time.
Where the pitch of the seam is from 12° to 40°, breasts are Avorked in the same manner as on batteries, except that the platforms or batteries are not necessary, as the men can keep up to the face Avithont assistance. In all such breasts, the central space, filled Avith loose coal in Figs. 12 to 15 is used to retain the AAaste matter or gob, and the good coal is invariably sent doAvn the mauAA'ays. There is an unavoidable Avaste in the passage from the face of the breast, caused by the hnnps grinding together, Avhich Avonld be lessened if the maiiAvays could be kept full ; bnt this cannot be done, because it Avonld retard or obstruct the ventilation. The Avaste is not, hoAA'ever, as great as in the cases shoAvn above, Avhere the pitch is steeper. All breasts on these pitches are worked by the Avagon, the coal that is produced each day being removed at once, and a great advantage is thereby secured OAer breasts AAorked by the run, Avhere the coal cut must remain in the breast until it is finished, in fhat the liability of portions of the top or bottom to be detached and mix AA'ith the coal is entireh removed. On the other hand
16 Al EEPORT OF PROGRESS. PRANKLIK PLATT.
wagon work while il generally, ivins R larger percentage of the coal contained in a seam, costs more per ton than run work. Evein wmgon of coal taken from the mine mnst be paid for at a fixed rate, and the benefit arising from a free working breast wall largely accrue to the miner working in it, while in rnn work the coal in a breast if free, may after a few yards have been driven at a fixed rate start to rnn from the face and continne to do so, requiring no further driving and yielding as much coal as one driven its full distance, wdiich would obviously be to the advantage of the proprietor.
From 12° to 28° the shntes mnst have sheet-iron laid on the bottom, as the coal will not slide on the irregular floor of tlie seam, and on the lighter of these pitches, say from 12° to 18°, it must be pushed by hand down on the sheetiron.
Figs. 9, 10, and 11 show a breast worked by the wagon, on such a pitch as will allow the coal to run by its own weight to the gangwmy.
Figs. 27 and 28 show a method of working breasts where the vein is not large, the pitch light, and the top liable to fall. A shnte is driven from the gangway up the jdtcli as far as it is desired to work the coal, and timbered just as the gangAvay is timbered, excejt that it is not so large. As indicated in the drawing, , ndning is begun at the extreme end of this shnte, the breast being opened out full wddtli and w'orked backward towards the gang-ay. The advantage secured is that between the miner and the gangway there is always the timbered shnte as an outlet for himself and the coal he mines, wdiicli could not be maintained if the full width of breast Avere driven as in the preceding cases, owing to the bad top. Props of G to 8 inch timber are set close to the face of coal Avhich is being mined, and are sufficiently strong to lu'event the top breaking so close to the face as to injure the miner, while in the exhausted space it is allowed to fall at pleasure.
If the pitch Avere so steep that this fallen top would slide on the bottom doAvn to the face of coal on Avhich the men Avere at Avork, this j)lan could not be used, and the xhtch
Mining.
selected in the illustration is such as to require sheet-iron in the shnte, for the coal to pass over to the gangway.
From 6° to 12° of pitch, the breasts are Avorked Avith "buggies," which are small wagons running on a track, and pushed up to the face, loaded, and loAvered to the gangAAay, as required. They do not generally hold quite a ton, and sometimes only half a ton. The rails may be of iron or Avood, the latter being preferred in the steeper pitches, because there is greater friction betAveen it and the wheels, and the loaded buggy is easier to handle.
The coal is dumped on a platform, from Avhich it is loaded into the wagons on the gangway Avith shovels. Figs. 23 and 24 shoAV the arrangement. As much room is secured in the dump as the top Avill allow, in order that the platform may hold 9,s much, coal as possible without additional handling, so that the miners may be enabled to continue their work should any accident cause delay to the gangway wagons, and consequently prevent the removal of the coal on the platform for a few hours. Buggy breasts are ahvays driven Avitli single shnte, and the refuse throAvn to one side out of the AAay of the road.
When the pitch is flat to 6° the Avagons are taken directly into the face and loaded there. Such breasts are called Avagon breasts, and are turned Avith single shutes, not at right angles to the gangAvay, except where the pitch is flat. Figs. 25 and 26 sIioav the arrangement. In flat work the gangAvays frequently rise at quite steep grades, sometimes 2 to 4 degrees, and each breast is also usually driven at such a grade as Avill permit the loaded wagon to descend by gravity, so that after it has been hauled empty to the face it is not necessary for the driver to return with a mule for it, thus saving time and labor. An advantage in overcoming these grades is obviously gained by turning the breasts toAvards the outlet, as shoAvn in the figure, instead of away from it, Avhich would appear to be the most natural direction for them to take.
Where the top is bad, the road is laid along one of the pillars to gain greater security, and the refuse or gob matter is throAvn to one side, out of the Avay of the road.
18 A. Report Of Progress. Frankli? Plait.
Wagon breasts are frequently driven to mnch greater distances than any of the others, as the objections to doing SO that were valid in their cases do not exist here, the timbers being handed in in the wagons, and the coal hauled out.
Although many plans of working l)reasts are followed, I think those here shown will give the most common ones, as well as those most pi'oh table, and the variations are not essential. I have imrposely left out the method called "panel workings," as it is yet but an experiment, and has not been adopted in practice with ns.
It is usually customary to open and work the breasts on the gangways as they are driven, so that shortly after the gangway has reached the point to which it is desired to drive it, the breasts are all hnished. Whatever coal it may be possible to obtain from the pillars is tlien taken out, beginning with the last breast and robbing out to the outlet. It frequently occurs that this system of working out the breasts as the gangways progress, so weakens the supports to the top as to bring on very serious crushes. Sometimes it is possible to meet this difficulty by setting new timbers in the gangways, but in some cases the gangways have been abandoned at serious loss. Benefiting by an experience so gained, there are collieries in which the gangways are first driven to the limit before any breasts are opened ; then work is begun at the inside of the gangway, as many breasts being worked at a time as the capacity of the preparing apparatus reqiiires ; say, where two gangways only are driven, 10 to 15 breasts in each, and the pillars are robbed there, and all the coal obtained that is possible before opening breasts in another section.
As the gangways, shutes and headings, or "narrow work," as they are called in general, do not pay lor the expense of driving, such an operation requires a large outlay of capital before any return is obtained.
In order to secure these advantages without so great an investment in narrow work, Mr. Jno. Veith, General Inspector of Mines for the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Co., proposed to increase the length of gangway
Mining.
Al 19
stump to such a size as would insure the security of the gangway, and at the same time permit both the breast and pillar coal to be taken out as the gangway advances. In order to jirevent any extraordinarily heavy crush affecting the gangway and working breasts, barrier pillars .0(1 yards wide are left at intervals of 200 yards along the gangway. The plan has been in use for over two years, and gives excellent results. Where formerly the standard length of gangway stumps was 10 yards, it is now from 15 to 20.
Gangways are driven as far as economical working will allow, or until some natural boundar} such as an anticlinal or synclinal axis, where the seam is in fault, is reached, or a fault too large to drive through profitably. The limit to which a gangway may be driven will depend more upon the condition and size of the seam, and the character of its upper walls than upon the mere distance to move the coal. In other words, the cost of keeping open a gangway will limit the distance to which it may be driven, natural boundaries excluded. Where seams are thin, and contain strong coal to keep gangway stumps intact, with good slate or rock top, the cost of repairs necessary to keji gangways open will not be large, and they may be driven for two, or even three miles profitably. But in large seams, even under the most favorable circumstances, one to one and a half miles will be all that can be maintained with advantage, and where the conditions are unfavorable, half a mile will be ample. Since the coal lands have become the property of large and wealthy companies, much of the evil that necessarily arises from property restrictions on the natural location and extent of collieries has been done away with, and improvements are now perpetuated by giving them all the coal within their natural scope, irrespective of propei-tj limits. The tendency therefore is to diminish the number of collieries hitherto in operation, and increase the capacity of those advantageously located ; and greater lengths of gangways, improved methods of keeping them open, and increased facilities for mining coal to greater distances, are among the requirements of the future.
It sometimes happens that it is desired to locate the lower
20 Report Of Progress. Fratklin Platt.
terminus of the outlet at such a level as will give two or more lifts above it, or the dip of the seam may become so much flatter as, in the same vertical height, to give much greater length of breast on the dip. Assuming the dip at the outlet to be 60°, and that in one of the gangways it flattens to 30°, the length of lift which was 100 yards at 60° will be obviously very much increased beyond the distance that can be irofitably worked from the gangway. Under these circumstances it is customary to lay tracks in one of the breasts after it is finished, and convert it into an inclined plane which is operated by gravity, the loaded wagon hoisting the empty one, — all the machinery consisting of a drum, on and off which the ropes are wound, and a brake to regulate the speed. Gangways are driven from the top of the plane, similar to those described above, and the same course of mining is pursued. The steeliest inclination I have known a gravity plane operated on is 41° (although with competent brake there is no reason why this should not be iucreased,) and the slightest is 5°.
In cases where the pitch is too steep for a plane, or where the expense of one is pot desired, the coal from the upper gangway is dumped into an empty breast and loaded therefrom into wagons on the gangway below. Such a breast is called a " counter-shute," and the upper gangway a "counter-gangway." As there is no provision in the counter-shute plan for getting the timbers necessary up from the lower gangway, they are sometimes put off the wagons on the outlet (if a slope) at that level, and if this cannot be done must be either lowered from the surface or hoisted from the bottom level by hand. Where the dip is not so steep that it will take harm from the speed at which it travels, it may be allowed to slide down an airway or some suitable opening ; or if the dip is too steep, a small plane with 2i to 3 feet guage may be laid in the opening, and the timber lowered by gravity on trucks made for the purpose. Where neither of these appliances are used, the timber and rails must be either hoisted by hand with a windlass, or carried by men up to the counter-gangways, and the wagons also must be taken to pieces and carried up, all
Mining.
Al 21
of which adds to the cost of the counter coal, besides tlie unavoidable waste there is from the tendency to grind into dust in the jiassage from one gangway to the other in the shute. The latter evil is in part obviated by keex)ing the shute constantly full, so that the velocity and consequent loss of the moving mass is reduced to a minimum.
It will be observed that in the system of mining xiursued with us, the direction of the "cleat" or "slqis" does not influence the course in which the breasts are driven — as it does in bituminous coal mining ; and the reason is that our steep angles of inclination do not admit of any variation of the rule laid down above in working breasts, within any jiracticable limit of economy. Furthermore, as anthracite is so hard as to require the use of powder, in almost every case the benefit derived from the cleat is not as great as in softer coals requiring little, if any, blasting. However, our miners always take what advantage they can in locating and charging their shots with reference to it.
When the gangways have been robbed back to within as close a distance to the outlet as is deemed safe for its stability, the work is finished at that level, and the gangways need not be kept oj)en unless they are to be used as water or air courses. It was considered formerly desirable to keep the water produced at each level at that level, and not permit it to go lower, making thereby less work for the immping apparatus to do ; and it was therefore generally necessary to keep old gangways open as water-courses, where iiossible. It has now been determined by experience that in thick seams the amount of coal lost in the endeavor to keej) up water at different levels, which is not successful for more than a very few years, is an unnecessary and extravagant waste at all levels exceit the water level, and it is no longer attempted.
After the one or two lifts (as the case may be) that have been developed by the outlet are exhausted, it is continued to another lift, or more, as may be desired, when the same course of mining is pursued.
Fig. 31 is a plan on the plane of a seam, and shows the method pursued in sinking the outlet (assumed to be a slope)
22 Al REPORT OF PROGRESS. FRANKLIN PLATT.
for new develoinnents, witli regard to tlie amount of coal left to sustain the old level and the ground taken for the new.
Very generally over and under lying seams are developed and worked by tunneling from the seam on which tlie outlet is located.
The dimensions of tunnels in use by the Philadelphia & Reading Coal and Iron Co., are given in Figs. 29 and 30.
Unless the distances are unusually great, these tunnels are driven by hand, as air-compressing machinery necessary to drive rock-drills is not generally used at the collieries for other purposes, and the expense of iiutting it up for tunneling alone would so much increase the cost of the work as to overbalance the advantage in time saved.
I desire in conclusion to acknowledge with thanks the advice and assistance of Mr. Thos. Doyle, Assistant Mine Inspector of the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Co., in the original preparation, and of Mr. Jno. Veith, General Mine Inspector of the same company in the present reproduction of this sketch on coal mining.
ClIAPTEH III.
How Anthracite Coal is Prepared.
Anthracite coal, before being-shipped to market, passes through a "breaker." An illustration, showing the breaker of the Hammond Colliery, is appended to tliis volume. This j)late, and the description below, are taken from the report of H. S. Thompson. Mining Engineer of the Girard Estate.
Coal, as it comes from the mines, is of all sizes mixed together, from lumps of one ton in weight down to fine powder, and carries with it harder impurities, such as slate, and rock, which generally occur in seams of coal and cannot conveniently be retained in the mine, also varying in size from minute particles to slabs weighing nearly a ton.
Coal so finely broken as to pass through a screen mesh three eighths of an inch square is usually called "dirt," and is, at present, largely a waste product. It occurs quite often in the seam as dirt, but is more largely produced by the crushing of the coal, during the process of mining, handling, and transporting.
The purposes for which a breaker is inquired, are : —
First. To separate the dirt, slate, "bone," and rock, from the coal.
Second. To separate small coals of different sizes from each other.
Third. To break down such pieces as are too large, into suitable sizes.
And it is desirable that these requirements should be fulfilled with as little cost of handling and waste of coal as possible.
At the Hammond Colliery the product of the mine is raised through the slope in small cars, called wagons, which run by gravity from the head of the slope to the breaker
tips or dumps, two in number, A. A., where they are dump-
24 Al JlErORT OF PROGRESS. FRANKLIN- PLATT.
ed and emptied in the manner shown. The empty wagons are pushed l)ack by hand to the foot of the automatic plane B., by whicli they are raised to a height sufficient to allow them to return by gravityto the head of the sloiie.
The mixed coal, slate, and dirt taken from the mine enters the "dumj) shnte," C. C., and reaches first the "main dump shnte bars," C, which are narrow cast iron bars, so set as to allow a space of two and a half inches between each two of them. Most of the material small enough to do so, passes through these bars to the dump shnte "hopper" D., from which it is fed into the counter screens, E E., one on each side, with their supplementary screens, Eb Eb, and E. E. All breaker screens are circular, revolving and slightly inclined away from the end at which the material to be screened is allowed to enter, so that whatever will not pass through the meshes, descends gradually, as the screen revolves, to the other extremity and drops out. They are divided into as many compartments, called "segments," as required ; and covered with wire meshes of different sized openings. The smaller mesh, being placed next to the end at which material is fed into the screen, extracts the dirt and allows all larger sizes to pass to the next segment, which extracts the next size, and so on.
In the counter screens, E. E., the first segments extract all smaller than, and including, the chestnut coal. The pea coal and chestnut coal are separated from the dirt in the supplementary screens, Eb Eb The other segments separate the large and small stove from the egg coal and larger pieces, which pass out at the ends of the screens, while the stove coals are again cleaned of smaller particles and hat slates in the supplementary screens, E. E.
The dirt from all these screens jiasses down the counter dirt shnte, D®., and is hauled away on the tramway, Z., across the wrestling, Y. Y., to the dirt bank, in small cars, which may be tipped on either side, called "dumpers."
The slate and bone separated from this coal in part by the so-called slate picker screens, and in part by hand jiicking, containing a considerable quantity of good coal mixed with or adhering to it, is collected in the slate picker hopper.
THE AiSTTHEACITE BREAKER.
Al 25
D., from which it is taken along the tramway, Z\, to the boiler tires, and used as fuel.
When it leaves the counter screens the coal descends, by its own weight, along narrow troughs, F. F., called "telegraphs," the hand picking being done by men and boys at convenient places along them, and is distribuetd thus : — the pea and chestnut to the main pea and chestnut coal screens, Lk Lk Lk, the large and small stove to the main screens, L. L., and the egg and broken to the prepared coal rollers, Kk
As the counter screen material is usually wet, and the dirt adheres to it, this second screening is necessary in order to clean it properly. This completes the distribution of that portion of the wagon contents which passes through the two and a half inch openings between the bars, Ck Ck, which is only the smaller sizes from egg down, with such of the larger thin slabs of coal as may turn edgewise and pass through the bars.
That portion of the wagon contents which passes over the bars, Ck Ck , goes to the steamboat bars, C., (on its way down to the dump shute), which are set four and a half inches apart. All that passes through the bars, Ck, goes' to the bars Ck, set two and a half inches apart, through which all below, and including, the egg coal passes to the dirt screens E®., where the dirt is separated from it, the coal going to the prepared coal roller, Kk, and main screens, L. L., while the dirt goes into the hopper, D., and thence to D.
In this process coal that should have passed through the bars Ck, but has been crowded over them, is separated in the dump shute, C. C., by bars Ck, and is removed and distributed as described. That portion which passes over the bars C*., goes to the principal steftnboat bars, C., where it Joins the coal from the steamboat roller, K. The remainder of the Avagon contents goes down the dump shute to the platform bars, Ck, and contains nothing smaller than lump coal. The platform bars are set nine inches apart, and that portion which passes over them goes to the first platform, H., where such of the lumps as are suitable are pushed into the lump coal shute, I., and the slate and rock into the rock
i:poet of progress, franklin platt.
shntes, P. P., on either side. Here also snch of tlie lumps as have streaks of slate or bone through them are broken by hand and the impurities ren'ioved. All that is not suitable for lump coal is thrown down a hole in the platform to the second platform, Hh, wdiere it joins that which passes through the bars, C®. Here the slate is carefully picked out again l)y hand and sent down the rock shntes, P. Ih, to the point, P., where it is loaded into dumpers, and hauled to the dirt or rock bank.
The lump coal j)asses down the lump coal shute, I. I., to tlie point, H, Avhere it reaches such a level as will allow it to be loaded into the railroad cars for market. After the slate has been removed at H., the coal is thrown down a hole in the platform to the steamboat rollers, K. These rollers are cast iron cylinders, with large strong teeth, which revolve towards each other at a speed of from ninety to one hundred and twenty revolutions per minute, and the coal dropping between them is l)roken into pieces of various sizes. The two rollers are set so near together that none of these pieces shall be larger than steamlmat coal. The coal passes from the roller, K,, to the principal steamboat bars, Cb, set 'four and a half inches apart, and all that will not go through thSm is steandoat coal, and goes to the steamboat shute, G., whence it is loaded into tlie railroad cars at Gb, in the same manner as is done with the lump coal at P., the same track answering for both. That coal which passes through the steamboat bars. O'*., goes to the prepared coal rollers, Kb, which are similar to the steamboat rollers except that they have smaller teeth, and are set nearer together so that they produce no coal larger than broken. From these rollers the coal enters the main screens, L. L., which are similar in construction to the counter screens described above, except that they are larger. The dirt and pea and cliestnut coals are taken out in the first three segments, and go together to tlie pea and chestnut screens. Lb Lb Lb, which are double screens having a surroniiding mesh, outside tlie screen, called a "jacket." All but the chestnut coal passes through the inner screen, the chestnut dropping out at the end, and the dirt passes through the
The Ainttiiracite Breaker.
jacket, while the jea coal drops out at the end of the jacket. The dirt drops into the dirt hooper, D, and is hauled to the dirt banks ; the pea goes to the pea coal l)ins, N®., and the chestnut to the chestnut coal bins, without further pre])aration.
The next segment in each main screen separates the small stove, the next the large stove, the next the egg, and the broken coal falls out at the end.
All the coal but the broken, passes, each size separately, over short "dusting bars," Mb, set three eighths of an inch apart, which remove the dirt made by attrition in the screens, and thence over the picking doors, M. M., which are so inclined that the coal slides over them by gravity, each in its own compartment.
These compartments are —
M®. M®., small stove picking comj)artnient.
M. M.. large " " "
M®. M®., egg "
M. M., broken . " "
Across the picking door, seats, M®. M®., are placed, which are slightly elevated above them so that the boys who pick the slate sit above the coal and separate the slate from it by hand as it passes them on its way to the bins. The slate picked out by the boys is collected in the slate shutes, M. Mb, and carried by hand to the dirt hopier,
The bins, N. N., are divided into compartments for each size of coal, Nb ISTb,. being the broken coal bins ; Nb N"., the egg coal bins ; Nb Nb, the large stove coal bins ; Nb N'*., the small stove coal bins ; Nb Nb, the chestnut coal bins ; N®. Nb, the pea coal bins ; N., the buckwheat coal bin. When it is desired to load this coal into the railroad cars, they are run down under the breaker to the gates, O. O., communicating with each bin, the car loaders using the platform P., for convenience in walking from bin to bin. Below each of the gates, O., is a short set of bars over which the coal passes on its way into the cars, called the " lip screens," which take from each size all particles smaller than it, as well as the dirt caused by attrition in the bins. There are also similar bars at the lump and steamboat loading points.
28 Al REPOKT OF PROGRESS- FRANKLIN PLATT.
P. and All this ''loading cliippings" and "dirt," as it is called, are brought to the hoiiperof the elevators, R. R., the lump coal cliippings by means of the swinging trough, S. ; the steamboat cliippings by a trough not seen in the drawing, and the dirt from the lip screens, at O. O., by wheelbarrows. It is then all elevated by the elevators, R. R., and carried horizontally by the chain carriers, T. T., to the bars, V. That which iiasses over the bars goes to the so-called " monkey rollers," K, ivliich are similar to the others described above, but smaller ; while that which jiasses through goes directly to the elevators, After passing through the monkey rollers, that jiortion goes also to the elevators, R. R., and all together are elevated to the buckwheat screen, W. All Init the dirt and buckwheat coal passes through this screen and goes to the main screen, L. The buckwheat passes through the screen and drops from the jacket to its proper bin, ISTb, while the dirt passes through the jacket and goes to the hopper, I).
This completes the distribution of all the coal. It will be observed that in all the operations advantage is taken of the elevation of the tips A. A. above the railroad tracks to cause the coal to pass from one process to the next, continnonsly, by gravity, and the elevations necessary to do this are reduced to a minimum by covering the shutes and traversing doors with sheet-iron, which soon becomes highly polished.
The machinery is all moved by the stationary engine, at K., Avith its belt and shaft connections.
Chapter IV.
Waste in Mining Anthracite Coal.
There is no possibility of arriving at an exact average waste percentage of coal lost in the mine in working anthracite coal.
For the percentage of mine waste in working the Mammoth bed when it is 45 feet thick, is very different from the mine waste in working the Wharton bed 8 feet thick, or the Lykens Valley bed 8 to 10 feet thick.
And there is an equally wide variation in working the same bed in two collieries, in one of which it lies horizontal and in another dips 60° to 70°.
The obstacles in the way of mining are thus briefly stated by Mr. Eckley B. Coxe.
"Before giving my ideas as to the proportion of coal obtained from any vein, I shall state some of the circumstances which influence the percentage of waste.
1. The thickness of the vein.
4. The amount and nature of the intercalated slate and bony coal.
5. The nature of the coal, as affecting the uses to which it is put and consequently the sizes in which it is used.
6. The nature of the coal as affecting its fracture and also the breaking machine.
7. The methods of working adopted.
8. The question of the cost of labor, timber, and transportation.
1. The thicker the vein after you xass 6 to 8 feet, the less the percentage of coal you get. In a small vein, with a good roof about two thirds can be taken out at once and most of the pillars can be gotten.
When the vein is thicker much larger pillars must be left,
30 Al r.EPOET OF PROGKESS. FRANKLIN PLATT.
tile breast must be arclied, and much larger quantities of coal must be left for gangwaiq slope, cliain, and other pillars.
2. If tle roof is good most of the coal in the breast can be gotten, but if it is bad part of the coal must be left to support it, and much coal is often lost by the roof falling and burying coal under it.
3. The steeper the pitch in general, the less the percentage of coal in the vein that can be gotten.
Ill flat places the breast can be kept regular, the coal can be well and carefully cleaned, much less amount of coal is needed to keep up gangway pillars, &c.
4. The purer the vein, that is the less slate and other impurities are in it, the less the waste. If for example a vein is all coal everything can be loaded out, but if twenty per cent, is slate there will be a large amount of coal left in the breast which is so intimately mixed with the slate that the miner cannot clean it, (of course in steep breasts where everything is loaded into t he mine cars the same difficulty occurs at the breaker,) mucli coal therefore is left attached to the slate, as a miner cannot be exiiected to spend eleven cents' worth of labor to get ten cents' worth of coal.
If the slate on the other hand breaks into large solid pieces parting from the coal, more coal will be gotten as the miner can separate it easily from the fine coal.
5. Where a coal, for example the Lykens valley anthracite, is used for such purposes as to render it salable only in egg and smaller sizes, there must under the circumstances be much greater waste than where, as in the Big vein of the Lehigh I'egion, the coal is largely used in the form of Lump, Steamboat and Broken. Moreover where coals are of good quality for generating steam, much smaller screens can be used in preparing the buckwheat coal and a larger percentage obtained.
6. Some coal breaks with much less waste than others, that is much less fine stuff is made, and some breakers, particularly the modern rolls with steel teeth and high speed, make much less waste than the old fashioned ones. Now as all collieries must break more or less to supply their trade, this is an important factor.
Waste In Mining.
Al 31
7. The more or less perfect systems of mining, and the taking advantage of all cliances, such as the leaving large pillars where the coal is poor, avoiding premature caving in, &c., &c. . having work enough opened ahead so that the robbing need not be begun too soon, &c., the leaving of sufficient pillars, bnt only where they are needed, &c., have a very important influence on the output.
8. The question of the waste is to a large extent dependent upon the cost of labor, timber and transiiortation and the price of coal, for the cheaper timber the more we can put in, the cheaper labor the more carefully we can work and the higher the price of coal and the lower that of transportation the greater the royalty and consequently the greater the amount of money we can afford to spend to save the coal.
There is another point to be remembered that all esti mates of coal extracted are l)ased upon railroad weights, and that all coal lost or stolen from the cars, between the colliery and the weigh scales goes to the account of waste in mining and breaking ; secondly the Railroad Companies formerly allowed five per cent, and now about three per cent, to make up for loss in transporting and shiiiping coal after it passed the weigh scales : thirdly generally no account has been kept of the coal used at the collieries for steam, &c., and for employes use ; all these items are thus charged to wastage.
With reference to general results at one of their collieries where a considerable area has been worked over, Mr. Coxe says :
"Roughly, upon excavation of a little less than 200 acres,
the shipments are over 2,000,000 tons,
with the vein not over 10 feet thick on the average.
"The vein is not all worked out in the 200 acres, but there are many breasts unfinished, and some parts unopened; and there is much coal to be robbed.
"The average yield is at least 10,000 tons per acre — oi 1000 tons per foot per acre ; or 1 ton at least for cubiq feet.
32 Al liEPOET OF PROGRESS. FRAKELIK PLATT.
"No deductions lia.ve been made for faults. The specific gravity of the coal is 1.6."
Mr. T. D. Jones, the Mine Inspector of the Lehigh region, gives the following figures as the percentage of coal in the ground now actually won out by collieries working the different coal beds named and on the differing dips :
Lehigh Region, . .
Vein worked,
. Mammoth, E.
Av. thick ness.
Inclination.
Per cent, won.
ti tt
Horizontal.
H it
tt tt
Vertical.
a a
. Wharton, D.
Horizontal.
n a
tt tt
tt tt
Vertical.
H ti
. Buck Mtn., B.
Horizontal.
tt tt
' tt tt
Vertical.
Nesquehoning, . .
. Primrose.
Vertical.
a
. Mammoth, E.
Vertical.
it it
Oo
Summit Hill, . . .
tt tt
Mr. Jones says: "It may be said by some that my estimates are too high, but, when we take into consideration the improved methods of mining of late years, and the care that is exercised to mine all the coal that is available, compared with the old mode of mining, ' take it where you can get it the easiest and cheapest,' it is not any too high, at least in my estimation."
The Mammoth coal bed is of unusual size where it is worked by the collieries of the Philadelphia Coal Company at Lost creek.
Concerning the mine waste, their superintendent. Col. Brown, says :
" Packer colliery is mined on the breast and pillar system, the vein and top being favorable. We estimated that the portion of the vein mined is about 60 per cent, of the whole seam — that is of the portion exhausted."
This is a good average for "breast and pillar" working on so large a vein, but everything in the vein is especially favorable to this system, for the vein is solid ; there is very little shelly coal ; the top coal forming the roof is strong ; while the pitch, 25° to 30°, suits the system of mining by
WASTE lA MINING.
Al 33
long breasts. Of tlie 40 per cent, lost, 30 per cent, represent the amount left in pillars, and 10 per cent, the top coal left in mine.
A larger percentage would come out of the mine il the top benches of coal, which are usually unmarketable, and contain more refuse than the rest of the vein, were not included in the measurement of thickness.
We mine by breasts 30 feet wide, leaving a pillar of about 25 feet between breasts, the breasts, according to pitch, being from 300 to 540 feet long.
When tlie breast is driven aii to the chain pillar, next to water level, Ave commence about half Avay up the breast and skij) (as it is called) the pillar, that is, take off aliout tAAm thirds of its thickness ; this is done frequently Avith a number of breasts before the top coal falls or the i)illars shoAv signs of squeezing, say
per cent.
When the top coal falls, if the roof slate does not fall in too lai'ge quantities, Ave frequently take out of the fallen breasts sufficient to about compensate for pillars left unskipped and for gangAvay pillars.
The foregoing summary of operations of the four collieries under my charge is based on approximations and data that I have collected during my connection AAuth the mining of coal in this region, and a long experience in mining south of the Broad Mountain.
With regard to the Panel System of Mining for working the Mammoth Vein, I Avould refer to an article published by me ia the Miners'' Journal of January 20, 1870, and also in the Miners' Journal Coal Statistical Kegister for 1870. The latter article describes the system thus (see accompanying Figures) ;
To AA'ork the Mammoth Vein Avhere it is of its usual thickness, and pitching at an angle of from 15° to 45°, after sinking the slope or shaft to the vein, open out the gangway or air courses on the plan at present adopted ; but instead of opening out a shute every eight or ten yards along tlie course of the gangAvay, I would recommend the driving up a manway, say at the proper thickness of iiillar, from sloiie 3 Al
34 Al REPOKT OF PllOGEESS. FPAXKLIX PLATT.
or shaft, (thickness to be according to soliditjof coal,) and at a distance of say fifty yards from this manway, drive np at right angles to the gangway, if the iitcli be under 45°, a shnte of from 6 to 15 feet wide, to the upper level or surface of the mine, and make this shnte the center of a panel of work, and at the distance of another fifty yards drive up another manway, completing the panel.
The center shnte to be made to run coal freely, so as to load coal from it with the smallest iwssible labor.
This shnte should have a traveling way alongside, so that the workmen can have easy access to their work, np and down by the shnte.
At right angles to this center shnte, right and left, small headings in the bottom bench of coal should be driven to the manway, beginning at the desired thickness of pillar between the gangway and the coal to be mined, say seven yards, and at every ten yards up this center shute drive similar headings parallel to the first, connecting tliem with the manway.
When all the headings are driven the j)anel is ready to commence mining from, and if skillful miners are employed no coal need be lost, excepting very small stumps of pillar next the shute.
To bring the coal out of these headings it would be advisable to lay a light road in them, and use a, buggy wagon holding about 1500 poiinds of coal ; this size of Avagon could be handled easily by one man.
To begin mining the miner would first open out at the end of his heading in breast fashion up to the surface or the level above ; and open Avide enough so that Avhen the coal Avas taken out the next fall by skip off the solid would bring doAvn the top, thus forming a sort of natural slope or shute for the next fall of coal to slide doAvn to Avhere the laborer could load it in safety into his buggy. The miners would alAAmys have a safe retreat into the heading when a fall of coal or rock Avas about to take place.
The labor of mining coal from a loose end Avould be very light, AAdiile the labor of loading the coal into the buggy and tipping it into the shute Avould be fully compensated by the
WASTE lAT 3riXIA"G.
A135
saving of expense in loading tlie coal from the main shnte in the gangway, instead of the usual plan now adopted of loading by hand.
After a ten years' trial of the panel I find that I can add very little to the description given above, except that in some of our collieries in this valley the conditions are such that the old breast and pillar plan can be adopted as the most economical plan for mining, and with fair results as to quantity taken out.
But I reassert that for raining the Mammoth Vein, on pitches varying from 15° to 35°, the panel sj'stem is by far the best that I have tried ; and where the coal is free, top rotten, and gas in the mine, it is the only plan by which over 60 per cent, of the vein can be mined with any degree of safety to workmen and certainty of keeping the mine from closing in.
The changes I have made in opening, while not altering the general plan of working, are as follows :
1. I use a blowing fan instead of a suction fan, finding better results and more certain ventilation while advancing the openings.
2. Instead of opening only a narrow passage between panels I open twin breasts about eight yards wide and a pillar five yards wide between, according to the solicit} of the coal; and between each pair leave a pillar of fifty yards and in some cases sixty yards wide.
3. After these twin breasts are driven up the intended distance, the small pillar is taken out, if the top will permit ; if not, we skip it until the top coal falls and so much of it as can be got at taken out of the breast.
4. While the gangways and twin breasts are being worked to the limit of boundary, a central shute 12 to 15 feet wide up on (if on a pitch greater than 30°) the bottom slate, see sketch C ; if on 25° pitch, on the bottom bench, 4 feet thick, see sketch B ; if the pitch is 15°, and not over 20°, then rise above the coal as in sketch A ; the object of this is that the coal may slide down over the coal bottom Avithout the use of sheet iron, and can be loaded Avith little expense as compared to hand loading.
36 Al llEPORT OF PROGRESS. FRANKLIN PLATT.
5. From these central sliutes we drive small gangways 7X9 leet, at right angles to theshntes at distances varying according to condition of vein, say 10 to 20 yards apart, dividing an hundred yard lift into 5 to 10 parts.
6. Tlie half arrows indicate the course of the air during the advance and opening of tlie panels, while the full arrow shows the course of air when the panels are beingworked home, although a portion of the air continues as shown by the double arrows traversing down into gangways and out by the slope or shaft.
7. What it costs to open the panel and buggy coal to sliutes is compensated liy the coal being more easy to mine requiring much less jiowder, timber and labor, than working coal from a solid face.
8. The cost of loading coal from the panel shute is less than a fourth of the cost of loading witli a shovel, this item alone equaling about 10 cents per ton of coal.
9. The increased portion that can be taken out of the vein is an item that will amount to more than first cost of collier}-, aiid Avill amply rejiay the operator for the additional cost of ojiening.
If the system of panels is properly begun and worked with a moderate degree of fully 80 per cent, of the panel coal can lie extracted ; ivliile a very large proportion of the refuse can be packed in the "goaf" or "gob " (the latter being the term in use here generally through this region.)
This packing the refuse in the mine is a large saving in handling and jireparation of coal, and is fully equal to 10 cents per ton.
After reviewing the foregoing pages and the accomiianying statements of the data obtained, I would add in conclusion that the four collieries named (Colorado, Shenandoali, Lehigh and Packer) are probably aliove the average for favorable conditions for mining, thongli the quantity of refuse coal and slate is perhaps greater than the average of collieries in this section of the coal region.
But for the solidity of coal they are unsurjiassed in this
Waste Mixing.
A2. 37
region, and are decidedly favorable for mining out a large portion of the vein.
Therefore the percentage of coal realized by us may seem not so large as might possibly be obtained, but I feel assured that it is about as great as we can secure, and that it is much greater than can possibly be taken out of veins that are free, with poor top and inclined to run, if worked by the breast and pillar plan.
I put down the following as my estimate for the quantity of marketable coal that can be mined from the mammoth bed in this section of the coal region. (Lost Creek, Schuyl-
Mammoth, pitch 60° to 80°, good top, worked by run, 70 per cent. " " 400 to 600, " " " 60 "
" ' " " " breast and pillar, 60 "
" " 200 to 400, " " 60 "
" " 150 to 350, panel system, 80 "
" " 600 to 800, poor top, coal shelly, 45 to 50 "
" " 200 to 400, " " 30 to 50 "
" " 150 to 350, panel sj-stem, and no
matter how the top is, ... . 80 "
The mammoth vein as mined with us (Lost Creek) will yield about 50 per cent, of the vein mined, when the whole section of vein is hauled out. If however only the bottom member of the vein is worked, the yield will be about 00 per cent, of the output.
When the whole vein is wrought the proportion of coal to refuse is as 05 to 35 ; of the 05 of coal about one fifth or 20 per cent, will make furnace coal, and 80 per cent., less a breaker waste of 15 per cent., will make prepared sizes in about the proportion given in statements concerning the collieries. (See Chap. V.)
Mr. S. M. Riley, Mining Engineer, of Ashland, Penn' a, sends the following statistics of coal actually won c)ut and sent to market by a colliery on the Mammoth coal bed in the Ashland region
"I have prepared, as carefully as I could, a statement of the waste in the mining and preparation of coal at the Locust Run colliery.
"This colliery is on lands of the Locust Mountain Coal
38 A. Eeport Of Progress. , Franklin Platt.
Company, near Ashland, Penn' a, being on the south dip of the Mahanoy basin.
"The coal shipped from the colliery came almost exclusively from the Mammoth seam, having a dip ranging from 15° to 60°, and a thickness varying from 25 feet 6 inches to
13 feet 6 inches. The results were :
Length of slope in feet, 7£0
Length of territory worked, 7,500
Area of territory on dip, 7,195,970
Average thickness of seam, 19' 5"
Average thickness of coal, . 17 0
Percentage of refuse in seam, 12. 4
Cubic contents of seam in coal, 122,331,490
Tons of coal, allowing 27 cubic feet to 1 ton, . . . . 4,530,796
Adding tons of coal in the portion of Buck Mountain seam worked, total of coal in ground, . . . 4,688,436
Tons of coal sent to market, 1,498,807
Add 5 per cent, consumption at mines, . . 94,940
Total coal produced, 1,573,747
Percentage of waste 66.5
Percentage of coal, 33.5
This colliery has been quite exhaustively tvorked, and but a very slight quantity of coal can yet be taken from the lifrs already worked, and upon which the calculations have been made.
Mr. P. W. Sheafer, of Pottsville, who has had over 30 years of professional experience with the mining of anthracite coal and preparing it for market, makes the total coal reaching market only about one third of the coal in the ground. He says :
The fearful loss of good material involved in mining and preparing anthracite, as shown in the accompanying tables, though greatly to be deplored, seems to be almost inevitable. The disposition of the coal in large solid lieds, and in highly inclined positions, involves strong supports to keep the superincumbent mass from crushing and closing the avenues to the mines ; and these supports must consist of massive '[hllars of the solid coal itself. Wooden props, however ponderous and strong, can only be used for the minor supports. Some of this pillar coal is ultimately re-
Waste Ix Mixia'G.
Al 3D
moved, but much of it is inevitably lost, especiallj' in the large beds, Avhich frequently range from 20 to 40 feet in thickness, and are often inclined at an angle of from 40 to 70 degrees.
It is estimated that not more than 6G per cent, of the coal is ever taken out from the mines. That which is brought to the surface is now passed through a huge structure from 80 to 100 feet high, very appropriately called a "breaker," ingenious.slj" contrived for the destruction of coal. There are over 300 of these immense buildings in the anthracite region, costing on an average $50,000 each, or an aggregate of $15,000,000. To the top of these the coal is hoisted and then descends through a succession of rolls and screens, emerging at the bottom, in a series of assorted sizes, from huge blocks of lump coal to the unmerchantable dust, which forms a greviously large proportion of the whole. This process involves a loss of good coal, equal to 20 or 25 per cent, of the entire quantity mined. For the coal wasted in mining, say 40 per cent., and in preparing, 25 per cent, no one is paid ; it is a total loss to land owner, miner, and shipper.
Plans for utilizing the waste coal dirt, or culm of anthracite collieries have been frequently suggested, l)ut none have come into general use.
The anthracite fuel company, at Port Ewer, on the Hudson, in 1877, used 90 per cent, coal dust and 10 per cent, fuel pitch, and made 300 tons of fuel per day, consumingover 50,000 tons of culm. The Delaware and Hudson Company also use at their mines 00,000 tons per annum. They now ship all their coal down to pea sizes, and consume the culm in generating steam. If all our coal companies ivould follow this excellent example it would enable them to sell half a million tons more coal, and burn the same amount of refuse, thus earning or saving half a million dollars per annum, to add to their revenues.
The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company has recently introduced a method of burning coal dust in tlie furnaces of its engines and the plan appears to meet with success."
40 A. Repoet Of Progress. Franklijt Platt.
Those interested in the questions of the utilization of anthracite slack Avill find the subject discussed, in one of its phases, in Keport MM of the Second Geological Survey of Penna., page 382 et seq.
l\lr. Gay, Mine Inspector in Schnylkill county, in 1879, considers that 33 per cent, is too high for the proportion of coal actually won from Avorking the Mammoth vein in the Shenandoah-Girardville basins ; even 25 per cent, he considers too high.
The facts adduced by him to support these views are as follows
''That the accuracy of my statements should be as near correct as it is possible to attain, and that a fair average basis from Avhich to compute Avaste should be taken, I have selected tAvo collieries in the Shenandoah district, Avorking the Mammoth seam, Avliich seam, in this district, has an average thickness of 35 feet, the angle varying from (45°) forty-five to (60°) sixty degrees.
" These collieries iiave not been selected as not having been Avorked as economically as some others, or that the proportion of coal recovered is not equal in proportion to the area of territory Avorked out. I have no hesitation in stating that both mines have been as skillfully and economically conducted as any of the mines of the district, and are fair criteiions to be governed by in the collection of data from Avliich to make calculations _of waste. The enormous loss is not contined to any particular colliery, but extends throughout the coal fields, Avherever the Mammoth seam is Avorked.
"Tlie district selected comprises the greater jiart of the Mahanoy and Shenandoah basins, extending from the Mahanoy tunnel, on the east, to Girardville, on the Avest, a distance or length of eight miles, and having a mean lu'earth of tAvo miles, and area of sixteen square miles, or of total area of the antliracite coal field of Pennsylvania.
"In my calculations I have assumed the thickness of seam at thirty-five feet, deducting therefrom ten feet for
Report of Inspectors of Mines, Anthracite Regions, 1879, page 21.
WASTE lA riXIA''G.
A". 41
refuse, or about 28y®iy per cent. The thickness of the Mammoth seam, as taken at eight collieries bj" II. S. Thompson, Escpiire, engineer for the Girard estate, is as follows :
Coal.
Befuse.
Lehigh, No. 3,
Co
7"
Kehlev run, bottom split,
G
William Penn,
Bear Ridge, No. 1,
Colorado, bottom split,
Colorado, top split,
Packer, No. 4,
Bear Ridge, No. 2,
Hammond, bottom split,
Hammond, top split,
Average thickness of coal and refuse in seams.
Hco
The above table gives an average thickness of 31' 10" of coal, and 6' 6|" of refuse, or about 20 jjer cent.
Stanton Colliery.
Depth of slope in feet, 720
Length of territory under lease, running from
east to west 6,640
Average run on dip of seam, 600
Area of territory, in square feet, on dip, 3,984,000
Average thickness of seam, 35
Cubic contents of seam, . . . . 139,440,000
Deducting 2835. per cent, for refuse in seam, leaves, . 99,600,000
Tons of coal in seam, allowing 25 cubic feet per ton, . 3,984,000
Tons of coal sent to market, ... . .581,413
Six per cent, added for coal used and sold at
mines, . . . 34,884
Estimated amount of coal to be mined on present level, 75,000
Total amount recovered, in tons, 691,297
Tons of coal lost in mining and wasted in preparing, . 3,292,703
The first shipment of coal from this colliery was made in September, 1871. The coal and refuse are hoisted and dumped into a pony breaker, where the dirt is separated from the coal, and other refuse taken out, so as to leave but a small amount of anything but clean coal to undergo the jirocess of breaking and separating into small sizes.
By the latter process alone the Avaste is equal to 15 per cent. Mr. Hecksher, of the firm operating Koh-i-nor colliery, estimates the waste in breaking at that colliery for the
42 Report Of Progress. Franklin Platt.
year 1879, to be fifteen thousand tons more than it would have been had there been a demand and fair prices for the larger size coal.''"'
Gilberton Colliery.
Depth of slope in feet,
Length of territory under lease, from east to
west, in feet, 7,200
Average run on dip of seam, ... ... 700
Area of territory on dip, in square feet,
Average thickness of seam, 35
Cubic contents of seam, .
Deducting 28,;'' per cent, for refuse in seam, leaves, .
Tons of coal in seam, at 25 cubic feet to the ton, . .
Tons of coal sent to market, 1,127, 167
Six per cent, added for coal used and sold at
mines, 67,629
Estimated amount of coal to be mined on present level, 50,000
Total amount recovered, in tons, 1,244,796
Total of coal lost in mining and wasted in re paring, 3,808,244
Mr. Chester, the General Superintendent of the Lykens Valley Company, says concerning their mine waste :
"While we have some veins from 8 to 10 feet thick, where the amount left in as loss does not exceed 12 per cent., again we have some veins from G to 8 feet thick, with from 5 to 10 feet of slate between two veins of coal, when the loss in mining is from 25 to 30 per cent., and at times the loss is even greater than this where the slate between the veins is very loose and the top to the upjier vein is also jioor.
The least waste in the mine is in the Lykens Valley vein, or in those lying above it and below the Mammoth vein, and the next in loss is the twin veins in the Shamokin region."
With reference to the total iiercentage of waste in mining and preparing coal in the Wyoming alley, Mr. Irving A. Stearns, Mining Engineer, of AVilkes-Barre, measured and computed some worked out areas with the following results :
1. Area 16 acres. Average thickness of vein, four feet six inches (4' 6") of coal.
The above article ajj Julies only to the Mammoth Seam.
Waste In Mining.
Al 43
Of the total amount in the gTonnd, computing at 93.5 pounds per cubic foot or specific gravity of 1.5 for the Baltimore
vein —
There was sent to market, 40 per cent.
Left in mine and wasted at breaker, 54 jer cent.
2. Area, 63 acres. Coal vein from six to ten feet thick, with from one foot to eighteen inches of bone and slate. Of the total amount in the ground —
There was sent to market, 31 per cent.
Left in pillars and wasted at breaker, 69 per cent.
3. Area, 52 acres. Vein with five feet ten inches (5' 10")
of coal, no slate —
There was sent to market, 50 per cent.
Left in mine and wasted at breaker, 50 per cent.
4. Area, 20 acres Vein has ten feet eight inches (10' 8") of coal ; the total thickness of the vein, including slate and bone runs to eleven and twelve feet (12').
Of the total amount of coal in the ground —
There was sent to market, 45 per cent.
Lost in mine and wasted at breaker, 55 per cent.
5. Area, 10 acres. The vein has an average of seven (7) feet thickness of coal.
Of the total amount of coal in the ground —
There was sent to market, 48 per cent.
Lost in mine and wasted at breaker 52 per cent.
G. Area, 11 acres. The vein has an average thickness of eight feet six indies (8' G") of coal. Of the total amount of coal in the ground —
There was sent to market, 48.8 per cent.
Lost in mine and wasted at breaker, 51.2 per cent.
These percentages of Mr. Steam's are made from mines
44 Al EEPORT OF PROGRESS. FRANKLIN PLATT.
worked a number of years ago, when all of the pea coal, and most of the chestnut also, went on to the dust pile.
To add to these amonnts sent to market as given above tlie amount of chestnut and pea coal which Avould now be saved at the breaker Avould raise the shipment percentage by from 7 to 9 per cent., and lower proportionately the percentage of total waste.
These figures of total wastage, while they vary widely from eacli other, all agree in showing that the waste in mining the Mammoth coal bed in the Shenandoah and Mahanoy basins is unusually great.
The figures of Mr. Gfay Avould show only 17 and 24 per cent, respectively of the total coal in the ground as loaded into the cars for shipment at the collieries taken by him for examples.
The Locust Run colliery measurements show that 33.5 per cent, of the total coal in the ground was shipped to market. This is 40 per cent, more than one of the jireviously named collieries, and nearly 100 per cent, improvement on the other one.
The figures at the collieries near Lost Creek show that about 30 per cent, of the coal in the ground goes to market ; that while they take out between 60 and 62 per cent., yet one half of this is refuse and breaker waste, leaving from 30 to 31 per cent, for shipment.
Mr. Sheafer gives the average of his measurements and examinations to be 33 per cent, of coal in ground reaching market and 67 per cent, lost in mining and breaking.
These figures (except Mr. Sheafer' s) all relate only to the Mammoth bed, and only to the Mammoth in this particular basin, where the bed is of unusual size, though carrying interleaved much bone and shelly coal, slate and other refuse matter.
The distribution of this refuse matter affects the loss of coal and lowers the percentage of marketed coal. While the. refuse stuff as shown liy the section of the Avhole mass may be only 25 per cent., yet in bringing the mine car to the breaker the wastage will be 50 per cent, oral times even more. Of this wastage 15 per cent, is breaker waste proper,
Waste Ii Mining.
A". 45
due to the breaking the coal to sizes, and 3o per cent, remains of refuse as against 25 per cent, shown by the section. Much coal sticks to the slate, and small coal benches interleaved with slate layers are a total loss.
Of the Mammoth coal bed in this region therefore about 30 per cent, is now actuallj shipped. Even by an improvement in mining which should raise the outinit to 70-|-per cent, of the total, while the refuse stuff remains as at present, the total sliipped yield would be 3o-(-per cent, of the coal in the ground, and this is naming maxiTiinm figures, at this time probably not reached by any colliery working that vein in the Mahanoy and Slienandoah region.
Of the Mammoth coal bed at the Summit Hill mines of the L. C. and N. Co. it was reported that 30 to 35 jier cent, reached market. The Mammoth at these mines is GO feet thick.
But the averages brought out by examination of results at these collieries must be confined to the Mammoth bed of that region.
For in working the Mammoth coal bed in other basins, in the workings on the Buck Mountain, Wharton, Lykens Valley, and the Baltimore bed of the Wyoming valley the wastage is less ; many returns show that the percentage of coal actually shipped to market runs up to and over 50 per cent, of the total coal in ground.
This percentage changes with any alterations in the structure of the coal bed with reference to alternations of slate and coal and also to changes in the roof. Mr. Chester states that while in mining an 8 to 10 foot coal they only left 12 per cent, in the ground, yet in mining a somewhat smaller coal 6 to 8 feet thick, but with slate parting and poor roof the actual mine loss ran iiji to 30 and even 40 per cent.
Mr. Jos. S. HaiT'is has recently reported to the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company upon the value of their anthracite coal lands.
In order to reach a valuation it was necessary to use as a factor the acreage, amount of coal in ground and amount of merchantable coal to be realized therefrom.
Mr. Harris' estimate is as follows :
46 A. Report Of Progress. Franklust Platt.
"The subject of the actual couteuts ofcoal in the company's lauds is one which has been very carefully studied by different persons in the past few years, and a good estimate can now be made of the amount that may be sent to market from the estate. A very elaborate calculation of the coal content Avas completed in 1876 by Henry Pleasants, the late Chief Engineer of the Company. From data Avhich, in the undeveloped portions of the property, were obtained by thorough explorations by trial shafting, and in that part of the estate Avhere the mines had been worked, from the knoAvledge gained by mining, a number of geological crosssections Avere druAvu. Using these cross-sections and the knoAvn areas underlaid by the different seams of coal, detailed calculations of content Avere made Avith great care, and the highest accuracy attainable ; and, as the result of the investigation, Mr. Pleasants reported that the Company's estate contained 4,476,000,000 tons of coal. In Juljg 1879, I prepared a report on the probable duration of the Pennsylvania anthracite supply, in AAdiich, from independent data, I estimated that 1,189,000.000 tons of coal could be shipped from the Reading Company's estate.
Within the past fcAv months the Company's engineers have again investigated the subject, in a new manner, and from data not heretofore used. From the actual shipments of a number of the older colleries they have found hoAv much coal several of the leading veins on the estate can be expected to yield per acre. From this the yield of each of the veins has been deduced, and, knoAAung the limits underlaid by each vein, the total content of the estate has been readily computed. This estimate gAes 1,208,254,000 tons of coal as the amount that the estate should yield. This quantity agrees closely Avitli that reported by me, as quoted above ; but as mine Avas but a good general estimate, and this Avas derived from a much more careful computation, I have adopted it as being the best attainable result. Comiaaring it AAutli Mr. Pleasant's estimate of the contents of the lands it gives the result that about 27 per cent, of the coal existing in the lands can be sent to market. There is a reasonable agreement betAveen these estimates of con-
WASTE i:n' mining. Al 47
tent and possible sliipment, as may be inferred from the experience of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company, whicli Company has for sixty years mined in the territory east of the limits of and adjoining the Schuylkill district. From an area which is comjmted to have originally contained 52,266,000 tons of coal, that Company has shipped 18,100,000 tons, or per cent. ; and it is estimated that when the coal within that area shall be entirely exhausted, the shipment will have been 20,240,000 tons, or SSygiier cent, of the original contents. This unusually favorable result has been made possible by the coal being mined at comparatively small depths, and at considerable inclinations,— the latter cause much increasing the yield per acre, — and by its having been veiA thoroughly worked. Taking into consideration the differing circumstances, it is a fair inference that 27 per cent, represents well the proportion between shipment and content on the whole of the Reading Company's estate."
In determining the average jiercentage of waste in mining, the different coal basins must be taken seiiarateh ; again different coal beds in the same region must be considered sejiarately ; and again the same coal bed in different parts of the same region must be considered separately.
The Lykens Valley coal bed probably puts one half of its total coal in ground into cars for shipment ; the Mammoth coal bed at Shamokin and Mount Carmel puts perhaps 40 per cent, on the cars for shipment ; while the Mammoth going eastward through Ashland, Girardville and Mahanoy puts not much over 30 per cent, on the cars.
In estimating the future yield of the deep basins we must presume that there will be found much crumpling and folding of the bottoms of the deeji basins, sxioiling much coal ; the mine waste will be heavy on account of the enormous burden to support ; and the lifts will be great. In view of many circumstances it would hardly be safe to take the probable yield of all the coal beds in the deeji basin at over 30 to 33 per cent, of the total coal in the ground.
These deeji basins, of the Schuylkill region, hold the future reserve of the anthracite coal suiiply. The Lehigh
48 Al EEPOKT OF PROGRESS. FRANKLIN PLATT.
region lias probably reached, or nearly so, its maximum of jiroduction ; the Wyoming and Lackawanna regions are diligently worked by six great companies, and though they have much coal left, yet their coal land has become very costly and the coal will be more carefully guarded by the companies ; and the deep basins of the Schuylkill region will be of the greatest value in the future. '
In the Lehigh region the coal is hard, the roof hrm and good ; and certainly in one case, on the Buck mountain bed, over extensive workings, more than one half of all the coal in the ground has gone to market. Probably there are other cases where nearly one half or fully that has been marketed.
The Mammoth bed in the Lehigh region also yields a large percentage of marketed coal, but not quite so much as the Buck mountain bed. In this case it must be remembered that the coal is largely shipped in large sizes.
In the Wyoming and Lackawanna region, in working the Baltimore bed, probably some 50 per cent, of the total coal goes to market, though much of it has to be broken down to stove and smaller sizes. Indeed on the hoilzontal workings of the Lackawanna basin somewhat more than this percentage reaches market.
It would be useless in this preliminary report to touch upon the questions involved in changes in the system of mining, by which savings in waste can be made. In Europe they also mine large coal beds, on steep pitches, and yet they have effected many reductions in mine waste. It would require a full discussion of these methods, taken in each case in connection with the value of labor and value of coal in the ground, to make any application of them to the mining of coal in our anthracite fields, separating out the items of timber involved and cost of labor. For with us labor is likely to remain a costly item, while the actual value of, coal in the ground, comparing surface prices per ftcre, is much less with us than with the coal fields of England or the continent of Europe.
All this will be discussed in a future volume of the Survey reports.
Bueaker Waste.
Chapter V.
Waste in breaking anthracite coal — Second basin — Mahanoy to Trevorton.
The preceding chapters have shown how the coal lies in the ground, how it is mined, how prepared, and approximately how much is left behind in the mine in the shape of pillars.
Of the actual out-put of coal from the mine there is, therefore, no record so far, save the number of mine cars hoisted, some of coal and slate intermingled, and some of rock.
Now as all the large slate and the dust made in mining are taken out at the top of the breaker, and the balance, which is the coal with some slate sticking to it, is passed through the breaker to be broken into sizes, the breaker itself has hitherto been charged by persons not well acquainted with coal preparation, with entirely too large a share of the total wastage ; that is, sufficient account has not been taken of the enormous amount of refuse matter in the shape of slate, dirt made in mining, poor or shelly coal, slate fall from roof, &c., which comes out in the mine cars on steep pitching coal beds.
In the subdivision of the items of wastage at the close of the detail of each colliery, due effect must be given to the dip of the vein, its size, &c., &c., and the wastage is distributed thereby.
Moreover, account must be taken of the coal used at mines under boilers, &p., amounting to some 4 per cent. ; the coal sold to employes ; and the coal lost in getting from the colliery to the weigh scales.
It will be noticed in the computations that the product of shipped coal and weighed dust exceeds at most collieries the computed mine product, as taken from niimber of cubic feet of mine cars, and weight of lump coal per cubic foot.
4 Ab
50 A. Report Of Progress. Franklin Platt.
It is right that it should exceed the theoretical yield.
For a mine car of 150 cubic feet loaded with coal at 60 pounds to the cubic foot is 9000 pounds ; while 150 cubic feet of solid coal are 15,000 pounds ; that is, the interstitial spaces in that car rejiresent 6000 pounds of solid coal, or 60X00=:3600 pounds of coal in sizes of lumj) or from that down to dust. In loading the mine car much dust comes into the car, fills these interstitial spaces, and increases the weight in a varying proportion, though the mine car is never more than level full.
In order to secure exact figures at the Shenandoah collieries of the Philadelphia Coal Company, and thus work out a proper subdivision of the total wastage. Col. Brown made the following tests :
"The first trial was with 6 tons of coal that passed through the steamboat coal bars, which latter are inches apart. This coal represents the condition of the coal that usually goes into the broken, egg, stove, and smaller coals. We screened all the dirt from it before putting it on tlie scales.
The coal was broken down to egg and stove sizes in proportion of 1 egg to 2 stove.
The trial gave 15.84 per cent, of waste through xV" nesh ; 2129 pounds of waste, of which there were 1077 pounds of buckwheat size, and 1052 pounds dirt through mesh.
The second trial was with 6 tons of hand-picked, large sized steaml)oat coal, in pieces weighing from 3 to 15 pounds. This coal was passed through the rollers, breaking it down to the same size as the first trial, but showing a larger proportion of egg.
The 6 tons made a waste (xij inch mesh) of 1974 pounds, of which there was of Buckwheat coal (screened over inch mesh) 899 pounds ; 1974 — 898=1076 pounds of coal dust. The percentages therefore were
Dust waste 8 per cent.
Buckwheat waste, 6.7 "
It is not surprising that the second trial showed somewhat less waste than the first, inasmuch as steamboat coal
Breaker Waste.
is the strongest coal, having withstood the sliocks of handling and preparing for market, making rather more dust but less buckwheat size, which latter we also regard as waste. The results are —
First trial, 6 tons, taken from under steamboat coal
bars, gives 15.84 per cent.
Second trial, 6 tons, taken from over steamboat coal bars, gives 14.7
'
An average of 15 .27
This experiment gives the actual loss in breaking and screening clean steamboat coal down to egg and stove sizes, the coal coming from the Mammoth bed, in the Shenandoah region.
In the third experiment 2,000 pounds of clean coal, of the same kind used in the first experiment, were carefully broken down to egg and stove sizes by hand, in the old-fashioned way, using hammers weighing about pounds.
The broken coal was screened by hand sieves of scant half inch mesh, old-fashioned half inch.
Coal, 1,8741 lbs.= 93.72 u
This coal, after weighing, was put through the elevators and hoisted up to the regular breaker screen, same as used in previous experiments.
The waste from screening weighed 80 pounds. Equal to If. per cent, of the coal.
This shows that breaking and screening by hand wasted 6.28 per cent.
Breaking by hand and through circular screens, wasted 10.28 "
Breaking through rollers and screening in the present way, wasted 15.27 "
We also observed that the weight per cubic foot of coal and refuse, as coming from mines, measured in car before unloading, weighed 73 pounds per cubic foot ; that refuse, as loaded at breaker, weighed but 67 pounds ; fine dust refuse, 59 pounds, &c.,
52 A. Report Of Progress. Franklin Platt.
Lump and small coal mixed weighed 65 pounds per cubic foot, separate they weighed 60 pounds ; steamer size, 58 to 60 pounds ; broken and egg, 56 to 58 pounds ; stove, 55 to 56 pounds ; chestnut, 54 pounds ; jiea, 53 pounds ; buckwheat, 52 to 53 pounds to the cubic foot.
The mine cars are loaded with rounding top, and when lirst loaded would measure more cubic feet ; but the measure of wagons was made outside, after the coal settled down in the cars, and this accounts for the greater weight per cubic foot as measured. Yet this is a condition that holds good in all coal and refuse measured in cars outside of mine.
The colliery where these trials were made is a fair representative of the white ash collieries in this region (Lost Creek).
Another colliery in the Shenandoah region, working the Mammoth bed, and furnishing a fine hard coal as their product, made the following measurements and tests of the percentage of breaker waste. They report the results thus :
"On March 4, 1879, we broke 700 pounds of steamer coal through two setts of rolls, good sharp teeth — chilled points — with the following result :
Broken, . .
U
H
Large Stove,
Small Stove,
it
Chestnut, .
Pea, . . .
u
Waste, . .
32.93 per cent. 15.29 "
The mesh over which the pea coal was passed has most of the spaces f of an inch square, some of them were i an inch square.
This trial gives cent, of waste (dust and Buckwheat coal) in breaking down lump and steamer to smaller sizes.
At the same colliery on Feb. 4, 1877, they broke 500 ibs. broken coal through monkey rolls, wdth steel pointed teeth and obtained —
Breaker Waste.
Large Stove, 81 pounds.
Small Stove, 186 "
Chestnut, 88 "
Pea, IZj " Pea coal mesh inch square.
Waste, 127| "
In this case the waste, including in that both dust and Buckwheat coal, was 25 per cent.
On the same day at the same collier'v they broke 500 pounds of Egg coal, with the following results :
Large Stove, 120 pounds.
Small Stove, 209 "
Chestnut, 81 "
Pea 18 " Pea coal mesh g inch square.
Waste, 72 "
In this case the waste was only 14.4 per cent.
The coal in each case was screened through regular circular breaker screens.
The close agreement of the latter test with the tests made by Col. Brown would indicate that somewhere about 15 to 16 per cent., or a little over, is the breaker Avaste for the Mammoth coal in the Shenaudoah region.
To show just where the wastage goes, and into what subdivision the waste percentage properly falls, four collieries in the Shenandoah region are given in full detail.
It would be neither possible nor desirable to continue such complete detail in the case of eAmry colliery considered ; but after these cases are so fully stated it will be possible for any reader to apply the general averages to any desired colliery described in this volume.
For in every case there is given the name of the coal bed worked, its size, and dij) ; by applying these the proper mine vAmste can be estimated and then the breaker Avaste computed, not indeed exactly, but Avithin reasonable limit of error.
It must be remembered that Avhat is called dust in these figures includes the slate picked by hand by boys at the breaker, and that the hand picked slate is at times as much as 3 or 4 per cent, of the total dust amount.
54 A. Report Of Progress. Franklin Platt.
In order to make use of the colliery figures with exactness Col. Brown, the General Manager of the collieries of the Philadelphia Coal Company, procured the following data.
An average car of coal as it comes from the mine, and containing 132 cubic feet, was screened over a inch mesl), the refuse and slate picked out and weighed. This car represents an average of the Mammoth vein, 30 feet in
thickness.
The following are the results :
Marketable coal of all sizes, 5,737 lbs.
Refuse coal, bone, and slate, 2,358
Dirt, waste by mining, and soft seams of coal and dirt, . 1,557
Total, 9,652
This gives the percentage of coal coming from the mine, in the mine car, to be 59.4 per cent. ; and the dirt and refuse matter is 40.6. Tliis is of course on a steep pitching coal bed.
The breaker experiment showed that 15 per cent, was the proper percentage to take for breaker waste, 11 jier cent, for breaker and 4 for screening, 15 in all. Deducting this percentage from the coal raised and adding it to the dirt and refuse gives the yield in the cars, thus :
Per cent.
Tlie above 50.5 per cent, coal and 49.5 refuse is the percentage for coal cars hoisted from mine ; to get the projier percentage of the mine 'product an allowance must be made for the rock hoisted.
The rock hoisted for one year shows to be 8.6 of the coal. 8 6 per cent, of 50.5 is 4.3 ; this added to the 49.5 and deducted from the 50.5 gives .d.2 2ier cent, for marketable coal and 53.8 ]4er cent, for refuse and dirt, taking in this case the whole mine jiroduct.
From this exjieriment the following facts were determined:
Coal in cars, as it comes from the mines, weighs, 73g lbs.
Refuse, 67| lbs.
Dirt, 59| lbs.
Breaker Waste.
Al. 55
Col. Brown says :
"I thus estimate the waste in mining, breaking, screening, and loading coal into cars, assuming that the coal has been freed from all refuse matter such as slate, bone coal and fine dirt due to the soft shaly slips in veins and between the benches of coal :
Cutting coal, blasting, &c., 10 per cent.
Breaker rollers, 11.27 "
" screening, ... 4.00
Loading over lip screens from shutes into cars, . . 2.00 "
To this may be added about per cent, for leakage of coal in loading, transportation and unloading into yard or bin.
The waste in transportation is in my opinion very small and does not exceed 1 per cent. ; the dirt waste found in cars at point of delivery is largely due to breakage of coal when loading from shiite at breaker.'
It was well known that the improvements in the apparatus for breaking coal have resulted in considerable saving of coal.
Mr. Jos. S. Harris, the Engineer of the Lehigh and Wilkes Barre Coal Company, had some experiments made at the collieries of the company which determined this percentage accurately. The record is one of great value as showing just what has been gained by changing the apparatus. Mr. Harris says :
" With this I send you the promised report of the experiments made at Wilkes Barre, which may be useful to you as showing the result of the use of the present style of apparatus for breaking anthracite coal into sizes.
There are two sizes of rolls used in the Wilkes Barre region, the larger, through which the coal passes first being similar to those called "steamboat rolls" in the Schuylkill region, and known in the Wilkes Barre region as "crushers." The second set of rolls is known alike in the two regions as "prepared coal rolls."
56 Al REPORT OF PROGRESS. FRANKLIN PLATT.
The rolls called in the statement "old style" have castiron teeth and are similar to those now in general use in the Schuylkill region; the "new style" have movable steel teeth inserted in a cast-iron body. Yon will notice that the waste is much less with the new rolls.
The complete tables, which are given in full in Chap. VII relating to the Wyoming Valley, give the following general averages :
1. Diamond Breaker. Baltimore vein.
Improved Standard steel tooth crushers. Loss,
2. Empire Bi'eaker. Baltimore vein.
Old style crushers. Loss,
New style. Loss,
3. Empire Breaker. Hillman vein.
Old style crushers,
New style crushers,
Baltimore vein,
Ross vein,
Red Ash vein,
5. Sugar Notch No. 10 Breaker.
Old style rolls,
New style rolls,
Old style crusher, prepared rolls,
6. Nottingham No. 16 Breaker.
Old style rolls,
Old style prepared rolls,
IWu " "
llfo% " lOiVo "
That is — there is a direct saving in breaker waste of from 3 to 5i jier cent, by the improved breaker apparatus. This reduction brings down the breaker waste, in working the Baltimore vein, witli steel tooth crushers to a percentage ranging from 11 to 13 per cent, or an average of 12 per cent. And this is all that the breaker is to be held accountable far.
In almost all writings concerning the anthracite regions tlie breaker loss is considered a deplorable though neiessary evil. I have already quoted in this chapter the results
Bkeaker Waste.
Al 57
of investigations which showed that the breaking and screening by hand, in the old-fashioned way, lost 6.28 per cent.: by the present breaker and screens 15.27 percent.: and that the breaker is to be held chargable with an extra loss over the old style of 9.00 per cent.
This is, of course, where all the Chestnut and Pea coals are marketed and only the buckwheat coal and dust go to the waste dump.
In arranging the collieries to show the detail of waste the following order has been preserved :
£ (U Collieries on hard white ash coal, in the Mahanoy-Shenandoah basin.
-" 2. Free burning white ash coals in the Mount Carmel region,
c g I westward continuation of No. 1.
3. Shaniokin coal in same great basin — still further west.
4. Trevorton coal west of Shaniokin.
So
.Cm j 1. Free burning white ash coals in First basin, starting from § I east and going westward.
2. Red ash and Red and white ash coals.
/ Lehigh Region.
Chap. VII. 5 Wyoming Region.
In sub-division 1, the hard white ash collieries, the breaker waste is taken as the same at all the collieries, shipping the same sizes, varying constantly at all of them directly as they ship more or less of the large sizes, or as they save or lose the whole or a part of their jiea coal.
In collieries Nos. 1 to 5, the total waste percentage is subdivided into its component factors, taking the whole mine output, rock and coal included.
In all the collieries following, only the coal and dirt are included, taking in with the dirt, in all cases, the liand picked slate at the breaker, which is hauled away with the dirt, and which averages 3 or 4 per cent, at most of the collieries.
With the figures given for these collieries, and the description of waste in blasting, in the pages just preceding this, it is possible for any one to work out the problem of each colliery for himself, keeping the breaker waste the same (for the same sizes of coal) for all the 15 hard white ash collieries.
58 Al REPOET OF PROGRESS. FRANKLIN PLATT.
Colliery No. 1, Colorado.
This colliery works tlie Mammoth coal bed. The bed is very large at this place, but contains many layers of slate. These add to the wastage, as much coal will stick to the slate and is thrown away with it.
Two sections of the Mammoth at this colliery will serve to show how the coal and slate are interleaved as well as to show how the coal bed itself changes in thickness.
One measurement shows :
Coal, 0' 9'
Coal, . . 3 0
Refuse, 1 4
Coal, 2 0
Refuse, 1 2
Coal, 3 0
Refuse, 0 9
Coal, 3 0
Refuse, 0 4
Coal, 2 0
Refuse, 0 6
Coal, 0 10
Refuse, 0 6
Coal, 6 0
Refuse, 1 2
Coal, 2 0
Refuse, 0 8
Coal, 1 6
Refuse, 0 1
Coal, 0 8
Refuse, . . 1 0
Total, 32' 10 '
Of this, 24' 4" are coal and 8' 6" are refuse.
Another section in the same colliery shows :
Refuse, 0' 6"
Coal, 4 6
Refuse, 0 6
Coal, 2 0
Refuse, 0 1
Coal, 11 0
Refuse, 1 0
Coal, 2 0
Refuse, 0 5
Coal, 2 6
Refuse, 0 3
Total, 17' 9"
Breaker Waste.
Al 59
Of this, 15 feet are coal and 2' 9" are refuse.
In working on the steep pitch this refuse necessarily comes out with the coal in the mine cars.
The breaker records show ;
Tons.
Coal hoisted and passed through breaker, 187 ,541
Rock hoisted,
Rock dumped, 20, /oo
Dirt and slate dumped, 70,796
Boiler coal, 5,235
Coal shipped, 89,780
Rock as above, 1,877
Difference,
Tons.
Thus giving coal, 95,015 or 50.4 per cent.
Refuse, 93,431 or 49.6 "
This wastage of 49.6 per cent, may be thus subdivided into its proper items ;
Rock refuse. Breaking, i Screening,
Slate picked at breaker, . . . . Loading over lip screen, 2X59.4, Going to weigh scales, Blasting (10) and refuse, . . . ,
The yield of thus ;
Lump, . . . Steamboat, . Broken, . . Egg, . . . . Stove, . . . Small stove. Chestnut, Pea, ... Total,* . .
the Colorado Colliery for 12 months shows
Cars.
Amount shipped in tons. Boiler coal,
Total,
60 Al REPORT OF PROGRESS. FRANKLIN PLATT.
Colliery No. Shenandoah.
This colliery is on the northeast end of the same tract as the Colorado. The Mammoth coal bed is worked on the south dip. "The average thickness of the vein when the to]3 and bottom members are together is about 38 feet, of which we mine about 30 feet, and occasionally get down the top to slate. A portion of this mine is wrought on the ' Panel system ' and we estimate that we take out very nearly three fourths of the vein so far as we have exhausted the mine.
The deeii levels of this mine show the vein split, which we denominate as the top and bottom members."
A section of the Mammoth in the lower workings, showing the split and the amount of rough coal and refuse to come out, is as follows :
Top slate,
Coal, . . 5'
Slate, 1
Coal, . 2
Bony coal and slate, 0
Coal, . 1
Bony coal and slate, 0
Coal, . 3
Fine hard sandstone, . 11
Slate, 13
Rough coal, 0
Coal, 2
Rough coal, 0
Coal, 2
Bony coal, 0
Hard slate, 0
Coal, 2
Slate, 0
Coal, 4
Bone and slate, 0
Hard slate, 0
Coal, 2
Slate, 0
Coal, . 1
Rough coal, 0
Coal 2
8"
t 21' 5"
In working on the steep pitch the bony coal and slate come out iu the mine cars.
The breaker record shows :
Breakek Avaste.
Al 61
Or
Tons.
Coal hoisted and passed through breaker, 257,320
Rock hoisted, 11,231
Rock dumped, 24,895
Dirt and slate dumped, 39,090
Dirt dumped, 23,039
Boiler coal, 6,919
Coal shipped, 136,248
Dirt washed from counter screen, 27,129
Rock as above, 11,231
Coal, 143,167 tons, or 53.3 per cent.
Waste, 125,384 " 46.7 "
The shipments of coal from the colliery for 12 months were of the following sizes :
Cars.
Lump, 3909
Steamboat, 2410
Broken, 3434
Egg, 2508
Stove, 2237
Small stove, 1579
Chestnut, 4251
Pea, 3338
Making a shipment in all of 136,248 tons.
The wastage of 46.7 per cent, may be subdivided thus :
Rock refuse,
Breaking, 1 55.563 . . .
Screening,
Slate picked at breaker, . . Loading over lip screen 2X60, Going to weigh scales, . . . Blasting and refuse,
Colliery No. 3, Lehigh.
This colliery is in the same region as the Colorado and Shenandoah.
" It is on the Mammoth vein, south dip, varying from 50° near surface down to basin ivhere it flattens off to 12°, and abruptly turns up forming an inverted north dip.
The coal mined during the period covered by the statement of operations was taken principally from the top benches
02 Al REPORT OE PROGRESS. FRANKLIN PLATT.
of the vein at the first and second lifts, where nearly all of the bottom benches had been taken out in 1876, 1877 and the earlier part of 1878. This accounts for the large percentage of refuse, and without making very accurate calculations I find that the average of four years' operations give about the same results as at No. 2 and No. 4 collieries.
The bed at some points is very large. I have measured it as much as 60 feet thick. The usual thickness is about
40 feet, of which about 25 per cent, are slate and bony coal." The breaker record shows thus :
Tons.
Or
Coal hoisted, and passed through breaker, . . 180,042
Rock hoisted, 16,918
Dirt and slate dumped, 68,072
Large slate and refuse, 12,151
Coal shipped, 85,017
Boiler coal, 4,727
Coal used for employes, 1,194
Dirt washed away, 8,881
Rock as above, 16,918
Coal, 90,938 is 46.2 per cent.
Waste, 106,022 is 53.8
"Referring to the estimated quantities of refuse and total out put of mine, there is an item of 8881 tons as washed away. This is the sum necessary to balance, but it is probably two or three thousand tons below the actual amount washed away. This difference can be accounted for by the account of dirt dumpers, and the average load being over estimated."
The coal shipped from Lehigh Colliery was of the following
sizes :
Cars.
Lump, . . Steam boat, Broken, .
Stove,
Small stove. Chestnut, Pea, . . . .
Making a total of 85,017 tons shipped.
Breaker Waste.
A 2. 63
The 53.8 per cent, of waste subdivides thus :
Rock refuse,
Breaking, i
Soreenhrg.i 15-5X55,. .
Slate picked at breaker,
Loading over lip screen, 2X55,
Going to weigh scales,
Blasting and refuse,
Colliery No. P acker.
This colliery is also on the Mammoth bed, and by tunnel south cuts a small bed at fortj yards 5 feet thick ; and at 108 yards cuts the Holmes or Primrose 8 feet 3 inches thick.
However all but a few tons of the coal mined during the period covered by the statement was taken from the Mammoth bed.
This bed varies from 30 to 44 feet in thickness.
The coal has numerous slate partings, thus ;
Coal, 4' 0"
Refuse, oil
Coal, 2 6
Refuse, 10
Coal, 17
Refuse, ..02
Coal, 1 2
Refuse, 2 4
Coal, 1 7
Refuse, 0 4
Coal , 3 1
Refuse, 1 3
Coal, 3 0
Refuse, 1 3
Coal, 0 5
Refuse, 1 3
Coal 0 5
Refuse, 0 2
Coal, 5 2
Refuse, 0 p
Coal, 3 9
Refuse, 0 1
Coal, 0 10
Total, 42 41
Of which 33' 6" are coal and 8' lOJ" are refuse matter, or just about 20 per cent, of the whole bed.
64 Al REPORT OF PROGRESS. FRANKLIK PLATT.
The breaker record shows :
52.4 per cent. 47.6 "
The calculations for this colliery came out more satisfactorily than any of the other collieries, owing to the greater care in keeping correct list of dumpers of refnse and more regular loading in the mine.
The shipments from Packer Colliery, for 12 months, were of the following sizes :
Cars.
Lump, 3660
Steamboat, 1662
Broken, 7195
Egg, 3899
Stove, 8936
Chestnut, 6390
Pea, 2648
or a shipment of 194,860 tons.
The percentage of waste, 47.6, snb-divides thus :
Rock refuse, 13.5
Breaking, . i 5532, 9.6
Slate picked at breaker, 4.0
Loading over lip screen, 2X60, 1.2
Going to weigh scales, 1.0
Blasting and refuse, 18.3
These collieries. No. 1, 2, 3, and 4, produced during the year as follows :
Coal hoisted and passed through breaker. Rock hoisted, ...
Dirt dumped, . . . Slate dumped, . . . Jig dirt and slate, . Coal shipped, . . . Boiler coal, . . . . Dirt washing, . . . Rock as above.
Or
Coal, 201,138 tons is
Waste, 182,353 tons is
Beeakee Waste.
Al 05
Boiler
ments. coat. Total.
No. 1 89,781+5,235= 95,016
The coni consimied under boilers is 4.54 per cent, of coal produced, and 4.75 per cent, on total sliipnients. As the product was materially restricted during the period included in the statement, the coal used for steam purposes bears a larger ratio to production than when the lorodnct is not under restriction by short time, &c. During the year 1879 coal consumed under boilers was nearly 4 jier cent.
Mr. Brown sa3"s that "from the experiments made regarding waste at breaker, and the marketable coal in the vein, I find the average shipment about 53 per cent, of the total oht-pnt ; refuse and waste in mining, 32 ler cent. ; waste in breaking and screening, 15 jier cent., and waste in screening over lip screens into cars, 2 per cent.
For the totals of a shijnnent of 690,000 tons from four collieries, mining exclusively Mammoth coal, and on pitches varying from 18° to 70°, these figures are the average of the whole.
Colliery No. 5, Continenlal.
This colliery works the Mammoth coal bed, with an average thickness of 24 feet.
The bed dips 45°.
The Superintendent, Mr. Lewis A. Kiley, had a careful record kejit at the collierj" for the 4 months ending October 31, 1880. This record shows :
Coal hoisted and passed through breaker, 79,902
Eock hoisted, 299
Eock dumped, 4,818
Slate, 11,219
Dirt, 13,994
Dirt washed, 14,741
Boiler coal, 938
Coal shipped, 33,254
Eock as above, 299
5 A-.
66 Al REPORT OF PROGRESS. FRANKLUST PLATT.
Coal, 34,192 tons or 42 .6 per cent.
Refuse, 46,009 tons or 57 .4 "
This total of 57.4 per cent, of wastage may be subdivided
thus :
Rock refuse, 20
Slate picked at breaker, 4.0
Going to weigh scales 1.0
Blasting and refuse, 24.6
In these five collieries, the Colorado, Shenandoah, Lehigh, Packer and Continental the ratios of percentage are made out for the total mine iirodnct, including all rock and refuse matter. This makes the waste percentage higher and the coal percentage lower than ivhere only coal and waste, excluding rock, have been considered.
In all the collieries, starting with No. 6, only the coal and waste are considered, no attention being given to rock except such slate and refuse as go to the dirt diiinii. The hand picked slate at the breaker goes out with the dust.
This colliery works the beds lielow the Mammoth, the three beds yielding resjiectively 6 feet, 4 feet, and 8 feet of coal or 18 feet in all, worked separately.
The coal beds dip 25°.
The breaker record shows thus :
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 2284
Egg and Stove, 4590
Chestnut and Pea, 2662
9536 Per cent, shipped, 65 5052 ) " wasted, 35
Toils.
49S9
12,706 1 Percent, shipped, 67 Dust in tons, 6,386 " wasted, 33
Dust in tons,
Lump, S. Boat and Broken,
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Breaker Waste.
Al 67
, Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
Shiptped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stov-e,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. boat and broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
68 A. Kepokt Of Peogress. Franklik Platt.
Lump, S. Boat and broken, 4639
Egg and Stove, . 3931
Chestnut and Pea, 2575
11,145 ) Per cent shipped, 66 Dust in tons, . .5,729 ) " wasted, 34
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
Bock.
23,898 tons, excess of product over computed coal production by mine car.
The iiiontlily percentage of excess ran thus: 27.9, 27.3, 23.4, 19.8, 14.7, 21.5, 17.5, 23.1, 39.5 and 19.6.
The total product was 127,629 tons of which 65.8 per cent, went into cars for shipment to market and 34.2 per cent. Avent into tlie dirt heap.
The monthly jiercentag'es of AARste ran thus : 35, 33, 35, 34, 34, 34, 35, 38, 37, 34, an average of 34.2 per cent, of Avaste, as above.
The AAmstage, 34.2 per cent., may be thus subdivided :
Breaking and screening, 77X15.5, 12.00
Slate picked at breaker, 4.00
Boiler coal, ; . . 3.00
Loading over lip screen, 77X2 1-50
Going to weigh scales, 1.00
Blasting and refuse, 12.70
It Avill lie remembered that this, and succeeding collieries, haAm only reference to jiercentages of actual coal shipped and coal dust (including slate picked at breaker.)
BREAKER WASTE. Al 69
Colliery No. 7, Malianoy City.
This colliery worlds one lencli of the Mammoth coal bed 15 feet thick, and also the Holmes coal bed, 8 feet thick. The coal beds dip 25°.
The breaker returns show as follows :
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea
Per cent, shipped, 67
Dust in tons,
J " Avasted, 33
S. Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Brokenj . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
1 Percent, shipped, 67
Dust in tons,
' " wasted, 33
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove
Chestnut and Pea,
1 Percent, shipped, 70
Dust in tons,
' " Avasted, 30
If. Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Percent, shipped, 69
Dust in tons,
" Avasted, 31
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
ft
Percent, shipped, 71
Dust in tons,
" Avasted, 29
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea, '
6571 Per cent, shipped, 71 2691 i " wasted, 29
Dust in tons.
70 A. Report Of Progress. Franklin Platt.
. Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat, and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 69
Dust in tons
" wasted, 31
. Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat, and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 31
. Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
; Per cent, shipped, 65
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 35
. Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 65
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 35
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 61
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 39
Ship2?ed.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 62
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 38
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
Rock.
BllEAKEE WASTE.
A-. 71
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust,
Rock.
24,543 tons, excess of actual product over computed product taken from mine cars, or 20 per cent, excess.
Tliis excess varies by moiitlis thus : 23, 2,'5, 21, 20, 18, 27, 16, 15, 14, 16, 20, and 22 ; the average of these widely varying figures being 20 per cent., as above.
The total production of coal was 142,901 tons, of which 67 per cent, went into cars for shipment to market, and 33 per cent, went as wastage.
The wastage varied by months thus : 33, 33, 30, 31, 29, 29, 31, 31, 35, 35, 39, 38 ; giving an average wastage for the whole period of 33 per cent, as above.
The total wastage of 33 per cent, may be thus sub-divided
:
Breaking and Screening, 15.5X80> 12.40
Slate picked at breaker, 4.00
Boiler coal, 3.00
Loading over lip screen, 80X2, 1-60
Going to weigh scales 1.00
Blasting and refuse, 11.00
Colliery No. 8, Ehnwoocl.
This colliery is working the Mammoth coal bed, 12 feet thick, and the seven foot, or 19 feet of coal in all.
The coal dips 30°.
The breaker record is as follows ;
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, , . . . 2273
Egg and Stove, 1018
Chestnut and Pea, 739
4060 1 Per cent, sliipped, 70 1769 " wasted, 30
Dust in tons.
72 Al REPORT OF PROGRESS. ERANKLIN PLATT.
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 68
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 32
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 66
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 34
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 65
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 35
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea
Per cent, shipped, 65
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 35
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 65
Dust in tons,
. Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
1 Per cent, shipped, 62
Dust in tons,
j " wasted, 38
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
Rock.
BKExiKER WASTE.
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
Rock.
9,748 tons, excess of actual product over computed product from mined car record, or 21 per cent.
The excess varies monthly thus: 19.3, IG.C, 21.6, 17.9, 20, 30.2, 19.0 ; the average of these being aliout 21 per cent., as above.
The total coal product ivas 55,361 tons, of ivliich 65.5 per cent, went to market, and 34.5 per cent, went to wastage.
The waste percentage varied liy months thus : 30, 32, 34, 35, 35, 35, 38 ; the average of these being about 34.5 per cent., as above.
This wastage percentage, 34.5, may be subdivided thus :
Breaking and screening, 78X15-5, 12.10
Slate picked at breaker, 4.00
Boiler coal, 3.00
Loading over lip screen, 78X2, 1-50
Going to weigh scales, 1.00
Blasting and refuse, 12.90
Colliery No. 9, Ellangoioan.
This colliery Avorks the Mammoth coal bed in three benches, the upper 8 feet, the middle 12 feet and the lower 15 feet thick. These are worked separately.
The coal beds dip 30°.
The breaker records show thus :
1 Shipped. Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 12,409
Egg and Stove, 7,500
Chestnut and Pea, 5,076
Dust in tons.
24,985 1 Per cent, shipped, 78 7,041 " wasted, 22
Franklin Platt.
. Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Percent, shipped, 78
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 22
Shipped,
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Che.stunt and Pea,'
Percent. shipped, 77
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 23
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
10,519 i . . 2,879
Per cent, shipped, 79
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 21
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 80
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 20
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 80
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 20
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea
Per cent, shipped, 81
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 19
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 79
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 21
Breaker Waste. 75
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
Rock.
11,761 excess of product over computed coal mined — or 8.8 per cent.
136,407 tons of coal as total product, of which 78.8 per cent, went as shipped coal to market, and only 21.2 per cent, went to the dust heap.
The monthly dust ivaste runs thus, 22, 22, 23, 21, 20, 20, 19, 21 or an average of 21 per cent, ivasted, as before.
There are several reasons for the smaller breakage waste at Ellangowan colliery.
1. The coal itself in its physical structure is probably tough instead of the brittle glassy structure sometimes found in the Mammoth bed.
2. The mine is worked on an easy pitch of 30°, thus making but little mine breakage and bringing only a small percentage of dust in the mine car to the breaker
3. The colliery was running chiefly on large sizes and avoided therefore the heavy loss in breaking down to stove coal and smaller sizes.
4. The colliery is new fashioned and the lump coal and larger sizes do not go down through the breaker crushing themselves and the small coals in their course to tlie bottom, but the larger sizes are separated at once at the top of the breaker.
5. But even Avith all these reasons, there is probablj" some error that makes the Avastage too low. The percentage is only enough to covmr the breaker Avaste and leaves nothing for the mine Avaste.
76 Al EEPOET OF PEOCtEESS. FEANKLUST PLATT.
Colliery No. 10 West Shenandoah.
This colliery works the Seven foot and Mammoth and also the Back Mountain coal beds, the thickness being —
Seven foot, 7'
Mammoth, 45'
Buck Mountain, 12'
The coal beds are dipping 30.° The breaker records show —
Tons,
Lumi3, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 77
Dust in tons,
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
1 Per cent, shipped, 76
Dust in tons,
' " wasted, 24
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 78
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 22
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 79
Dust in tons,
' " wasted, 21
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove, .
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 83
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 17
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 78
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 22
Beeakee Waste,
A.". 77
Shipped,
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove, , .
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons, . . .
wasted, 26
Shipped,
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove, . .
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons, . . .
waited, 26
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . . ,
Egg and Stove, .
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust ill tons, . . .
wasted, 26
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . . ,
Egg and Stove, .
Chestnut and Pea,
. shipped, 74
Dust in tons, . . .
wasted, 26
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . . ,
Egg and Stove, .
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons, . . .
wasted, 29
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
liock.
78 Al EEPORT OF PROGRESS. FRAKKLIlSr PLATT.
13,492 tous excess of actual product over computed mine output.
The total production of coal is 141,334 tons of which 76.5 per cent, were shipped to market and 23.5 per cent, were taken to the waste heaj).
The monthly wastage of dust was thus : 23, 24, 22, 21, 17, 22, 20, 20, 26, 20, 29 — averaging 23.5 per cent, of wastage, as before.
The West Shenandoah is worked on a moderate dip (30°) and less dirt and refuse ivoiild come out in the mine cars ; and moreover the colliery sells a large proportion of coal of large sizes.
But even with these facts in its favor, the iiercentage of actual waste as given above is iirobably too low. In some collieries the dirt cars are loaded over full, in others under full, depending on their size ; and this will change the percentage and make the apiiarent loss too small.
Colliery No. 11, Boston Bun.
This colliery works the Mammoth bed, 25 feet thick. The coal dips 50°.
Tlie bi'eaker records show as follows :
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 3299
Egg and Stove 1836
Chestnut and Pea, 1652
6787 Per cent, shipped, 76 2144 ? " wasted, 24
Tons,
10,422 Percent, shipped, 75 . 3452 5 " wasted, 25
Tons
Dust in tons,
Lump, S. Boat and Broken,
Egg and Stove
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
Lump, S. Boat and Broken,
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
4773 Per cent, shipped, 78 1352 J " wasted, 22
BREAKEIl AVASTE.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 1987
Egg and Stove, 994
Dust in tons, 1547 5
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 2300
Egg and Stove 1274
Chestnut and Pea, 1318
Dust in tons, 1842 1
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 2381
Egg and Stove, . 1193
Chestnut and Pea 1226
Dust in tons, 1515 5
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 2921
Egg and Stove, 1528
Chestnut and Pea, 1496
Dust in tons,
S. Shipped. Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 2009
Egg and Stove, 864
Chestnut and Pea, 955
Dust in tons, 1236
Lump, S. Boat and Broken 1917
Egg and Stove, 961
Chestnut and Pea, 1010
Dust in tons, 1198
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 2819
Egg and Stove, 1414
Chestnut and Pea, 1593
Percent. shipped, 73 " wasted, 27
Per cent, shipped, 73 " wasted, 27
Per cent, shipped, 76 " wasted, 24
Per cent, shipped, 75 " wasted, 25
Per cent, shipped, 76 " wasted, 24
Per cent, shipped, 76 " wasted, 24
Dust in tons.
5826 ? Per cent, shipped, 73 2201 ' " wasted, 27
EEAlKLIK PLATT.
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Cliestnut and Pea. . .
Dust in tons,
wasted, 27
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken,
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea. . . .
Dust in tons. . . .
. shipped, 75
wasted, 25
Mined. Shipped.
Dust.
Rock.
13,126 tons, excess of actual product over computed product as taken from mine cars, or 15 jjer cent.
This excess percentage varies by months thus : 17, 20, 12, 14, G, 12, 16, 7, 1/, 17, 22, 17, an average for the 12 months of 15 per cent, excess, as above.
The total product of coal was 91,908 tons, of which 75 per cent, went into the cars for shipment to market, and 25 per cent, went to wastage.
The waste percentage varied by months thus : 24, 25, 22, 27, 27, 24, 25, 24, 24, 27, 27, 25, or an average wastage of 25 per cent, for the Avhole 12 months, as above.
Breaker Waste.
A 2 81
Colliery No. 12 Conner.
This colliery works the Buck Alountaiii coal bed, 10 feet to 15 feet thick, and dipping from 4"" to 15°. The coal is worked in one bench.
A cubic foot of the dust and coal was carefully weighed and resulted thus :
Dust, . . Chestnut, Stove, . Slate, . .
The breaker returns show ;
. Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 71
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 29
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Percent, shipped, 72
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 28
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 31
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
14,061 ) Per cent, shipped, 69 Dust in tons, 6444 " wasted, 31
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 6145
Egg and Stove, 4158
Chestnut and Pea, 2538
Dust in tons,
6 A2.
12,841 i Per cent, shipped, 69 . 5816 ' " wasted, 31
Report Of Progress.
Frakkliiv Platt.
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, Egg and Stove, .
Chestnut and Pea, '
Dust in tons,
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 32
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
1 Per cent, shipped, 67
Dust in tons,
Shipiped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
1 Per cent shipped, 68
Dust in tons, .
" wasted, 32
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 67
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 33
Shipped.
Tons,
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 67
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 33
The figures at the Conner colliery for the eleven months are :
Shipped.
Dust,
Breaker Waste.
Shipped.
Dust.
193,787 for a total production, of which there was , shipped 68.6 per cent., and wasted 31.4
per cent.
The monthly waste varied thus : 29, 28, 31, 31, 31, 33, 32, 33, 32, 33, 33 — giving an average for the eleven months of 31.4 per cent, of waste.
Colliery No. 13, Hammond Colliery.
This works the Mammoth coal bed in two benches, the tipper 12 feet thick and the lower 20 feet thick, separated by about 100 feet of interval rock.
The bed dips 35° to 45.° A cubic foot of dust, coal and slate from the shntes was carefully weighed and resulted as follows :
Dust, 57 i
Chestnut, 571
Stove, 563
Slate, 581
The breaker returns show
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 49
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 51
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 49
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 51
84 Repoet Of Progress. Franklin Platt.
S. Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 51
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 49
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 55
Dust in tons,
%
" wasted, 45
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 57
Dust in tons, .
" wasted, 43
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 3118
Egg and Stove, 1425
Chestnut and Pea, 1107
5950 Per cent, shipped, 61 Dust in tons, 3726 " wasted, 39
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 1874
Egg and Stove, 869
Chestnut and Pea, 642
3385 ) Per cent, shipped, 60 Dust in tons, 2281 ) " wasted, 40
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 3596
Egg and Stove, 2139
Chestnut and Pea, 1285
7020 i Per cent, sliipped, 52 Dust in tons, 6356 " wasted, 48
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 5335
Egg and Stove, 2705
Chestnut and Pea, 1561
Dust in tons.
9601 i Per cent, shipped, 55 7855 J " wasted, 45
Breaker Waste.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken,
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons.
Tons.
9757 Per cent, shipped, 53 8724 ) " wasted, 47
Mined.
Shipped,
Dust.
t,317
7,772 tons, excess of actual product over the computed mined coal, or 6.3 per cent.
Total coal rained 122.089 tons, of which 53.9 per cent, were shipped and 46.1 per cent, were wasted.
The percentage of waste by months shows great variation thus : 51, 51, 49, 45, 43, 39, 40, 48, 45, 47. An average of 46 per cent, as before.
The enormous waste of this colliery is due to —
1. The extreme brittleness of the coal itself.
2. That blit little chestnut and pea coal is shipped, most of these small sizes going on to the dust pile.
3. The old-fashioned breaker, by which the coal travels all through the screens, and the large sizes come out at the bottom of the breaker.
Colliery No. Ilf., Preston No. 3.
This colliery works the Mammoth coal bed, 18' to 20 feet thick, worked as one bench. The coal dips steeply, 75° to
Franklin Platt.
A cubic foot of coal dust, coal, and slate, was carefully weighed at the colliery, and gave —
Dust, 591 lbs.
Chestnut, 54 "
Stove, 521
Slate, 631 "
These weights are not entirely satisfactory, the dust being somewhat too heavy.
The breaker results are —
i. Shipped. Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 3267
Egg and Stove, 2954
Chestnut and Pea, 2397
8618 Percent, shipped, 48 Dust in tons, 9429 ) " wasted, 52
S. Shipped. Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 2122
Egg and Stove, 1566
Chestnut and Pea, 1355
5043 Per cent, shipped, 50 Dust in tons, 5066 i " wasted, 50
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
4,144 tons, excess of product over computed coal mined, or 17.2 percent.
Of the total product, 28,156 tons. 49 per cent, were shipped to market, and 51 per cent, was wasted.
The wastage computations at the Preston No. 3 were not carried forward on account of inaccuracy in size of dirt car.
Tlie Girard colliery, adjoining and on the same bed, will furnish more accurate figures, and in all disagreements between the records of the two collieries the doubtful point should be decided in favor of the Girard.
Breaker Waste.
Al 87
Colliery No. 15., Girard.
This colliery works the Mammoth coal bed 40 feet thick, and on a dip of 60.°
The breaker record shows as follows ;
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 3952
Egg and Stove, 2781
Chestnut and Pea, 756
1 Per cent, shipped 41
Dust in tons,
' " wasted, 59
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken,
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
1 Percent, shipped, 41
Dust in tons,
' " wasted, 59
Shiptped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove, .
Chestnut and Pea,
; Per cent, shipped, 45
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 55
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, .shipped, 41
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 59
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 42
Dust in tons .
" wasted, 58
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
1 Per cent, shipped, 47
Dust in tons,
' " wasted, 53
88 Al EEPOKT OF PKOGEESS. FEANKLIJSr PLATT.
, Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove, . .
Chestnut and Pea,
shipped, 47
Dust in tons, . . .
wasted, 53
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove, . .
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons, . . .
wasted, 54
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
Rock.
18,471 tons, excess of actual product over the calculated mined product from mine cars, or 15.6 per tent.
This excess percentage runs by months thus : 12.6, 16.6, 24.4, 15.9, 17, 7.9, 16.4, 16.2, averaging about 15.6 per cent., as above.
The total coal mined is 126,237 tons, of which 43.6 per cent, went into cars for shipment to* market and 56.4 per cent, went to wastage.
The wastage percentage by months, varies thus : 59, 59, 55, 59, 58, 53, 53, 54, averaging about 56.4 per cent., as above.
This wastage percentage is very high. The bed is large, is pitching 60,° and the amount of refuse made in the mine is very great.
Moreover the Girard colliery only sliips 10 per cent, of
Bkeaker Waste.
Chestnut and Pea coal, while Preston No. 3 adjoining, on same bed and same pitch, has 25 per cent of small sizes, Chestnut and Pea. Much of the small coal therefore at the Girard must go on to the dust pile and thus help to swell the total percentage of waste.
2. Free-burning White Ash Coals.
Colliery Fo. 16, Tunnel.
This colliery works the Mammoth coal bed, 20 to 30 feet thick, Avith some 16 to 18 feet of good coal in it.
The coal dips 60° to 70°.
The breaker record shoAA's as folloAAs :
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 2317
Egg and Stove, 1895
Chestnut and Pea, 2678
6890 ) Per cent, shipped, 63 6030 5 " wasted, 47
Tons.
12,393 Per cent, shipped, 60 8337 ' " wasted, 40
Tons.
10,708 Per cent, shipped, 61 6867 ) " wasted, 39
Tons.
13,689 Per cent, shipped, 58 10,091 " wasted, 42
Tons.
10,589 ) Per cent, shipped, 57 Dust in tons, 8148 i " wasted, 43
Dust in tons
Lump, S. Boat and Broken,
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
Lump, S. Boat and Broken,
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
S. Shipped.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken,
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
Lump, S. Boat and Broken,
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
90 Al REPORT OF PROGRESS. FRANKLIX PLATT.
Shipped. Lump, S. Boat and Egg and Stove, . Chestnut and Pea,
Broken, . . .
Tons.
cent, shipped.
Dust in tons, . . .
" wasted.
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
Bock.
11,126 tons, excess of mined coal, as calculated from mine car record, over actual product, or 8.9 per cent.
This excess percentage varies monthly, thus : 6.1, 10, 7.1, 6.2, 7.6, 16.7 ; the average excess being 8.9 per cent., as above.
The total coal product amounted to 105,521 tons, of which 57.6 per cent, went to market, and 42.4 per cent, went to wastage.
The waste percentage varied thus by months : 45, 43, 42, 39, 40, 47 ; the average being about 42.4 per cent., as above.
In subdividing the wastage of free-burning white ash coals into the component jiarts which go to make np the total percentage, the wastage for boiler coal, loading from lip screens, going to weigh scales, &c., may be taken as at the same rate as with hard white ash collieries ; but the breaker waste in breaking and screening should be put at about 20 per cent, instead of 15.5 per cent.
Colliery No. 17, Potts.
This colliery works the Mammoth coal bed, between 20 and 30 feet thick, with some 16 to 18 feet of good coal.
The coal dijs 55°.
Beeaker Waste.
A*. 91
The breaker records are as follows :
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 55
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 45
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 51
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 49
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 52
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 48
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 54
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 46
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 53
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 47
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 49
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 51
Mined. Shipped.
Dust.
Rock.
'92 Report Of Progress. Franklin Platt.
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
Rock.
21 , 179 tons, excess of actual product over the calculated mine yield taken from mine car record, or 36.4 per cent.
This excess percentage varies monthly, thus: 45.3, 33.1, 32.6, 33.1, 24.7, 36. ; the average being about 34 per cent.
The total coal prodncecl ainonnted to 74,266 tons, of which 52.3 per cent, was shipjed to market, and 47.7 per cent, went to wastage.
This wastage varied monthly, thus : 45, 49, 48, 46, 47, 51 ; the average being a wastage of 47.7 per cent., as before.
Colliery No. 18, Keystone.
This colliery works the Mammoth coal bed, some 20 feet thick, and on a dip of 60.°
The breaker records show thus :
Shipped.
. Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 47
Dust in tons, .
" wasted, 53
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 49
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 51
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 47
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 53
Breakek Waste.
Al 93
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Esse and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons, . . .
wasted, 51
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Effg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
shipped, 62
Dust in tons, . . .
wasted, 48
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
Rock.
6,140 tons, excess of product over computed mine yield, or 7.9 per cent.
The total coal mined is 03,784 tons, of which 49 per cent, went into cars for shipment to market and 51 per cent, went on to the waste heap.
The monthly variation of dust wastage is thus ; 53, 51, 53, 51, 48, giving an average of 51 per cent., as above.
This enormous wastage is due to several causes.
1. The coal is jiitching 60° and much waste is made in the mine, and must all come out in the mine car.
2. The actual breaker waste is about 5 per cent, greater than at the hard white ash collieries.
3. Probably some deduction must be made for heavy loading of dust dumpers.
Colliery No. 19 Locust Spring.
This colliery works the Mammoth coal bed, in one bench, 25 feet thick.
94 A. REPOP/r OF PROGRESS. FP.AlSrKLIN PLATT.
The coal bed dips 25.°
The breaker record shows thus ;
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 63
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 37
S. Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 64
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 36
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 62
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 38
Tons.
Lump, S Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 64
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 36
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 64
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 36
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken,
I3gg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 66
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 34
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 66
Dust in tons,
' ' wasted, 34
Al 95
Breaker
Waste.
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
Dock.
16,065 tons, excess of product over computed mine yield.
The total yield is 83,994 tons, of which 64.2 per cent, went to market, and 35.8 per cent, went on to the dust heap.
The monthly percentages of waste run thus : 37, 36, 38, 36, 36, 34, 34 ; giving an average of 35.8 per cent., as above.
Colliery No. £0, Mount Carmel Shaft.
This colliery works the Mammoth bed. The bed measures thus :
Upper bench, 9' i
Slate, I worked together.
Lower bench, 5 y
The bed dips from 30° down to 12° or less.
A cubic foot of the dust was weighed at this colliery, direct from the shutes, without packing, and gave 534 lbs.
The total yield of shipped coal and dust exceeds the computed yield from mine car measurement sufficiently to commend the accuracy of the figures taken from computation of mine and breaker waste.
The breaker waste by months shows :
Broken, Egg and Stove, 11,345
Chestnut and Pea, 2,295
Dust in tons.
13,640 ) Per cent, shipped, 65 7,235 5 " wasted, 35
90 Al REPORT OF PROGRESS. FRANKLIN PLATT.
Shipped.
Tons.
Broken, Egg and Stove, . . .
Chestnut and Pea,
1 Percent, shipped, 64
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 36
Shipped.
Tons.
Broken, Egg and Stove, . . .
Chestnut and Pea,
j Per cent, shipped, 64
Dust in tons,
Shipped.
Tons.
Broken, Egg and Stove, . .
Chestnut and Pea,
j Per cent, shipped, 66
Dust in tons,
Shipped.
Tons.
Broken, Egg and Stove, . . .
Chestnut and Pea,
1 Per cent, shipped, 64
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 36
Broken, Egg and Stove, Chestnut and Pea, . .
Dust in tons,
Broken, Egg and Stove, Chestnut and Pea, . .
Dust in tons,
Tons.
14,763 / Per cent, shipped, 61 9,409 " wasted, 39
Tons.
16,551 1 Per cent, shipped, 62 10,006 i " wasted, 38
Broken, Egg and Stove, Chestnut and Pea, . .
Dust in tons.
Tons.
16,410 1 Percent, shipped, 62 9,847 i " wasted, 38
Broken, Egg and Stove, 13,602
Chestnut and Pea, 3,699
Dust in tons,
17,301 I Per cent, shipped, 63 10,000 i " wasted, 37
Breaker Waste.
Ar 97
Tons.
Broken, Egg and Stove, ,
Chestnut and Pea, . . . .
Per cent, shipped, 64
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 36
Tons.
Broken, Egg and Stove, .
Chestnut and Pea, . . . .
Per cent, shipped, 66
Dust in tons,
' ' wasted, 34
Tons.
Broken, Egg and Stove, ,
Chestnut and Pea, . . . .
Percent, shipped, 66
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 34
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
' 10,006
The total of dust and shipped coal exceeds the calculated
mined coal by 12,476 tons or 4 per cent. This is probably closely correct.
The monthly excess of product over the calculated mined coal runs 4.2, 5.4, 9.3, 5.5, 2.5. 2.5, 0.4, 7.2, 5.5, 0.4, 5.4, and one month — 2.2, giving an average excess of 3.8 as computed by months.
The total product is 296,451 tons, of which amount there was
Shipped,
Wasted,
7 Al
64 . 1 per cent. 35.9 "
98 A?. Keport Of Progress. Franklitst Platt.
The average waste by months runs thus : 35, 36, 36, 34, 36, 39, 38, 38, 37, 36, 34, 34, an average of 36 i3er cent.
Colliery No. 7, Burnside.
This colliery works the Mammoth coal bed. It is in two benches, each 10 feet thick, or 20 feet in all, and is worked as one bed.
The dip is from 20° up to 50°.
A cubic foot of the coal dust from the shutes was weighed at Burnside and gave 52 ft)S. for the weight of the dust.
The breaker record shows thus :
Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, .59
Dust in tons,
' " wasted, 41
Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 40
Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 62
Dust in tons,
J " wasted, 38
Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 62
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 38
, Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 60
Dust in tons,
Breaker Waste.
Al 99.
G. Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 61
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 39
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea, .
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 38
S. Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove, . . .
Chestnut and Pea, . .
Per cent shipped, 62
Dust in tons, . . .
" wasted, 38
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
10,069 tons, excess of mined coal over computed coal mined, or 7.4 per cent.
TliG total j)i'odiict is 124,256 tons, of wliicli 61 jigt cGiit. was sliippGcl to markGt and. 39 por CGiit. carried on to tliG dust liGap.
TliG inontlily dust pGrcGiitagGS ran thus : 41, 40, 38, 38, 40, 39, 38, 38, an avGragG of 39 por CGiit ivastod, as boforo.
In calculating tliG proper subdivisions of the total wastage percentage of the Shaniokin coals the percentage of waste due to breaking and screening the coal is about the same as that in the case of the free burning white ash.
The coal, being softer than the hard white ash coals, crushes somewhat more, but it is tough and does not o-q
lj)0 Al EEPORT OF PROGRESS. FRANKLITST PLATT.
down to buckwheat coal, though it makes a large percentage of chestnut and pea sizes.
As the demand for this coal is for sizes ranging from egg down to pea, the extra Avaste in breaking down all the coal from tlie mine probably brings the total waste for breaking and screening up to 21 to 22 per cent, of the coal put into the breaker.
Colliery No. 22, North Franklin, No. 2.
This colliery works the Mammoth bed. Coals No. 8 and 9 are here 100 feet apart. No. 8 yields 7 to 12 feet of coal, and No. 9 yields from 8 to 13 feet.
The dust from this colliery contains great quantities of "buckwheat coal there is no sale for this small size and the coal is thrown away with the dust.
A cubic foot of this dust Avas carefully weighed, Avithout packing, just as it fell from the breaker,, and gave 48 pounds.
The Aveiglits were per cubic foot.
Dust, 481 V
Chestnut coal, 49i lbs.
Stove coal, 401 '
The total yield of shipped coal and dust being less than the computed yield from mined car measurement, instead of more as it naturally should be, leads me to believe that a cubic foot of dust in the car must be somewhat packed and therefore weighs more than 48 pounds. But as the Aveighing Avas carefully done the computations have been made on the figures gained at the colliery.
Tiie breaker Awaste by months shows
Egg and Stove, 5,994
Chestnut and Pea, 6, 080
12,074 Percent, shipped, 51 11,503 5 " wasted, 49
Tons.
5923 ) Per cent, shipped, 51 Dust in tons, 5648 ) " wasted, 49
Dust in tons, . . .
Egg and Stove, . . Chestnut and Pea, .
Al 101
Break Ee Waste.
S. Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea
Per cent, shipped, 49
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 51
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Per cent, shipped, 51
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 49
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Percent, shijjped, 54
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 46
Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea, . .
1 Per cent, shipped, 56
Dust in tons,
Totals.
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
Excess of mined coal computed from cubic feet of mine cars over actual output of shipped coal and dust (12,213 tons) 7.6 per cent.
Average of total coal shipped and dust, 47.7 per cent.
Average of coal and dust by months, 49, 49, 61, 49, 46, 44=48.0 per cent.
Therefore, of the coal mined 62 per cent, went to market, and 48 per cent, to the dust pile.
102 Report Of Progress. Franklin Platt.
This coal shatters into small pieces, and the coal dnst as hauled to the dirt dumps contains fully one half of buckwheat coal. As this is all waste it adds much to the wastage, and makes the percentage of wastage for 'breaking and screening run up to between 25 and 30 per cent.
Moreover, this coal is sold in sizes ranging from egg down to pea coal.
ClIAPTEK YI.
Waste in breaJcing anthracite coal continued— First basin from Pottsville to Lylcens Ycdley.
1. Free-burning White Ash Coals.
Colliery Ko. 33, Pine Forest.
This colliery works the Seven Foot coal, and also the top and bottom benches of the Mammoth coal bed, 6 feet and 15 feet thick, respectively, in all 28 feet of coal ; it has also opened a coal below, 7 feet thick.
The coal beds dip 35°.
The breaker record shows as follows ;
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken,
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
4611 Per cent, shipped, 51 4445 " wasted, 49
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 788
Egg and Stove, 1766
Chestnut and Pea, 1145
Dust in tons,
3699 1 Per cent, shipped, 49 3802 ' " wasted, 51
S. Shipped.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken,
Egg and Stove
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons.
Tons.
3299 ) Per cent, shipped, 54 2857 1 " wasted, 46
Shipped. Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 848
Egg and Stove, 2057
Chestnut and Pea, 1307
4212 i Per cent, shipped, 53 . 3683 ) " wasted, 47
Dust in tons.
104 KEPORT OF PROGRESS. FRAJifKLIN PLATT.
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 56
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 44
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
' " wasted, 43
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 1642
Egg and Stove, 1658
Chestnut and Pea, 1036
Dust in tons.
4336 # Per cent, shipped, 54 3500 ) " wasted, 46
Mined.
Dust.
Rock.
6,675 tons, excess of actual product over computed mine product taken from mine oar record, or 13.2 per cent.
This excess percentage varies iiioiitlily, tunis : 11.3, 11.0, 15.2, 11.2, 11.5, 15, 17.3, or an average of 13.2, as above.
The total coal ininetl amounts to 54,681 tons, of which 53.6 per cent, event into the cars for shipinent to market, and 40.4 per cent, went to wastage.
This Avaste percentage varied montlily tlins : 46, 43, 44, 47, 46, 51, and 49, averaging as aboAm — about 40.4 per cent. In subdividing the total wastage percentage of these free
Breaker Waste.
Al 105
burning white ash collieries into the various factors which go to make up the total, the actual Avaste in breaking and screening is apparently about the same as the Avaste of the free burning coals in the Second basin.
An average of 20 to 21 per cent, for breaker Avaste Avill apply to all these collieries, the waste being the same at all of them, provided they are running on the same sizes.
Of course the actual percentage of dust Avill vary AAUtli the mine Avaste, Avhich on steep pitches Avill increase the amount of dust to be hauled away from the breaker.
Colliery No. 2 If., Wadesville Shaft.
This colliery Avorks the Mammoth coal bed Avith an upper bench of 8 feet and a loAver bench of 25 feet thick, or 83 feet in all.
The dip of the coal bed is 15.°
The breaker records show as follows :
S.
Shipped.
Tims.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 60
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 40
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, , .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 62
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 38
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
1 Per cent, shipped, 61
Dust in tons,
' " wasted, 39
Shipped.
Tons.
Broken,
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 38
rEA:NKLIN PLATT.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 821
Egg and Stove, 3710
Chestnut and Pea, 2192
6723 ) Per cent, shipped, 62 Dust in tons 4168) " wasted, 38
G. Shipped. Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 2398
Egg and Stove, 2246
Chestnut and Pea, 1506
6150 Percent, shipped, 66 Dust in tons, 3215 ) " wasted, 34
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 2900
Egg and Stove, 3267
Chestnut and Pea, 2208
8375 ) Per cent, shipped, 64 Dust in tons, 4654 ' " wasted, 36
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 2878
Egg and Stove, 2705
Chestnut and Pea, 2009
7592 Per cent, shipped, 64 Dust in tons, 4177 ) " wasted, 36
Lunrp, S. Boat and Broken, 3515
Egg and Stove, 3812
Chestnut and Pea, 2722
10,049 ? Per cent, shipped, 74 Dust in tons, 3541 ) " wasted, 26
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 3844
Egg and Stove, 4914
Chestnut and Pea, 2916
11,674 Per cent, shipped, 67 Dust in tons, 5742 ) " wasted, 33
Mined. Shipped. Dust. Dock.
Breaker Waste.
Al 107
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
Rock.
3,611 tons, which is the amount less than the computed mined coal — or 22 per cent.
The total coal yield is 133,455 tons, of Avliicli 64 per cent, went into cars for shipment to market, and 36 per cent, went to the dirt heap.
The percentage of waste by months runs thus : 38, 40, 39, 38, 38, 34, 36, 36, 26, 33, or an average of 36 per cent. , as above.
Colliery No. 25, Beeclmood.
This colliery ivorks the Mammoth coal bed, top and bottom benches, in all 45 feet thick. The coal is nearly horizontal, dipping not over 10°.
The breaker records are as follows :
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Percent, shipped, 69
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 31
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
1 Per cent, shipped, 69
Dust in tons,
' " wasted, 31
Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons.
3191 Per cent, shipped, 69 1420 ' " wasted, 31
1U8 Al EEPOET OF PROGRESS. FRANKLIiSr PLATT.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 1615
Egg and Stove, 1787
Chestnut and Pea, 1647
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 1771
Egg and Stove, 1965
Chestnut and Pea, 1566
Dust in tons, 1641
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 2063
Egg and Stove, 2452
Cliestnut and Pea, 1938
Percent, shipped, 72 " wasted, 28
Per cent, shipped, 76 " wasted, 24
Per cent, shipped, 74 " wasted, 26
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
Rock.
2,173 tons, excess of calculated mined coal from mine car record, over actual product, or 5 jier cent.
This excess of calculated mined coal over product varies thus by months: — 4.6, — 9.5,-]-10, — 5.5, — 8, — 12; giving an average of 5 per cent., as above.
The total coal produced amounted to 37,340 tons, of which 72 per cenl:. went into cars to go to market, and 28 per cent, went to Avastage.
This waste percentage vaj'ied monthly, thus : 31, 31, 31, 28, 24, 26, averaging 28 per cent., as above.
Breaker Waste.
A'. 109
Colliery No. 26, Mine Hill Gap.
This colliery Avorks the Mammoth coal bed, the upper bench being 12 feet and the lower bench 15 feet thick, or 27 feet in all.
The coal dips 50.
The breaker record shoA's as folloAAs :
i. Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat, and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 54
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 50
Dust in tons
" wasted, 50
S. Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat, and Broken,
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 42
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 58
jf. Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 42
Dust in tons
" wasted, 58
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove, .
Chestnut and Pea,
j Per cent, shipped, 49
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 51
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken,' . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 47
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 53
no REPORT OF PROGRESS. FRAITKLIN PLATT.
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust,
Rock,
4,327 tons, excess of calculated mined tonnage over actual product, or 5.7 per cent.
This excess percentage varies by months, thus : 5.2, 3.9, 9, 10.1, 4.8, giving an average of about 5.7 per cent., as above.
The total coal product amounted to (55,042 tons, of which 46 per cent, went to market and 54 per cent, went to wastage.
The waste percentage varied thus by months : 54, 50, 58, 58, 51, 53 ; giving an average waste percentage of 54, as above.
Colliery No. 27, Pottsville Mine.
This colliery works the Diamond and Primrose coal beds, the Diamond 5 and the Primrose 3 feet thick, or 8 feet in all. They are worked separately, and the coal beds dip 40°. The breaker records show as follows :
Egg and Stove, 1474
Chestnut and Pea, 1139
2613 ] Per cent, shipped, 51 Dust in tons, 2547 ) " wasted, 49
S. Shipped. Tons.
Egg and Stove, 2851
Chestnut and Pea, 2862
5713 ( Per cent, shipped, 53 4977 ) " wasted, 47
Dust in tons.
Bkeakee Waste.
A- . Ill
Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 58
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 42
Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 58
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 42
Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 59
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 41
Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
3985 I Per cent, shipped, 58 Dust in tons, 2932 ) " wasted, 42
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
Rock.
1,751 tons, excess of actual product over supposed amount mined, as computed from mine cars, or 31 per cent.
The total product of coal is 45,861 tons, of which 56.5 per cent, went into cars to be shipped to market, and 48.5 per cent, went to the waste heap.
The monthly wastage percentages varied thus : 42, 41, 42, 42. 47, 49 ; giving an average of 43.5 per cent, wastage, as above.
112 REPORT OF PROGRESS. FRANKLIiSr PLATT.
Collier y No. 8, Tliomaston.
This colliery works the Holmes coal bed, 10 feet thick, and also the Mammoth coal bed, in three benches, the njV per bench 12 feet, the middle bench 4 feet, and the lower bench 7 feet thick. TJiere is also a new opening to a bed below.
The slojie is 48° dip, but the workings of part of the colliery are fiat.
The records of the breaker show thns :
i. /Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 49
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 51
S. Shipped.
Tons.
Lump, 8. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Cliestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 47
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 53
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Percent. shipped, 52
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 48
Shipped.
Tons,
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 48
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 52
Tons.
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, . .
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
Beeaker Waste.
Al 113
Lump, S. Boat and Broken, 2392
Egg and Stove, 1944
Chestnut and Pea, 1760
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 46
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
Rock.
tons, excess of actual
product over computed amount
mined, taken from record of mine cars.
or 13.9 per cent.
The monthly excess varies thus: 15, 22, 10, 15, 13, 7; giving an average of about 14 per cent., as above.
The total amount of coal mined is 81,779 tons, of which 50.9 per cent, has gone into cars for shipment to market, and 49.1 per cent, has gone to waste.
The waste percentages by the month vary thus : 46, 44, 52, 48, 53, and 51, giving an average of about 50 per cent, of wastage, as above.
Colliery AA. 29, Glendoioer.
This colliery works the Mammoth coal bed 12 feet thick. The coal bed dips 48.°
The breaker record shows as follows ;
Broken 1091
Egg and Stove 2365
Chestnut and Pea, . 1603
Dust in tons,
5059 ) Per cent, shipped, 55 . 4146 i " wasted, 45
114 Al REPORT OF PROGRESS. FRANKLUST PLATT.
Shipped. Tons.
S. Boat and Broken, 470
Egg and Stove, 977
Chestnut and Pea, 740
2187 ? Percent, shipped, 54 1852 " wasted, 46
Tons.
2273 Per cent, shipped, 54 1899 ) " wasted, 46
Tons.
3169 # Per cent, shipped, 52 Dust in tons, 2915 ' " wasted, 48
Dust in tons, . . . . Shipped.
S. Boat and Broken, Egg and Stove, . . . Chestnut and Pea, .
Dust in tons, . . . .
S. Boat and Broken, Egg and Stove, . . . Chestnut and Pea, .
S. Boat and Broken 1161
Egg and Stove, 1566
Chestnut and Pea, 1247
Dust in tons,
3974 Percent, shipped, 55 3249 " wasted, 45
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
Mock.
1,712 tons, excess of computed output taken by mine cars, over the actual output as given by shipments, dust and rock.
Tlie total production of coal was 30,723 tons, of wliicli 54.3 per cent, went into cars for sliipment to market and 45.7 per cent, come under the heading of waste.
The waste percentage by months ran thus : 45, 46, 46, 48, 45, or an average of about 4.6 per cent., as above.
Bee Aker Waste.
Al 115
Red and White ash and Red ash Coals. Colliery No. 30, Otto.
This colliery works the top bench of the Mammoth, 8 feet thick and also the Primrose coal bed, 9 feet thick, or 17 feet in all. The coal dips 33.°
The breaker record shows as follows :
Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove, . .
Chestnut and Pea, . .
Dust in tons, .
. Shipped.
Tons.
Broken, Egg and Stove, . . .
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
. Shipped.
Tons.
Broken, Egg and Stove, . . .
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
. Shipped.
Tons.
Broken, Egg and Stove, . . .
Chestnut and Pea. . . .
Dust in tons,
Shipped.
Tons.
Broken, Egg and Stove, . . .
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
Shipped.
Tons.
Broken, Egg and Stove, . , .
Chestnut and Pea,
Dust in tons,
Shipped.
Tons.
Broken, Egg and Stove, . . .
Chestnut and Pea, . . .
6863 Percent, shipped, 60 ' wasted, 40
4417 Per cent, shipped, 49 ' wasted, 51
5875 j Per cent, shipped, 50 wasted, 50
6334 Per cent, shipped, 43 wasted, 57
7041 Percent, shipped, 46 " wasted, 54
wasted, 43
Dust in tons.
4654 ) Per cent, shipped, 60 . 3085 " wasted, 40
IIG Al HEPORT OF PROGRESS. FRANKLIFT PLATT.
Shipped.
Tons.
shipped, 57
Dust in tons, . .
wasted, 43
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
Rock.
26,076 tons, excess of product over the calculated yield by mine car record, or 31.9 per cent.
This excess percentage varies by months thus ; 27, 12, 23, 43, 47, 45, 33, and 14 ; the average being tibont 31 per cent., as above.
The total yield of the mine in coal is 87,331 tons, of which 52 per cent, went to market and 48 per cent, to wastage.
The waste percentage varied by months tlins : 43, 40, 42, 54, 57, 50, 51, 40 : the average of these being about 48 per cent, wastage, as above.
Tlie enormous variation in the waste percentage is very noticeable, varying from 40 as the minimiim to 57 as the maximum.
Though a period of 8 months running was taken to secure an average and prevent the inaccuracy which comes from taking a short period, yet even 8 months in this case do not give a fair average. On reexamining the breaker records and going back for a much longer period it is clear that the average shipments are about 58 per cent, and the wastage 42 per cent.
Of this total wastage, the breaking and screening make up between 20 and 25 per cent.; the latter figure being
Breaker Waste.
A.I 117
probably nearer the correct figure. But tins average is only ajDproximated, and is not as if taken from running clean coal through the breaker.
Colliery No. 32, Fhcenix Park No. 2.
This colliery works the Primrose coal bed, 9 feet thick. The bed dips 36°.
The breaker record shows as follows :
Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 63
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 37
Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 63
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 37
Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 65
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 35
Shipped.
Toyis.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 60
Dust in tons,
wasted, 40
Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Per cent, shipped, 62
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 33
Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
Percent, shipped, 64
Dust in tons,
" wasted, 36
Shipped.
Tons.
Egg and Stove,
Chestnut and Pea,
2980 ) Per cent, shipped, 57 2267 i " wasted, 43
Dust ill tons,
118 A. Eepoet Of Progress. Franklin Platt.
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust.
Rock.
1,764 tons, excess of actual product over the calculated product from mine car records, or 6.1 per cent.
This excess percentage varies montliljg thus; 6.9, 13.7, 7.5, 3.4, 2.7, 5.7, 4.9 ; tlie average being about 0 per cent., as above.
The total coal product amounted to 26,424 tons, of which 61.7 per cent, went to market, and 38.3 per cent, went to wastage.
The waste percentage varied by months, thus : 37, 37, 35, 40, 38, 36, 43 ; the average being about 38i)erceut. of wastage, as above.
Of this total wastage jirobably lietween 20 and 25 per cent, are due to l)reaking and screening.
Colliery JSfo. 33, West Brook side.
This colliery Avorks the Lykens Y alley coal bed, 9 feet thick, and dipping only 10.°
The breaker record sIioavs thus :
*Lump, S. Bout and Broken, Egg and
Stove, 25,774
Chestnut and Pea, 11,426
Dust in tons, 17,144 J " wasted, 32
—
As the Lump, Steamboat and Broken at West Brookside make only from
0 to 9 per cent, of the total shipments, they are included in these tables witli the Egg and Stove.
Breaker Waste.
Al 119
Shipped. Tons.
Lump, S. Boat, Broken, Egg and
Stove, 15,746
Chestnut and Pea, 6,658
22,404 ) Percent, shipped, 69 Dust in tons, 9,970' " wasted, 31
Lump, St. Boat, Broken, Egg and
Stove, 1" >977
Chestnut and Pea, 7 ,619
25,596 f Per cent, shipped, 69 Dust in tons, 11,723 " wasted, 31
Lump, S. Boat, Broken, Egg and Stove, 16,961
Chestnut and Pea, 6,803
23,824 ? Per cent, shipped, 68 Dust in tons, 11,027 ' " wasted, 32
Lump, S. Boat, Broken, Egg and Stove, 21,610
Chestnut and Pea, 8,532
30,142 ji Per cent, sliipped, 69 Dust in tons, 13,387 " w'asted, 31
Lump, S. Boat, Broken, Egg and
Stove, 18,986
Chestnut and Pea, 7,484
26,470 Percent, shipped, 68 Dust in tons, 12,619 ' " wasted, 32
Lump, S. Boat, Broken, Egg and Stove, 13,483
Chestnut and Pea, 5,562
19,045 Per cent, shipped, 67 Dust in tons, 9,174 5 " wasted, 33
S. Shipped. Tons,
Lump, S. Boat, Broken, Egg and Stove, 26,730
Chestnut and Pea, 10,103
36,833 ) Per cent, sliipped, 70 Dust in tons, 15,615 5 " wasted, 30
120 Al EEPOET OF PROGEESS. EEAEKLIN PLATT.
Mined.
Shipped.
Dust .
46,465 tons, excess of actual product over computed product, or 16.8 per cent. These excess percentages varied considerably by inontlis, running thus : 13.2, 16.8, 20.9, 16, 15.3,
15.3, 19.6, 19.3, and averaging about 17 per cent., as above.
The total product was 322,173 tons, of ivliioli 68.8 per cent, went into the cars for shipment to market, and 31.2 per cent, went on to the dirt heap.
The percentages of waste by months ran thus : 32, 31, 31, 32, 31, 32, 33, 30; averaging' 31.2 per cent., as above
This average may be somewhat too low, but is not much away from the actual facts.
For the bed is nearly flat : it is clean coal ; there is but little wasted in the mines ; and the coal is not brittle and does not splinter np into buckwheat and dust. The actual breaker waste at the Lykens Valley collieries for breaking and screening is probably not over 21 per cent.
Colliery No. 33.
Mr. Holden Chester, the General Superintendent of the Lykens Valley Coal Comjiany, gives the following statement as the average loss of the collieries under diis charge.
"The loss in the amount taken out, especially in soft or freedfurning coals, is about 38 per cent. One half, or 19 per cent., of this is made in the mine by the explosives used; the other half, or 19 per cent., is made in breaking and preparing the coal into domestic sizes.
This result can only be attained by the use of the best
BKEAKEIl WASTE.
A" 121
machinery, which Ave too often neglect and allow to become dull, thus increasing the waste A'ery much.
But AA"e too often lose sight of the other half of the AA'aste brought from the mines, principally the fruits of injudicious use of the explosiA'es by incompetent miners ; and esx)ecially is this the case in the soft or free-burning anthracite coals."
Chapter YII.
Waste in Breaking Anthracite Coal Continued. — Lehigh, Wyoming, and Lackawanna Basins.
In the Lehigh region the dust is usually AA'ashed from the breaker, and it is difficult therefore to secure reliable figures of breaker Avaste.
Mr. Thos. S. McNair, of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, furnishes the folloAAdng results of some observations made by him for this report.
The following is the breaker AAaste at four collieries in this region :
D2lSt, p. c.
1. Mt. Plea.sant colliery; -working about 50 per cent, each
of the Mammoth (E) and AVharton (D) coal beds, . . 13
2. Hazelton, No. 6, colliery; working the Mammoth coal
bed, 125
3. Holl3rwood colliery ; working the Mammoth coal bed, . .
4. Harleigh colliery; working about 45 per cent, of tlie
Wharton CD) and 55 per cent, of the Mammoth (E)
coal beds,
At the above collieries all stuff not large enough to pass over a i\" mesh of the revoLdug screen AAent out as "dirt."
The result at Harleigh is not so exact as at the other three collieries, as the experiment for dirt AA'as but of one trial, and then only for a short time, a feAv liours.
At the other three the dirt Avas hauled out in cars, and the result is of a series of observations taken. At Harleigh the dirt is carried aAvay by the AAater used in Awashing, and had to be sjAecially caught.
The fine slate picked and jigged out at the same exiieriment Avas —
122 A. Kepoet Of Progress. Franklijt Platt.
Fer cent.
Mt. Pleasant,
Hazleton, No. 6,
Holleywood,
Gen. Lilly, at Jeddo Colliery, works the Mammoth BO feet thick.
He sajs that he gets out two thirds of the coal and leaves one third in the mine.
Dr. Wentz, at Eckley, works the Buck Mountain 12 feet thick.
He says that he gets 80 per cent out and leaves 20 per cent, in the mine.
Mr. Daniel Bertsch of the Upper Lehigh Coal Company says :
The average thickness of onr Buck Mountain vein is 12 feet ; pitch on north side, 36°, and on south side of basin, 12 80 per cent, of the coal brought out of the mine ; waste
in preparing about 11 per cent, of dust and 6 per cent, of slate, a total of 17 per cent.
The collieiies selected to secure statistics of the wastage in breaking and screening coal in theAVyoming and Lackawanna coal basins work the Baltimore vein chiefly though there ai'e also figures showing breaker waste in coal from the Hillman vein, the Ross vein, and the Red Ash vein.
The figures vary greatly and show how dilferently the different coal beds are silintered by the breaker.
Prosiyect Colliery.
This colliery, only one mile from Wilkes-Barre, works the Baltimore coal bed of the Wyoming Valley.
The coal is iji two benches, sometimes worked together, ]')nt usually separated, and yields in all some 15 feet of coal. The dip of the coal bed is gentle.
A CTd)ic foot of the coal dust and coal Avas taken direct from the shntes at the colliery and carefully weighed with the following results :
Beeakee Waste.
Al 123
Dust, with much buckwheat coal, (perhaps one half small
coal,) . Pea, . . Chestnut, Stove, . .
A careful record was kept at the breaker to determine the waste in dust. Leaving out all the slate, the weight of the dust was ascertained by itself to compare with the shipped coal.
The Baltimore vein at this colliery is nearly horizontal and some 10 to 12 feet thick. There is, therefore, little dust made in the mine, except that inevitably caused by blasting. The shipments were of the following sizes :
Lump, 390
Broken, 565
Egg, 1,629
Stove, 4,670
Chestnut, 3,766
Pea, 533
In shipping this amount of coal, there were hauled from the breaker 3,150 tons of dust, giving therefore :
Coal,
Dust,
11,553 tons or 78.6 per cent. 3,150 tons or 21.4 jjer cent.
Of this, 21.4 per cent, of dust, probably the proper subdivision, is
Breaker waste. Screen waste. Mine waste, .
This average will ajiply to the collieries working the Baltimore vein in the Wyoming valley.
The projiortion of wastage of refuse (slate, bone coal, and dust) as compared to total mine product, was not determined.
Mr. Joseph S. Harris, Chief Engineer of the Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre Coal Company, furnishes the following results, 'showing the actual breaker waste at the collieries of the company in the Wyoming valley. They show at the same time the saving effected by improved apparatus.
124 A}. Report Of Progress. Eranklir- Platt.
Test and Comparison of Old and New Style Rolls in L. and W. B. Coal Co.s Breakers, Wyoming Division.
1. Diamond Breaker, February 2, 1880.
Baltimore vein.
Improved Standard Steel Tootli Crusliers.
Size op Coal.
1 Mesh.
Lbs.
Per cent.
No.
Name.
Over.
Thro.'
Broken,
Rolls,
Egg,
Stove,
b-di
Small stove,
H li
Chestnut
Pea
1 and g
Dirt,
Loss,
Total,
Total loss, 11.88 per cent.
2. Empire Breaker, February 2, 1880. Baltimore vein.
Old Style Ceushees.
New Style Ceushees.
Size Of Coae.
Mesh.
Lbs.
Per cent.
Lbs.
Per cent.
No.
Name.
Over.
Thro'.
Broken,
2f
Oi
3&4
Stove, . .
Small stove.
— V
o
Co
Chestnut, .
s
Pea
Dirt, Loss, . . .
Total, . . .
Total loss, 11.96 per cent.
Total loss, 8.03 per cent.
Beeaker Waste.
A2. 125
3. Empire Breaker, February 2, 1880. Hillman Vein.
Old Style Ckushebs.
New Sty'le Crushers.
SIZE OF COAL. i
Mesh,
Lbs.
Per ct.
Lbs.
Per ct.
No.
Name.
Over.
Thro'.
Broken,
U
TTao*.
3&4
Stove and Small S.,
lihi
Chestnut,
Pea
y
Dirt,
Loss,
a !
Total,
Total loss, 17.68 per cent. Total loss, 11.96 per cent.
Baltimore Vein.
Ross
Vein.
Red Ash Vein.
Size Of Coal.
Mesh.
Lbs.
Per ct.
Lbs.
Per ct.
Lbs.
Per ct.
No.
Name.
Over.
Thro'.
Broken, . .
Egg. . . .
Stove, . .
P.P
Chestnut, . Pea. . . .
h
O
O
Dirt,
3
Total, . .
Total loss, 11.56 per cent. Loss, 10.99 per cent. Loss, 5.88 per cent.
126 Al KEPORT OF PROGRESS. FRANKLIN PLATT.
5. Sugar Notch No. 10 Breaker, January 1, 1880.
Old Style Rolls.
New Rolls.
Size Of Coal.
Mesh.
Lbs.
Per ot.
No.
Lbs.
Per ct.
No.
Name.
Over.
Thro'.
Broken,
Egg,
Stove, Small stove.
Chestnut, . .
It
Pea,
1 B
2 y 8
Dirt, . .
B 1
Dirt.
Total,
662 pounds broken coal put through the Pony rolls made : Coal, 555 pounds=83.83 per cent. ; dirt, 107 pounds=16.17 per cent.
884 pounds No. 1 coal put through Pony rolls make prepared sizes : Coal, 768 pounds 86.88 per cent. ; dirt, 116 pounds=13.12 per cent.
6. Lauce No. 11 Breaker, January 29, 1880. Old style crushers, prepared rolls.
Size of Coal.
Mesh.
Lbs.
Per cent.
No.
Name.
Over.
Thro'.
Broken,
2J
29i?2
Egg,
Stove,
Small .stove,
Chestnut,
Pea,
J 3
2 y 8
S
95
Dirt,
2 y 8
Total,
Breaker Waste.
Al 127
7. Nottingham No. 15, January 29, 1880.
Old style crushers, steel tooth prepared, old style rolls.
Size of Coal.
Mesh.
Lbs.
No.
Name.
Over.
Through.
Broken,
Egg,
Stove,
lidi
Small stove,
2f
Chestnut,
s
Pea,
t 3
Dirt,
K 3
Total,
Per cent.
lofyy
lOA
8. Reynolds No. IG Breaker, January 29, 1880. No Crushers.
Old Style Prepared Rolls.
Size op Coal.
Mesh.
Lbs.
Per ct.
No.
Name.
Over.
Thro.'
Broken,
Egg,
2f
Stove,
ibli
Small stove,
Chestnut,
s
H
Pea,
Dirt,
s
a
3
These tables give some very interesting figures.
With old style crushers the actual breaker waste ranges from 12 to nearly 19 per cent. Working the Baltimore vein, the new style apparatus reduces the this loss by some 5 jer cent.
As illustrating the importance of the physical structure of the coal in relation to breaker waste, it will be noted that the Red Ash vein of the Ackley No. 6, breaker loses only 5.88 per cent., while the Baltimore vein, at the same colliery, loses 11.56 per cent., or nearly double.
128 A. Eepokt Of Progkess. Fkankliit Platt.
'It would be hardly in order to call the breaker a very murderous invention Avhere it was losing only 5.88 j)er cent, of the coal fed into it. It could not be broken by hand in a coal cellar for less than that percentage of loss.
Witli reference to wastage in the Lackawanna region, Mr. Snyder, Chief Engineer of the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western coal mines, furnished the following as an estimate of the average waste at the company's collieries, lie says ;
"The pitch in the middle portion of the main basin will average about 5 degrees ; at the out-crops it varies from 20 to 50 degrees in the Lackawanna region.
In the Wyoming region the pitches are sharper.
In the Lackawanna basin all the veins above the big or " G'' vein have slate roof and floor. The big or " G" vein roof is rock and slate in alternate layers ; the floor fire-clay and slate mixed.
The Clark or "H" vein, the next below the big vein, has slate roof aiid hard rock floor.
Under the present system of mining about 15 per-cent, is left in pillars.
In preparing the coal for market about [30) thirty per cent, is sent to the culm p)ile.
The percentage of waste varies with different veins, and Avith different portions of the same vein ; the above estimate is a general average of the waste, taking all the mines of the D. L. and W. Company.
As to any change of plan in the mining Avith a vieAv to the saving of pillars, that are unavoidably left or lost under the present system, in our judgment there can be no specific plan of ndning adopted that would be apjAlicable to all the Amins in any part of the anthracite regions. Any plan Avould have to be modified to suit each particular case of fault or local disturbance.
As to the AAmste in the preparation of coal for market, its material reduction beloAV the present percentage is a problem yet to be solved, unless it all goes as lump, and the consumer Avill consent to go back to the good old days Avhen the present smashing system A\ms unknown, and the head
Break Ee Waste.
Al 129
of the family, or one of liis worthy descendants, develoiDed his muscle with pick and hammer in the coal shed."
The Delaware and Hudson ComjDany have mines northeast of Scranton where the coal is lying almost horizontal in the center of the Lackawanna region.
The coal worked by them is about 8 feet in thickness, or possibly somewhat more. Working a bed of this size, and with flat workings, their mine car comes out with nothing in it but coal, the refuse being easily selected in the mine.
The Superintendent, Mr. Vandling, states that their "mine ton" is 2700 pounds, and this amount charged into the breaker yields a full tou of 2240 pounds for shipment to market.
This makes only 17 per cent, of breaker waste in all.
How some of this waste must be made in mining and be in the mine car when it goes to the breaker ; but it must be a very small amount of dust, and probably it would be safe to sub-divide this 17 per cent, into
Breaker waste, 14 per cent.
Mine waste, 3 per cent.
9 A2
INDEX TO Al
Page.
Ackley No. 6 breaker 127
American Institute of Mining Engineers Meeting in Phila., .5
Anthracite fuel company at Port Ewer, 39
Asliland; region, 1,37, .38, 47 ; 37
Ashley No. 6 Breaker, . .50,125
Baltimore bed ; vein, 45,48,122; 43,122,123,124,125,127
Bear Ridge Colliery No. l;'No. 2, 41
Beechwood Colliery, 107
Bertsch, Daniel 122
Black creek basin, 1
Boston Run Colliery, 78
Broad Mountain, 33
Brown, Col. D. P„ 32,50,53,54,55, 05
Buck Mountain basin; bed, 1; 45,48,70, 81
seam, 38
vein, 32,122
Burnside Colliery, 98 ; 98
Carbon County, 1
Carbondale, 1
Chester, Holden, 42,40,120
Colorado Colliery, 30,41,58,00,01, 00
Conner Colliery, 81
Continental Colliery ; No. 5, OO ; 05
Coxe, Eckley B., 29, 31
Dauphin field, 1
Delaware and Hudson Company, 39,129
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Coal Measures, 128
Diamond Breaker, 50 , 124
Diamond coal bed, 110
Doyle, Thomas, 22
Eckley, 122
Ellangowan Colliery 73
Elmwood Colliery, 71
Empire Breaker, 50,124,125
England ; coal fields of, 7 ; 48
European coal fields, 48
First Great basin, 1, 47
Gay, Samuel, 40, 44
133 Al IlEPORT OF PROGRESS. FRANKLIN PLATT.
Gilberton CoRiery,
Girard Colliery,
Girard Estate,
Girardville,
Girardville — Shenandoah basins, . . .
Glendower Colliery
Haininond Collieiy,
Ilarleigh Colliery,
Harris, Jos. S ,
Hazleton No. 6 Colliery,
Hecksher, Richard,
Hillman vein
Holh'wood Collierj,
Holmes' coal bed, .
Jeddo basin,
Jeddo Colliery,
Jones, T. D., . . .
Kehley run colliery,
Keystone Colliery No. 18,
Koh-i-noor Colliery,
Lackawanna County,
Lackawanna basin
region,
Lance No. 11 Breaker,
Lehigh Basin,
coal fields,
region ; big vein,
Ijehigh Colliery ; No. 3,
Lehigh River,
Lehigh Valley RR. Co.,
Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company, Lehigli and Wilkes-Barre Coal Co., . .
Lilly, Gen.,
Locust Mountain Coal Co.,
Locust Run Colliery,
Locust Spring Colliery,
Lost Creek; Collieries,
Loyalsock creek in Sullivan County, .
Luzerne County, . .
L'kens Valle,y,
Coal Company,
field, vein, coal vein,
Collieries,
Mahanoy,
basin,
region,
tunnel, .
IMahanoy City Collierj,
IMammoth bed,
McCauley's Mountain,
Page.
2,29 to 33,37 to 52,58 to 78,83 to 122
Ixdex.
Al 133
Page.
McJfair, Thos. S., 121
Middle and Southern coal fields, 5
Mine Hill Gap Colliery, 109
Miners' Journal, 33
Miners' Journal Coal Statistical Register, 33
Mount Carmel Shaft Colliery, 47 ; 95
Mount Pleasant Colliery, 121,122
Nanticoke, 1
Nesquehoning region, 32
North Franklin No. 2, Colliery,
North Mahanoy Collierjq
Northumberland Countv,
Nottingham No. 15 Breaker,
" No. 16 "
Otto Colliery, II5
Packer Colliery ; No. 4, 32,36,66; 63, 41
Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Co 18, 22
Philadelphia and Reading R. R. Co., 39, 45
Philadelphia Coal Company's Collieries at Lost Creek, 32
Philadelphia Coal Company's Collieries; Shenandoah Collieries, . . . 50 ; 54
Phoenix Park No. 2 Colliery, II7
Pine Forest Colliery, 1Q3
Pleasants, Henry, 43
Port Ewer on the Hudson, 39
Potts Colliery,
Pottsvilie, 38,103
field, 1
Mine Collierjq HO
Preston No. 3 Colliery, 85 89
Prospect Colliery, I23
Reading Company's estate, 45 47
Red Ash vein, 122,125 127
Report MM, 2nd Geol, Survey, 40
Reynold's No. 16 Breaker 56,127
Riley, Lewis A.,
Riley, S. M.,
Ross vein, 122 19,5
Schuylkill County; Lost Creek, 1,40; .37
Schuylkill region, 7, 48
Scranton
Second Great basin, 1,49,105
Seven foot bed; coal, 76,103
Shainokin ; region, 1 47 ; 42
Sheafer, P. 38, 44
Shenandoah basin, 40, 44
Shenandoah-Girardville basins, 40
Shenandoah Col li°ry, 60,36,61,66
Shenandoah Collieries of the Philadelphia Coal Company, 50
Shenandoah district; region, 40; 45,51,52, .53
Snyder, J. F., '128
Franklin Platt.
Page.
Stanton Colliery, 4j
Stearns, Irving A., 42, 43
Sugar Notch No. 10 Breaker, 56,126
Snllivan Countj', 45
Suimnit Hill, region ; mines, 32-45
Susquehanna River, 1
Thomaston Colliery, qq2
Thompson, II. S., 23 41
Trevorton, 1 49
Tunnel Colliery, 89
Upper Lehigh Coal Company, 122
Vandling, A. H., .129
Veight, Jno., 18 : 22
Wadesville Shaft Colliery, 195
Wales, .q
Wentz, Dr., j22
We.st Brookside Colliery, Hg
West Shenandoah Colliery, 75
AVetherill, J. Price, 5 22
Wharton bed, 29,' 45
Wdkes-Barre-. region, 42,55,122; 55
William Penn Colliery, 4I
Wyoming Coal Basin, 121,122
Wyoming-Lackawanna basin, 1
Wyoming region, 48 128
Wyoming Valley, 42,45, 122,' 123
Secoxd Geological Survey of Pevjisylvania.
Reports For 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, And 1880.
The following Reports are issued for the State by the Board of Commissioners. at flarrlsburg, and the prices have been fixed as follows, in accordance with the terms of tlie act :
Prices Of Reports.
A. Historical, Sketch of Geological Explorations in Pennsylvania and other .States. Bj' .T. P. Leslej'. With appendix, containing Annual Reports for 1874 and 1875 ; pp. 226, 8vo. Price in paper, §0 25 ; postage, SO 00. Price in clrith, 80 50 ; jiostage, 80 10.
B. Preliminary Report of the Mineralogy of Pf;nnsylvania —
1874. By Dr. F. Genth. With appendix on the liydro-carbon compounds, by Samuel P. Sadtler. 8vo., pp. 206, witli wnyi of the State for reference to counties. Price in paper, 80 50; postage, §0 08. Price in cloth, 80 75; postage, 80 10.
B. ® Preliminary Report of the Mineralogy of Pennsylvania for
1875. Bi' Dr. F. A. Genth. Price in paper, 80 05; jiostage, 80 02.
C. Report of Progress on York and Adams Counties— 1874. By
Persifor Frazer. 8vo., pp. 198, illustrated by 8 maps and sections and otlier illustrations. Price in paper, 80 85 ; postage, 80 10. Price in ciotli, 81 10 ; postage, 80 12.
CC. Report of Progress in the Counties of York, Adams, Cumberland, and Franklin — 1875. Illustrated by maps and cross-sections, showing the Magnetic and iSIicaceous Ore Belt near the western edge of the Mesozoic Sandstone and the two Azoic systems constituting the mass of the .South Mountains, witli a preliminary discussion on the Dillsburg Ore Bed and catalogue of specimens collected in 1875. By Persifor Frazer. Price, 81 25 ; postage, 80 12.
CCC. Report of Progress in 1877. The Geologjmf Eancaster County, with an atlas containing a colored geological map of the county, local map of tiie Gap Nickel Mine, map and sections of the East Bank of Susquehanna River ; other geological sections across the county, and geologic .! colored maps of York and Lancaster counties. By Persifor Frazer. 8 vo., jip. 350. Price of Report, 80 89 ; postage, 80 16. Price of Atlas, 81 32 : postage, 80 08.
D. Report of Progress in the Brown Hejiatite Ore Ranges of Lehigh County — 1874, with descriptions of mines lying between Emaus, Albuftis, and Foglesville. By Frederick Prime, Jr. Svo., pp. 73, with a contourline map and 8 cuts. Price in paper, 80 50 ; postage, 80 04. Price in cloth, 80 75 ; postage, 80 06.
DD. The Brown Hematite Deposits of the Siluro-Cambrian Limestones OF Lehigh County, lying between Shiniersville, Millerstown,
Schencksville, Ballietsville, and the Leliigh river — 1875-G. Frederick
Prime, Jr. 8 vo., pp. 99, with 5 map-sheets and 5 plates. Price, $1 CO ; postage, §0 12.
E. Spkcial Pv,eport on the Trap Dykes and Azoic Rocks of .Southeastern Pennsylvania, 1875 ; Part I, Historical Introduction. By T. Sterry Hunt. 8 VO., pp. 253. Price, §0 48; jiostage, 80 12.
P. Report op Progress in the Juniata District on Fossil Iron Ore Beds of Middle Pennsylvania. By John H. Dewees. Witli a report of the Aughwick Valley and East Broad Top District. By C. A. Ashburner. 1874-8. Illustrated with 7 Geological map)S and 19 sections. 8 vo., pp. 305. Price, 82 55 ; postage, ?0 20.
Gr. Report of Progress in Bradford and Tioga Counties— 1874-8. I. Limits OF the Catskill and Chemung Formation. By Andrew Slierwood. II. Description of the Barclay, Blossburg, Fall Brook, Arnot, Antrim, and Gaines Coal Fields, and at the Forks of Pine Creek in Potter County. By Franklin Platt. III. On the Coking of Bituminous Coal. By John Fulton. Illustrated with 2 colored Geological county maps, 3 plates and 35 cuts. 8 vo., pp. 271. Price, 81 00; postage 80 12.
GrG. Report of Progress. The Geology of Lycoming and Sullivan Counties. I. Field Notes, by Andrew Sherwood. II. Coal Basin.s, by Franklin Platt. With two colored geological county maps and numerous illustrations. 8 vo., pp. 2C8. Price, 81 06 : jiostage, 80 14.
GGG. Report of Progress in 1876-9. 8 vo., pp. 120. Tlie Geology of Potter County, by Andrew Sherwood. Report on the Coal Field, by Franklin Platt, with a colored geological map of county, and two page plates of sections. Price, 80 58 ; postage, 80 08.
H. Report of Progress in the Clearfield and Jefferson District OF THE Bituminous Coal Fields of Western Pennsylvania — 1874. By Franklin Platt. 8vo., pp. 296, illustrated by 139 cuts, 8 maps, and 2 sections. Price in paper, 81 50 ; postage, 80 13. Price in cloth, 81 75 ; postage, 80 15.
HH. Report of Progress in the Cambria .\nd Somerset District OF THE Bituminous Coai Fields of Western Pennsylvania — 1875. Bj F. and W. G. Platt. Pp. 194, illustrated with 84 wood-cuts and 4 maps and sections. Part I. Cambria. Price, 81 00 ; postage, 80 12.
HHII. Report of Progress in the Cambria and Somerset District OF THE Bitu.minoits Coal FIELDS of Western Pennsylvania — 1876. By F. and W. G. Platt. Pi. 348, illustrated by 110 wood-cuts and 6 maps and .sections. Part II. Somerset. Price, 80 85 ; postage, 80 IS.
HHIIH. Report of Progress in Indiana County — 1877. By W. G. Platt. Pp. 316. With a colored ma]! of the countjn Price, 80 80 ; postage,
H5 . Report of Progress in A r jistrong County'— 1879. By W. G. Platt. Pp. 238. With a colored map of the county. Price, 80 75; postage, 80 16.
I, Report of Progress in the Venango County District — 1874. By John F. Carll. With obserY'ations on the Geology around Warren, by F. A. Randall; and Notes on the Comparative Geology of North-eastern Ohio and Northwestern Penns3dvania, and Western New York, by J. P. Lesley. Sy'o., pp. 127, with 2 maps, a long section, and 7 citts in the text. Price in paper, 80 60; postage, 80 05. Price in cloth, 80 85; postage, 80 08.
II. Report of Progress, Oil Wells, Records, and Levels — 1876-7. By- John F. Carll. Pp. 398. Published in adY'anee of Report of Progress, III. Price, 80 60 ; postage, 80 IS.
III. Report OF Progress — 1875 to 1879. The Geology of the Oil Regions
OF Warrex, Yenakgo, Clarion, and Butler Counties, including surveys of the Garland and Panama Conglomerates in Warren and Crawford, and in Chautauqua county. New York. Descrii)tions of oil well rig and tools, and a discussion of the preglacial and postglacial drainage of the Lake Erie countrjn By John F. Carll. Pp. 482 ; witli two inde.xes, 23 page jilates, and an atlas of 22 sheets of maps, well sections and working drawings of well rig and tools. Price of report, §0 60 ; iiostage, ?0 19. Price of atlas, SI 70 ; iiostage, SO 12.
J. Special Report on the Petroleum of Pennsylvani.x — 1874, its Production, Transportation, ISIanufacture, and Statistics. By Henry E. Wrigley. To which are added a Map and Profile of a line of levels through Butler, Armstrong, and Clarion Counties, by D. Jones Lucas: and also a lilap and Profile of a lino of levels along Slip2iery Rock Creek, by J. P. Lesley. 8 vo., lip. 122 ; 5 mp.s and sections, n plate and o cuts. Price in paper, SO 75 ; postage, SO 06. Price in cloth, SI 00; postage, SO 08.
K. Report on Greene and Washington Counties — 1875, Bituminous Coal Fields. By J. J. Stevenson, 8 vo., pp.420, illustrated by 3 secGoHsand 2 county maps, showing tlie depth of tlie Pittsburg and Waynesburg coal bed, beneath the surface at numerous points. Price in paper, SO 65 ; postage, SO 16. Price in cloth, SO 90 ; postage, SO 18.
KK. Report of Progress in the Fayette and Westmoreland District of the Bituminous Coal Fields of Western Pennsylvania — 1876. By J. J. Stevenson; pp. 437, illustrated liy 50 wood-cuts and 3 county maps, colored. Part I. Eastern Allegheny County, and Pbiyette and Westmoreland Counties, test from Chestnut Ridge. Piice, SI 40 ; i)Ostage, SO 20.
KKK. Report of Progress in the Fayette and Westmoreland District of the Bituminous Coal Fields of Western Peuns}dvania— 1877. By J. J. Stevenson. Pp. 331. Part 11. The Ligonier Valley. Illustrated with 107 wood-cuts, 2, plates, and 2 county viaps, colored. Price, ?1 40; postage, So 10.
L. 1875— Special Report on the Coke Manufacture of the Yougii- lOGHENY River Valley in F.ayette and Westmoreland Counties. with Geological Notes of the Coal and Iron Ore Beds, from Surveys, by Charles A. Young; by Franklin Platt. To which are appended: I. A Report on Methods of Coking, by John Fulton. II. A Report on the use of Natural Gas in the Iron ISIauutacture, by John B. Pearse, Franklin Platt, and Professor Sadtler. Pp. 252. Price, §1 00 ; postage, §0 12.
M. Report of Progress in the Laboratory of the StmvEY at Harrisburg— 1874-5, bj Andrew S. McCreath. 8vo., pp. 105. Price in pa- l>er, 80 50: postage, SO 05. Price in cloth, SO 75 ; postage, SO 08.
MM. Second Report of Progress in the Laboratory of the Survey at Harrisburg, by Andrew S. McCreath— 1876-8, including I. Classitioation of Coals, by Persifor Frazer. II. Firebrick Tests, by Franklin Platt. HI. Notes oil Dolomitio Limestones, by J. P. Lesley. IV. Utilization of Anturacite Slack, by Franklin Platt. Determination of Carbon in Iron or Steel, by A. S. McCreath. With 3 indexes, plate, and 4 page plates. Pp. 438. Price in cloth, SO 65 ; postage, SO 18.
N. Report of Progress— 1875-6-7. Two hundred T.ables of Elevation above tide level of the Railroad Stations, Summits and Tunnels : Canal Locks and Dams. River Riffles, Ac., in and around Pennsylvania ; witli map ; pp. 279. By Charles Allen. Price, 00 70 ; postage, SO 15. '
O. Catalogue of the Geologic.xl IMusuem — 1874-5-6-7. By Charles E.
Hall. Part I. Collection of Rock Specimens. Nos. 1 to 4,264. Pp. 217. Price, SO 40: postage, SO 10. '
02. Catalogue OF THE Geological Museum. By Charles E. Hall. Part II. 1. Collection of rock specimens, Nos. 4265 to 8974. 2. Palseontological specimens. Price, ?0 40 ; postage, 12.
P. 1879 — Atlas of the Coal Floba of Pennsylvania and of the Caebonifebous Eobmation thboughout the United States. 87 plates with explanations. By Leo Lesquereux. Price, §3 35; postage, fO 22.
PP. Uppeb Cabbonifbbous Floba of West Virginia and S. W, Pennsylvania, with 38 plates and text. By Wm. Fontaine, A. M., and I. C. White. Price, $2 25 ; postage, fO 17.
Q. Report of Progress in the Beaver River District of the Bituminous Coal Fields of Western Pennsylvania. By I. C. White ; pp. 337, illustrated with 3 Geological maps of parts of Beaver, Butler, and Allegheny Counties, and 21 plates of vertical sections — 1875. Price, §1 40 ; postage, $0 20.
QQ. Report of Progress in 1877. The Geology of Lawrence County, to which is appended a Special Report on the Correlation of the Coal Measures in "Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio. 8 vo., pp. 336, with a colored Geological Map of the county, and 134 vertical sections. By I. C. White. Price, 50 70 ; postage, 15.
QQQ. Report of Progress in 1878. 8 vo., pp. 233. The Geology of
Mercer County, by I. C. White, with a colored geological map of county, and 119 vertical sections. Price, 50 60; postage, 50 11.
B. Report of Progress. The Geology of McKean County, and its connection with that of Cameron, Elk, and Forest. By Chas. A. Ashburner. Pp. 370. Illustrated by 33 page plates and 2 maps, and accompanied by an atlas containing 8 sheets of maps and sections. Price of report, §0 75; postage, 50 16. Price of maps, 50 95 ; postage, fO 07.
V. Report of Progress— 1878. Part I. The Northern Townships of Butler county. Part II. A special survey made in 1875, along the Beaver and Shenango rivers, in Beaver, Lawrence, and Mercer Counties. 8 vo., pp. 248, with 4 maps, 1 profile section and 154 vertical sections. By H. Martyn Chance. Price, 50 70 ; jiostage, 50 15.
W. Report of Progress in 1879. 8 vo., pp. 232. The Geology of Clarion County, by H. Martyn Chance, with colored geological map of county, a map of the Anticlinals and Oil Belt, a contoured map of the Old River Channel at Parker, 83 local sections figured in the text, and 4 page plates. Price, 50 43 ; postage, 50 12.
Other Reports of the Survey are in the hands of the printer, and will soon be published.
The sale of copies is conducted according to Section 10 of the Act, which reads as follows :
"Copies of the Reports, with all maps and supplements,
shall be donated to all public libraries, universities, and colleges in the State, ayid shall be f furnished at cost of publication to all other applicants for them.''
Mr. F. W. Forman is authorized to conduct the .sale of reports ; and letters and orders concerning sales should be addressed to him, at 223 Market street, Harrisburg. Address general communications to Wm. A. Ingham, Secretary.
By order of the Board,
WM. A. INGHAM, Secrethry of Board.
Booms of Commission and Museum : 223 Market Street, Harrisburg.
Address of Secretary :
223 Market Street, Harrisburg,
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