Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-02-03

l. On thls question OF chcup supply
Of excellent furnace fuel there appears
TO exist somc want of correct inior
nation, or rather the vigorous think
ing minds of the eastern furnace pro
prietors have not yet reached out oi
the anthracite circle Of their opera
tons. MO 4NfFN
in the discussion Of this question, at
tho Philadelphia meeting Of the pig
iron manufacturers, Nov. 2ith, Mr.
Coleman said, "The trade of the Mis-
sissippi Valley is in the hands of the
bituminous pig iron men. The only
way was TO blow out, and thus force
the coal men down. They would come
down if the iron men stopped buying
coal. 1t would not be long before men
would find out good coke somewhere
else than at Connclsville, where il
could be transported chcaply to the
east"
The whole scope of these pungent
remarks foreshadow movement that
has been forced forward by the pres
cnt condition of the pig iron manuiac-
ture--a searching analysis of the cost
of production, with view to its re
duction in a permanent and reliable
manner. This can be accomplished by
many Of the eastern furnaces in the
zone between the line of true econo-
my in the anthracite circle and the
Broad Top coal field.
That a movement must take place
in many Of the anthracite furnaces is
becoming more evident, as coke is
manilesting its leading claim ms des-
tined to become the fuel in the metal
lurgy of iron
Mr. Coleman's views of this is GER
tainly farsecing but it will only be
repeating q period in the previous his
tory of the pig iron manufacture,when
charcoal fuel had TO be abandoned,ow-
ing to its increasing cost, and coke
used in its stead.
How soon this new movement from
the anthracite coal to coke will be in
itiatcd cannot now be told. 1t is, how.
ever only question of time.
The excellent but limited supply oi
-four hundred and seventy-two square
milcs) of anthracite coal will be re
served for its manifest purpose-do-
nestle use--by an overwhelming cir
Gle of demand, with somewhat in
creased price, and the wasteful misap-
plication Of it stoppcd-just as the for
mer slashing down of the primeval
forest was arrested when the charcoa
period closed.
1t requires ono and three-quarter'
to two and one-quarter tons Of anthra
cite coal to smelt one ton of pig iron
indicating an average of two tons oi
this coal to one ton of pig metal.
The cost of this coal is avery varia
BILE factor-its present average at the
furnaces indicated previously as beinl
outside OF the economic circle of an
thacite operation may be taken a
five dollars per ton, costing ten dol
lars for fuel for smelling one ton o
pig iron.
On the other hand, we have Broat
Top coke costing four dollars an,
thirty-six cents per ton of pig iron
no appreciablc difference in the fuels
but difference in cost, in favor o
coke, of FIVE dollars and sixty-fou
cents to go over freights eastward.
Another fact appears very clear il
this connection--the time is approach
ing when many of the anthracite pil
iron manufacturers will have to cas
about for coke
How to do this so as to receive
cheap and thoroughly pure coke is
very important consideration. Evi
IDENTIFY, to procure a coke at mini
mum cost, and secure an uninterTup
ted supply, the furnace-owners will b
compelled to control and direct th
whole operation of mining, washing
and colSing the coal.
/ They will, therefore, require to pui
chase the coal lands, and in such eS
, tent as to afford an ample supply 70
years TO come. ruf u
The quality of the coal tor coke
making in such purchases is of prim
Importance
Many seams Of coal Of good qualit,
and well adapted for many purpose:
are either totally or partially unfit 70
coking.
From the past five years experienc
in coking the Broad Top Goals, il ha
been shown that they are peculiarl,
suited for making very superio
coke.
The Broad Top coal field, of eight.
square miles, stands out eastward fror
the Allcghenies, inviting development
by its geographical position and supc
rior type of coaking coal. This ne,
industry, furnishing in its own fell
f the indisputable testimony that il
coal, carefully mined and washed, pre-
duces coke that is not surpassed i
purity or calorifc power by any othe
now manufactured
Jons FuLroN,