The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-03-13
CHESAPEAKE AND ONO RAILROAD, }
RECEIvER's OFFICE,
pJruunNp Va March 10 1878

RICHMOND, VA, Marcn u, 1878.
TO The Editors of the Richmond Dispatch,
Richmond, Va:
Gentlemen,-A communication appears
in your paper this morning from Mr.. Werth,
Superintendent OF the Bright-Hope Rail.
way Company, questioning very mildly the
accuracy OF some statements in pamphlet
ON the coal trade Of the Chesapeake and
Ohio railroad, recently prepared by Gene
raj I. NJ. st. John, our consulting engineer,
and given to the public from this office.
have no intention OF getting into news
paper controversy about the merits of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Goals, which, wher-
ever they are used, carry their own certifi-
cate OF merit with them; but it is due TO
General st. John that I should say that
every care was taken to obtain entire accu-
racy in all figures published in that state
ment. and am satisfied that the tables con-
tain the figures just as they were given to
us. All Of the information came from Off
cial sources.
There are but three points questioned:
First. A complaint that no record is
given of the candle-power previous to 1874.
Anticipating that such point might be
made, whilst the pamphlet was being pre-
pared we applied specially for the record Of
candle-power OF previous years, and, in ac-
cordance with the response given to that
application, stated in the pamphlet that
mo record Of candle-power was kept prior
to 1874"
The next point made is that the coal is
charged at more than its price, as shown by
the books of the Clover Hill Railroad Com
papy. We take the reports OF the Richmond
Gas-W orks for the cost Of their coal, which
have no doubt are entirely correct. The
cost of coal to the consumer is one thing,
and the price OF coal as shown by the books
of either mining or railroad company is
altogether another thing, and each state
ment, though varying from the other, may
be entirely correct.
The third and last point is that our state
ment shows the cubic feet Of gas per ton OF
2,24O pounds OF coal carbonized to have
run from 6,S92 feet in 1870 to 1850 feet in
1874, when the Midlothian and Clover Hill
Goals We're chiefly used, and that 1t ran up
to 10, 195 feet in 1876 and 9,93S feet in 1877,
when only Chesapeake and Ohio Goals wore
used, whilst Mr.. Werth claims that IN 1874
the average annual yield and record OF tests
at the Richmond Gas-Works of the Glover
Hill coal was 9.452 cubic feet. / do not
understand lust what Mr.. Werth means by
"the average annual yield and record OF
tests at the Richmond Ga:-Works of 9,452
cubic feet" in the face Of the gas-works
own report of 1850 feet to the ton for that
whole years operations.
There is certainly great discrepancy be-
tween those figures, and unless there Is some
inaccuracy in his figures can only account
for the discrepancy by the probability that
his average annual yield and record OF tests
was obtained by testing selected specimens
OF coal along through the year and ayerag-
~ ~ tpct
the Wav these results were obtained there
would lie no difficulty in accounting for
even a larger discrepancy, for every one
conyersant with gas. coal mines knows how
frequently much richer Jumps than the
average can be found, and that no test is
more unsatisfactory than such q test as l
have indicated above. The fact is, that the
gas companies with whom have dealings
are never content with test OF less than
cargo. and very frequently ask repetition
of the cargo before announcing their con-
clusions upon the value Of the coal.
In regard to complaint that the pamphlet
desienates the mines from which the Rich
mond City Gas-W orIs obtained their Goals
previous to the introduction OF the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Goals. instead OF referring
10 them simply rs "other GOALS" l can
merely say that the matter was referred to
me pending the preparation Of the paper,
and decided that the names OF the mines
should be given as they were shown upon
the books OF the gas-works; my purpose
being to publish a "clear statement"
"of facts" and certainly without any pur-
pose or desire on our part to in any way
dctract from the merits of the Glover Hill
and Midlothian Goals, for there is room
enough, think, in the markets for US all.
II, however, I did wish TO draw any COM
parisons between the Chesapeake and Ohio
Goals and the Glover Hill Goals, would
want no better card to play than the decla-
ration Of Mr.. Werth in the last sentence OF
his communication-tha she would have
been lad to have had the contract with the
Richmond Gas-Works for their current
years supply at $3.50 per ton under their
sheds" whilst in fact the city gas-woIks
are paying S4.244 per ton for Chesapeake
and Ohio Goals at the foot OF the gas.Works'
railroad schute. Yours truly,
WINS. &. W1CKHAM, Receiver.
WANDERED AWAY FROM HoME.-Several