The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-05-16
THE COKE OVENS
OF THE YOUNG COMMONWEALTH.
s.,srisrIt1 Of coll.s oo.l-s.srs.ary ,ws.l.
R.psrt--rLs sta,ss Of the iada.try Ia West
yIrsisiA-rhs Valus Of the Coal for
C.hisy Purposes Set Forth Pully.

NAAuANSSiSNG ~ S.t NtS ~ EANN'ehSSS
slips Of the yepoFt Of Mr.. Joseph D. Weeks,
spesi.l Agent Of the Census Bureau, on the
coke industry OF the United States during
the census year 1880, are just out. This
report embraces. the complete statistics Of
the producdon.oi coke during that year,
togethetiwith such information regarding
the characteristics Of the works, materials
used, and labor employed as could be OBJ.
tanned. These are supplemented by such
statements and explanations as seemed
necessary to the correct understanding of
the statistics. Considerable attention has
also beon given to the history Of coke, both
in this country and in Europe. as weilas
to such technical information, as promised
to add to the value Of the report Il should
be carefully noted that this report includes
only the statistics OF that coke which was
manufactured as direct product, and not
that produced In connection with the man.
ufacture OF gas There is only one possible
exception TO this statement, which is noted
in its proper place in the report The
man nniacture OF coke Is so intimately con,
nected with the manufacture ot pig iron
that its history is virtually history OF the
manufacture Of coke pig iron, while the
value Of different cokes and OF different
methods Of coking depends largely upon
The adaptability Of The coke TO furnace use.
The reason Of this will be evident when 1t
is known that more than four.fifths OF all
the coke manufactured is sised in the pro.
duction Of pig iron. This will explain the
constant reference TO pig iron and blast
furnaces in this report. ......,,
Dir. Weeks says: SIN view OF the great
variety OF coal in this country adapted to
the manufacture OF coke, some statements
regarding the different ovens in use and
the sresnlts obtained in other Countries
I.withyarious ovens using different kindsof
coal have been given, which1 trust will'be
OF importance in certain sections OF the
country. | have also given very full In.
formation as TO the methods employed in
the utilization Of the waste products OF
coking." E'iiJ".itFU, ai" ? - .'.Hl
rHEIsDusTRYiN WEST VIRGINIA. .,,i
In West Virginia coke TO the amount q
e5, ,72O tons was made in four counties in
the census year, viz: Fayette, Marion,
Ohio and Preston. 'a'"'h' :
The number OF establishments in Fayctte
county was six with capital Of $685. 900.
The numbered ovens built ia 2Ss and the
number Of ovens building ,is ll34. The
number OF perSons employed in the in
dustry in Fayette county was 90 and the
amount Of wages paid amounted to S27, ,6l2.
The number tons of coal used was s., 100,
the value OF which was ssi,444, which pro.
duced 57,943s tons Of coke, tho value Of
which was Sl27,5Ss. - - "a L'
In Marion county there was but one
establishment having capital ot sl4 600,
operating SO ovens. There were but five
persons employed In the industry in this
county and their wages amounted To ST.
900. Thtse 50 ovens used 1900 tons OF
coal valued at s., 100, which produced $500
tons oil coke valued at 81 900
In Ohio county there was but one estab'
lishment having a capital Of $1,000, with
three ovens with one oven being built.
There were but two persons employed,
there wages being $3.50. 10 this one estabt
lishment thero were 2, $50 tons Of coal used,
theyalue Of which was $1,000, producing
200 tons Of coke, which is.valued at S..
600. y =. S=- " w y q
In Preston county there were four estab.
lishments with capital Of S74, 900, having
1870 ovens, with sixteen additional ovens
being, built There were 81 persons en-
ployed who received ia wages SIS, $50.
These l30 ovens used 59,S31 tons OF coal,
the value OF which was SIS, 400. There was
produced 33,T77 tons Of coke, which was
valued At $50, 1000. In these four counties
there was total production, oil coke oil
only o., ,220 tons, valued al $266, ,5Ss. There
were but twelve establishments in the
State, having total capital Of $3.50, 900,
working 4e7 ovens. The number OF persons
employed In the industry in West Vir-
ginia during the census year was only l6S,
receiving in wages S4S,942. There was,
consumed Sl4S, ,4S0 tons OF coal.
In order Of production West Virginia
ranked third among the Ststee, producing
S4S per cent Of the entire make. In yield
OF coal in coke the returns contained in the
table on page IL shows that Indiana coal
surpassed that OF West Virginia; and, dis.
regarding the. Indiana manufacture as
| little more than experisental, West Vir.
ginia, in this respect, stands first, clossly
followed by Pennsylvania. Indeed, the
Weld in coke Of the coal Of these two States
may be regarded as the same. w. y.
The most important, a. well as the best
known, Of the coking coal fields Of this
State 10 the New River field, whichf' lies
principally in Fayette aud Raleigh coun-
ties, extending along the course oil the New
river and It's tributaries about 40 miles.
Reports Of recent investigat include the
Flat Top soai field in the New River dis.
trict, which would extend this district
to Mercer county, and make ita total leugth
so miles. '''5s4''t.' = ~ is' ,:'''
VALUE oy NEW RIVER COAL FOR COKE.
Along the sides Of the escarpment Of
these mountains, fronting on the canon Of
New river and It's many tributaries, the
out.croppings Of several veins Of bituminois
and semi.bituminous coal are exposed,
varying in thickness from few inches to
over seven feet, five OF them being work.
| able, containing 8 feet Of coal and upward.
The cokipg property Of these Goals, in view
| of their relations 70 extensive deposits Of
iron ore makes them very valuable, the
coke made from them being an admirable
blast furnace fuel, second to none In the
country. It stands up" well in the iur:.
mace, has high percentage ot carbon and
low percentage OF. ash, sulphur, and phos'
phorus, and In the practical test Of furnace
work has shown results that haven not been
surpassed by any other coke In the country.
At the LongdaIe furnace, with 72'hour
coke sndaA orr with 50 per cent metallic
iron, 5 per cent silica, and Of an alumineus
nature, 8 ton Of pig iron has been made
4 with ton Of coke, and this not for day