Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-02-15
COKE AND COAL.
How One is Made, and the Other
Minerals in Tennessee.
Wonderful Increase During the
Last Two Years.

Professor Henry 4. Cotton, geolo-
gist OF the Bureau of Agriculture and
Mines, furnishes the following iufor-
nation, condensed from the report on
the coal mines, which be has in course
Of preparation, to be presented to the
Legislature at an early date:
The coke making business in Ten
nessee has made a wonderful increase.
In 1870 there was one iron furnace
using part coke and part raw coal, and
making fifteen to twenty tons of iron
per day. They had twenty coke
ovens. In 1888 there are seven stacks
in blast, all using coke, and there are
sec coke ovens making furnace and
foundry coke. and some coke is made
in pits. Besides these, full 125 more
ovens are being created. The new
OiticO furnace at Chattanooga, which
will be in blast by next November,
will require $50 ovens to
supply it with coke. Capitalists
at Nashville are also looking into
coal fields east Of McMinnville and
Sparta for location for coke ovens,
desiring to u>e the fuel in fuI mace
to be erected at Nashville. Four
ovens have been erected to expert
ment with the Coal Greek coal for
coke making. The appearance Of tie
coke is good, but it has not yet been
tested In the blast furnace. Coke
from the Poplar Greek coal has been
used in the Oakdale furnace for over
a year with the most perfect success.
In the year 1876 the Coal Creek
mines shipped 70, 43l tons of coal; in
1850, 1880; in 1882, 19y,5OO. By
far the largest company operating
there is the Knoxville Iron Company
In 1880 they shipped 10000 tons; in
1882, $685. tons. The selling price
Of coal at mines on Coal Creek varies
from five to eight cents per bushel; the
average is placed at seven cents.
The Sewanee mines is the largest
operation in the State. The mines
were first operated since the war, in
1856; in that year they shipped 1885,
600 bushels of coal, l0,64O tons. They
first made coke in 1858. shipping that
year 1917 bushels. In 1870 they ship.
ped 1926 tons of coal, and 1865
bushels Of coke. In 1880 they ship
ped ia, l70 tons of coal, and 3 765, 756
bushels of coke. In 1882 they shipped
144,S93 tons of coal, and 5,4O7. 645
bushels Of coke-an increase over 1880
Of 30,723 tons of coal and l,741,SS9
bushels of coke. The Tennessee Coal.
Iron and Railroad Company also own
the mines at Victoria, but have only
been drawing pillars, etc., in them
during the past year. preparing to
move the plant to another location.
The Roane Iron Company gets
out 10000 tons of coal per annum,
all Of which is made into coke; the
Soddy Coal Company mines
10000 tons per annum, about |
one-third Of which is made into coke;
the Htna Company mines about So |
600 tons, one-fourth OF which is made |
into coke; the Crooke Coal and Coke |
Company, in Scott county, mines
about 100000 tons, and have just com
menced making coke; the Dazler and
Spring city coal mines are being pre-.
pared for large output, but have
shipped but little more than trial lots
during the year 1882; the Helenwood
mine, in Scott county, was stopped for
a long time last year, but is now being
actively worked.
For the year 1880, the total output
Of the State was stated at 589, APO tons;
in 1882, the product was 847, 879 tons.
Prof. Cotton informs us that his
report on the coal mines of the State,
with very full statistics, will be pre-
ssnted to the Legislature about the
irst of March. 1t will contain. in
addition to the statistics, descriptions
of localities of the mines, routes of
transportation and future possibili-
lies OF this great and growing industry.