Delta chief., 1883-03-07
eiunni.on Coal Fields.

The Crested Butte coal fields, says the Gun
nison Nears-Press have attracted considerable
attention in the mining world since the first
active working of them began, a little over
year ago, when the Denver & Rio Grande
reached the banks. The excellent looking
coal at one of these mines attracted consider
able attention, and coking began Immediately
in pits. 1t was net until about ten days since
that the large eoking ovens now used Were
constructed, and even now large portion of
the cokiug is done in the primitive manner.
In company with j. X. Robinson, the
superintendent of the Colorado Coal d Iron
company, a reporter of the Recieao- Press
visited the coal mines of this company, sit
uated just south of town. This company has
recently built fifty new coking ovens. They
are built of fire brick and incased with stone.
Heretofore the major part of the coking, as
stated, has been done in pits after the original
plan With the improvements the company
will be able to increase the daily production,
and at the same time do much better work.
Arrangements are now being made and con-
tracts let to put in 100 more of these ovens
Immediately.
The ovens are all connected with large
track running along the top of them, which
enables coal 10 be drawn TO the ovens by
mule. The coal used is the slack or screened
coal, the lump coal being loaded on the cars
for market.
The process of coking is simple in its de-
tails, especially when these improved ovens
are used. The ovens are first heated red-hot.
then three charging larries of the slack coal
is tinnped into them, and it is permitted to
bake for forty-eight hours. The ovens are
then permitted 10 cool off somewhat, are then
watered out and drawn. The oven still
being heated, the first charging fires the
ovens for the second. Every forty eight hours
each oven turns out two and half tons of
coke. The capacity of each oven, as worked
AZ the present, is about one and one-fourth
tons OF coke each twenis-four hours. As
soon the new ovens are conn let u the
coking capacity of this company wall be 115
tons each twcnty-four hours.s. Mr. Robinson
informed the reporter that it was the inten-
tisn of the company 10 increase the facilities
for mining as well as king, and that within
three mouths the company viii be second in
the State in the amount of coal turned out
daily. Al the present he employs 100 men
in the mines and at the ovens, but this force
will be largely increased within few weeks.
One thousand tons of lump coal is shipped
each week. and over 800 tons of coke.
In addition to these mines of the c. c. & /.
company there is the Anthracite mine owned
and opernted by the Anthracite Mesa mining
company Their banks are situated some
four or i've miles north Of the Butte and are
being extensively worked this winter. A
breaker has recently been added to the operai-
ing machinery of these hanks and extensive
preparations made for miniag this excellent
quality of coal. The company employs
,bout lbs men and ships coal to all parts of
the State For blacksmithing purposes there
is no better coal in The United States than
this mined from the anthracite banks ut this
place IL will be but short time until it is
extensively used throughout the West.