The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-03
TIE CONSUMPTION OF COAL.
An Average of Over One Thousand Tons
a Day Burned in Indianapolis.
Supply of Black Blocks Furnished by Eight
cen Indiana Counties-More Coke Used
Here Than In NeighbOrlng Cities.

Aave been crowded to the limit to Eli the orders
the sudden cold snap has brought to them.
There are eighty dealers here, large and small,
and there is no place in the United States where
there is es great variety and choice in coals as
80 this city OF course, the greatest demand Is
for Indiana Goals. Goals are found in eighteen
different counties in Indiana-one- fifth Of the
Etate-these counties being Clay, Dayiess, Du
bois. Fountain, Greene, Gibson, Martin, Knox,
Owen. Pike, Perry Parke, Spencer, Sullivan,
VermiIlion, vigo and Warrick. There are about
5,000 men employed In mining in Indiana, with
an invested capital of SO. 600, 900. In taking &C.
couut of the mines only those employing ten
men or more are enumerated. Many farmers in
the coal counties have their mines. and
there are many small miners. The mines of
statistical importance are distributed az follows:
Clay county 81; Daviess, TO- Dubois, 2; Fount-
ain. Z; Greene, 2; Knox 2; Owen, 2; Pike, a;
Perry, 3; Parke. 81 Sullivan, z; Vermillion, 3;
Vanderburg, 5; Vigo, 8; Warrick, T. In Clay
county all the mines are of block coal, except
four, which are semi block. or bituminous. Da-
VIess county furnishes an excellent quality OF
camel coal
1t is estimated that Indianapolis1 consumes an
average of 1000 tons Of Indiana coal day, the
year round--that s, 365, 900 tons year. This
estimate does not include the coal used by loco
motive engines. OF the other Goals used here it
would be almost impossible to give an estimate
at all approximating the facts OF course, the
great consumption is in Indiana coal, and all
other kinds together would not amount TO a third
the quantity. Formerly, one of the greatest
consumers OF coal here was the Indianapolis
Polling mill which would often eat up 100 tons in
fwenty-four hours
OF the Goals sold here, Jackson and Hooking
are from Ohio These are classed with Kauawha
coal. which is Of like quality. One seldom hears
@f YoughiogheEy coal, the term "Pittsburg" in
ciudiug ali the Pennsylvania bituminous Goals.
The Indiana block coal all comes from Clay
county. Island City is Greene county coal.
"Dugger" and Neal are from Sullivan county,
and are about the same as Island City The
Parke county Goals sold here the Mnschel
and Sand-creek. Fountain county coal has been
sold here, but it row seldom comes. and is not
Parke county coal. All the Indiana btuminous
Goals are very much alike. Camel coal
is brought here from Ohio and Virginia,
but the Indiana camel coal is considered
superior 1t is much more expensive than
b eek. but makes a beautiful fire, much like that
Npf wood. It goes to ashes leaving clinkers
The only coke sold here is made out of Pitts
burg bituminous coal McConnellsville, Pa,
cokp for foundry use is also sold here. The coke
sold in this city for ordinary stove use, beside
the(supply furnished by the gas works here s
skipped from Pittsburg. Louisville and Cincin-
. Nati. This is great coke market, more coke
being used here than In Cincinnati, the Indian
apos Gas-light and Coke Company supplying
only about one-third of the amount required
There Is comparatively a small amount of
Pittsburg coal sold here. The sale of anthra,
cite coal, somewhat to the disgust of the coal
dealers, is increasing in this city. They say
that in consideration of its high price and the
amount of money 1t takes to handle it, the profit
ts too small All the anthracite coal used in the
IVaffn cd G%.kn Q-%wn l. ~.
State of Pennsylvania Five great railroads
lead out of this mining country, and il is not diff
Hcult TO understand how very solid monopoly
could be established Hard coal must be had at
any price, and though these monoposts have it
IN their power to force the price up much higher
than 1t is, they refrain They stop just short of
the limit of endurance, and do not kill the goose
that lays the golden egg for them.
The following is the present retail list on coal;
but can tell how long the figures will re-
main unchangedi Indiana block per ton, SO. 25;
jackson, SD rs; Hooking So Is; Pittsburg, 81;
Raymond, 81 Winifrede, "a; Kanawha, 81;
Gampbellsburg, 81; Island City, SO; Digger, 3d.
Highland, So. Is; Mnschel lump, s.. Co. Piedmont
and Blossburg, for smithing, SIS; Virginia can
mel, SO 70; Indiana camel 81 75 anthracite, four
Sizes So % and 81; gas coke, uncrushed, IL cents
per oushel crushed COKE Ii GER is per bushel, Nc
Connellsville coke, for family use 10 cents per
bushel; slack coal. for steam, 81 40 per TOM soft
nut. for steam 81 90: nut Goals, btuminous, so
cents less per ton than lump Goals.
weeks
there will he coal famine in Indianapolis" was
the answer given to reporters inquiries by
dozen leading dealers. The reason they assign
Tpr the scarcity of coal is their inability to get
their orders filled AS to why their orders are
not filled they do not venture an opinion but
they say that there seems to be an organized ef
Fort by the companies controlling the traffic to
hold back their shipments Said one dealer
e'This month l have ordered thirty carloads
OF anthracite coal, and have received but
ono load. 1 can't get any satisfaction
from the companies. and know all my competi-
tors are in the same condition"
Said Geo. f. Branham. Il have been In the
coal business seventeen wears and l never saw
goal so hard to get it is this fall We have
peen favored with open fall and this alone
hRs saved us. / know the coal bins of the city
were never as low before at the beginning OF the
winter, and unless our orders are filed at once
al the dealers going TO be short in two
weeks" Several reasons given for the scarcity
pr the fuel. One cause Is the strikes in the Ohio
spiues, and another the pools recently formed,
Through which the supply is being ordered held
che advance two weeks ago was the result of
kpe strong pool just formed over in Ohio The
syndicate consists of the four coal-carryng rail
roads which control the transportation from
fhat section-the Hooking Valley railroad
the Toledo & Ohio Central and
che Panhandle division of the Pennsylvania sys-
tenn. Two weeks ago the big coal operators
were called together by the railroad managers.
Rnd formed combination The railroads mt
20 their rates, and in consequence the operators
advanced their rates 80 cents on the ton. There
was also a pool made between the operators and
railroads at Buffalo, and between the two the
supply has been kept back, with view to fore.
9Dg dealers to take the first step toward the ad-
eAnce in price.
-@~
Suit in Behalf of Soldiers.
J. W. Van Deman. of Wabash, this State. is
ID