Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-10
TOO MUCH STUFF is WASTED.
One Englishman Thinks the Estimate on
Human Life is Placed Entirely Too
Low IN This Country,
We WANT TOBECOME RICH TOO RAPIDLY
Yorkshire Man Bcwldered at the Immense River Coal
Shipping Interests.


first time, and find many things to interest
and amaze them. Fully half of them have
never been in America before, and, like
Americans travelling in Europe, they stop
and wonder at the odd sights or the peculiar
titles they notice in the people.
Everybody does not see things the same
way, and it is to be expected that the
visitors think they are in a country of odd
people. A representative of The DIS
PATCH held short chats with a number of
them yesterday, and their impressions make
rich reajing-irom an American point oi
view.
Sir William Thomas Lewis, of Aberdale,
South Wales, and one of the most extensive
coal operators in the world, was one of the
party that went to Wilcox station yester-
day 10 see the Hercules coal mining ma
chine at work, and while conversing with a
representative of The DISPATCH on the
subject, he said:
TOO MUCH WASTE FOUND HERE.
"One thing particularly notice here is
that you Americans continually waste
things. 1t is waste, waste waste, every
where, and in many places where money
could be saved you throw it away. Take,
for instance, this coal. There is any amount
of good coal lying out there among the re-
fuse, used to fill in bitches, that could be
turned into money. Over in England we
throw nothing away. All the coal that is
of any account whatever we separate from
the slate, and even if it is not
the best quality 1t is used. 1t is a
shame to see things being wasted
in this country, and the matter causes
Englishmen to have peculiar impression
of the people here. In mining coal your
people will not think of putting pick into
coal that is not up to the standard, but pass
ii by thinking it would not pay to mine it.
Oh, yes, this is great country, but you need
points on economy
Herbert Harlakander Gilchrist, a promi-
nent member of the Arts Club, of London:
81 find thar you put low estimate on
human life in this country. In England
and on the Continent the laws regarding
safeguards in mills, factories, etc., are very
strict
CABLE CARS RUN TOO FAST.
Every possible precautIon is thrown
about betting. fy-wheels, engines, etc., and
if man loses his life in the old country
while at work, it is generally his own fault.
I do not think enough attention is paid this
matter in this country, as 1 was in several
places where there did not seem to be any
safeguards. In Philadelphia the cable cars
run along at high rate of speed, and everv-
body had TO go helter-skelter out of the
way or be run down. You say they are
worse in this city? 1 haven't been out on
the streets vet, but if the cable cars 60 faster
here than in Philadelphia, L don t think 1
want to cross the streets verv often. The
police officers also DO not seem to pay so
much attention to the safety of pedestrians
J. 81. Pearson, coal and iron master of
Handstorth, Staffordshire. was another
member of the party that visited the coal
mines. He said: "If that is a sample of the
average American mine think your coun-
try is very well situated in this respect The
mine WAS perfectly arranged, most efficiently
managed and 1t seems at a minimum of
cost. Yes, notice you don't pay so much
attention to the inferior grades of coal and
think 1t is not worth the trouble to get the
poor article out.
GREAT LIABILITY OF ACCIDENT
Nearly all our mines are opened from the
top OF the earth instead of from the side of
hill. We have to go down between 500 and
600 yards, but there is little difference in
the mining. There is more gas in our
mines and greater liability OF accident, al
though we do everything we can to prevent
explosions"
George Sarter, of West Bromwich.
England, interested in the iron
business: 'One objection to using cleo
tricity in the mines in our country is the
liability of accident We use electricity to
pump and ventilate the shafts. but the
slightest spark will cause an explosion. We
do not care TO illuminate the mines bv elec-
trlcity on this account, but prefer the old
fashioned safety lamps"
Franz Simmerbach, a member Of the Ger
man society and a wealthy coal operator. of
Bochum, Germany: 'In mines where there
is no gas ! think the question of mining has
been solved by the Pittsburg machine.
Your mining methods are all right, but vou
carry the American idea to waste into the |
mines and lose thousands of dollars in con-
sequence. 1t is an extr VACANT habit YOU
Americans have cultivated and is not the
result Of Ignorance. In Germany the pro-
portion OF waste in coal mine is about II
per cent, and in this country 1 have been |
told it is 50 per cent A great amount of |
coal, notice, is thrown away, and If YOUR
natural gas PLAYS out you NAV have to |
economic and use this coal you now throw |
away"
ENGLAND NOT BEHIND AMERICA.
H. A. Wheeler, E. NJ, Adjutant Pro- |
tessor OF Mining, Washington University.
St Louis, who was also with the coal party. /
was delegate from the American society |
TO England last year: Electricity is not a |
new thing in the mines in England. 1t has
been in use ior several years and in a great
many WAYS | found the mines there are bet /
ter equipped than in this country. All the |
ventIlatlng and pumping machinery is run |
by an electric current in the big mines, and |
were 1t not ior the sparks, the mining and |
hauling would be done the same way"
Mr.. Alexander Jack is the general man
sger of the Hadfeld Steel Foundry at Shelf |
field. He is far from being stranger.
having beeu frequently here He was, in |
his youth, in the Uncle Sans Navy
Speaking last night about the relative con-
ditions of trade here and in England, Mr..
Jack said:
81 have not yet seen in America any
large engineering works as We have in En-
gland. Nor have L seen any iron or steel
plant here which We cannot duplicate at
home. The only advantage you have over
US is in the possession of cheaper fuel In
your natural gas. The only way we can meet
that is in coal, but at greater cost have
not found any engineering practice here I
greater than that employed by us. But YOU
have greater push and drive
things faster than we do. When your peo-
ple get hold OF 10 cents you want to make it
20 cents as rapidly as possible.
SATISFIED WITH A LIVING.
can Englishman who gets penny or q