The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-04
THE ROSLYN MINES.
Employing More Than 900 Men-Out-
put OF 1862, 1888 Tons in 1891.

RoLsYN, Jan. Especial. THE North
ern Pacific Coal Company has the largest
capital actively engaged in the mining in
dustry in the Northwest, and it can be
safely said that with their present facilities
an output can be produced greater than
all other coal mining properties in the
state combined. The company has an in
vested capital of 81, 000 900. General Man
ager Mellen, of the Northern Pacific rail-
road, is president of the corporation; John
kaugley, of Streator, ILL.,, general man
ager; H. c. Lyle, of Tacoma, assistant
general manager; Alex Ronald, general
superintendent; George Harrison and
George Forsythe, mine bosses, at Nos. 2
and respectively. At the present time
the company has / ,085 men on its pay roll,
and during the year ending December 1
total Of $6l1. $3.50 was paid out In wages.
The highest pay was IN December of last
year, when SS4, 6iS.35 were discussed and
the smallest pay was S33, 1850. During
the year No. g. or Ronald mine, worked
16O days and produced 166, 159 tons, an
average of 1,03S tons per day of ten
hours. At No. 2 mine the working
days numbered 16l, and the output was
1876, rs tons, an average of ,220 tons daily.
The total for both mines was 362, $50 tons,
as against 425 900 tons last year, when both
mines were operated 260 days and a por-
ton OF the time with three shifts of eight
hours each. Both mines could with ease
produce 10000 tons, but the trade is not
able TO consume such an immense guam
tity at the present. An idea of the
capacity of the mines can be formed when
il Is stated that in one day of ten hours
during last October a total of 3. 47s tons
were placed aboard the cars and shipped.
In brief description Of the mines it
may be said that the Roman pillar system
of mining is followed-that is, two-thirds
of the coal vein is taken out and one-third
is left to support the strata above. The
plan of ventilation is by split currents.
The air is separated into three distinct
parts, and passes through air courses eight
feet square. At mine No. 8. 9.0p1 feet Of
gravity rope, 400 feet of engine rope and
$1,000 feet of room rope are employed. and
the mine machinery is driven by one pair
of twin engines, I4x20 inch cylinders: two
boilers five feet in diameter, With FORTY
eight three-inch fiues; one eirht-foot fan.
running at the rate Of 1870 revolutions ner
minute. and this speed can be easily
doubled. Water is procured by gravity
system from the mines.
At No. Z, the principal mine, the engine
rope is 5000 feet long; tail rope, 1900:
pplly, 500: dip rope 500; slope rope
1900; boiler rope. 5l9; manway. COO; a
total OF 81, 5i9 feet, with 20. 500 feet OF room
rope. Two twin engines, l6x22 cylinders.
furnish the power. Two powerful fans. of
the cyclone pattern, drive the air through
ten mules OF airways. Mule locomoti0n.
to the extent Of seventy head, are also en-
ployed in the work.
Wonderful progress has been made at
these mines. considering the period of
their operation. Alex Ronald, the gen
era! superintendent, and TO whose practi-
cal knowledge of coal mining the success
OF the enterprise is largely due, is one Of
the best-intOrmed men on the work in the
country. and he has very able assistants
In the persons OF George Harrison AMI
George Forsythe. Preliminary arrange
ments have been made 70 sink a shat
lox30 feet in the clear, and active work on
this improvement will probably be began
in the spring. Coal can be reached at q
depth ct $50 feet at the point where the
shat; Will Re sunk. The Only thing that
may delay the work viii be a light demand
for coal. Taken as a whole. the prospects
Tor the future may Re considered encour-
aging.