The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-06-05
GENERAL NEWS
OF INDUSTRIES

OF INDUSTRIES
One good effect of the Pennsylvania
coal exhibit at the Worlds fair is seen
already in the reproduction of parts of
1t rs q permanent educational feature
Of the Field Columbian museum in
Chicago. The correspondent OF a Pitts
burg contemporary who recently
visited this new museum says that in
the rotunda of the coal sectien stands a
curious column Of minerals called the
statistical column. 1t is composed Of
cubes of bituminous and anthracite
coal. limestone, petroleum, iron, granite,
salt and sandstone. Each cube in its
size represents the exact quantity OF
each mineral taken out OF the earth
within the boundaries OF the United
States every second of time. These
cubes have been carefully modelled &C
cording to the statistical reports and
the annual production of any mineral
in the column ia 81, 900. 900 times the
bulk of the cubes represented. The
technical coal exhibit is confined to the
product of the United States. The
room is lined with cases containing
cubes from almost every mine in the
United States. Above the cases are
displayed pictures representing the
evolution of mining machinery and
modern mines in operation, In tho
center of the room the entire floor
SPACE is occupied by q large map Of the
Uuited States composed of French
plate glass, showing below in black the
coal deposits Of each state, P5unsyl-
vania, Illinois aud Iowa being most
prominent. Indeed, the former looks
to be II immense coal field. The cost
Of the map was over 80. 900.
Other rooms are devoted to general
| combustiblps,' Here all the world
completes. New South Wales and Ger.
many being foremost. In this depart
mont is found u p foot cube taken "a
a souvenir from the great Pennsylvania
coal obeljsk of the Columbian exposi.
ton; M encased coal column of vein of
Borehole seam, 14l feet, from Ducken-
field colleries, New South Wales, and
the ~unequalleG anthracite specimens
from the mines of Pennsylvania; n
block of asphaltum weighing Il ton
from Kern county, California, said to
be the largest block ever taken out in.
tact. BY its side an Hsphaltum speci-
men taken originally from the same
mine is shown with an unworn sur
face after eight yesrs' wear on II street
Of our national capital. 1t is the in.
tention of the trustees Of the museum
to make its departments in time full OF
instruction to the visitor. as all the
different Goals ara to DO placed upon
mounts bearing the analysis Of the coal,
the location Of the vein from which it
was taken and the method used in
mining it.
An interviewer Of the Philadelphia
Times is responsible for this odd
sight" oncs witnessed and described by
Eckley b. Coke: "SiX mules that had
for four years hauled cars in the lower
workings OF a coal shaft to and from
the foot of the shaft had to be brought
up owing to the flooding of the mine
on account of fire. The mules in all
that time had seen no light stronger
than the flicker Of the little Davy
lamps the miners carried. The sun was
at its zenith when they reached the
surface and the atmosphere was as
clear as crystal. The astonished crea-
lures closed their eyes to shut out the
flood of strong light and kept them
tightly closed while they were being
driven to q pasture lot a mile distant
aud turned loose. There they stood
trembling as * they were afraid
something evil was about to be
fall them. Presently they half opened
their eyes and peered around in open
mouthed establishment. It was clear
they couldn't understand il. When they
had become accustomed to the sunlight
they elevated their heads and slowly
swept their gaze over culm pileS, sky,
mountains and horizon again and
again. Toward shutdown they broke
into a chorus Of joyous brays, the like
Of which was never heard from mules
before. After a quarter of an hour of
that music they took to kicking, jump.
ing, whirling around like teetotums
and rolling on the sod as il they had
gone mad. For four days they spent
their time gazing at the new sights of
field and sky, refusing food and water,
not even nibbling ut the grass, and not
as much as blinking an eye in sleep"
An Erie dispatch says: ION her last
two trips from Ashland to Eric the
new steel steamer Harvey II. Brown,
built by tho Detroit Dry Dock com.
pany, has carried 3,006 and 5000 gross
tons, her draft under both cargoes be-
ing about "A fl. 6 in. On tho last two
trips she has taken hard coal at Erie
for fuel and seems to steam even more
efficiently than with soft coal. At
prices now charged for fuel tho hard
coal is found TO he cheaper than the or
binary steam coal
Complaint is again made by fisher
men down the valley that mine water
is decimating all the fine game fab in
the Susquehanna. A White Haven
special, after reviewing familiar griey.
anCeb bC lne ulsAppearance OF shau, De-
cause Of the presence of sulphur water,
the washing down of culm upon farm
lands, and kindred ills, proceeds to ''gc
for" the Jeddo tunnel rs follows: "a
fow years ago it was demonstrated that
the mine workings On tho north side OF
the Mahanoy Mountain, around Contra.
lia, in lower Columbia county, were
| bi1har than tho had nf NTobonoy nraoL,
on the south side of the mountain. A
tunnel from the workings to the creek
was projected, and though it cost some
thing like So. 600, 900 to drive it, il
proved n less expensive and more
effective mothod of draining the
mines than the old system
Of pumping. The drainage tunnel. the
first on u large scale of the kind in
America. added no new pollution to
tina gchuvlkin IL ai,nnly onooJnJ :.