The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-09-21
GENERAL NEWS
OF INDUSTRIES

Stakeholder mo coal combination can
be formed, and be successful. unless 1t
includes the Reading, the Lehigh Val.
ley and other prominent interests. 1t
could not be successful even if every
anthracite coal producing company in
Pennsylvania should combine against
the Reading. The latter is too pow
erful factor in the trade to be ignored.
1t can, without assistance, flood the
market to the extent that prices would
be secondary consideration.
OF course, lit could not live through
such war, but neither could other
companies. 1t would drive them all
to the wall, and it is safe to presume
that the interests which control these
properties are not likely to have such
disaster occur at this or any other
time" II the Pennsylvania Railroad
company would listen to reason and do
its share toward observing restrictive
requirements, there would be little or
no question of the attitude of the other
carrying companies. II our Philadsl-
phia contemporary be sincere in its
solicitude for the welfare Of the an
thracite interests it will not overlook
the stubborn and hurtful policy OF
President Roberts.
, The Jersey Central is fast ascending
into the ranks Of the leading carrying
corporations of the state. On Tuesday,
says the Hazleton Standard, they
placed an order with the American
Manufacturing company for $500
thirty-ton gondolas, equipped with the
fanny coupler. This vast number
will be equal TO 10000 small Jim
mics and will have total capacity
Of 105. 600 tons Of coal, Ths new gon-
dolas will be Of greater width and
length than the twenty-five tonners
now generally used. With the intro
duction of the new and improved gon.
dolas the days OF the coal hoppers
are at an end. AS fast as they are
taken to the shop. if it is thought that
the expense to repair them will be very
great, they are burned up for the iron
they contain. The companies in gen.
eral are anxious to abandon their use,
because they are not fitted to be
coupled and braeed in between gon-
dolas. They are so light that the dan
ger of them jumping the track is
constant dread to train men, and it
will only be a few years until they are
entirely destroyed.
G. G. Waite, president and general
manager OF the Columbus and Hooking
Valley road, says business on the Co
lumbus anu Hooking Valley road has
been very satisfactory the last few
weeks, the coal movement over the
line. which is one of the chief features
of business, having been very heavy.
What business would be in the next
few months Mr.. Waite thinks depends
largely on what turn business geuer-
ally may take. Stocks OF coal are
light all over the country. and should
the manufacturers become busy it will
mean heavy coal traffic through the
fall and winter. This, Of course, re-
fers to bituminous coal.
A mathematician of the New York
Press mas been doing some interesting
figuring, with this result: Editor
Saward, Of the Coal Trade Review,
says that New York burns about g.
000, 900 tons of anthracite and btu
minous coal every year, and his au-
thority is unquestioned by the trade
He says further that every ton of coal
contains, on an average. about one
cubic yard or twenty-seven cubic feet.
At that estimate q pile of coal big
enough to feed tho thousands Of fires
burned in the metropolis for one year
would contain 1G2,000,000 Of cubic
feet. Possibly these figures fail to
carry any meaning, but some notion
Of their magnitude will be gained
when 1t is understood that 162, 900, 600
of cubic feet would fill bin 80 feet
wide, 40 feet deep and 80. 625 feet long,
and that if the bin were set down in
Broadway it would reach northward
from the City hall the whole length
of tho street and along the Boule-
ward away up to One hundred and
Sixty seventh street. In some parts of
the street there would be room for car
riages. trucks and foot passengers by
the side Of the bin, but in other parts
y. the thoroughfare would be filled from
building to building This enormous
coal bin, emptied out and piled up on
Washington Square, would make pile
beside which the Eiffsl tower even
would hide its diminutive head, and
the great Washington monument
would look like moderate sized post.
This square is 900 by 450 feet. as stated
above. and G,000, 900 tons OF coal piled
upon its area would tower up rather
more than 1900 feet into the air. so
high that the Eiffel tower, which is
shade under 1000 feet. would need to
be raised nearly the height of Trinity
church steeple (239 feet in order to
reach the top of the pile.
MINOR INDUSTRIAL NOTES:
The Dry Fork railroad, running from
Wharton to Hendricks, W. Va, distance
of thirty<fve miles. will be opened Oct /.