The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-06-01
GENERAL NEWS
OF INDUSTRIES

gives an interesting account of the
changes that have recently been made
in Forty Fort ~colliery under the ex-
p~ansive management Of Simpson &
Watkins: "Ths shaft has been Ell.
larged eighteen inches and retimbered
throughout. A new head house has
been erected, new first motion hosting
engines placed at the shaft, o large
air compressor put up and started, II
OF the the most complete and modern
boiler plants in the world established,
and a rock plane started. On the inside
Of the mine the changes have been even
more pronunced. The entire arrange
ment at the foot of the shaft has been
so arranged that it is now
possible to handle twice the amount
Of coal as formerly, and possibly
with less labor and expense. The II
foot slope has been graded and the head
Of the same extended. A pair of hoist
ing engines has been put in to take the
place OF the single hook engine former
ly in use. A rock slope to the Ross
vein has been graded and put in readi-
has been rebuilt, and other improve.
ments include Il new haulage $500 feet
long. graded and laid to the south slope
in the lower Baltimore vein, a pair of
engines erected on the south slope. two
planes from the lower to tho upper
Baltimore vein, n large Evansville
pump, water end 4Sx12, steam 3l4x4S,
which will pump to the sur
face through q bore hole and
from this through u terra Gotta
pipe to the water. The pump is run by
compressed air. The south slope an
CINE will be run by steam furnished
through a bore hole from a set Of COL
umbian boilers now being erected near
the Delaware, Lackawanna and West
ern railroad opposite Dana street. An
other bore hole for water is now being
driven near this steam hole. From the
head Of the south slope to the older
workings q rock tunnell 800 feet long
has been driven from which the new
haulage will start for the main slope.
Development work will be pushed as
rapidly as possible and one of the most
complete collieries in the valley will be
the result in q short time.
An ejectment suit of magnitude will
soon be brought in the Schuylkill
county courts which involves points of
some interest to coal operators gener.
ally. 1t appears, according to a lengthy
article in. the PottsviIle Chronicle, that
Thomas W. Williams, q Philadelphia,
since deceased, purchased two tracts in
Norwegian township in 1857, from Isaac
"A. Dickson, containing together about
$40 acres. When the owner died he
willed the land to his sister. Emily
Williams, who died about a year ago
in Baltimore. The deceased left it to
her sister, Annie, residing at present
in the above named city. Mr.. Will
Jams conducted n lumber business In
Philadelphia with his,two brothers and
q man named Reed up to within q
short time of his death. No taxes have
been paid on the land since its pur-
chase as far as Miss Williams knows.
But she is positive that the land In
question was never sold. In this she
is c%orroborated by the records of the
books in the commissioners aud treas
urer's Offices. 1t is upon this estate
that the Beechwood colliery is worked.
In fact all of the workable veins under
lie the tract. Thomas Fl. Blick 81 Son,
attorneys, of Baltimore, have been in
vestigating the matter and have plac d
the matter in the hands OF D G. Hen
ming, of Pottsyille. II subsequent
events prove that Mr.. Blick is right
and that bis client can show a good
title there will be millions Of dollars
involved in the suit. The Reading
Coal and Iron company now own the
land and it is safe to say that the claim
of Mr.. Blick's client will be fought to
the bitter end.
A Pottsville dispatch says: The
Philadelphia and Reading and Lehigh
Valley Coal companies are quietly but
largely taking advantage OF the btu
minous coal strike by chipping anthra-
cite east and west to persons hereto
fore using bi%tuminous. These ship
ments OF anthracite from the Schuyl-
kill region, it is expected. will reach
very large proportions ia the very near
future if the bituminous strike contin-
ues. The sizes bSing shipped are
mostly lump, pea and buck
wheat. The Lehigh Is rushing some OF
its collierles day and night and is for
warding u large quantity Of it's auth-
racite to supplant bituminous to Cleve-
land, Chicago and other lake points.
This coal goes west by way of Buffalo
and the Lshigh's own boat lines. The
Reading is forwarding anthracite in
sealed box cars to the far west via.
Harrisburg and Gettysburg and Balti-
more and Ohio lines. The destination
points are principally in st. Louis ter
ritory. Anthracite coal in st. Louis is
selling at SO so and so O ton. The
Reading is also forwarding considerable
coal to New England points just now
to factories that have hitherto used
bituminous. The Philadelphia and
Reading collieries are OF present run.
ming about 60 per cent of full produc-
tion. The supply at the different stor.
age points is being rapidly lessened.
Coal for local consumption here at the
mines Is to be raised from SO 60 to 81 a
ton in view Of the extra demand from
the new territory.
Five collieries drawn by the com.
mittee Of the Schuylkill Coal Exchange
give the miners of the Schuylkill re-
gion wages for the last half of MAY
and first half Of June at the rate of 8
per cent. below the So. so basis. This
is the lowest point reached in three
years.
g. H. Goodell, assistant mechanical
engineer OF the Erie railroad, recently
made a test of the new Coke CRATE for
the use Of culm and pea coal, mixed.
The test was made with an ordinary
freight locomotive and was apparently
successful. Mr.. Goodell is now figur-
ing on the detailed statement, aud will
no doubt decide that the CRATE offers an
economy in the matter Of fuel. The
utilization Of oulm in this manner
would be an event Of obvious import
ance in this locality.
The argument before the supreme