The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-11-29
MINE, MILL AND RAILROAD.


One of the most interesting equity
suits ever heard before the Luzerne
county courts is now on before Judge
Rice, and bids fair to last several days.
1t is the attempt of several farmers to
prevent the completion of the boring Of
the great Jeddo tunnel. The plaintiffs,
who are dozen farmers from Schuyl-
kill valley, are represented by Attorneys
John T. Lenahan and John German, and
the defendants, the Jeddo Tunnel COM
pany, are defended by eX-Attorney Cen
eral Palmer and F. w. Wheaton, of this
city, and Attorney Samuel Dickson, of
Philadelphia. For several years the
work has been in progress. Men start
ed to bore a tunnel through Jeddo
mountain and it Is now complete. The
tunnel Is five miles long and cost about
s., 900. So exact were the calcula-
tions that the main openings after be-
ing driven for two and a half miles
through the mountains, met within six
inches of each other, and bore hole
from the top of a mountain penetrated
the tunnel within the confines of a
small circle, drawn on the roof before
the boring was commenced. The tunnel
is to drain the big Harleigh and Eber-
vale mines, and numerous adjoining
workings which have been flooded and
useless for years. 1t will assure an out
put of millions of tons of coal and Will
result in the rebuilding Of dozen min
ing towns which twenty years ago were
populated and prosperous, but which
since the flooding of the mines have
been practically deserted.
Everything was complete for the fir
ing of the blast which was to shatter the
walls separating the lower workings or
the mines from the tunnel and thus lib
crate the great quantities of water in
the mines when an injunction was
served on the company by number or
farmers to prevent them completing the
work, and it is this injunction that Is
now being argued before Judge Rice.
The farmers all own fine farms along
the banks of Butler Creek, from which
they get their water supply. The wat
er liberated from the mines would flow
along this creek and the farmers claim
as 1t contains a great deal of coal dirt
and is sulphur water, that their farms
would be practically destroyed, and
they want the company to be restrained
from tapping the mines or else give
them proper compensation for their loss
The case is going on very slowly, as
great many legal points are being ar
gued. So far, DR.. w. b. Schober, the
chemist at the Lehigh university; Pro-
fessor Dean, of the Harry Hillman
academy and DR.. Chambers, a special
list of New York, have been examined
and have given expert testimony, and
William NJ. Jones, mining engineer has
testified regarding the amount of coal
dust that would probably be washed
from the workings. The witnesses so
far agree that this farm land would be
practically destroyed for all farming or
pasture purposes. The company is
making stubborn fight. .
The statement of earnings of the
two Reading companies for October is
rather better than was TO be expected,
in view of the unsatisfactory condition
of the coal trade. The entire anthracite
output in the month was 4,136,S59 tons,
as against 4,525, 1868 tons in October last
year, and while it is not known how the
output was divided, yet 1t Is entirely
safe to assume that the Reading sus-
tained its full share of the decrease.
Then again the receipts from the sale
of coal were materially diminished by
the low prices prevailing. This drawing
for determining the miners wages gave
the average prices at Schuylkill Haven
during the month as $2,26, as against
$3.50 in October last year. 1t is not
surprising, therefore, that with less
coal to sell and with prices probably
80 cents ton lower the Coal and Iron
company shall make q bad showing,
and the report shows a decrease in
profits of $4l6,000. The railroad COM
pany did eXcellently well in view of the
decrease coal tonnage. Still the result
of the two companies Is decrease in
net earnings of $3.50, ,62S.2O, a decrease
in charges of $4S,99l1.4S and
decrease in surplus Of $510,636,72.
This can, says the Philadelphia
Inquirer, only be called bad,
although fully accounted FOR by the
explanations given above. For eleven
months Of the fiscal year the net earn
ings show a decrease Of $1324,S70 the
charges an increase of $S2, ,2S0.45 and the
surplus decrease of 81 407, $50.
The Hendrick Manufacturing COM
pany of Carbondale has recently COM
pleted an extensive system of automatic
sprinklers in the mounting pattern and
carpenter shops of the Scranton Stove
works, for the better protection of the
premises against fire, similar to that in
use in its own shops. Some idea of its
magnitude can be obtained, says the
Herald, from the statement that it
included about 900 sprinklers, each pro-
tecting an area of from eighty to 100
square feet and that about 1900 lineal