The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-02-12
INDUSTRIAL TOPICS.

1
between line and tide prices is shown
very emphaticaily in the annual reports of
the Reading and Valley. The former,
which enjoys a fine line trade, averaged
~ cents ton more for its coal than the
latter, which sold nearly all of its fuel at
strong competitive points. The Valley
got 10 cents a ton less for It's coal last
year than the year before, and the Read
ing only 4G cents ton less.
Philadelphia. Feb. 1.-THE annual NEE
ing of the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad
company was held here today. The report
of the board Of managers, which was read
by President ShOrtridge, showed III" earn
ings for the year ended Dec. 81 last to have
been 81, $50 1876, and the expenses $2,942,G So,
leaving the net earnings 81 ,O22, ,jS3, a le-
crease of Sj32, il3 over the amount earned
in the previous year. The following board
of managers We're elected: y. Parker
Shortrdge, John II. Catherwood, John +.
Green, Samuel Gustine Thompson. j. Bay
ard Henry, William l.. Elkins, Henry ID.
Welsh, William J. Howard, Amos K. Lii
tie and w. II. Barnes.
Mine Inspector Williams. of the Fourth
anthracite district. which includes Wilkes
Barre, has completed the tabuatlOns Of
his annual report for the year 1891 The
total shipments of coal in 1894 amounted
to GSi6,SlO against 1873 lO2 i'm lS03 or
difference of 9il ,292 tons. During last
year there were 22,764 persons employed in
all the mines, as against 22I9O for 1883
During 1891 there We're IL fatal and g2I
non-fatal accidents: as against II fatal and
22l non-fatal in 1893. Other items for 1894
are as follows: Total production of coal
from all the collieries, which includes
the coal used at boilers at the mines and
for home consumption, 7l62, ,9Gl tons, as
against S0G5,76 for 1893; 1876 l5i kegs of
powder used In 1891 and .l6 steam boilers
in operation. The total number of killed
for 1894 Is II and injured 227. In addition
to this, however, there were six fatally
injured and six severely in the new
openings In process of sinking as follows:
| Bliss, two killed and two injured: Auchin-
Gloss, one killed and one injured; Hanover
slope two killed; Maxwell, one killed and
| Two seriously injured; South Wilkes
| Barre air shaft. one injured, Adding these
makes the totaiT7 killed and 233 injured
Ashland Telegram: A little piece OF
! rough hickory wood, four inches In diam
| eter and six inches long is all that CON
| fines 5OO,O000OO gallons of water in "a great
| minc into which 1t poured several years
! ago. BY the liberation of this volume of
| water free and easy access will he gained
| to some OF the richest veins of anthracite
| coal ever discovered. The successful
| placing of this little piece of wood marked
| the completion of the greatest feat OF en-
| glneering in the history of coal mining.
! 1t was the driving of the great Jeddo tun-
| mel. a hole seven feet by nine, through i've
miles of solid rock, under two great
mountains, for the purpose of tapping tho
| mines in which the water imprisoned
| thousands of tons Of coal In the valley
| between the ridges of Buck and Jeddo
| mountains Is the richest coal basin in the
world. But one day in the early spring of
1887 work In this basin had suddenly
| stopped. a creek that flowed through the
| valley, swollen into torrent by the melt.
| I'm snow on the mountain tops broke from
it's bed and poured into the mines, food.
ing them and driving the miners to flight to
save their lives. There was talk of pump
ing them out but the expense would be 50
| great that with no security against an.
other flooding, II was deemed imprae
ticable. j. Il. Markell n prominent coal
| operator, of Jeddo, conceived the idea In
1890 of draining the flooded mines by drlv.
, ing great tunnel from the Butler valley
| Ave miles under the mountains to the
| lowest part In the center of the coal basin
| with the assistance of Mining Englnee,
Thomas McNair, OF Hazleton. plans were
drawn and the Jeddo Tunnel company
with which the Union Improvement com.
pany was interested. was formed to carry
them out The outlet of the tunnel was
| to be in Butler valley, 1908 feet from
the face or end of the main tunnel, and a
second tunnel, 1883 feet long, was to run
from Markle's mines. The entire tun.
mel would thus be FIVE and an eighth miles
long. Work was begun early In 1891, and
1t was carried on from two different
slopes by ive gangs Of men. The surveys
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