The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-02-19
INDUSTRIAL TOPICS.

The drill has been recovered from the
Brooklyn oil well, and been sent to Scran-
ton to be repaired.
Reports from the iron and steel manu-
featuring districts convey the intelligence
that a number of steel rail mills are en-
larging their facilities for the manufac-
ture of steel rails. The demand Is grow
Ing, and from present Indications it
would appear that the street rail trade will
constitute an important factor in the steel
rail business OF 1895.
The construction work on the Pennsyl-
vania Midland road from Cessna, Bed
ford county, to Brooks Mills, Blair county.
about twenty miles, win be pushed us
soon as the weather will permit. 1t is cX-
pected that the main line will be opened
for traffic by May. The company has al
ready secured large contracts for the
shipping of coal and lumber
About Jan. / the Hillside Coal and Iron
company began the driving of n drift
known as drift No 3 at keystone coli
liery, a little east of drift No. /. Last
week they struck into a iive-foot vein of
clean top coal. There Is about ten acres
of this precious article which has not as
yet been touched and viii be taken out Of
the new opening. There Is said by the
Carbondale Leader to be coal enough in
tllhL NiClUIly 10 lUTlllSn WOFk IOr nUUuerdS
of men and boys for many years to come.
According to the New York Engineering
and Mining journal coal prices, though
they enjoyed a brief spell Of comparative
firmness, are still low and unsettled, and
what is worse, the prospects for an i'm
provement In them Is not bright. The
circular does not obtain, but on the other
hand the reports of rulnously low fig
ures have been exaggerated. The price
OF stock" coal. which has become rusty,
should not be taken as criterion of the
market. The following are the current
prices Of good coal, net on board: Stove,
S.9Oa3iO; egg and chestnut $315a3 %:
broken, S3a3.l5. Doubtless, some grades
of coal could be bought for less, but on the
other hand Lykens Valley red ash Is sold
for at least 81 more, and we have seen In
the order books of Independent operators
sales of stove coal at $3.50 and $3 55, or only
&c. below the Official prices.
Philadelphia Inquirer: The demand for
anthracite coal has been greatly stimu-
lated by the recent severe weather and
tho production and distribution have been
greatly interfered with. Inquiries from
rail markets have been urgent, as deal
ers' stocks had run down low and the de-
mand from consumers has been large
The market. therefore, has been excellent
departments there has been little com
plaint of price cutting The eastern trade
has been good, but great difficulty has
been encountered In making deliveries
The companies doing business In New
York harbor have abundant stocks at or
near tidewater. and have not been en-
barrassed by the difficulties at the mines
The fundamental troubles that affect the
trade have not been lightened. No pro-
gress has been made toward reconciling
the differences that exist between the pro-
duclng companies. which, on the contrary,
seem to be growing more acute. The
struggle for business continues unabated,
the output Is not restricted and prices are
cut badly. 1t Is claimed that good coal Of
any domestic size can be bought I'm New
| York harbor at 50 u ton. Some of the
companies will not sell at that price, and
hence are doing almost no business. The
present demand for coal Is so good that all
| the companies are working their breakers
| to their utmost capacity. but the short
days, the difficulty In securing n proper
water supply and tho hindrances to trans
portation combine to render the output
small. The January agreement was ex-
| ceeded by 10000 tons. and the February
output win show fully as large an ex-
cess.