Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-02-04
IN MINERAL CHARCOAL IS MADE
-, j rrn lnADiSo INDUSTRY
'''' 81 cosSEhnsvILbr.
-, coke producing District
r. 49,. worla-crown From Two
% ~ -, thousand ovens In
20 rw' -
any years.

hos called coke "minoral char
SOM ~ ", ,nrant that coke was soft coal
~ whleh the guscs had been chps'iea
|if'na, ~ ~ ont OF contact with AR, lus1 as
|g III 4 made into chareoai ny o0'hs
IiaIasu , nd coke, which is becoming
"a .I,o n,el with housewives ana COOKS,
|hsoflIo vi left rs residue in tho making
y W. so ,nnniina gas. 1t is soft, dull black
y ln1i niinicelike texture, but tho
'ihd nAs h made for foundrles and
t.he , ~ Is hard and ~ of silyory
fls' w. almost metallic In its luster.
W! oo'' III connellsyillo coke, produced
" X soke region of Pennsylvania made
Wv hy It's bloody labor strikes ana IA
'no 'aoaict, between the Huns and
,,.,a thousands upon thousands OF
Fnul.'s ,cnl are mined In tho Connellsyille
~ and burned In the thousands OF
'DH", 80 coke. and when any labor trou-
~ 49, VI, the output OF this region
sr,os machine shops and blast fur
.n., N oyor tho country shut down. Tho
y. ,re,Imental ovens which were built
4 ,hisi district So years ago have grown
y 90 T0O ovens, and the few bushels OF
y. which the pioneers tried yainly to
.ah,yo expanded to over 1000, OOo. tons
tafy. r,hotranst-, corrocts
aoal niinc and the coke oven with tho
~ intinacy. The ovens stretch out
~ ,be shaft TOP on either side of the
.as,ad tracks, built SO close together
u =, Ina Nbank" looks like II solid wall,
1..,d with low nrchod windows set In at
~. intervals. Over the bank of ovens
rnsa narrow gauge track, and steam and
~oso cloud the perspective. Tho Con-
m.rllo eoko region Is tho largest coke
.sarrinr district IN tho world, and their
srnstinu has reached its highest point
.rsr, ncricrtlon. Tho Connollsville
,.rs Are what arc known as the "boo
NJ type, varying from l0Is feet to 12H
III diameter and from q TO feet in
AIM Each oven produces at charge
.msto46 tons Of coke each AS hours,
sl,h Is tho length of time required to
,luto coke from coal. An coal will not
Ia fcr noncoking coal VIII orumblo
mn The heat, whereas a cooking" coal
I'M hold its substance and become min
al ,nonre when the gases are driven out.
n when tho coal Is brought to the shaft
N from tho bottom of the mine,-it Is
Manned into n chute which conveys tho
Isl 10 tho "larrles, as the small dump
~ which run on the tracks over the
Ivs arr called Small locomotives draw
In larry wagons to the ovens in the larger
thrlS, but IN others steel cables, horses
Hruules arc the motive power used to
t,ry the coal to be cokod limo and Ia
tasre saved by machinery In tho mine,
II the shaft top and around tho ovens,
IN mino cars brought up ON the cages"
rm tho bottom OF tho shaft are pushed
u the cage and an empty car run on au-
matlcaly and other forms of self
snping cages arc used. The coal slides
4 40 the chute and over the screens into
h bins from which the larry wagons are
nad.
When the larrles reach the ovens, they
IN dumped and tho coal slides down.
Fhtn an oven is charged, the coal is low
u down, and the door is bricked up,
s4all the chinks and openings arc closed
th loan, except spnco of about two
iAs at the top Of the door, which OK
sads across tho full width OF II. Tho
+ AZ Of the oyon-for full charge Of coal
fuiin hs soon as tho charge OF newly
No coke has been taken out-scts fro Ia
Acal on top, Tho draft and course Of
Atr oieso regulated that the coal burns
Pm 'out to In, and the amount OF nil
Sssary to keep up slow, smolderina
h nhusilon is regulated by closing nl
fnng alrwuys in tho door. In As hours
Aoal is ccked, and the door is broken
E'a and tho glowing coke in tho oyer
dienehed with water to cool 1t, so thai
L. vii not set fire TO the cars, for tho COKE
d loaded directly into the freight car'
uding on tho tracks before the bank Of
/. 'rs
tnotmous quantities Of water arc uset
s'oling coke, As It requires about Cox
llcrs Of water TO cool one charge o.
TIE Connellsyillo district, when al
4 NC ovens arc at work, uses up ovoI
"HVgO gallons OF water a day, enough
Ngply town OF 90, 900 inhabitants
Y nsAmes this water has to DO pumped
'n distance, for the mine wntor Il
N Nnsy impregnated with sulphur, ant
PlIf Is lust what the cokomaker doc
want In his product. ono largo cox
aaa IN this district, in order to DO as
~ q an adequate supply Of pure water
.AFN u from u river II miles from tin
wy using an s inch Pipe which has
nlti! been used for supplying tow
" Natural gas. The coal mined in tn
n sleIiylllc district is remarkably pur
ssaN eoked. The vein from which /
aA,n Is nine feet thick, and the coal /
m ~ On the room and pillar" system
s'fat loss Of life caused by miner
n as naked lamps, and SO igniting the OK
~Hs gases which collect in tho worl;
las led many miners to adopt tn
Al .li' lneandcs:snt light for the shat
n pumproom and stables, and tn
, a .a ste required to carry safety lamps
rshshi Is none too good, many min
aSe fearful risks by using make
- The Connellsyille district ha
,he scene Of many accidents an
IA ~ 'Oss Of lite.-Chicago Record.
Tho Teiesrapher's Ear.
,aeaense OF hearing is developed in III