The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-01-03
INDUSTRIAL TOPICS.


system of electric railroads to connect
every county seat in the state.
During November there We're JAG rail-
road accidents. including eighty-nine
collisions, eighty-four derailments and
three other accidents, in which twenty
two persons We're killed and forty-six
injured.
BY lake 2,4S5,255 tons of coal We're
shipped from Buffalo during the past
season-a decrease of over 100000 tons
compared with. 1898, but with the eX
ception of the seasons of 1883, 1892, and
1898 the shipments last season were the
largest on record.
The number of cars and locomotives
fitted with automatic couplers on June
8, OF the five years named below, was as
follows, according to the statician of
the interstate commerce commission:
1889, SO,51O 1890, 115,3l9; 1891, 169 ,035; 1892,
244, 1884; 1s93 322,23S.
All the sidings along the main line of
the Central, including Beaver Meadow,
Jeanesville, Yorktown and Halle Creek
Junction, are occupied with empty cars.
The collieries along the line of the Le-
high Valley will be given a supply of
work per day for a week or two. The
supply will then be limited.
A tunnel has been stanted in the Dra-
per colliery, west Of the Primrose slope,
third lift, and will be driven south, cut
ting the Holmes, Mammoth, Skidmore
Seven foot and Buck Mountain veins.
Another tunnel has been started in the
same colliery. 1t is opposite and north
of the bottom of the same slope, third
lift, and will cut a new vein which has
not been worked. This vein has only
been proved on the surface. 1t is
twelve feet thick and will be one of the
greatest shippers in the lower anthra-
cite field.
1t is said THAT naptha or wood alcohol
now brings only % cents per gallon
whereas only a few years ago it sold for
70 cents and 81 per gallon. Many per-
sons in Wayne and Susquehanna are
of the opinion that this industry will
never again resume its former status.
They claim that there are too many
now in the business Those who were
| doing we'll with one factory few years
ago We're not satisfied so built more
and the business became ruined. The
Manhattan combine also, has had much
to do with injuring the business, it is
said.
A tunnel has been started at thesbot-
tom, or fifth lift, of the Buck Mountain
vein slope in the West Shenandoah col
liery and will be driven south so as to
| cut the Seven Foot and Mammoth
veins A new pair of engines are be-
| ing placed at the colliery. Each has Il
| 30-inch cylinder and 60-inch stroke.
The engines are the largest adopted by
the Philadelphia and Reading company
in this valley. When these improve
ments are completed the shipments Of
| the colliery will be very materially in
| creased and employment will be given
| to larger force OF men than that now
| employed.
The Reading Coal and Iron company
owns S6,0GS acres of coal lands in
| Schuylkill, Northumberland, Columbia
and Montour counties. 1t has leased
| 1886 acres of coal land, and owns the
majority of the stock in coal companies
which own 1874 acres. The total
amount of coal lands owned and leased
by the company is 1897 acres, upon
which there are "a collieries. The capi-
tai stock of the company is $4,000, ,OOO
divided into 100000 shares of $50 each
The Reading Railroad company owns
159,96O shares; the remaining 40>shares
are held in the names of the directors
The bonds of the company consist of
Purchase money bonds, $11 ,6S9, 900
bonds and mortgage on real estate
$456, lO6.46; debenture bonds, $4,000; to.
tal $l2, 165, ,106.46. The railroad company
has guaranteed $1l,479, 900 of this.
The yearly production of anthracite
coal for the past eight years 1854 part.
| ly estimated), has been as follows: