The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-27

is about 10 feet thick is found. At a
depth OF so or 100 feet below the rock
vein is reached the mammoth deposit,
a vein usually IA feet in thickness, con-
tanning a dividing layer of slate about
IS inches thick. Proceeding 120 feet
further towards the bowels of the
earth the miner strikes what is known
as the Clark vein, which is usually
about six feet thick. One hundred feet
below the Clark vein is found a layer
Of very fine coal from four to five feet
in depth which is called in this vicinity
the Dunmore vein, but is known else
where as red ash coal. The red ash is
the lowest vein that can be mined with
profit. a six inch vein is often found
by drillers below the red ash vein, but
1t is seldom worked.
THE CULMN PROBLEM.
The disposition of culmn waste is a
problem that has puzzled the scientists
for years. In seasons OF the past tons
and tons of excellent fuel went to
waste upon the culm banks. With the
improved CRATES for burning small
sizes of coal much of the coal which
was wasted In former years has been
utilized under the name of pea and
buciwheat coal. The pea coal is the
most economical for the kitchen range.
containing as 1t does a greater per-
centage of the pure carbon than the
larger sizes: and for steam generating
purposes the huclswheat the next size
smaller, is in great demand. BY the In
PRODUCTION of culmn- burning locomo-
tives the railroad companies have been
enabled to dispose OF immense quanti-
ties of what would otherwise have
been waste material, and the numerous
washeries, where the contents Of the
dump are screened and assorted into
small sizes for domestic purposes,
have had the effect OF utilizing the
waste to a certain extent. Yet the
culm problem Is practically unsolved,
unl.ss perhaps the scheme OF MT
Gardner Sanderson, which Is explained
in another column, proves practical.
The much-talked of tariff on coal
does not directly affect the anthracite
interests. There Is no duty on anthra-
cite coal Pennsylvania Is practically
without competition in this product
The only way that anthracite would
be seriously affected would be bya Hood
of Nova Scotia soft coal to this county
which would Glut the eastern markets
and probably take the place Of small
sizes of anthracite in the big manu-
featuring concerns, where II would be
used for steam generating purposes.
For domestic purposes the smoky BIZ
luminous product can never success
fully compete with the clean-burning
dusky diamonds of the Eastern Penn
sylvanla anthracite coal fields.
The statement that Scranton pos
sesses the best. safest and cheapest
steam power fuel In the world is borne
out by contemplation Of the facts in
the case from n standpoint of intelli-
gence. by the sheer effort OF advertis-
Ing the world has been taught that the
natural gas Is the cheapest fuel for
steam generating purposes, and many
accept the ASS rtion without stopping
to investigate the subject. In contem-
plation of the advertisements of the
enterprising trade boomers OF the nat
ural gas regions they lose sight of the
! fact that the best fuel in the world
is available in the LaCkawanna valley,
and that the unsightly culm piles con-
! tain the motive power to turn the
wheels Of industry for years to come.
An explanation of test given In the
| report of the Scranton Board of Trade
Z lOI loJVt SlDW NOllNihSlNtly tue super
| iority of the anthracite coal for steam
generating purposes, and also show
that the excellent material Is cheaper
as wen as safer and more reliable
| than the much-vaunted natural gas,
which is liable to fail or wreck a
manufacturing plant at any time with
out warning.
Under the vast mountains OF what
was at one time considered waste coal
is concealed the product that is to be
| Of great value to business and manu-
| featuring interests of the future
Though invention is yet in It's infancy
In the matter Of CRATES for the utiliza-
| tion of culm, II has already been dem
| onstrated that much II the fine coal
which can be purchased for song,
can be used to good advantage in
manufacturing.
An estimate of the cost OF the various
kinds of fue used for steam generat-
ing purposes Is given In connection
with the above. And taken generally
II may be safely stated that fuel per
horsepower per boiler costs each day
as follows;
Anthracite coal. prepared sizes, to
8 cents.
Bituminous coal, from 4 to cents.
] Natural gas. from 3 to cents.