The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-06
NEWS OF OUR INDUSTRIES.

Gays tne Inlladelpnla Ledger: the
anthracite coal trade was in the first
half Of this year, in the opinion of
those best informed on the subject, bet
ter managed and the output of coal
and prices better regulated than in any
previous period in the history of that
important industry. The second six
months of 1897 promises even better
results than those of the first half Of
the year. Owing to the radical curtail-
ment of the production of coal since the
beginning of the year the stability Of
prices has been we'll maintained, and
consequently the net profits to the min
ing and carrying companies have on
an average been larger even with the
reduced tonnage mined, which was
about 2,S00,000 tons less than was sent
to market in the corresponding period
of 1896 and 4,6OO,OO0 tons less than
was produced in the first half of 1895.
Not only has all of the 16O00,OOO tons
mined since January been practically
sold but the surplus accumulation of
stock coal at the tidewater shipping
points and the Eastern and Western
distributing ports has also been drawn
upon to make up the deficiency be-
tween the actual market requirements
intimations that the prices for anthra.
cite would be advanced on the first Of
June, which was not done, the close
approach to July l without any Off
cial announcement that new circulars
showing an increase would be issued,
led the trade to believe that it was
only the old and deceptive scare cry of
wolf. wolf! and that no advance would
be made until August. Then the de-
mand for cargoes of anthracite began
to fall off; dealers ceased urging the
early delivery of coal already ordered
and there were symptoms of a weak
ening of prices. Just at this critical
time came last week the notice of an
increase of 15a25 cents per ton in prices
to both the line and city trade, to take
effect at once, and then began the
scurry to renew old and place new or
ders for coal before the July quota
tions could be put into effect. The re-
suit has been that now all of the min
ing and carrying companies have book
ed or renewed sufficient orders for
coal to absorb their whole output for
this month, and the confidence in the
ability of the managers of the several
larger companies to keep the trade well
in hand has been re-established. The
dealers generally in all parts of the
country are carrying very light stocks
of coal, and consequently from now
until the end of the year there Is like
ly to be considerable activity in the
movement of anthracite and with
strengthening prices. The lowest esti-
mates are that at least 100000 tons
additional newly mined coal will be
required to supply the demand of con-
sumers between now and December 81.
Fire on Saturday night about mid
night destroyed the old Union or Mill
Greek breaker of the Delaware and
Hudson Coal company at Mill Creek
and it is believed to have been of in
cendiary origin. The breaker was
abandoned about five years ago, and
part of il had been torn down. The
breaker, says the Wilkes Barre Rec
ord, was one of the first erected in
this valley, having been built by the
old Union Coal company, about thirty
years ago, Subsequently 1t passed into
the hands of the Delaware and Hudson
and was operated by that company
until the mine was worked out. In its
day the breaker was one of the most
profitable owned by the company. The
machinery was up-to-date and the
slope from which the coal vas hoisted
was one of the longest in the coal re-
gions. A huge pair Of first motion en-
gineS hauled the coal to the surface
in trips of eight cars each and in some
places the time made was at the rate
of twenty miles an hour. The mine was
considered at the time to be as well
ventilated and as safe as any in the
anthracite regions. The greatest acci-
dent ever occurring there happened
on Sunday. about eighteen years ago,
when five men, who had gone into the
mine to get out their tools before an
expected fall of roof occurred, set fire
to body of gas and were instantly
killed. There was very little machin-
cry in the breaker, most of II having
been removed to other places. In an
engine house near by were, however.
two sets of new boilers, which were
badly damaged, and this constitutes
about the principal item of loss.
o.
The work of re-opening the gang
ways and airways and restoring the
ventilating system is progressing slow
ly at the South Wilkes-Barre mine
of the Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre Coal
company. The work is dangerous be-
cause the workings contain large bodies
of explosive gases. 1t is more than
probable, in the opinion of the Anthra-
cite association circulation, that if the
upcast at this mine was in one shaft
and the downcast in the other, it would
not have been necessary 10 food the
mine to extinguish the fires caused by
the explosions of Oct. 29 last, and the
subsequent laNs Thn