The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-02-14
STATUS OF
THE TRADE !
The February Letter Of the Anthracite
Coal Operators Association.
PROGRESS OF THE COAL INDUSTRY
Operators are Confronted with Constantly
Arising New Conditions and UneI-
pected Obstacles Inventive
Genius Has Successfully
Met These.

The February letter Of the Anthracite Coal
Operators Association, bearing upon the
status Of the coal trade, has just been issued
and reoites that in the progress Of the an
thracite coal industry there have been con
stantly arising new conditions and unexpected
obstacles to be overcome. The inventive
genius and skill Of those operating the mines,
aud Of the mining and mechanical engineers
engaged in the industry, has been forced TO
keep on the alert TO meet the changing re-
quirements by providing improvements in
machinery and changes in methods. The
general movement Of the trade has neces-
STATED operations and plants costing a large
outlay of money aud producing a heavy
tonnage.
In 1877 the cost Of opening an anthracite
mine and equipping a breaker rarely ex-
ceeded SlOO, 600, and the average output Of
the breakers operating that year was but
30S tons per day, with a maximum OF 300
tons. It was not necessary that the coal
should be absolutely free from slate, and an
admiXture Of smaller sizes, unless in con
siderable quantity, WIS not a serious Objec-
ton. Material changes took place in the
succeeding ten years, and in 1887 the cost of
plant, with all improvements, had increased
100 per cent, and the average daily capacity
to $40 tons. The ten years from that time
until 1897 saw still greater changes, and in
this latter year fully equipped plants cost
$500, 900 and had an output Of 9, 900 tons per
day, the average Of all breakers operating
being $50 tons. The careful separation OF
each size was adhered to with the utmost
strictness, and the percentage Of bone" re-
duced to maximum Of g per cent in the
chestnut and per cent. in the stove Thus
| some Il per cent. Of the product Of the mines
which was formerly sold in the market, is
now thrown away.
In 1877, of all the coal coming from mine,
3s per cent was CRATE and larger sizes, which
required practically no crushing OF prepan.
ton. In 1887. owing to gradual decline in
the market for these sizes, there was only 20
per cent, and in 1897, this had dropped to Is
per cent There is to be met now, the heavy
machinery and expense of crushing this coal
and the loss in dust and the small sizes which
naturally result.
The selling price of prepared sizes, at tide
water, averaged 1925 per ton in 1878: s. 81
per ton in 1887, and s. AS per ton in 1897. In
mining and preparing this coal there has
been required a rapidly increasing outlay of
money, both to erect new plants, and to pur-
| chase modern machinery to replace anti
quated types. Every effort which skill and
| ingenuity could suggest has been necessary
to prevent the cost of operating from in
creasing.
In transporting the coal to market the
same difficulties have been met New rail
roads have been built and hundreds of miles
of branch lines added to the old ones. The
facilities for storing the coal and for handling
at terminals were improved, at heavy ex-
pense, for the purpose Of both reducing the
expense of handling and expediting the re.
ceipt and delivery.
Summed up in few words, the anthracite
miners and transpOrters have expended
millions Of dollars in improvements which
have merely served TO keep the actual cost of
the product about where it was twenty years
ago. They have protited directly by handl-
ing the fuel in larger quantities. though at
| the expense of their tonnage resources, and
| there has been negative profit in that they
have been able to remain in business, for a
mine or railroad, equipped as in 1877, would
to-day be losing investment.