The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-18
COAL FIELDS IN CHINA.
They Cover an Area Greater Than
That of Pennsylvania.
(Fiom the Engineering Masazine-)

FIom the Engineering Masazine-)
1t does not require very severe nor a
very long lasting coal famine to advance
the question OF the exhaustion Of fuel
supply from purely academic discussion
to one of pressing economic Importance.
The present situation in Great Britain
brings the matter near enough=home to
lend heightened interest to the descrip-
ton of the coal fields around Tse-Chou,
Shansi. China. by Noah Field Drake, which
was presented at the last meeting of the
American Institute OF Mining Engineers
and is printed in their Transactions
The district was first adequately exam-
ined by Baron Won Richtofen. in 1870. but
the anti-foreign attitude of the Chinese
Government has since prevented develop
ment, until now its exploitation by the
Pekin syndicate seems to be at hand,
this English-Italian company having con-
cessions to work the coal of the Tse-Chou
region as well as of the Shansi fields.
The Chou coal area examined by Mr..
Drake lies about three hundred miles
southwest of Tientsin and about five hun
dred miles northwest by west from Sharg-
hal, and shows ''mingling OF ridges, hills.
narrow elevated valleys, and rough rolling
lands" The rock beds lie comparatively
level, with some conspicuous folding and
faulting. giving narrow belts OF eastward
dipping strata and long west-north~est
dipping areas in which the dps are rarely
greater than seven or eight degrees and
the average dip of the whole earthcruse
block is probably rot more than one or two
degrees: % feet to rs feet is given as tie
probable average thickness OF the m5in
workable Tse-Chou coal bed. though Mr.
Drake had no opportunity to measure is
full thickness nor to examine 1t except
where il is being mined. At enc mine.
near Hsi-ta- Yang, only the lower 10 feet
to L. feet is being taken out through q
SHAFT 329 feet deep. Mr.. Drake was told Dy
Chinese miners that the full thickness OF
the bed is 80 feet Chinese, equal TO 30 ret
English Parting streaks OF sha.y coal are
common but no waste coal Is taken ou',
and the average ash is probably not hight
than 10 per cent. In two mines couple
of miles northeast OF Tse-Chou Mr.. Drake
saw coal beds from IL feet to g feet thick.
the latter being made up quite uniformly OF
a lower stratum OF 3 feet of earthly. fiia.le
coal, II feet of hard. firm. evenly good
coal. 1 inch OF carbonaeeous shale, ard s
feet more of good coal. In mine one and
one-half miles west of Ta-Chi where t2e
Chinese miners said the bed has thicss: ess
of 231 feet Mr.. Drake saw the upper u
feet only.
The coal .'is wonderfully bright and
glossy throughout. 1t breaks with COR
choidal fracture. and is so free from Dust
that it can often be handled without soil ng
the hands,
The area mapped by Mr.. Drake. about $50
square miles. contains about 3.OG0,0co.Ooo
metric tons, surprising Y feet TO be me
average thickness OF the bed ard 1-5 the
average specific gravity. And lit must b.
remembered that this area Is only little
CT the ragged edge OF the great coal felds
of Shansi Rich,o.en estimates
that the anthracite coal alone OF Shanst
amounts to $50. Gee. GOO tors. and that
the coal area of Shansi is greater than that
of Pennsylvania
THE Tsi-Chou coal is all anthracite.
hard enough to support any weight IN ths
blast furnace. uniformly low in sulphur.
and comparatively low in ash. The limi-
tatious to Chinese engineering ability are
strikingly apparent in the methods OF
Tse-Chou The coal is dug, hoisted, and
TRANSPORTED without explosives or power
applications. Mining is done with pick and
CAD: the coal is raised by a man-power
windlass which in the larger mines may
have a circumference of FIVE feet; Il crank
at each end with a long arm. allows four
or five men to work at turning ii. About
geo pounds of coal are hoisted at a time.
in baskets. From the foot Of the shaft
tunnels are run through the coal bed. and
at intervals large quantities of coal are
taken out leaving rooms about forty feet
to fifty feet in diameter. Very little coal
is taken out through lnclines and mons
through tunnels. though in some cases
horizontal tunnel as long as the vertical
shaft would cut the coal.
THE output is about 10000 tons per an
mum from the Tse-Chou area. and il is car
ried to its market, locally or on the plains
twenty miles away, in little carts drawn
by oxen, or. far more largely. by pack
auimals-mules donkeys and men. Tho
trails are from twelve feet to fourteen
feet wide, and paved with stone. By ages
OF use these stones have been worn undl
their tops are smooth and spherical In
shape Over these rough and steep trails
there is, during fair weather. VAN almost
continuous line of pack animals passing
to and fro. and most Of these are en-
ployed in carrying coal.