Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-27

OF air per minute Fire damp Is prevalent
In many Of the anthracite shafts, necessi-
tating the use of safety lamps by the
miners.
An Expensive Operation.
The cost OF mining anthracite coal Ia
greater than the cost OF mining bituminous
coal, and this cost does not end when the
coal is landed at the surface Of the mine
Anthracite as 1t comes from the mine cone
sists of Jumps OF various sizes, and inter-
mixed with these Jumps is a mixture Of
rocks. These Jumps must be broken and
sorted as to size before the anthracite ID
ready for the market, since the economic
use or anthracite requires that the Jumps
must be Of as near uniform size as pos
sible, and as there is greater demand for
the intermediate sizes the larger Jumps
must be broken down to smaller sizes. This
elaborate preparation greatly increases the
cost Of the coal.
Anthracite is prepared for market In what
Is known as the coal breaker a large builds
ing, usually built Of timber, but sometimes
Of steel and iron. The coal is broken up By
machinery. consisting OF toothed rolls after
which 1t Is screened in circular revolving
screens. The slate Is picked out by hand
by boys and old men. who sit along tho
chutes through which the screened coal
sorting sizes and picking out impurities u
done by machinery. AS the illustration
shows, the general plan Is to sort the coal
over inclined bars. then to pass what goeS
screens, while what goes through goes d.
rectly to the loading bins or else is broken
up Into smaller sizes by rolls and then sep
arated Into the various sizes by screens.
The capacity Of the average breaker Ia
from two to three thousand tons Of coal 4
day.
The tendency Of recent years has been to
use more Of the smaller sizes of anthracite.
and consequently the breaking has been
done with this end In view.
Many estimates are givenu as to the cost
of mining and marketing anthracite. Here
is one from the Anthracite Coal Operators
Association letter, which refers particular
ly to the smaller sizes of anthracite: Min-
ing and preparation, LIS per ton; trans-
portation to New York. $1.35 per ton MAXI
ing total Of $500 per ton.
Supply is Limited.
That there Is limit to the supply Of
anthracite In this country is recognized by
all authorities. The extent of the anthra.
cite field is but $500 square miles. 1t L.
located in the state of Pennsylvania and
broadly speaking Is bounded on the west
by the Susquehanna river, on the north BIZ
the north branch of the same river, on tho
east by the Delaware and Lehigh rivera
these three rivers forming the drainage
outlet for the region The valleys contain,
Ing the deposits generally run from north
to south. The greatest length Of any Of
these valleys is 100 miles, while the width
Is perhaps thirty miles. According to Less
ley THESE DeOS OF anthracite coal were
originally bituminuous In character, and
were deposited at the same time a. thu
bituminous coal Of western and centred
Pennsy wanna, and were subsequently,
changed to their anthracite character by
some process Of metamorphism. The orig.
tnal contents Of the anthracite coal deposits
have been estimated to be 10, 5O7, S72 800
tons. The annual capacity Of the mines
Is estimated to be $1,000, 600, while the
market will take less than $4,000, 900 tonA
1t is estimated that there is $70O. OOO, 900 I'D
vested in the anthracite industry with an
annual profit Of from SIS, 100000 to $1O0.s
100000. added to by freight traffic net
earnings of $40, 1000. 900 a year.
Because the operators refuse to recognize
the labor organization Of the miners, and
incidentally accede to their demands fof
wage agreements. this vast industry ha9
been tied up for many months, the mner1
and their families are suffering from huns
ger and the great populace Of the east and
middle west is threatened with a coal
famine Of proportions never before heard
Of In the history Of the country. With thi1
in view, 1t is no wonder. that awe and ters
ror are beginning to be felt in the pros
nunciation Of the word anthracite"