The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-07-22
immense E penditures
in the Toms Creek
Mining Section.
AN 5ENORMOUS .3. ss.5..
O'LJTl' nj Z F.. COAL
The Mines Produce Eighty Thou
" sand Tons 81 Soft Coal and
Ovens Turn Out Thirty
Thousand Tons / =
E:3 Month Splendid
Inpr ovements.
n ~ /,


gs Especial to The Times Dispa tch.) ~ s8
u GEoRGEL. WISE CO... II y, p - I'd
$rh lie resources % Wise count have per-
4 9haps been developed I'd u greater extent
than have Il nose OF any other county in
the Old Dominion. within the past Il fteen
yea RI. al most fabulous sums Of money
a have been expended Nh this county for
III Improvement, and the result Of these e1-S
! penditures showSi the$many gigant q IN
dustrles, railroads and beautiful resi-
derces to be seen almost over ts n entire III
Fl limits. 55
8}3365 Arnong@ the first developments In this
county were those Of Tonls Creek, 20
which the writer wishes to ddress him
SELF. 81 These were coal operations, began an
on "a "a Their small scale. but In 1Ss0 they they
Il were conso Ida ted under the name Of aNl y
ginla iron, Coal and Coke Company I'm. ia' ~
which, vas tailed t sls. oo9 CO.,, Henry
McHarg /, 81 New York,9w g chose :. as as
the corlpanys a rst presiden ana s.!l.
remains in this post Work vas a5 peg IN -.
81 Il once, after this consollda tion, for ne
\ s. q proyc,nert OF the plant. Hhich would
enable the company to carry on opera ei1
lions II on !, Il more extensive see le. y ne
b r.3wer-h house, which had been & erected
h ~ one 81 the old 60 npanies. Ha az . en-
rped and capaci Ia ted TO meet llas ~
order OF things. III Near all the a ma
chincry az this plant q driven BY me !
electric force generated BY this huge
a power house. Ss3, M 7H55 I'M
.Disintc graf ers 3595
rhree ..;disintegra tcrs' have been nrl-
sistalied az part the ese nay
$tse described as ma ines u MI i ~
1Isintegratfng or grlndin 3 soft coal.8 me
rod net being call led slack Il " icll. Dy q
syst am OF burning. produces col = no 10
5.anacity 81 these disntegrat n q an !
ge.. is each 700 tons per day 33s I
X b me CON pany operates 500 coke 80 yens.
II r,hasa5 ,nre built OF dressed stone, and
d i, 81 lions, called @ batteries. the outer
waIia being continuous. while partit ions,
hrjlt nt right angles tatween the# walls
FORM divisions, called ovens ln st co on
structing the ovens. y a \ circular 81 enlng
Il left at the 4 top. through when the @
slack is poured " hen charging them
door is left In the side OF eacn oT .,,
III through which the coke lis pull me
81 = mount OF slack with which the ovens
81 are charged varies, 80 as to require s4si
VI "a 70 hours time In which to burn. y They
are called o's,n or ''72s. respectively
4 Four and one-half tons Of slack make
z 4S.hour charge six and three-fourths
tons, I2-hour charge. Each charge OF
the smaller capacity makes three tons
II OF coke; OF the larger 4 our and e-half
& tons. There Is loss in burning. from
soft to cooked coal Of about IS per cent
The coke Is pulled from the ovens by
Nh f,a nd with 4 long-handled crook. called
g beaver A IA If8 Isl. e s55 81
this plant Is 80. 600 tons. x No cooked coal,
= ia sold to the markets by the company
they! use their entire output In their
own furnaces for "A the manuf fact ure OF
4 pig iron. These furnaces are located lat
Radford, Pulaski. Max Meadows. Bristol!
rs and Middlesboro. u rs
Immense Output,
Six mines are operated on Tom $ Greek
y by the company, while opera tons u ire
i being commenced on Little Tom y Creek,
E a nearby Il stream. The monthly output
OF soft Goa from these six mines Is
is shipped over the lines OF tho Norfolk
Al and Western Railroad to the & Tidewa-i
ter section, while the remainder IS used
s for coklng purposes, Il The coal eposits
u In this field seem to be prac tlcally mex
4 haustible, x ,3s 3 " sB4 s5i8
The company has 6s2 houses, erected
& for the accommodation OF their ems.
& ployeS, II eSe houses contain from three
10 six rooms enck, and renters pay two
dollars per room, by the month, allSrents
being payable In labor.
53ss A conlmodlous church has been erect
4 cd by the company, and q parsonage,
y supported at Its expense. for the bennett
OF Its employees. y d ss
II The population OF the corporate limits
( Of the company's grounds Is estimate
~ 1t 5. 900. The NUMBER Of hands regularly
employed is approx inats|y 2, 900 Com,
mon lRhorers are paid $Il0 per q 81
ten hours; carpenters, e 80; masons. $3.50,
& The average monthly payroll - about
Z 100000 81 The value Of the entire plant is
placed at $40. 00o. 900. y q. az "a S ~ q 4.
n Il The Headquarters OF the eonpa ny Is at
A Bristol where the general business Of
4 the various plants Is transacted. .6.33,.
i.sala James Williams, the efficient superln-
tendent, oversees the wofk depa rtnlent Of
the plant, while Isaac T. Mullen looks
after the property and supply depart
ment n i III. 81 IL tsi5
E0IIIFnE hkn5(IAkINEnpIl r 3is NJ