The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-24

windows and an abundance of electric lights. Elevators take one from story to story and there are parlors for the directors and all modern conveniences. The main room of the bank is larger than that of any bank in Washington and as well furnished as that of any in New York As I stood in the gallery and looked down upon the scores of clerks working away I was impressed with the eonormous business being done. Money was coming in and going out and l could see where the bank gets it's deposits, which now amount to about seventy mil- lion yen. As I went on through the build ing l seemed to be in government de- partment. There were rooms niled With clerks everywhere and in one l saw q dozen clicking off their notes on Japanese fypewriters.
 The Mitsui Coal Mines.
 An interesting branch of the estab- lishment is the mining department. In this are shown samples of the coal, sul- phur, copper, silver and other ores being mined by this great corporation. There are also models of the machinery used in the mines showing how each of the larger properties Is provided with the most lm- proved type of machinery for haulage, ventilation and drainage and that every thing is done to protect the lives or the miners and to maintain a uniform output at the lowest expense. saw models or some of the Mitsui coal mines near Naga- saki They are known as the Mike mines, and are one of the largest Of such enterprises in the world. There are now six different workings, and the annual production is over one million tons. The mines have an area of 16,O00 acres, and the coal veins average about eight rect in thickness. This coal is bituminous and is used for cooking. It is regarded as a standard coal in the Asiatc mar kets Another Mitsui property is the Tagawa coal mines which produce the best steam coal of Japan, and largely supply the navy and the railroads. And another is Yamano coal, noted for It's easy firing and its high evaporatlng power In addition to these coal mines the Mitsus have silver and lead proper ties, which are turning out consideraDle ore, and they have two large sulphur mines.
 Make. Earthquake-Proof Chimneys. The Mitsuis have a big engineering works here in Tokio, where engines anu boilers are made, and where they are aiso turning out electrical machinery whlch is noted throughout the far east. They are making steel chimneys and railway bridge material Their steel chimneys are said to be earthquake proof. This is a very important item. Japan has, on the aver age, an earthquake day throughout the year, and every now and then big one. At such times the brick chimneys and smokestacks are the first to fall They often cause great damage, crashing through the roofs below. When l was in Japan IA years ago, about one-haif or the household department of the palace, which I was visiting at the time, was thrown down and the chimneys flew far and wide. narrowly escaped with my life. In that same earthquake the chin- neys on the parliament house tumbied' making a hole in the roof as large as though the biggest elephant had dropped through from the skies.
 This same engineering works is now making pumps, sawmills, mining machin- cry, dynamos, electric motors and cleo trc machines of every description. The Mitsuis and Foreign Trade. It would pay some of our big exporting firms to go through the foreign trade