Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1910-05-19
MAY REYOLUTIONIZB
MINING INDUSTRY.
SupsrIntsndents, Engineers and Operators
From all Over ElkhOm Field Witnessed
Operations Of Pneumatic CeaI Con-
veyor al 6aD on Thursday.

- s"ssSN~ls
The United States Coal and Coke
Company, of Gary, w. Va, entertained
number of mining men, engineers and
superintendents at their No. 9 plant on
last Thursday, where an opportunity
was given the local miners to observe
the workings Of the new coal-cutting
machine and the pneumatic system of
transportation which is the invention of
General Edward O'Toole, the general
superintendent. The machine worked
against breast Of coal seven feet and
one inch high by ten feet and two inches
broad. 1t cut three and three-sixteenths
inches per minute from the face of this
vein OF coal. This gave 1,5OO pounds of
coal per minute for the pneumatic tube
which was attached to the coal-cutting
machine to carry away and at all times
While the machine was in operation this
amount of coal was in transmission. The
tube itself has capacity of 5000 feet
per minute and this velocity carried the
coal from the machine to the tipple
where it was deposited ready to be load
ed into the cars.
Some of the men had seen the tube in
action before but all were loud in their
praise Of the wonderful workings of the
machine, which may be put into every
day use in some of the mines of the coal
company. AS the coal was carried out
many of the engineers who had studied
the proposition talked it over and ad-
mitted that there is possibility of the
tube revolutionizing mining, but none
would admit that it was a commercial
success until they had seen it in prac-
tice long enough to prove that it would
stand the wear and tear and give gen.
eral satisfaction.
Thursday was the last day the ma
chine will be in operation for the benefit
of the public and it is now up to its in
ventors to make the mining communi-
ties and operators see the value of it.
AS labor saving device it should work
wonders and it will also remove the dan
ger of mine explosions by removing the
dust from the mines by not making it in
such a way that it can stay in the mine
at all.
After the exhibition at the mine the
party went to the club house. where
they were the guests of General O'Toole
at spread he had prepared as sur
prise for his guests who had braved
wrecks and rainy weather to see the
most modern invention which the min
ing industry or science has ever seen.
From the lunch number went down
to the central electric plant at the vii
lage of Gary. Here they saw the tur-
bines, both high and low pressure, and
the immense pipes which run from the
high pressure to the low pressure ma
chimes. There were number of other
engines and dynamos where the United
States Coal and Coke Company makes
electricity as cheap if not more so than
at any other point in the field. From
this central plant electricity is sent out
to all of the twelve mines and from sub
stations is supplied to the houses, stores.
trolleys and machinery.
An ice plant, the large boiler room as
well as the bank and other points of in
terest were also visited, and the visi-
tors went away satisfied with their trip
to the busy town of Gary and its su-
burbs.
To men who are troubled with helm.
the foreign hotels and boarding houses
which are Kept up to accomodate people
who are strangers but who go to Gary
to secure employment were of interest.
as In this way many men who are look
ing for job can drop into the hotel or
boarding house and wait around a day
or two until job turns up. AS there
Is never scarcity of positions the men
do not have much difficulty in landing
job, but they have the satisfaction of
knowing that they have place to stay
until they can get a boarding house
which %fh suit them. No better or
more liberal company to work for can
be found in the field than the United
States Coal and Coke Company.