The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-08

the way, built for an labama coal mine. On the lower deck the empty car going on automatically pushes off the loaded car from the upper deck. The car pushars are electrically driven. The coal is dumped in rotary dump somewhat sim liar to the one at the Pratt Consolidated company's Banner" only this is elec- tricaly driven. The scales on the iippe have a dial recorder There is an "iec- trlcally driven picking table in conjunction with the tipple on which one man and Il boys are kept busy. None of the boys working at Mulga are under 16 years of age. The age limit by law is II.
 There Is no coal washer at present at Mulga, but plans to erect both a washer and a by-product coke plant are under way.
 While the picking system in use at Muga improves the quality of the coal" said MT. Fies. 'it does not cleanse the coal as effectually as a washer does. It gives, however, an opportunity to clean large lump coal which no washer tan handle. But we ought to have a washer too.'" The grades of coal at Muga are straight run of mine and screen coal in three sizes.
 Where the Wheels Go Round The power house is big oblong brick and concrete structure in which are in- SldiiSd iHt HlllS illdCilllitS. A 4NOli- berg air compressor, Curtis turbine en- zine, General Electric generator, a Crocker- Wheeler generator. Cochran boiler water heaters and Knowles boiler feed pumps. which supply the water to the boilers automatically.
 The machine shop is equipped with a drill press, bolt cutting machine, shaper, lathe, steam handle and two forges. All repairing is done right on the ground.
 kt,- T.,l ,.,e ago not a shot has been fired under ground, or when there is a single miner below. But at o'clock every night the shots are fired by an electrical contriv- ance from the surface. Furthermore, as previously stated, only permissible explo- sives are used and a miner is allowed to take in the mine only one days require ments.
 There are now 40 sprays in operation e. low. Every working place has in it a. water pipe and four men are employed whose sole business it is to water every working place with hose.
 The result is that Mulga naturally a dry and dusty mine, and one generating gas, is made moist and clean aired and put on a. safe level. Taking up handrIr of coal in any one of the entries. 1t is cool and wet as sand on the sea shore. There Is never let up. to the safety precau- tions. As stated before MT. Fies helped frame up the stringent rules in the lew mine laws of Alabama relating to safety precautions. and those rules are followed out at Mulga beyond the letter of the law The Mulga fire bosses know their business.
 On the roadways and main haulage ines the spillng of coal dust Is greatly mini mixed by the mine cars which are fash toned without gates. Each car holds Is tons of coal. Eight mine locomotives are in use, three Jeffrey ton, two Nesting house ton, one Westinghouse IS ton, and two Goodman 5 ton.
 "We'll have % locomotives in Mulga when we get our output up to 5000 ssns per day. towards which the mine Is pointing," said MT Flies. "Our present average out put is from 900 to 1000 tons.'
 (Note: Underground Processes at Null ga'' Is the subject of the next article in this series. to be published in The Age Herald October 22)