The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-03

the measurement ..OcS not vary dt all and the experts in that work are Of the opinion that the seam is one of vast length, measuring the same wonderful thickness The Omnipotent did most of the work at Acmar and it only required the hand of man to fashion the wilderness into a sight which would bring great joy to the heart of any coal operator in the district. The roof of Acmar mine, 13 feet high is of solid rock and in all the 1900 feet and in the nine headings and in the IS rooms now in service not one piece of timber or any sort of prop has been needed to assure the miners perfect safety. Henry DeBardeleben, in speaking of the ability of the miners to make money there, pointed out that one negro with little real intelligence had to his credit for ten days work s59.
 The place has at the bottom some lit the water which Is pumped to the surface, leaving no sloppy passages to interfere with the miners. The rails into the mine whereon the mine trains operate are Of 57 pound steel similar to railroad rails and of sufficient stability to permit the fast est possible operation of the trip cars shooting tor the surface.
 It is estimated that at Acmar there Is an unknown quantity of coal and while exact data is unavailable 1t is said that supply estimated at 3S,o00,0oo tons is to be found in that seam. The drift is equipped with a modern mine fan so ar ranged as 10 permit of its operation how ever bad may be any possible accident manway cement capped and perfectly smooth leads into the bot tom of the workings. With less than 40 miners Dr. DeBardeleben says 156 tons were taken out the first day they worked, one one-week output had increased to 0l4 tons which Is the record and has re- mained around about 475 tons from that time until yesterday which ended the two weeks operation. No gas has been found in the mine and little Is expected, every preeaution has been taken.
 Capacity of 900 Tons
 At this time it is said the mine is capa- ble of producing 800 tons per day and this will be worked up to immediately. However the ultimate capacity of the marvellous find will be in the neighbor- hood of 2000 tons of worked coal per day.
 A tipple adjoins No mine of superb testifying to the engineer ing genious of the owners which is cap- ped by a concrete building on a hillside which brings the trips whizzing to the surface The entire plant is operated with electricity, including the interior ma except the transportation for the trips which are now operated by steam The building is of reinforced concrete, exceptionally cles.ny, as Is the whole place, and extremely comfortable for the workmen.
 The coal brought to the surface is dumped with the aid of three men into a screen siftsr which works back and forth separates the coal into three sizes. The lump is loaded by automatic means into waiting railroad cars for direct ship to oit itxt ubile the rPmaintn r sizes, nut and slack are transported to the washer two miles away and central between Acmar and Margurite.
 The company washes 70 per cent Of the total coal mined and when 1t Is delivered for shipment it shines with cleanliness. The fancy lump is untouched by man after leaving the black depths.
 The entire tipple is overhead and there is perfect network of railroad tracks ballasted finely with slag and of the fin est workmanship.
 Traversng the track for two miles the new washer is reached. There a vast amounl of money has been expended ir machinery to wash coal. The entire pro- position is built of concrete and steel and absolutely fireproof. The cars load ed with coal to be washed are run upor the topmost part of the washer. There it is dumped into bins for washing. After being dun ped the railroad cars arc rush ed back by gravity. In other words, while the coal is being washed gravity switches the cars back under a receiving place to catch the washed product
 Washing Process
 The washing process is superb The coal is rushed, from the blns into funnel arms. into the water bins. There a jig process shoves the slate and impurities to the bottom while the coal comes to the surface and hurries through another refin- ing process The washed coal is then car ried on d belt elevator to the bins, where the cars are loaded for shipment. The top is equipped with two tracks and sep arated bins by which means it is possible to wash Acmar coal and Margurite coal separately and keep it that way until loaded. Another feature of the washing in the manner of remixing Acmar coal foI steam purpose wherein the coal becomes mixed from four inches to slack oy auto inatic process. The slate and other i'm purities after sinking by continual jggins to the bottom of each bin filled with wa.ei lis taken on belt and conveyed to a pile where it is thrown to waste. The water used in the washing processfis handled ir tanks of concrete in such way that con tnuaily the same amount of water as i' first used may be used and reused with