Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1911-07-06
Average
Average
COAL USED COST MORE.

1t will be observed that in the pro-
auction of coke in 1910 there was a
larger relative increase in value than in
quantity, and that the average price
per ton advanced from 81 20 in 1909 to
$3.50 in 1910, from which it might ap-
pear that the state of the coke industry
in 1910 was highly satisfactory. Such,
however, was not the case, for whereas
the value of the product of 1910 exceed
ed that of 1909 by SO, 73O, 7s4, this in
crease was more than offset by the
higher value of the coal charged into
the ovens. The quantity of coal used
In the manufacture of coke in 1909 was
IS, S54, 9S7 short tons, valued at $50, 2O3. =
1872; in 1910 the quantity of coal used
was 63,045, 795 short tons, valued at
S74, SOS, la. The increase in the value
of the coal used in 1910 over 1909 was
S12, 6O4, 1872, or 81, S73, 94S more than the
increase in the value of the coke.
COKE OF GREAT INDUSTRIAL IMPORTANCE
To many readers the term cooke"
implies by-product of city gas plants
which is used for summer cooking in
the kitchen range. Such coke is, how
ever, of slight commercial Importance.
the above figures representing the in
dustrial coke production of the country.
Coke is an important and necessary
factor in the metallurgical world, being
the principal fuel used in the reduction
of ores and the making of steel rails.
structural steel, and other such pro-
ducts. Thus the Goals which have fine
coklng qualities are of the highest in
dustrial value. In the Geological Sur
vey's coal-classifcation schedule, high
grade coking Goals rank equal in value
and Importance to anthracite.
In the United States industrial coke
Is produced by two methods-in beehive
ovens, where the coke is the only pro-
duct recovered, and in by product ovens.
where all the important subsidiary
products are conserved, such as gas,
ammonia, creosote, and coal tar. At
the present time the bulk of the coke
is made in the Old-fashioned beehive
ovens with an annual wastage of mil
hons OF dollars worth of by-products.
In 1910, according to Mr.. Parker. lz13|
per cent of the total coke output was
made In by-product ovens, as against
1881 per cent so produced in 1909. The
figures obtained by the Geological Sur
vey show that there is a gradual in
crease in the use of by-product ovens.
AT the close of 1910 there were 2. 1S7
coke ovens in course of construction.
and of these 800, or AZ OF per cent. were
by-product ovens.
LARGE DECREASE IN PRICE.
Notwithstanding the increased pro-
ductlon and the higher value of the
coke In 1910 as compared with 1909. the
year was decidedly unsatisfactory from
the producers standpoint 1t has al
ready been noted that the increase in
the value of the coal used exceeded the
increase in the value of the coke pro-
duced and that the net result of the
years business was really a loss rather
than a gain over the preceding year.
The tendency of prices was downward
from January to December and in the
later part of the year much of the coke
business was conducted at loss.
Connellsville furnace coke, which is
recognized as tbs standard blast-furnace
fuel, declined from the high record of
$2.75 a ton in January to $1.4O in De-
cember, and the values of other cokes
competing with Connellsville showed a
corresponding decline.