The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1914-04-03
CONSOLIDATION COAL
COMPANY REPORT.

In his annual report to the stock
holders OF the Consolidation Coal
Company, President ]. H. Wheel
right says:
The unusual and disastrous floods
in the states of the middle West in
March last destroyed many miles of
railroad track and a great number
of bridges, and practically suspend
ed through traffic for several weeks
upon all roads in that section, and
months elapsed before transporta-
ton companies were able to restore
their property to its normal condi-
ton, although the transportation
facilities locally and our mines es-
capped any direct damage by the
floods, the production and shipments
of your company for the year were
curtailed at least one million tons.
The development work on your
property in the Elkhorn field in
Eastern Kentucky, which has been
in progress during the past two and
a half years, is rapidly approach
ing completion and at this date the
fourteen mines that have been OPP
ened in that field have q pro-
ducing capacity of from twelve to
thirteen thousand tons daily, or APP
proximately 3,500,000 tons per an
mum. Tipples and mine buildings
have been completed, mines equip
ped with the most modern mining
machinery, all with a capacity for
handling a tonnage largely in ex-
cess of the present developed ca
lpacity of the mines.
The central power plant located
at Jenkins furnishes electric current
for operating and lighting purposes
at all of the mines, both at Jen-
kins and McRoberts, and has ample
power in reserve for all present re-
lquirements. In the construction OF
this plant ample provision has been
made for adding thereto addition
al units of power as may be re-
quired.
The physical condition of the var
ious properties of your company
has been fully maintained during
the year and the capacity Of the
various mines of the company Is
now fully so per cent above the
present rate of production.
The tonnage produced by all
mines of the company for 1913 was
I11,157,9SO net tons compared with
O,347,100 net tons in 1912.
Your company knowing that the
several railroads which serve its
mines in the various divisions are
utterly unable, under usual condi-
tions, to supply the mines of your
company either with regular or
an adequate number of coal cars to
take the daily output of the mines
that the miners are able to mine
and your company prepared to load
into railroad cars, and on account
of this disability of the carriers
the output of the coal from your
, mines has not increased in ratio
with the Improvement and physical
development of your coal lands, and
railroad executives repeatedly urg-
ed to provide these additional cars
, and locomotives, terminals and 9TH
er transportation facilities have
stated that hey cannot provide the
additional money necessary to fur
nish these facilities unless they can
sell stocks, bonds or other form of
securities to investors, which they
are unable to do under the pres
ent rates.
Notwithstanding the fact that an
increase in freight rates to the
carriers would, in many cases, fall
directly upon your company, we
have written the Interstate Com
merce Commission, urging them to
grant the increase of. freight rates
to the railroads, for the reason that
we believe the facilities so urgent
ly needed to be of greater impor-
tance to the future development Of
the country and the welfare of your
company than the burden that will
fall upon us by reason of increased
freight rates.