The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-09-26

percent Of the coal where now only
about half is recovered
Some Try Stripping Machines.
Another improved system which has
now been definitely established as a
success with the shallowcr coal seams
is the operation OF strip pits by means
OF steam shovelS, or stripping ma
chimes. The Oklahoma Mining and
Stripping company recently installed
such a machine at Hickory Hill near
Lehigh, at a cost of $4,000 and IT is
announced thai the operation is past
the experiment tai stage The machine
carries 6h-yard dipper, water meas
urc, and piled high with dirt or coal
will hold seven and half yards, with
a maximum speed of three dips a min
ute. 1t has record Of moving 1900
yards OF earth a day, being equally as
large as mos, OF the shovcls used on the
Panama canal The system OF opera
tion is TO strip the dirt from the seam
OF coal. then lift the coal from its bed
after the deposit has been torn loose
with powder.
a similar machine has also been in
stalled by the hlko-nak company at
Hentye,ta and the New State Coal
company and Sequoyah Oil Refinery
company operate the same kind OF ma
chincry near Collnsvillc.
There are forty shovcls in use in the
state of Kansas.
A much more general use OF the
system in Oklahoma is not probable
IT is said, because OF the fact that the
available Stripping area is limited I,
is not practicable at depth below
! forty feet.
In a thrce-foot vein OF coal the re
covery pcr acre OF coal would be 4SNl
tons whereas. under the room and
pillar system of mining. $500 tons
would be liberal estimate.
Would Increase Recovery.
II the government should extend
present leases on segregated coal it i,
considered certain that the Indians are
going to demand the recovery Of NOR,
coal in order to protect their royalties
II II is sold the oberators themselves
nv right Of their ownership, il Is be.
licvcd will determine upon a system
which will insure greater percent o
/ recovery
Wealth in Coal Deposits.
According TO the United States geo.
'o"'cal survey, the areas in Oklahoma
which may contain coal amounts T.
, 10000 SQUARE miles. II was estimated
that in the ORIGINAL formations 'her,
were 70 o27S OOOOO tons The govern
ment survey estimates the denoSits o.
available coal al 1000 pnO 000 tons
Up 10 the present time the produc
i'on in the state has amounted to b6
600 900 tons but, under the waStefu
system of mining cmnloved II Is eS,i
mated that another 5000 900 tons ha
been los, in dead workings.
Enough for 1000 Years.
AZ the present rate of consumption
the land already proven would suppl
all demands ior at least 600 years. o
until the wear Nl7. providing the per
ccntape of recovery were increased 4
what it should be, but, il present meth
ods ~ mining continue i'would last onl
half that time. Il is believed that muc
land not vet proSpectcd will be ioun
to contain coal that will in the fu,ur
be workable. but at the same time II !
pretty certain that the present rate o
consumption will rapidly increase
For economic reasons alone then. for
pc'tinp the treaty pledge oi lmmcdiat
disposition mad fourteen years ago.
- argued that the federal govcrnmcr
should permanently fix the status Z
Oklahoma mineral deposits
The Indians are anxious 10 sell an
are willing 10 accept the valuatlo
placed on the deposits bv the fcdct;
supervisor OF mines, Sl2llo09. as
means Of closing up their estates. IN
movement on the par, OF the huSine,
,men was started in the hope that owner
, ship OF the deposits themselves, inSlea
, oi mining. on short time leases, woul
enable the opSratotS to finance MOI
their development Of q more pctmancr
! nature, protect the deposits by nor,a.
} ing the percent OF recovery