Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-17

! plant will he OF concrete. brick and
steel and contain 5000 horse power
in modern high pressure boilers and
5000 kilowatt in modern CondcnsinR
steam turbine driven generators.
The combined steam and electrical
plan, would cost not less than 100000.
The Other buildings. with ;hei' equip
mcnt, would easily run into 100000
more. So on the surface we have an
investment cc sl!oc.ono. Now under
ground. We VIII have. say. aOa mine
cars. which Will cost soc each. they
being Of steel. like the preScr: railroad
car; Twenty-Five electric locomotives
worth Si.5oo each: twenty-five electric
mining machines. worth $4,000 apiece
pumping equipment with an aggregate
capacity Of lifting Sooc.no0 gallons Of
water per day and dischgrginr Same
against head OF 500 feet. This water.
VIII weigh 5000 tons. and the motors
for this work Will total about $50
horse power. These pumps viii hc
made OF bronze throughout to with
stand the highly corrosive action Of the
a'idGlat"d mine water. aud the cost OF
IN" equipment. Installed, Will be not
less than S+.ooo.ooo.
EXTENSIVE RAILWAY
4 "
Besides these. there VIII hc not less
than twenty five miles of read laid
with for;y-nrc steel rail bonded at
every Joint, and along which will be
strung overhead an equal number OF
miles OF trolley wire. which. with the
rails, viii cost not less than 100000.
The tunnclinE OF these roads costs q
large amount. but as | have not the
figures aNailab bic. viii not attempt to
guess at II. However. YOU can rca dily
see that IL runs into Il large amount;
hS these roads are twelve feet wide
by about eight feet high. and twenty
tve miles viii cost some money of
course. the coal that is taken out goes
Ear towards the cost. but roads arc
very much more expensive TO tunnel
iAan the chambers or rooms. due to
many reasons. among them being the
tact That they are narrow and in adj
vance OF ventilation and supplies.
The various items | have mentioned
will easily total S100.00n in addition
20 the cost "f driving; the roads. So
sou can see that the initial investment
VIII amount t.. about S2.hO0.UoO very
easily. In these days OF Liberty bonds
THIS may not seem large but go OUT
and try 10 borrow it from some OF
your nciehbors. and SEQ Il ii IS easy
aud i you do get Il to-day. You Will
pay per cent even ihr7ish YOU put
up Liberty bonds as collateral.
Now the labor element is the other
big factor in costs. There must be a
mine foreman. with numerous assist
ants; tire bosses; driver, or locomotives
runner bosses. trackmcn. ;imbern!cn
pumrmcn. locomotive runners. brake
men. electricians, mining machine men
miners. leaders and others too nurner-
"us To mention. Outside there is the
outside foreman. iiremen, power house
eng inerrs. hosting engineers. Shopmcn
St.amh',ers. ma"hinStS. etc. besides
The break and washery tor"o of per-
maps 10" men and boys, ONc: all is
the coNierS superintendent with his
Office force. and. nf course, tho coilierv
is only a Unit OF the company, which
maintains general office in the city
with iorce Of several hundred men
including auditor. treasurer a staff OF
engineers. pay roll clerks. etc.
SO much for the general expenses
which may ID seen at a clance on
top Of this come many things which
arc not so self-evidcnt. For instance
supplies OF ell kinds run Into enormous
io'a'S: also compensa ton for accidents
10 men mount up into large figures
Mining is, Of course. extremely hazard
Gus. and many men are injured and
Killed annually. Taxes come high also
ana the larger companies pay as much
as Sl,V"b.OOn per year. The coal in
inc eround costs money tou. and must
De either bought outright or mined on
Wv ioNH itS oaSls. FROM the foregoing
You can readily see that a ton of an
ihracite delivered into your cellar must
cost YOU some rlvnyy
console: nov the railroad situation.
w" have had SNOW from twelve 10
twenty four inches deep for a, least
month and half without a thaw.
The temperature has been down 20 II
ccgrc"S below zero in Scranton and
much lower at some OF our mines and
we nave had a; least ten DAYS with .hc
temperature below zero, and sometimes
f"f periods Of forty-eight hours a; a
stretch. pur tracks have been bloci:ed
WIN loaded cars. which the railroads
could not move. so that our ear storage
capacity has been seriously reduced.
There nave been many days when we
nave been given only go or 400 rail-
road cars. while our normal require
n.entS arc about 200. aud so we have
mad I" shut down. thereby materially
reducing our output. while ou. over
mead expcns. goes merriiy along.
Enough fo: this. have told Won
Sn:'icient 10 Shoa that anthracite coal
must be an expensive luxury. and espe-
cia!!y 80" miles fr5in the mines
EApCICI n tCcIIro Mn rN