The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-06-18
SUCK CREEK co.,
BUYS MONTLAKE.
Huge Coal Deal Contaminated
Here by Local Cap
itaIiStS.
CHEAPER FUEL ASSURED
River Transportation Facili-
tiles to Be Utilized
to Utmost.

One OF the largest coal deals IN
local history was consumated Tues
day afternoon. The Montlake Coal
company has boon absorbed by the
Suck Creek Coal company an organ
ization capitalized at $350.00O The
new company has acquired $4,000
acres of land around Suck Creek
gulch at the foot OF Signal noun
tain, eight and a half miles from the
heart of the city of Chattanooga.
The incorporators are five well
known local business men: Y. G. Pat
ten, Jr., Gus Meehan, ]. II. Brock
house, Jr.. ohm c. Vance and Fred
H. Cantrell.
Application for charter OF incor-
poration for the Suck Creek COM
pany was filed a year ago with only
a small capitalization. Land was
| added subsequently,, and as the en-
| terprise grew in scope the capital
| was increased, until 1t is now $780,
| 000 The last steps in the expansion
of the corporation was the absorp-
ton of the Montlake interests.
| The Montlake mines are running
for the present only three days a
kweek, mining approximately 200 tons
of coal a day. 1t is stated that the
output will be increased to 500 tons
day, and the mine operated on full
time very shortly.
| Present plans call for the expendi-
ture Of approximately 100000 in the
construction of buildings, machinery
and the opening of new mines on
the property. The capacity of the
veins there Is practically unlimited,
| it is stated. Conservative estimate
is said to fix the number of tons Of
coal on the tract at more than TWEEN
ty million.
| An incline will be installed, with
capacity of 1900 tons a day to
convey the coal from the mountain
side down to the wagon road, rail-
road, spur track and the river, ship
ments being possible by any of these
three courses. ON coal has as yet,
Of course. ben mined from the new
property, but it is predicted that At
will be shipped to the city in large
quantities from the new mines by
early next spring at the latest.
Huge Saving.
The benefit to Chattanooga of her
two riverside coal mines-the Suck
Creek mines and the Raccoons Noun
tain mines--is inestimable. Cheap
water transportation will make II pos
sible to purchase coal for industrial use
in Chattanooga and this district as
| tUedply as III any OlilcI tOdl ttItSi III
the world, it is predicted. In dollars
and cents. the two mines shipping coal
by river will mean a saving to manu-
facturers based upon the present coal
consumption of between .$350,000 and
100000 per annum in freight rates
alone, 1t is said. Shipment of coal by
river will also mean that the district
north of the river will be rapidly de-
veloped by industrial plants. to whose
operation cheap coal is essential.
AT present the Raccoon mines are
shipping a barge of 1875 tons OF coal to
Chattanooga every other day. The coal
is umoaded at the Market street wharf
by steam apparatus and placed in cars
or trucks. More than half the freight
rate is thus saved. By far, the major
ity of the coal used in Chattanooga at
present comes from mines at such a
distance as to require the $l.15 ton
freight rate and many mines are even
further away.
According to figures compiled by the
Suck Creek company, 500 tons of coal
are used a day in Chattanooga by
plants and large consumers who are not
located on a switch track The main
cost in trucking COAL which must be
done, lies in the loading of a truck
from a freight car and the unloading
again at the plants bin. Estimates
for trucking range from about So cents
to more than 81. Taking an average
| OF 81, Ine freight rdte pluS tHe trans
portation by truck brings the coal tc
$215. for transportation charges alone
Run the mine coal at the mines Is
sold for around So and $3.50. Trans
portation by water will eliminate more
than two thirds of the freight cost.
A splendid new highway, which could
be concerted at small cost, already
connects Chattanooga and the such
Creek mine. The trucks could go di-
rectly to the mines assistance or only
eight miles and haul the coal to the
plants or the local coalyards, or me
retail consumer, sat only the truck.
handling cost, eliminating rail trans
,, portaton entirely. A prominent trucl
4 manufacturer has quoted the cost o
! trucking the coal to the city at As cents
ton. employing a seven-and- one-hal
ton truck and a trailer of similar ca
pacity Coal could thus be delivered
the retail consumer at saving of sew
eral dollars ton.
The Suck Creek company will prob
. ably erect a coal bin and screen at thu
wharf after the mines are placed il
operation. The company is planning t.
furnish such plants located as the waite
works and others north OF the river b!
Il