Thinner coal , higger cars - Coal Age : devoted to the operating, technical and business pro

S

OM E operators who have thick and thin coal expect to cut down their cars when the thin coal has to be mined or at least a part of the side of each car'so that coal can be shoveled over the sides. It is probable that even before the thin coal is reached they will be using conveyors and the “high” cars will long have been found to be too low for profitable operation;

for when cars are loaded on the heading there is no need to have them low.

Thin coal is making a big car more desirable than ever. W ith loading heads the coal can be lifted without human effort into the highest of cars, and none of it, except perhaps the first half ton, which falls to the bottom of the car, drops any distance but is deposited lightly onto the talus of the pile already in place and rolls more or less gently to the bottom.

W ith the passing of room mining the low car will disappear as entirely outmoded. The main advan

tage of a low-bottomed car will then be that it will give bigger capacity to a car already capacious by reason of its height. The future mine car will be long and lofty. Moved everywhere by a locomotive, its weight will be no drawback, and as it does not travel the sharp curves at room necks there will be no reason for making it of short wheelbase, for even where gages are wide the cars will be able to negotiate the turns on main roads. Thus thin coal will mean larger, and still larger, cars rather than pigmy equipment.

October, 1928— C O A L A G E 645

J M M J 5 N J M M J S N 3 M M J 5 N J

- :

- - - COAL AGE BAROMETER +

I I I p J J OF

- - - B1TUM! N O U S COA L PRODUCTION

~fl/Æ T T T Îi111111111111111111 ITi'lK /

—/i- K L L L , N o rm a lL L -j-J4- -H _______

- U L --ppSs. - - p ro d u c tio n ]!# *JX - - X

'■Previous y e a r

A djus fe d fo r secutar t re n d a n d seaso nal v a ria tio n

J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D

— CONSUMPTION OF BITUMINOUS COAL - I I 1 * BY STEAM R A IL R O A D S i"i |" | ( Interstate Commerce Commission, Census Bureau)

a i.ooo gictooos

J F M A M J J A 5 0 N D J F M A M J J A 5 0 N D J F M A M J J A S O N D - U - L i PRODUCTION OF ANTHRACITE COAL U i X _ _ _ _ I I , I (Bureau o f Mines, Census Bureau) I

A 3 II yePr:nl |i » I

"joXiCfeV-1 3 ,0 0 0

--i4o<X)H^

U) ^ipoo

J F M A M J J A S O N D

...

E X PO R T S OF ; BIT U M IN O U S „ -r-, C O A L + 4 - (D ata co llected

-■b y B u r e a u o f

y-■ Foreign an d D o m e stic — C o m m erce)____

J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D

Previous

1 J ear>J,

F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D

; I I I I I I 1 I I i i i i i i M i

COAL AGE 7 T -

B1TUM1N0W JV

-: -: -: -: _____ 1 c o a l p r i c e m r ___________ 3 _ INDEX r - 1 %

-1_ "j (Bureau o f Mines, Census Bureau)

80,000

¡550,000 ^

J F M A M J J A S O N Dp F M A M J J A 5 0 N D | J F M A M J J A 5 0 N O

4 4 - i 'CONSUMPTION o f BITUMINOUS COAlM-L-I-

— BY CENTRAL ELECTRIC P O W E R P L A N T S ^

-— (Geological Survey, C ensus B ureau)

—>—t---‘” 4,000

Indicators of Activities in the Coal Industry

646 C O A L A G E — Vol.33, No.10

MARKETS

in Review

F

ALL BUYING of coal for house

hold consumption quickened inter

est in bituminous markets in the Mississippi River also reported more ac

tive demand for domestic coal. In the East this demand was reflected in month- end calls for the large, sizes of an

thracite.

Despite the generally favorable com

mercial and financial reports on indus

trial conditions throughout the country, steam trade still lags in most sections.

Along the Atlantic seaboard, however, more interest has been displayed in in

Actualities in the steam-coal situation in the Middle West are thrown out of focus by the development of the rush demand for domestic coal. This demand naturally increased the quantity of steam sizes available for shipment and most districts serving that area have been unable to withstand the pressure to shade prices to move tonnage.

R

ESERVE stocks in the hands of industrial consumers are still far above the danger line. The latest re

port of the National Association of Purchasing Agents showed an increase of approximately 667,000 tons during August, making the total as of Sept. 1 movement when compared with figures on July shipments. During August—

the latest month for which data are available—anthracite exports were 277,- 771 gross tons; bituminous coal, 1,606,- Sept. 29. The corresponding weighted average prices were $1.75, $1.76, $1.71,

$1.81 and $1.86, respectively. Revised August figures were $1.74, $1.76, $1.72 and $1.70.

Bituminous production last month, ac

cording to estimates of the U. S. Bureau

Anthracite output dropped from 6,883,- 000 tons to 6,035,000 tons and the daily

26,108,033 tons for the corresponding period last year and 21,471,441 tons in 1926. Anthracite dumpings have been below the totals for recent years. long period of indifference during which

“no bills” accumulated in all fields. After a few days of this buying many operators withdrew quotations because bookings already made foreshadowed troublesome accumulations on screenings. The de

mand was felt first in Eastern coals and then swung through to southern Illinois, western Kentucky and finally to Indiana, with all fields except southern Illinois increasing prices.

As a matter of fact there was a slight weakening in southern' Illinois lists on prepared sizes the last of the month, but prices in general in this field were firmly held. In other Midwestern dis

tricts screenings were slow with prices slipping as the market for the larger coal broadened. Some Illinois and Indiana coal sold as low as $1 f.o.b. mine and western Kentucky was down to 40c.

Despite the price situation the under

tone was healthy with indications of heavier buying this month.

Wildcat* strikes in Illinois following the ratification of the new wage

ritory buying interest the last half of the month was keen in the larger sizes o f coal. Steam business, however, con

tinued backward and railroad buying was light. Strip pits were able to in

crease running time and close business at shaft-mine prices. Local car short

ages were reported in southern Illinois.

Weather also was the touchstone re imminent in railroad and public-utility consumption, with optimists forecasting industrial gains.

To date, however, steam demand has not caught up with the increased output o f prepared sizes and slack has been entering the “distress tonnage” classifi

cation, with quotations from both eastern and western district mines as low as larger domestic demand and better prices on sized coals.

C

^OLDER W EA TH ER over the Northwest and an improvement in the industrial situation were responsible for a substantial expansion in movement of coal from the docks at the Head of

to replenish depleted stocks and steel and iron interests in Minnesota and northern Wisconsin also were looking for imme- diate-delivery tonnage. As a result Supe

rior and Duluth docks have been oper space. Bituminous stocks are estimated to have increased from 6,000,000 tons at tons. Demand for West Virginia smoke

less coal grows.

P

RICES on domestic grades in the Southwest were stronger last month but quotations on screenings were unset

tled, Reopening of a number of Kansas anthracite furnace, egg or base-burner size, $9.50; brooder coal, $7.25; fancy northern lignite lump, $2.75; mine-run,

$2.50; Rock Springs-Kemmerer lump,

$5; nut, $4.50; steam, $1.25@$1.40.

Cincinnati welcomed the buying spurt as an overdue stranger for whom the feast had been prepared as early as July 4. Under the flood of orders for sized coal prices stiffened, with smoke

less taking the lead to such an extent September, with lake loadings absorbing approximately 2,800 cars. At the open

ing of business Oct. 4 there were 16,455 cars of lake coal at all the ports and 4,767 cars in transit. The empty return movement appeared to be well balanced.

Columbus was another mar

ket to report a marked in

crease in demand for domestic sizes. There as elsewhere, the hoped-for improvement in i .4o buying at Cleveland

trial demand, on the other hand, was unsettled and the failure of the market to absorb slack took the edge off gains made on the domestic side of the trade.

Railroads bought some scattered lots of steam mine-run but their purchases were sporadic. demand quickened by low temperatures.

Chestnut was the backward size in the metropolitan district. Stove and egg disposition to rebuild falling reserve

stocks

The attitude of the railroad interests also is disappointing to the Philadel-outlooK im p ro v in g a s m e w ee* ru n e u *■--- , - , bv. Production rose from approximately that this situation will be cha g

555,000 tons the first week of the month the next few weeks and that som ecar-555,000 tons the hrst week ot tne momn uic iv... --- , to approximately 683,000 tons during the ners may close order:3 for substant ai

last week of September. During the blocks of tonnage 1 ^ from the ^ ^

same period the average number of “no general run of *n^ r d Qrders The gteam sizes moved in fair shape bills” dropped from a daily average^ of more , t i,nr™ tiL a r0 throughout the month. October pros-1,459 to 1 384 cars. W ith increasing than a short time ago pectsTppeL bright

demand came a firmer undertone to Baltimore appears to have_ responded pects appear or,s . more feebly to the buying wave than any

U

NTIL the cold wave toward the end of the month the wholesale

move-«--- «. — ---;...—- . t c Tahor Dav but ^{m e n t}of domestic anthracite in the Phila-month. Perhaps the most striking evi- interest d’splayed a ontinued to delphia market was disappointing. A dence of this is seen in the upward hand-to-mouth ^buying ^ hpo.iTlninn. to falling mercury sent householders scurry-PrinN ew England the steam-coal mar- other c i t / o n the

tion, with buckwheat leading and barley

t t mingham market throughout Sep- r P lD E W A T E R coals, which dominate tember. Spot trade was¡ dull the entire ^

i the New England market, marched month w '^ponsum er ,er immedlate Afte^r a slow start the Baltimore re-steaddy forward in price throughout the sufficient tonnage between tail market showed more life as the

month. Closing quotations on Navy month advanced and there was a

mod-Standard Pocahontas and New River era.e expansion in consumer. buying

fhe m atte? of p rice. C o n tra c t sh ip m en ts T h e c re d it s_.tuat.on, h o w e v e r, is still a mine-run were highest named in the

Boston market during the current year.

The month-end asking price was $5.60 on cars at Boston and sales were made at $5.50@$5.55. Nut-and-slack quota

tions touched $5.25 on cars, with busi-F o.b vefsels$at@Hampton Roads the

U C l l l U . L l . t l - - - «

were at a minimum, bunker trade was light and there were no signs that Octo

ber would usher in active steam-coal

buying. , ,

Domestic grades, however, began to

drawback. Boston also reported a better demand for domestic anthracite and the S4.25@$4.35—and little coal to be had represented a material improvement over

at $4.25. Nut-and-slack f.o.b. _ . „ ,

C u r r e n t Q u o ta tio n s — S p o t P r ic e s , B itu m in o u s C o a l, N e t T o n s , F .O .B . M in e s

the Roads commands $3.80, with no active solicitation upon the part of sellers of either mine-run or nut-and- slack. Contracts are absorb

ing the bulk of the movement and the spot market readily swallows the surplus available under a system of wisely con

trolled production.

Conditions in the New York bituminous market also registered betterment the past month. Demand was stronger.

Some of the smaller central Pennsylvania operations re

ported sufficient orders on hand to keep their mines go

ing through October at prices averaging 10c. above those re

cently prevailing in the spot market. Western demand for smokeless leaves local factors with little surplus West Vir

ginia coal to offer New Eng

land buyers.

P

h i l a d e l p h i a admits a heavier movement of tonnage to industrial con

sumers but complains that the

W dokumencie Coal Age : devoted to the operating, technical and business problems of the coal-mining industry, Vol. 33, No. 10 (Stron 61-66)