Coal Age : devoted to the operating, technical and business problems of the coal-mining industry, Vol. 36, No. 6

C ^{o a l} A ^{g e}

A M c G r a w - H i l l P u b l i c a t i o n — E s t a b l i s h e d 1911

D EV O TE D TO TH E OPERATING, TECHNICAL, AND BUSINESS PROBLEM S OF THE COAL MINING INDUSTRY

N ew Y o r k , June, 1 9 3 1

Vo l u m e 36 Nu m b e r 6

❖

Coordinated Programs

O n e o u t s t a n d i n g l e s s o n

w hich m e c h a n iz a tio n h a s im p ressed upon th e coal in d u s try is th e in escap ab le necessity fo r com ­ p le te c o o rd in a tio n . T h a t no p a r t, h o w e v er im p o r ta n t, can re a c h its full stag e o f u se­

fu ln e ss a n d efficiency w ith o u t c o o rd in a tio n o f all th e o th e r elem e n ts w hich m ak e up th e sum o f th e w h o le has h a d re p e a te d d e m o n s tra tio n .

R e c e n t CONSIDERATION

o f m ech ani­

z a tio n p ro b le m s, th e re fo re , has been cen­

t e r e d la rg e ly a r o u n d th is v ita l question.

M in in g m e th o d s , tra n s p o r ta tio n , m a in te ­ n an c e, s a fe ty , a n d to p w o rk s cleaning a re now all re c o g n iz e d as elem ents which m u st be k e y e d in w ith th e a c tu a l lo a d in g processes if t h e in d u s try is to a tta in th e full benefits o f t h e m ach in e .

T h i s c o o r d i n a t i o n i d e a l ,

w hich is b e c o m in g in c re a sin g ly effective in th e o p e r a t­

in g d e p a r tm e n t, m u st be c a rrie d into th e l a r g e r sp h e re o f th e econom ic pro b lem s o f th e b itu m in o u s in d u stry if th e sta b iliz a tio n s o e sse n tia l to fu tu r e sound financial p ro g re ss is to b e ac h ie v e d . W e m ust see th e p a r ts in

■clear r e la tio n to each o th e r an d to th e w hole.

M o r e t h a n o n e

go o d suggestion f o r econ om ic b e tte r m e n t has fa ile d to w in a c c e p ta n c e b ec au se th e evangelical en th usi­

asm o f its a u th o rs d e s tro y e d all p e rsp e c tiv e a n d sense o f p r o p o r tio n a te v alu es. M e c h a n i­

z a tio n w as s p a r e d a sim ila r f a te o n ly because th e m a n u fa c tu re r s w e re am o n g th e first to r e a liz e t h a t th e ir ow n success w as w ra p p e d up in c o m p le te c o o rd in a tio n o f th e o p e r a tin g cycle.

T h e e c o n o m i c p r o b l e m s ,

o f w hich th e w h o le sw eep o f p ro d u c tio n is b u t a p a r t, a r e to o b r o a d a n d to o com p lex to expect, o r even to h o p e , t h a t th e re is an y on e a n s w e r o r an y o n e s o lu tio n to th e m . S eek e rs a f t e r p a n a c e a s a r e d o o m e d to d is a p p o in tm e n t: a m u ltitu d e o f ills c a n n o t b e c u re d w ith a sin gle re m e d y .

A s

i n t h e CASE

o f m e c h a n iz a tio n , t h e r e m u st be p a in s ta k in g an a ly sis o f th e in d iv id u a l w e ak n esses p re s e n t in th e e x istin g econom ic set-u p a n d a c le a r u n d e r s ta n d in g o f th e ir in te rre la tio n s h ip s . W i t h th is an a ly sis as a b asis, th e in d u s try w ill th e n b e in a p o si­

tio n to e v a lu a te specific p ro p o s a ls f o r re m ­ ed y in g specific ills.

W h e n T H IS

h a s been d o n e, th e w a y

w ill be o p en f o r a c o m p re h en siy e c o o rd in a te d

p r o g r a m f o r s ta b iliz a tio n w h ich w ill n o t

on ly s h a rp ly define in d iv id u a l o b je c tiv e s b u t

w ill see th e m w ith eq u al sh a rp n e ss in th e ir

re la tio n to th e p ro g r a m in its e n tire ty .

T h e P ic k in g T a b le s E m p ty D ir e c t ly in t o the

R e ta rd in g C o n v e y o r

O n e M a n H a n d le s C h e c k in g , D u m p ­ in g , a n d W e ig h in g . T a lk in g o n the T e le p h o n e at the R ig h t Is R . H . M a s se y , S u p e rin te n d e n t

L oaded C ar F eed er an d R otary D u m p . C ars o f 30-In. a n d 44- In. G a g es A re H a n d le d in T h is D u m p

Low C ars H a v e M ad e H a n d L o ad in g M u c h E asier S ho w in g th e N e w C ars a n d th e

T w o -G ag e T ra c k A rra n g e m e n t at a Sw itch

" E C O N O M I C A L H A U L "

« Controls Location of New Plant O f Gauley Mountain Coal Co.

F

O R several y ears the question,

“ W h a t is an economical h a u l?”

has engaged the atten tio n of officials o f th e G auley M ountain Coal Co., A nsted, F a y e tte C ounty, W . Va.

D u rin g 1929, w hich m arked th e fo r­

tieth y e a r of o peration a t th e A nsted tipple site, it w as decided th a t a 21,000-ft. haul fro m th e new te r r i­

to ry to be developed w as n o t “ eco­

nom ical,” so, having arra n g e d fo r a 5^-niile extension up R ich C reek of the G auley R iv er branch of the C hesapeake & O hio R . R ., a new tipple w ith a capacity of 250 tons per hour w as erected ad ja cen t to this new te rrito ry in 1930. T h e plant itself cost $175,000, and an additional §25,- 000 w as spent on tra c k and equipm ent incidental to serv in g th e new te r r i­

tory. P roblem s peculiar to local con­

ditions and to the m ark et served were controlling facto rs in the p lan t design.

M achines new to th e d istric t are used for loading rock w hen brushing entries and fo r du m p in g this rock on the outside.

T h e mine is in the A nsted, o r No.

2 Gas, seam an d m ost of th e output is shipped as picked m ine-run devoid of slack and goes principally to the byproduct m arket. T h e slack is coked at A n sted at a p lan t consisting of 148 beehive ovens w ith a loading and screening statio n designed to p re ­ pare a su p erio r fo u n d ry coke and a m inus 2^-in. coke f o r th e domestic m arket. T h e new coal tipple was designed fo r the sam e coal utilization, so involved the installation of screens and a slack bin a t th e headhouse to provide facilities fo r reloading the slack into m ine c ars fo r hauling back to the old tipple and coking p lan t at A nsted.

Coal trib u ta ry to th e new plant is estim ated at 15,000,000 to n s and the

w orking height will vary fro m 36 to 50 in. G enerally speaking, the coal bed pitches dow n 2^- p er cent from the old plant tow ard the new location.

T he haul from the fa rth e st mine w orkings to the old plant consists of

14,000 ft. of 2-¿-per cent g rad e against the loads and 7,000 ft. of 2-|

per cent grade in favor of the loads.

Considering available railroad facil­

ities, the new plant is centrally located w ith respect to the rem aining bod}' of coal. H ouses will not be built at the new site but a m an trip will be run back and fo rth daily on the old haul­

way from A nsted.

It was decided th at the tim e w as opportune fo r beginning to re-equip the A nsted mine w ith larg er and lower mine cars of a track gage w ider than the 30-in. gage in use. I t w as desired to tra n sfe r certain equipm ent from the Jodie mines, operated by the company on Gauley b ra n c h ; th e refo re the same gage, 44 in., as used at one of those m ines was selected. T rac k s

and ro tary dum p of the new p lan t nau to be designed to accom m odate both th e old cars of 30-in. gage and the new cars o f 44-in. gage. H a u lin g of the 30-in. gage slack cars fro m the new plant to A nsted will be continued indefinitely, b u t as th e developed sec­

tions o f the m ine a re com pletely w orked out and as th e old cars are expensive to m aintain, they will be d iscarded in fav o r o f new cars o f 44-in. gage. A f te r tw o o r th ree years all coal will be loaded into 44-in.

gage cars.

T h e new plant, com pleted last N ovem ber and consisting of dum p house, 200-ton slack bin, and screen­

ing and picking equipm ent, all a t the top of the h ill; re tard in g conveyor and railroad tipple at the b o tto m ; is built entirely of steel and concrete and w as designed, equipped, and erected by the K an aw h a M an u fac­

tu rin g Co.

L oads are handled w ith o u t u n ­ coupling over a track scale and th ro u g h a single-car ro ta ry electric dum p. F ro m the dum p hopper the coal is fed by an elevating ap ro n - feeder onto a shaker screen, w hich in

---

R otary d u m p

x D irectio n o f toads

C ars o f 30-In. G age A u to m atically Select the C en ter Hails of the D u m p and T h u s M ain tain the

P ro p e r Balance

'D ir e c tio n e m p tie s fr o m d u m p

H ere the 30-In. G ag e E m pty C ars A uto m atically Sw itch to an In d iv id u a l T rack

Jwie, 1931

— C O A L A G E

•Rick Creek

E xtension

crfGauley

B r a n c h

C.&O.Ry.

Jodie.

WoM

21. OSO ft from workings

at tnis point to No.I Tippfe

\kfodie

\ |

J

\Na2Min&

Cvt$ic&

rra/n

Ansted^j§f

tu rn delivers the slack to a \ -bucket conveyor and elevator leading to the storage bin, and also discharges the lum p, egg, and n u t sizes onto picking tables. F ro m these tables the coal is reassem bled by being discharged d i­

rectly onto a Hight conveyoi S>30 it.

long betw een centers and built on a pitch of ap p roxim ately 2o> deg. h

railroad tipple is a sim ple tw o-track stru c tu re w ith an apron-type loading boom fo r handling the m ine-run and a chute to r loading slack.

Equipm ent at the top of the hi allows for re-assembling the slack di- rcctlv onto the retarding conveyor with the picked sizes or fo r drawing slack from the storage bin into the conveyor when it is desired to load the slack into railroad cars instead ol loading it from the bin into mine cars and hauling to the old tipple and cok-

O n 1 an outside haul of 3,000 ft.

leading to the new plant the tracks of 30-in. an d 44-in. gages are com­

bined in a three-rail track, b u t to r obtaining pro p er balance in the ro tary dum p fo u r rails a re used ad jacen t to and th ro u g h the ro ta ry dum p, and the tw o track s are laid w ith a common center line. T h e tra c k arrangem ent includes statio n ary devices which autom atically lead th e oO-in. gage cars onto th e tw o inside rails o t the dum p and w hich at a p oint beyond so rt the 30-in. and 44-in. gage em pty cars fro m a th re e-rail track onto in-

C r a d le R o c k D u m p O p e r a t in g A lo n g th e M a in H a u l to the T i p p l e

dividual track s of th e respective gages.

T h e dum p, w hich ro tates 360 deg., is driven by a 7-|-hp. h ig h -to rq u e squirrel-cage m otor. D u rin g d u m p ­ ing the m otor operates continuously.

T o rotate the dum p each tim e, th e operative pulls a h and lever w hich engages tw o frictio n pulleys. T h e dum p is counterw eigh ted, so th a t at the end of the revolution it trav els a sh o rt distance p a st th e stopping point and th en settles back ag ain st a ratchet dog, th u s p roviding f o r ex act m atching of th e rails.

R e la t io n o f C o a l O u t c r o p to R a ilr o a d s and P la n t L o c a t io n s

Tipple

A fric tio n d rive also is used fo r the loaded-car feeder, w hich consists of tw o endless stra n d s of flanged roller chain w ith dogs spaced on e car length a p a rt and w hich com e up u n d e r th e sw ivel hitchings and engage the end o f th e car a t points on each side o f th e bum per. T h e 10-hp.

m o to r operates continuously in one direction. T h e chain can be reversed by pulling th e lever in th e opposite d ire c tio n ; th is action m oves th e center frictio n pulley ag ain st one of tw o d riven pulleys th a t a re m o unted on each side w ith b u t slig h t contact clearance. A n electric car puller of th e h o rizo n tal capstan ty p e is p e r­

m anently m ounted to one side of the track , m idw ay betw een th e fe ed er and dum p, fo r m oving a trip w hich m ight be le ft spotted som ew hat sh o rt of the

feeder.

T h e V -bucket conveyor and ele­

v a to r w hich carrie s the slack fro m the m ain screen to the to p of th e 200-ton sto rag e bin is d riv en b y a 20-hp.

m o to r connected th ro u g h one of the new F a lk rig h t-a n g le helical bevel g ear reducers. F o r p ro tectio n against serious dam age and delay in case of a b reak in th e chains, th e 550-ft. re­

ta rd in g conveyor has a continuous sh ro u d o r g u a rd o v er th e wheels of b o th the u p p e r an d low er ru n s. ^ I t is as if th e w heels ra n on th e inside o£

a ship-channel section. I f the con­

v eyor should b re a k in tw o, it cannot buckle and pile u p a t th e bottom of th e hill.

T h e screening an d picking building a t th e to p of th e hill is bu ilt in steps to c o n fo rm to th e hillside. Founda­

tio n s f o r th e screen a re set d irect) o n n ativ e rock. I n a space below t e picking-table floor, a pipeless furnace

C O A L A G E — Vol.36,N o.6

3 ft. of top or bottom in connection with development w ork of territory near the new plant, a rock loader made by the K anaw ha M anufacturing Co. has been in use since June, 1930.

It is of the scraper type with p ort­

able truck-m ounted loading chute. A Sullivan 7 \-hp. double-drum electric hoist is mounted on the fron t end over the mouth through which the scraper travels. Tw o features, provi­

sion for swinging the hoist down to reduce height in traveling and a quick- detachable tailpiece, are patents of C. R. Stahl, division superintendent C.C.B. Smokeless Coal Co., Stotes- bury, W . Va.

The cars of rock are dumped par­

allel to the tracks of a new double­

track outside haul leading to the

C ar in F u ll D u m p in g P o sitio n

is installed fo r heating the floor and tem pering the picking-room atmos­

phere during the coldest weather.

Into this same space, or room, where the furnace is located a track is in­

stalled fo r disposing of picking-table refuse by dump car.

From the top of the hill to the bottom the new structure is covered with galvanized copper-bearing steel and all entrances, including the track openings at each end of the dump house, are fitted with doors which can be locked. W ire-reinforced glass is used in all skylights and windows for maximum illumination.

Ten 440-volt a.c. m otors totaling 98J hp. are used in the plant. All are Allis - Chalmers high - torque, totally inclosed fan-cooled anti-fric­

tion bearing type A R Z T . T he drive connections comprise one Falk right- angle helical gear reducer, five Cleve­

land w orm gear reducers, one Falk herringbone gear reducer, two flat belts, and one V-belt. T he two flat belts are used on the car feeder and main shaker, and the V-belt is used

011

the rotary dump.

All power, light, and control w ir­

ing is in rigid conduit and was in­

stalled by the coal company. N ot a single foot of w ire is exposed. All starters are of m agnetic across-the- line type. Control w iring to push­

button stations provides sequence starting, and canceling switches are installed fo r tem porarily permitting motors to start out of sequence when it is desired to make certain tests or inspections.

As contrasted to the old mine cars, which are 35 in. high and average 1.8 tons hand loaded, the new all-steel cars, one hundred of which have been

L oading Rock In to the N e w C ars b y M eans o f th e M o u n te d S crap er D riv e and E lev atin g C hute

delivered, are 23 in. high and average 3.2 tons. These cars, made by the W att Car & W heel Co., are of the hooded wheel and hooded axle type and are equipped with Tim ken bear­

ings. All of the plate is i-in . copper- bearing steel. The inside m easure­

ments are 6 ft. 6 in. x 11 ft. and the level capacity is 90 cu.ft. Between the rails the road clearance is 2 \ in.

and at the rail, and outside of it, the body clearance is 12 in., except for several outside gusset braces. The latter clearance provides for _ easy access to the brakes and facilitates rerailing a wrecked car. A t the aver­

age loading of 3.2 tons the car carries l | lb. of coal for each pound of car weight. The ratio of live load to total weight of loaded car is 64 per cent. Actual weight of the car is 3,650 lb.

F or loading rock when taking 2 to

tipple. This dump, also made by the K anaw ha company, consists of a car cradle which rocks to a partly inverted position when a small truck which runs on the horizontal bed fram e is pulled under it by a motor-propelled chain. Operation of the dump does not interfere with normal location of the trolley wire serving the track. A t present all coal going to the new plant

— about 800 tons per day— is hauled directly over the dump. T his is done by leaving the cradle in the dum ping position and inserting short rails in the gap where the cradle rails n o r­

mally rest.

Local officials who have been active in the planning and development of the new plant are R . H . M orris, gen­

eral m anager; G. E. H oover, chief engineer; R.' H . Massey, superinten­

den t; and W . T . Dalton, m aster mechanic.

June, 1931 — C O A L A G E 285

S A N D F L O T A T IO N P L A N T

« Installed in High-Volatile Field

U

N T I L Ja n u a ry of th is year, the use o f th e C hance sand- fiotation process o f coal clean­

ing w as confined to the an th racite region o f P ennsylvania, except fo r one p lan t in th e B road T o p field, w here a low -volatile coking coal is m ined. T h is process has moved w estw ard, an d a p lan t is now in operation n e a r P ittsb u rg h . I t is significant th a t this first plant in high- volatile bitum inous coal is o f a ca­

pacity w hich places it in the “ tipper te n ” o f bitum inous coal-cleaning in ­ stallations. It is located at N o. 8 m ine o f th e P ittsb u rg h T erm in al Coal C orporation, C overdale. P a., eleven m iles southw est of P ittsb u rg h . Close to 70 p er cent o f th e 4,500-ton daily m ine production goes th ro u g h the C hance cones, th e rated cleaning capacity of w hich is 450 to n s p e r hour.

Relatively small building dim en­

sions and a correspondingly small quantity o f equipm ent w ere required, and less th a n a w eek fo r b reak in g in elapsed betw een th e first d a y ’s o p e r­

ation and th e attain m en t o f efficient cleaning at full capacity. T h e a p ­ plication o f full-autom atic tim e-ele- m ent pow er co n tro l o f slate gates is a n o u tsta n d in g fe a tu re o f th e plant.

All si .-es fro m 4 V to | in, a re cleaned at one operation w ith o u t prelim inary sizing. T h e slack is m ark eted w ith ­ o u t treatm en t, o r in com bination with w ashed sires.

T h e cost to be cleaned com es from th e P ittsb u rg h seam , w hich has at th is m ine an average thickness ot 5 ft. - in. A s th e bed has a d raw - slate to p an d as no coal is le ft t->

support th e ro o t, and as. m oreover, 12 to 14 in, above th e bottom a r e tw o 4-m . b an d s o f h a rd slate which contain m uch p y rite and a r e typical o f this seam , an attem p t h a s alw ays

By JOSEPH PURSGLOVE, JR.

E n g in e e r in C harge W a sh c ry C on stru ctio n and O pera tio n P ittsb u rg h T e rm in a l Coal C orporation C leveland, O hio been m ade to clean the coal a t th e

face. A ll the coal is h an d -lo ad ed , consequently a p o rtio n of this slate visible to the loader is le ft u n d e r­

ground. T h e cleaning p lan t is a second line of defense to in su re th e rem oval of all objectionable an d re ­ m ovable refu se. T he coal is hoisted on self-dum ping cages, w hich carry tw o cars side by side.

In 1929 the tipple w as com pletely m odernized to include adequate screening and m ix in g facilities and loading equipm ent fo r five track s (see F ig. 1 ). T h e re are th re e loading booms and tw o belts leading to th eir respective loading chutes. T h e m ain screens in the tipple consist of tw o units, one fo r each cage, as seen at the bottom o f F ig . 2, w hich w as taken from a point n ear th e d um p an d looking back to w a rd a brattice-

cloth p artitio n sep aratin g th e tipple from the cleaning plant. J u s t above the m ain screens are th e d riv e sh a fts and the tw o 25-hp. m otors o f th e tw o sets o f P a rrish -ty p e screens used fo r sizing and desanding th e w ashed coal.

T h e m ain p a rt o f th e w ashery building, w hich is show n to th e le ft of F ig. 1, is 50 ft. long, 29 ft. w ide, and 50 ft. high. Its 50-ft. dim ension ex ten d s in line w ith the m ain screens and the tw o 12-ft. C hance cones are set side by side along th e 2 9 -ft. d i­

m ension. In F ig. 3 a re show n the tops o f the tw o cones. T h e vertical d rive sh a ft o f th e a g ita to r of one of the cones can be seen on th e rig h t of the illu stratio n . A 100-lip. m o to r located on th e floor above d riv es the tw o ag itato rs th ro u g h bevel gears, F ig . I— T h e R evam ped T ip p le H a s F iv e L o ad in g T ra c k s an d a M ix in g

C o n v e v o r a t the E n d o f th e B oom s

C O A L A G E — V o l M , N o.6

T ab le I— A verage A nalyses o f R aw and W a s h e d C oal

C ,—- —Ash •— S u lp h u r— w — Fusion , Size Raw W ashed R aw W ashed R aw W ashed 2k4J 6 .8 2 4 .7 7 1 . 31 1.27 2,515 2,566

\ \ x 2 8 .1 8 5.48 1.43 1.19 2,471 2,629 f x l i 9 .0 0 5 .8 0 1.66 1.26 2,465 2,615

added to the system b u t once a d a y ; the crane being used to dum p about three buckets of sand into th e sand feet chute. A w ater valve is then opened, by w hich the sand is slow ly flushed into the small sand sum p.

T h e mine w ater w hich fo rm s th e entire supply fo r the plant is neutral and, th erefo re , requires no treatm en t.

N ine m otors, totaling 345 hp., drive the cleaning-plant equipm ent.

T hese are 440-volt G eneral E lectric types K T and F T R , w ith all electric w iring in rigid conduit. T h e v ario u s m agnetic controllers and safety switches are g r o u p e d together but not placed in a separate room . E ach m otor circuit is fused a t a d istrib u ­ tion panel.

Officials of the com pany are pleased w ith the th orough coal-cleaning re ­ sults which are obtained and w ith the large capacity o f the cones.

Table I is typical o f th e efficient washing accomplished a t th e stan d ard operating g rav ity of 1.45. T h e float in the refu se is consistently below 1 p er cent of the refuse, w hich in tu rn is 6 p er cent o f th e w ashery and also drives tw o conveyors w hich

elevate the raw coal .from th e tipple shakers to th e cones.

Sand is stored in a one-story a d ­ dition 11 ft. w ide along one side o f the cleaner building. T h e sand bin, w hich holds 500 tons, is show n in F ig . 4. E x te n d in g its full length is a m onorail electric trav elin g crane o f 2-ton capacity equipped w ith a

■¿-yd. B rosius g rab bucket. T he m onorail extends out th ro u g h .a large door and over one of the loading track s of the tipple. S an d is tra n s ­ fe rre d d irectly from railro ad cars to the bin by the crane, w hich also serves to handle sand from th e s to r­

age to the m ake-up chute leading to the Chance system . In F ig. 4 the crane, w ith a bucketful o f sand, is stan d in g above th e chute ready to be dum ped. T h e re is no p artitio n be­

tw een th e san d -sto rag e room and the cleaning p lan t p roper.

B e fo re discussing cleaning results and operation characteristics, a few p ertin en t details of the equipm ent should be outlined. In addition to the slow -speed ag itato rs already m en­

tioned, the only m oving p arts on the cones a re th e tw o interlocking slate gates a t the bottom . T h e se a re op er­

ated by air cylinders supplied by an In g erso ll-R an d a ir com pressor. A ir valves controlling these gates are actuated by solenoids energized by a system o f tim in g relays and in te r­

locks. O n e arlier installations these valves and gates w ere m anually con­

trolled. A t the N o. 8 plant th ey are entirely autom atic. T im in g relays can be a d ju ste d to em pty th e refuse from the cones a t in terv als to suit the operating condition.

F ig. 2— M a in Screens in the F o re g ro u n d ; D riv es and H a n g e r B oards o f D e sa n d in g Screens in the U p p e r B ackground

Fig. 3— O p e ra tiv e s’ S tatio n o n a L evel W ith T o p s o f T w o C hance C ones

feed, so th a t th e loss is less th a n 1.2 lb. p e r net ton o f feed. W h e n tests show m ore th an 2 lb. o f float p er net to n o f feed, the specific g rav ity of the m edium is ad ju sted . T h e float generally consists o f sm all pieces of coal chipped off large pieces o f re fu se in passing over the d esan d ­ ing shakers.

O rd in a ry float-and-sink tests of the coal w ere m ade b efo re the b uild­

ing o f the cleaning plant w as decided upon. T h e g ra v ity o f th e coal varies from 1.32 to 1.33. Som e of th e refu se is light enough to float at 1.50.

A p proxim ately 17 p er cent of the m ine o u tp u t is u n d er f-in . size. R e ­ sults indicate th at it is practicable to clean dow n to a sm aller size— p e r­

haps to |- in ., o r even to -|-in. C on­

sequently, all coal betw een 44 and

\ in. will be cleaned a fte r the first o f June.

T h e cost of sand is ap p roxim ately

$2.95 per ton delivered, and th e loss approxim ately 2 lb. p er ton o f cleaned coal. O rd in arily , sand is

June, 1931

- C O A L A G E 287

S torage is in a 90,000-gal. ta n k and in a storage pond located about 2,500 ft. from th e tipple. I t is pum ped to the cleaning p la n t by a 25-bp. 2£-in. 250-g.p.m . cen trifu g al pum p. C ity w a te r is available in case the m ine should not fu rn ish a sufficient supply. T h e w a ter con­

sum ption of th e p lan t is 190 g.p.m . Som e w ater is lost w ith the refu se and cleaned coal, b u t the principal loss is th rough the overflow at the top o f the circulation reserv o ir w hich su rro u n d s the m ain sand sum p, to ­ gether w ith th a t discharged th ro u g h a 2-in. pipe d rain located in the b o t­

tom of th a t reservoir. A lim ited quantity o f w ater is allow ed to flow continuously th ro u g h these d rain s to fu rth e r assist in keeping the accum u­

lation o f sludge w ithin th e desired lim its.

M ake-up w a te r en ters the system by w ay o f th e last set o f sp ray s on the elean-coal desanduig screens.

A d ju stm en ts to r slight changes in w ashing g rav ity a re m ade by re g u la t­

ing the q uantity o f ag itatio n w a te r

w hich en ters a t the bottom of th e Chance cone and flows u p w ard through th e sep aratin g m edium .

B efo re the cleaning p lan t w as p u t into operation eighteen pickers w ere em ployed in th e tipple. T h is coal- cleaning force now consists o f six pickers on 4 i-in . lum p and th ree d ay -sh ift w asher operatives, a net saving of nine m en. T w o n ig h t m en a rc em ployed to do th e m aintenance w ork fo r th e e n tire tipple and w asher)', and they replace tw o m en w ho w ere used fo r the sam e w ork b efo re the w ash er w as built. T h e w ashed coal is screened and shipped as 2x4£-in. egg, l-}x2-in. n u t, an d

|x l ^ - i n . stoker. R e fu se fro m the cleaning plant, to g eth er w ith rock hoisted in cars, is w asted to a dum p n ear the sh a ft by a th ro w in g larry .

Close to the p rep aratio n plant is a com plete lab o rato ry in charge o f an experienced chem ist, equipped to make proxim ate and u ltim ate an al­

yses, B .t.u. and ash -fu sio n d eterm in a­

tions. T e st equipm ent includes a B u rg e ss-P a rr oxygen bom b calorim ­

e te r w ith illium bom b, gas-fired fu sio n furnace, electric fu rn a c e fo r volatile, and tw o electric muffle f u r ­ naces fo r the ash and su lp h u r b u rn - offs.

O n a m o to r tru ck , w hich can be taken to any of th e o th er m ines from w hich sam ples are desired, is m ounted a S tu rte v a n t ro ta ry cru sh er. O n th is tru c k a 15- to 20-lb. sam ple is p re ­ pared fo r th e laboratory. T h e re it is p u t th ro u g h a “ C hipm unk” jaw cru sh er, n e x t th ro u g h an H er d isk g rin d e r, and finally pulverized to

“all-th ro u g h 60-m esh” in an A bbé ball mill. F inally, a sam ple shaker m ixes th e coal b efo re analysis.

F lo a t-a n d -sin k tests f o r periodic checks o f w asher p erfo rm an ce a re m ade in a sep arate building n e a r by.

A m ix tu re of carb o n -tetrach lo rid e and gasoline is used, because the fo rm e r alone has a g ra v ity of 1.61.

T h e original tipple, th e new equip­

m ent added in 1929, an d finally the Chance w ash er w ere all constructed by H ey l & P a tte rso n , In c., o f P itts ­ burgh.

F ig . 4 — B in A lo n g sid e \Y .\sher B u ild in g , E q u ip p e d W i d i M o n o ra il C rane, R educes S an d -H an d lin g L a b o r to a M in im u m

C O A L A G E — y 0136, N0.6

M I N E W A T E R

« Generates Stray Currents

M

U C H has been w ritte n on

“ stra y electric c u rre n ts” in coal m ines, b u t apparently no one has fo u n d the cause o r fully explained the phenom enon. I t is ra th e r puzzling th a t such cu rren ts are fo u n d in m ines w here no d irect-cu r­

re n t equipm ent is o perating, and their m ysterious presence usually has been attrib u te d to leakage fro m surface stre et-railw ay system s. W henever electric b lastin g caps have exploded p rem aturely, stra y c u rre n ts always have been blam ed, ju s t as fires in buildings fro m unascertain ed causes have been nearly alw ays declared to be due to defective w iring.

A t one of the m ines o f th e S u s­

quehanna Collieries Co. stray c u r­

ren ts gave m uch tro u b le and an effort w as m ade to ascertain th e cause. It w as th o u g h t th a t the c u rre n t m ight come fro m the m ine circuits, o r even fro m those o f tw o ad ja c e n t collieries, b u t w ith th e equipm ent a t all three a d jacen t operations closed down, stray c u rre n ts still continued to travel th ro u g h the m ines and fluctuated over a w ide voltage range, w ith frequent reversals of polarity.

F inally, it w as th o u g h t th a t p arts of the m ine m ight become converted into storage b atteries, w ith the metals and coal p illars as electrodes, and the w ater im p reg n ated w ith sulphuric acid as a n electrolyte. T e sts w ere made to d eterm in e if m ine w ater m ight be in stru m en tal in causing a galvanic action betw een sheet iron or bronze chutes, pipe lines, and a n th ra ­ cite.

A t th e m outh o f th e sh a ft several com binations of electrodes w ere im­

m ersed in the tro u g h into which the pum ps discharged. R eadings were taken w ith a m illivoltm eter having a scale ru n n in g fro m zero to 1,000 and rep resen tin g a range of voltage be­

tw een zero and 48.3 m illivolts.

In th e first test, th e plates, w ith th eir connecting stra p , w ere taken fro m a lead sto rag e b a tte ry and im­

m ersed in the w ater tro u g h . T h e cu rren t generated w as of so high a voltage th a t the pointer w ent off the scale, show ing a c u rre n t w ith a volt­

age in excess of 48.3 m illivolts.

In the second test, th e seven n eg a­

tive plates o f the storage b atte ry w ere alternated w ith six sheet-steel plates S£x10£xtV in. as th e positive elec­

trodes. T h e reading w as 100, or 4.83 millivolts. T h e re a fte r single plates, or single pieces of coal, w ere used, as will be noted. T h e results w ere as shown in the table. T e s t 3 is sig n if­

icant. W ith a single bro n ze screen plate and a single plate of sheet steel, the reading showed cu rre n ts of fro m 38.8 to 48.3 m illivolts. W ith a bronze plate as the positive electrode and coal as the negative electrode, cu rre n t of as m uch as 10.9 m illivolts was obtained.

V o ltag es O b ta in e d by U s in g V a rio u s E lectrodes W ith W illia m P e n n M in e

W a te r as E lectro ly te El e c t r o d e s

1. L e a d : S to ra g e -b a tte ry plates.

P ositive, 6 plates 5x6 in.

N egative, 7 plates 5x6 in.

2. S te e l: S h eet-steel plates 8 i x l0 1 x & in.

3. B r o n z e : S creen plate 12x12 in.

4. C a rb o n : Coal, 10x5x3 in.

5. C o p p er: 4 stra n d s o f 7 -stra n d N o . 4 /0 B & S b are cable, 18 in. long.

6. C ast iro n : P ip e cap 3 in. d iam eter.

In s t r u m e n t

M illiv o ltm eter: 0-1,000 scale.

F u ll scale is equivalent to 48.3 m illivolts.

Te s t s

1. S to ra g e b a tte ry

O ff scale o f 48.3 m illivolts A m pere, 0.1

2. 7-plate b a tte ry — N eg ativ e S heet steel— P o sitiv e

R e ad in g : 100, o r 4.83 m illivolts 3. B ronze S creen P la te — P o sitiv e

S heet S teel— N egative

R e ad in g : 800 to 1000, o r 38.8 to 48.3

m illivolts . .

4 B ronze Screen P la te — P o sitiv e Copper W i r e s —N eg ativ e R e ad in g : 10, o r 0.483 m illivolt 5. B ronze P la te — P o sitiv e

Coal— N egative

R e a d in g : 225, o r 10.9 m illivolts

By C. H. MATTHEWS

E le ctric a l E n g in e e r Susqu eh a n n a C o llieries Co.

Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

6. C oal— P o sitiv e S h ee t S teel— N eg ativ e R e a d in g : 10, o r 0.483 m illivolt 7. C oal— P o sitiv e

C a st I ro n — N eg ativ e

R e a d in g : 10, o r 0.483 m illivolt 8. S h e e t S teel— P o sitiv e

C a st I ro n — N eg ativ e

R e a d in g : 150, o r 7.23 m illivolts.

O u r first im pression w as th a t o u r readings represented a potential d ro p due to stray cu rren ts in th e w ater, b u t it w as proved th a t the voltage readings w ere due to a galvanic action on the electrodes of the su lp h u ric acid in the w ater, fo r a g re a te r voltage w as obtained w hen th e electrodes w ere close to g eth er and a reduction in voltage as the electrodes w ere m oved fa rth e r ap art. T e sts show th a t th e g re a te r th e area o f the electrodes th e h ig h er the voltage, varying, o f course, w ith th e m etals used fo r each elec­

trode.

Coal is the positive electrode w hen sheet steel and cast iro n are used as electrodes, but coal is negative w hen th e o th er electrode is bronze o r copper. T h is, o f course, is to be e x ­ pected, and it m ay explain w hy recent tests have show n th a t stra y electric c u rre n ts in the m ines freq u en tly change th e ir direction. T e sts show th a t stra y cu rre n ts m ay occur in all an th racite m ines and th a t voltage readings of varying values occur w hen w a te r flows over coal, sheet iro n o f bronze chutes, and pipes. T h ese stray cu rre n ts m ay either be boosted o r low ered by leakage fro m th e negative re tu rn of th e d ire c t-c u rre n t haulage system . I f the track s are p ro p erly bonded and crossbonded, and if neg a­

tive feeders are installed on all d irect- c u rre n t haulage circuits, leakage c u r­

ren ts will be negligible and th e stra y c u rre n ts will n o t be boosted to d a n ­ g erous values.

(T u rn to page 319)

June, 1931 — C O A L A G E 289

M E C H A N I C A L O P E R A T I O N

« Signalizes Progress

A t Cincinnati Convention

W

R E N the A m erican M ining C ongress m et at C incinnati, M ay 11-15, to hold its E ig h th A nnual C onvention o i P ractical Coal M ining M en an d to take stock o f the progress of m echaniza­

tion in the year since its last m eeting, it was cheered by th e declaration o f th e V . S. B ureau o f M ines to the effect th a t 10.5 p er cent o f the coal m ined in 1930. was loaded in cars w ith m echanical aids, as against / .I p er cent iit the previous y e a rt th at is, the degree of m echan­

ization h ad increased about 50 p er cent.

As the vear 1930 h ad not been as fortunate a year

a s the preceding, ow ing to business depression, the gain in “ m echanized m in in g "— th a t is. loading into cars by m echanical means-—w as only 2o./ per cent, o r 8.962,- 000 tons. H a n d loading fell off 17 p er cent and total to n n ag e 13 p e r c e n t S o the gain in m echanized m in­

ing is one m ade in face of a severe depression.

M o b ile loading m achine production gained 22.2 per c e n t: sc ra p e rd o a d er production, 6.3 per c e n t; duck­

bills" and other self-loading conveyors' production 13.6 per c e n t; p it-c a r loader p roduction - / ,3 p e r c e n t. and o u tp u t of o th er hand-loaded conveyors. 26.5 p e r cent.

A labam a. P ennsylvania, and M ontana m ade the greatest advances— 120.6, 66.2. and 57.5 p e r cent, respectively.

Illinois

gained 24.9 p e r cent a n d W e st V irg in ia d e ­ clined 16,4 p e r cent, b u t these a re in tonnages m echan­

ically loaded, n o t

iu

percentages o f tonnages so loaded.

W e re thev calculated in ratio s o f percentages, th e show ­ ing, w herever favorable, w o u ld be suit m o re favorable, and w ould also be favorable p erh ap s even w here u n fa ­ vorable w hen com puted in th e o th e r m anner.

O f the 23.213.000 to n s loaded by m achine. $6.5 p e r

Management M akes

« n p O O M AXV M E N ." said R. L.

I '.reland* Jr.> vice-president and general manager, H anna Coal Co., Ck-veUr.x’, Ohio, discussing the paper by F. C. Thomas, manager oi mines.

Kevpevs Coal Co.. Pittsburgh. Pa., on

“T rencs Tow ard Better M anagem ent’*

which opened the technical sessions M ay 11, "purchase a machine, give it a dinner pail, and expect it to perform.”

Basing his conclusions on his own observations and returns from a ques­

tionnaire! addressed to 25 large com­

panies scattered representatively through

cent w as loaded by m obile loading m achines, / . I p er cent by sc rap er loaders, an d 6.4 p er cent by duckbills and o ther self-loading conveyors. O f th e 25,098,000 tons handled by conveyors, 5.9 p er cent w as loaded by duckbills an d o th e r self-loading conveyors, 76 p e r cent by p it-ca r loaders, and 18.1 p er cent by o th er hand- loaded conveyors.

E lim in atin g duplications, 46,824,000 tons w as loaded m echanically, 42.9 p e r cent by m obile loading m achines, 3.5 by scrap ers, 4 0 ./ b y p it-car loaders, an d 12.9 by convevors. including duckbills. T h e figures rep resen t, o f course, actual tonnage an d n o t th e tonnage capacity o f the loaders installed.

C harles C. W h aley . M y ers-W h aley Co., K noxville, T en n .. w as elected chairm an of the M a n u fa c tu re rs ’ D ivision o f the C o n g re ss; F . L. M aple, J o h n A.

R oebling’s S ons Co., T re n to n , N . J ., w as m ade h o n o r­

a ry chairm an. T h e vice-chairm en elected w ere R alp h C B ecker. M c G ra w -H ill C atalog & D irecto ry Co., N ew Y o rk C ity ; T. T . R y an , M in e S a fe ty A ppliances Co., P ittsb u rg h , P a . ; an d G eorge R . D elam ater, V . S.

T v le r Co., Cleveland, O hio. P . H . G runagle, W e s t- inghouse E le c tric & M fg . Co., E a s t P ittsb u rg h , P a..

an d M r. R y an w ere re-elected on th e b o ard to serve th ree y ears. M r. D elam ater an d B. G- S h otton, H e n d ­ rick M fg . Co., P ittsb u rg h . P a ., new m em bers o f the b oard w e re elected fo r a like period. T. C. W ilson.

O hio B rass Co., M ansfield, O hio, w as added to the b o ard f o r a tw o -y ear term .

A d in n er w ith en te rta in m e n t w as held on th e evening o f M ay 14. a t w hich C. B. H u n tre ss, executive d irecto r, N atio n al Coal A ssociation. W ash in g to n , D . C., presided.

T . R. Johns, general manager, Bethle­

hem Mines Corporation, Johnstown, Pa., declared that low cost could best be ob­

tained by sustaining competition between operating units. B y comparing the numbers of men employed for certain specific purposes in any given s e c t i o n

and the costs of their service, the costs between units m ight be brought nearer equalization than is generally supposed by those who had not made a definite move towtird such comparisons.

M r. Ireland said that on reading Mr.

Thom as’' paper tt became clear how tar the old-fashioned management of our elders had departed. X o longer are the details of operating kept locked under the lid of the m anager’s rolltop desk.

or M ars Machines

the United States. M r. Thomas found that most organisations were looking to their own staffs to fill vacancies, though men might be sought elsewhere if the necessity of some change in methods of operation demanded some new form of experience. Technical men, he said, w ere given preference in filling the higher positions. The loyalty' of the employees was definitely sought. Effi­

ciency engineers i’s'r apparently were not in demand, companies preferring to seek services or th a t kind from, among their own personnel.

C O A L A G E — ;*'o t 3 6 ,N o .6

Everybody presents his ideas, and when delegates visit from mine to mine the lid is off. “W e get,” he said, “ten ideas for every one we give out. Such inter­

change of ideas pays big dividends in the education of mine officials.

“Mine managements can no longer be left to their own devices. They must be duly trained. All the old methods that suited hand-loading and mule haulage must be given up. W e must not try to make new machinery fit into old con­

ditions. All men must now be treated just as only monthly men were treated in the past. They are all to be held to efficient, painstaking service. No man can be treated as a mere check number, to produce whatever tonnage is to be credited to him, without care as to what that tonnage might be or how it was loaded out.”

It was his definite conviction that ac­

cidents need not accompany operation.

"T here was,” he said, “no reason for accidents in a coal mine. Not only are operating methods discussed at company meetings but an open book is kept as to production costs, for one man is just as much interested in the financial success of the company as another.”

In the opinion of Paul W eir, vice- president in charge of operations, Bell

& Zoller Coal & M ining Co., Centralia, Hi., selection and training of under­

studies is an im portant function of man­

agement. The young college student does not appear to learn human nature.

H e becomes in his term of training altogether too technical minded. It had been said that one could not well define what the nature of training at college should be. H e thought it perfectly clear that men should be trained in a willing­

ness to work, in a readiness to persevere in the study of detail, and in a disposi­

tion to tackle matters that are not wholly technical.

W . D. Brennan, president, Utah Fuel Co., Salt Lake City, Utah, in a paper read bv G. C. Davis, general manager, Stag Canyon branch. Phelps Dodge Cor­

poration. Dawson, N. M., was not in favor of safety inspection as usually ad­

vocated. Safety was a principle, not for delegation to a few but to all the em­

ployees. Mr. Brennan had been able in 1930 to cut to one-fourth the accident rate of 1929, when the Utah Fuel Co.

mines had been under other control.

B. H. McCrackin, maintenance engi­

neer. Consolidation Coal Co., Fairmont, W. Va., presented a paper on the

“Budgeting of Repair Costs.” “Repair- after-breakdown” systems had been replaced by “ preventive repair” and inspection, he declared. Repairmen were now inspectors, for inspection was cheaper than repair. One might try to save the labor cost of inspection, but m the end one, in consequence, had to face heavy labor charges for repair, heavier charges for material to replace and repair damage, lower efficiency, and loss of time and tonnage.

Inspection to prevent breakdown had these advantages over repairs made merely to mitigate the effects of break­

down: (1 ) It practically eradicated failures of equipment, with their conse­

quent tonnage losses and disruptions of schedule ; (2 ) it permitted repair costs to be budgeted within reasonable lim its;

(3) it reduced the cost of maintenance, for keeping equipment in condition is less expensive than rebuilding; (4 ) it made it possible to schedule repair work and to determine the dates for periodic overhauling; (5 ) it developed a better class of repairmen and made them more keen to observe the indications and the reasons for failure; and (6) it made it possible to check each inspector’s work.

He stated that each gathering loco­

motive should be apportioned two hours of inspection for every 24 hr. of work

and every main locomotive 1£ hr. for the same length of time, dependent on the gradients and the conditions of work. Cutters should receive the same length of time as gathering locomotives.

H arry N. Taylor, chairman of the board, United Electric Coal Cos., New York City, who presided, said that if the harmonious relations initiated by an agreement between capital and labor in 1898 had been maintained, conditions in the industry today might be better.

They were even now not nearly so dis­

tressing and chaotic as in the years just prior to 1898, which brought about the agreement with the union.

H ow to A chieve Safety

P

R O M U LG A TIO N of a set of rules so that the employees may know what is wanted is the first step in maintaining safety discipline, declared Thomas G. Fear, general manager of operations, Consolidation Coal Co., Fairmont, W . Va., in opening the discussion of safe operating practices

Charles C. Whaley

at the second session of the convention on May 11. But these rules, he em­

phasized, must not contain provisions which cannot be enforced and the penalties for infractions of the rules must be uniformly applied to all em­

ployees. _

Mr. Fear outlined the practice of his company, which has a set of safety rules covering the 47 mines operating in ten seams and four states. A w arn­

ing is given for first offense, two days’

suspension for the second, a suspension of ten days for the third, and discharge for the fourth. If, in the judgment of a mine superintendent, a flagrant viola­

tion was intentional, even a first offender may be discharged. A card index record of offenses is kept for a twelve months period and then the record is cleared.

Contending that it is much easier to maintain discipline among satisfied workers, and that a fair method of

payment promotes satisfaction, John H.

Richards, chief engineer, W heeling &

Lake Erie Coal Mining Co., St. Clairs- ville, Ohio, described the graduated day- rate basis payment plan installed by his company. Men are required to spend the full eight hours at the face. Time studies were made to determine a base tonnage and pay rate. The daily ton­

nage average for a loader determines his day rate for the next pay. During a recent period $5.80 was the average day rate for all of the loaders. The system reduced costs 18 per cent and brought about improved discipline.

I. N. Bayliss, assistant superintendent, Union Pacific Coal Co., Rock Springs, Wyo., said that each man of the super­

visory force of that company is given a copy of a code of standards and each employee is given a copy of a set of rules and regulations. Use of the stand­

ards dates from 1927 and use of the regulations dates from 1929. These form the basis for discipline.

“Persons who form regulations should also be amenable to discipline,” agreed Milton H. Fies. vice-president, De Bardeleben Coal Corporation, Birm ing­

ham, Ala., in a prepared discussion read by W. M. Lacey, general superintendent, eastern division, Sipsey, Ala. “ Indus­

try is going to weed out the sluggish thinker, and when it does, accidents are going to be reduced,” was the opinion expressed in presenting “for thoughtful consideration” the suggestion that an intelligence test be applied to eliminate certain men who would be better fitted to obtain employment in a less hazard­

ous industry.

E dgar C. Weichel, assistant general manager, Hudson Coal Co., Scranton, Pa., said that the value of a rule should not be based on its enforcibility but rather on its merit. He has found that a very good way to discipline a first offender is to make him stop work im­

mediately and send him home for the rest of the day. H e mentioned the case of a man who was recently tendered a dinner honoring him for having worked 59 years without loss of time from accident. Asked how he had made such a record the man replied that he always listened carefully to instructions and fol­

lowed them explicitly.

June, 1931 — C O A L A G E

291

Mr. Lacey said the practice w ith his company for a first offense is to warn the man and give him a pink ticket the record of which is filed in the office.

F or the second offense he is given a layoff of three to ten days, as the super­

intendent or general superintendent see fit, and for the third offense w ithin a year he is discharged. In certain cases

—for instance, if a man has a large family—he may possibly be rehired after a layoff of three to six months. For a n y " serious offense, the foreman or superintendent may discharge a man. ?

In reply to a query by' G. C. Davis, general manager, Stag Canyon branch, Phelps Dodge Corporation, Dawson, N. M., as to how common is the prac­

tice of paying bonuses to foremen, P . C.

Thomas, vice-president Koppers Coal Co., Pittsburgh, Pa., and Chas. W . Connor, superintendent of mines, Am eri­

can Rolling Mill Co., Nellis, W . Va., both volunteered that such is the prac­

tice of their respective companies. Mr.

Davis then stated that his company had found the bonus not entirely adequate.

A fter a penalty was added to the system, a distinct improvement was noted.

Mr. Connor, in a paper on “ Safety Program at Armco,” outlined the prac­

tices which have been successful at the Nellis mine and enumerated the results accomplished. This program, started in 1926, was initiated as an extension of safety work that had yielded good re­

sults at the steel plants of the company.

H igh executives of the company had been thoroughly sold on safety long be­

fore the program was started at the newly acquired mine.

A t the beginning of the campaign, it was decided that the work must be done in a way to impress the employees that the officials were in earnest and that safety was to be a permanent part of the mining program. Accordingly a survey was made and' every potential hazard corrected by the company before the men were requested to join in the movement. In the meantime the men had naturally absorbed some of the safety spirit. The Nellis Armco Asso­

ciation, primarily a sickness and death benefit organization, afforded an ideal means of contact between management and employees in promoting the safety work. Reduction in compensation rate from $4.20 per hundred dollars of pay­

roll to $1.88, the lowest now in effect in West Virginia, speaks for the results obtained. This item alone is saving

$12,000 per year. During 1930 the severity rate was 0.91 and the frequency rate 12.65.

Early in the safety work it was ob­

served that “when a job was done right from the operating standpoint, it was also a safe job.” Therefore, operating and safety problems were attacked as one and efforts directed along the lines of selection and placement, education, training, supervision, and discipline.

Education includes foreman-manager training for the supervisory force and job training for the men. Practically every operiting job has been standard­

ized in the way found to be best from the standpoints of safety, efficiency, and

cost. Responsibility for discipline has been placed entirely w ith the section foreman. Efforts have been concen­

trated on securing foremen of the proper caliber. Mr. Connor concluded by say­

ing, “There is no job at Nellis mine at which a man has to get hurt.”

The coal industry, declared P. M.

Snyder, president, C. C. B. Smokeless Coal Co., Mt. Hope, W . Va„ who pre­

sided at the Monday afternoon session, has seen worse times than those through which it is now passing. T here is no reason why the industry should not stage a comeback at the proper time.

He urged, therefore, that the operators do nothing now which would return to plague them in the future.

Safe operating practices were again considered at a session held on the afternoon of May 13, presided over by A. C. Callen, professor of mining, U ni­

versity of Illinois. The first speaker at this session, R. M. Lambie, chief, W est V irginia Department of Mines, prefaced his formal paper on “The Cost of Mine Accidents” by telling of the “amazing record of progress and efficiency" made by the Norfolk & W estern Ry., where the casualties per billion ton-miles de­

creased from 296.52 in 1912 to 35.16 in 1929.

Pennsylvania bituminous accident-cost data compiled by Rush N. Hosier, super­

intendent, Pennsylvania Compensation Rating Bureau, said Mr. Lambie, showed payments in excess of $25,000,000, or 3.6c. per ton, for medical service and compensation during 1924-29. In W est V irginia, during the ten-year period 1921-1930, the direct cost in compensa­

tion for subscribers to the state com­

pensation fund was approximately 2£c.

per ton and during recent years has been about 3c. per ton. Applying the

“Heinrich and H osier” formula for computing the indirect cost, Mr. Lambie placed the total cost to coal mine em­

ployees and employers in excess of

$100,000,000 for the ten-year period, or 8c. per ton.

Individual companies which have in­

stalled well-organized safety _ depart­

ments, continued“ Mr. Lambie, have been able to effect marked reductions in direct cost of accidents. Records

going back one to five years, are in­

dicated in brief as follows : $50,000 per year down to $16,000; 4.5c. per ton down to 3c. ; 5c. down to 3.6c. ; $24,480 per year down to $12,000.

“1 venture to say,” said Mr. Lambie,

“that any company that will set aside a sum equal to one-third of its yearly compensation costs and organize a safety department and place it in charge of a man who knows accident preven­

tion, who is sincere in his work and can visualize, comprehend, and analyze conditions that are likely to cause acci­

dents, and who is able to instruct and discipline men, will at the end of three years have cut its compensation costs in half.”

In the discussion following, E. B.

Agee, superintendent, Dehue (W . V a.) mine of the Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co., detailed the marked improvements in accident prevention made during the last two or three years at that mine, in which gas and difficult drawslate are inherent hazards. Compensation paid employees was $28,000 in 1928, SI 1,900 in 1930, and will be $2,500 in

1931. Tw o fatal and 162 lost-time accidents occurred in 1928, no fatal and 57 lost-time in 1930, and only one lost­

time accident to date in 1931. The frequency and severity rates in 1928 were 185.34 and 21.73, and in 1931 these stand a t 7.11 and 0.803, ‘ We feel that the mine management is en­

tirely responsible in one way or another for at least 90 per cent of all the fatal and lost-time accidents th at occur in and around the mines,” concluded Mr.

Agee.

M r. F ear also submitted a few com­

parisons to show that safety is a paying proposition for the Consolidation Coal Co. L ast year, $248,000 less was paid out in compensation than in a recent previous year. H e has set the goal at a lc. per ton compensation cost in 1932.

They have now so “saturated” the^ em­

ployees with safety that, in one division at least, every employee encountering an official or other visitor that enters the mine, w arns him to “be careful and don’t get hurt.”

“Safety and Mechanical M ining,” a paper by W . J. Jenkins, president, Con­

solidated Coal Co. of St. Louis, St.

Louis, Mo., dealt w ith the subject from the standpoint of the executive and in­

cluded figures showing the experience of his company, which in 1927 operated by hand loading exclusively, in the latter half of 1928 won most of the ton­

nage by hand shoveling onto conveyors, but in 1929 handled the largest part of the coal w ith mechanical loaders. Only mechanical loaders were used in 1930.

T he tons per compensable accident for the years 1927 to 1930 are as follows:

4,101, 3,919, 4,S55, and 7,930, respec­

tively. From a status of 700 working places and six supervising officers the mine has been changed to 197 working places and ten supervisors.

“As mechanization increases,, acci­

dents decrease,” was the emphatic con­

clusion of W illiam Roy, safety director, H anna Coal Co., Cleveland, Ohio, who offered statistics indicating the marked

292 C O A L A G E — V o l.36, N o.6