Coal Age : devoted to the operating, technical and business problems of the coal-mining industry, Vol. 28, No. 8

M c G r a w - H ill C o m p a n y ,In c .

Devoted to the Operating, Technical and Business

J a m e s H . M cG raw , P resid en t _ . , , ^ . T j x.

E . J. Me h r e n, V ice-P resid en t

Problems of the Coal-Mmmg Industry

Volum e 28 N E W Y O R K , A U G U S T 20, 1925 N um ber 8

In du stry S h ifts A gain

B

lished have a w ay o f “sta y in g put.” It is the first step th at counts in m any cases.

H aving learned how to handle a new fuel, having accustom ed oneself to its disadvantages— all fuels have them — th e consumer does not usually go back. It is not cheering to anthracite operators to read in the com m issioners’ report w hat they m ust well know that approxim ately eigh t hundred governm ent buildings in or near W ashington that were heated by the combus­

tion of anthracite are now kept warm by the use of low -volatile bitum inous coal. It appears as if the recent decision of the Interstate Commerce Commission m ight put a crimp in the anthracite business from w hich it w ill never recover.

A s fo r the union it m ust look w ith distress at the possib ility o f more business going to the non-union regions and leaving the h ighly unionized anthracite field. It m ust dread the loss o f the strike, fo r the public will now not be alarmed, and the panic on which the union counted w ill not occur. The operator may be compelled to fight the battle through, for the public will not care w hether the anthracite m ines work or remain idle. They will make s h ift either way.

So now the union w ill grow weak ju st w here it is strongest, nam ely, in the anthracite region. It is a hard life th at of union leader and union man these days, but one m ust say th at both make a bold fron t in a losing cause.

Inflation of the industry w ill be the outcome of the decision, fo r some o f the regions favored ai'e not equal to m eeting the needs of the new m arkets and m ost of them are insufficiently equipped to supply prepared sizes. N ew tipples and a revam ping of old ones will be the natural result. All the m any sh ifts in the coal industry cause inflation. E very new ly developed field, every strike, every unfair w age contract, every revised fr e ig h t rate does its part, and it seem s likely th a t th is new fr eig h t decision w ill w ith the Jackson­

ville agreem ent do much to build up W est V irginia.

C oaxin g th e O vens B ack to th e M ines

W

N ow that they are efficient and make less smoke they have m oved over to industrial centers and seem likely to stay there because it is expensive to pipe gas long dis­

tances and any process o f coking or low-temperature distillation makes a large quantity o f gas available.

B ut w hat is im portant is that we, who have seen

the coking industry move rapidly from m ining centers, realize that when conditions favor they m ay come back and perhaps be operated by the m ining companies.

The ovens at Bethune, France, point to that conclusion.

The Companie des M ines de Bethune is m aking alcohol and ammonia out o f the ethylene and hydrogen resp ec­

tively found in coke-oven gas.

In making the first the ethylene is combined w ith sulphuric acid to form sulphovinic acid which is then treated w ith steam. A s a result, alcohol and sulphuric acid are form ed ; by the use of which latter the process can be repeated indefinitely. That ethylene is found only in small quantity in the gas is a disadvantage but it can be concentrated to from 20 to 30 per cent so that it will act readily on the sulphuric acid w hich is further is activated by the adm ixture o f sulphovinic- acid.

It is interesting to note that th is company also m anu­

factures synthetic ammonia by means o f the hydrogen in its coke-oven gases u sin g the Claude method. It is in the cooling process by which the hydrogen is concentrated that the ethylene is removed, benzol, ethy­

lene, m ethane, carbon monoxide and many other hydro­

carbons being extracted at the several stages.

From the coal m ines w ill come in the fu tu re m any of the most im portant of our industrial products, and at the coal mines will the process be elaborated. Appar­

ently Europe, in th is chemical development, as in others, is taking the lead.

W ho Has th e B ro k en Leg?

R

A story goes that there w ere tw in s who shared all things in common and when one fell and fractured a limb, the other proudly announced “W e-uns have a broken leg.”

In like manner the coal industry, which is not one but two persons, operator and m iner, is said to have aggregately the strike habit and to be grievously in need of a cure. But i f in the study o f disease we do not go so fa r as to study w hich of the tw in s is in need o f treatm ent the curative action is not likely to make any progress. The public should ferret into th is deep subject a little further and arrive at the conclusion, as to which person it is that has the broken leg. The formula in surgery runs: F ind whose leg and which is broken and mend that. Quite sim ple and obvious, it is true, but important.

In the instance now before the country the anthracite operator w ants arbitration, no suspension and a long contract w ith revisions made by some com petent au­

thority whenever occasion demands it, and it is the miner who w ants a strike or, as he prefers to term ’t, a suspension. B ut the public groups them both together and treats them both alike w ith condemnation. They

239

240 C O A L A G E Vol. 28, N o. 8 both have, to quote the public, “the strike habit,” as

both the tw in s in common possession had a broken leg.

In the early years o f the past century, France had the w ar habit. Presum ably our ancestors put it generally as w e do and said that, to E u r o p e , war w as a second nature for we like ever to generalize, recognizing that it saves thought. The French won w ars repeatedly; their legions invaded nearly every European land and w ith success until defeats in R ussia and at W aterloo occurred, and the war habit for a while, at least, ended. A W ater­

loo would end the the strike habit for the m iners. They have won so long that they expect th eir leaders to w in more and more ground for them. The public has alw ays given way to them, and they expect to consolidate their gains and press forw ard year by year. In tim e they will prove that a high order o f skill is needed in the industry by the high rate of pay alw ays conceded to them. They will prove also its risk by the fact that the work is well paid. But, as has been said, a setback or tw o will kill the strike habit, and the industry will be relieved of its broken leg.

A s it has been the public which has granted the repeated increases and has given w ay every tim e there w as a demand, therefore, the public m ust be blamed for the leg fracture and from the public should come the cure.

The wrong-headed are in sistin g that the operators and m iners are in collusion to raise w ages and to put up prices. A fter the Pinchot settlem ent increasing w ages 10 per cent, company coal of domestic sizes rose from $8.18 to $9. There was no profit in such a small increase. No one can say the Pinchot award w as used as an excuse for profiteering. Ju st the reverse, it was a heavy burden on coal-company finances.

But if the public desires still to believe in th is collu­

sion, and no one can argue satisfactorily w ith the skeptical, let it call on the m iners for arbitration and no suspension. Then the operators, who they say have the strike habit and w ant a strike, w ill be fooled and every­

one will be happy. Let the public take the anthracite operators at their word and give them arbitration. If they really w ant a strike and have shouted “Peace”

ju st to m islead us, they will be truly unhappy when the public takes them at th eir word. And when the oper­

ators are unhappy every one rejoices. T his is the w ay to tantalize them ; give them w hat they ask.

Is th e M iner a S k illed W ork m an ?

“ T T T G H WAGES fo r skilled men” is one of the slo- 1 7 1 gans of the m ine worker. It is true that there are men in the m ines who justifiably may be termed skilled, but they have little use for their talent. The ordinary m echanic— carpenter, mason or m achinist—

can and does read plans and complicated draw ings w ith ease and accuracy but the m iner is under no such necessity. He m ay see a map hanging in the forem an’s office as he goes to his work for the first tim e. He probably does not exam ine it, and in m ost cases would not understand it if he did.

I f in any special plan provided there is any degree of complication such as the laying out of a curve or the hanging o f a trolley w ire many a forem an would look at the “picture” more or less askance and would wonder w hat it all meant. To the m iner it would be even more of an enigm a.

The man in the heading or room m erely drives in

the direction of the sig h ts and som etim es has the incidence of these marked on the face fo r him by a man specially appointed. He makes the room so m any

“shovels” w ide and he lays the track— if he does lay it— w ith a sim ple gage. He does not .even attem pt to make a smooth rib as the early, careful, but often wholly illiterate, m iners from Great B ritain used to do w ith such m arvelous precision in the early days of our coal industry. Of art and science the ordinary m iner o f today has none.

Many a carpenter, m ason or m echanic can handle his T-square, triangle and ruling pen, can design a build­

ing and then erect it. H is ideas o f architectural beauty may be feeble, but his building usually su its the needs and even the ideals of his clients. Too much has been w ritten of the skill of the miner. All that can be said of m any o f them- is that a fter much instruction they cannot even set a prop when it is needed, bring down the coal w ithout creating an excess of slack, or load a hole in a sa fe and law ful manner. M any are not even desirous of being skillful.

T h e P o w er o f S en tim en t

I

day life o f m ost human beings is controlled, dominated and governed by sentim ent and habit. J u st as the honey-laden bee yearns fo r its hive, ju st as the carrier pigeon turns unerringly toward its beloved dovecote, ju st as the heart of the Scot longs fo r the heather covered hills o f native Scotia, so the soul of the ordinary individual, consciously or unconsciously, delights in the environm ent o f its accustom ed habitat and the m em ories o f the days th at are gone. E very coal company opening a new mine in a new field suffers from th is cause and for years the labor turnover is unusually high.

N ot long ago a certain coal concern opened an isolated m ine in the Middle W est, draw ing a t least the nucleus of its labor force from some of its older operations. E very­

th in g looked propitious. N atural conditions w ere favor­

able; the housing and educational fa c ilitie s provided, far exceeded those available a t the older plant. A fter a year or two o f operation, however, it w as found th at one by one the men had drifted back to the place from whence they came, in many, if not most, instances there accepting positions and w ages m aterially in ferior to those available at the new er development.

Reason for this exodus w as carefully sought, but fo r a long tim e w ithout avail. A t length an old m iner solved the m ystery when he remarked— “You ain ’t got no cem etery here.”

In the sense in which th is man used it, the word

“cem etery” m eans som ething more than m erely a su it­

able place for the interm ent of the dead— he m eant also the traditions and m em ories that hover around the local­

ity where acquaintances and loved ones have been laid to rest and the prospect, dear to every human, that w hen h is own tim e shall come, he also m ay be laid away

"with the bones of his fa th ers.”

From the business standpoint, th is difficulty o f the coal producer is hard to surmount. A ny suitable piece of ground m ay be set apart, designated and dedicated as a burial place, but it takes more than th is to make a cemetery. In the sense in w hich the old m iner used the word, a real cem etery can only be attained w hen tim e and the memory o f those there interred shall have cast a halo o f sentim ent about the entire locality.

August 20, 1925 C O A L A G E 241

Edgewater Mine Produces Large Output o f Washed Coal Under Adverse Conditions

L o c a l F a u lt s D iv id e W o r k in g s I n to S e c tio n s a t D iffe r e n t L e v e ls — E le c tr ific a tio n -I s C o m p le te E x c e p t fo r H o is t in g — S te a m -D r iv e n S ta n d -b y s A re K e p t R e a d y for E m e r g e n c ie s

B y R o b e r t H a m ilto n

C o n su ltin g E n g in e er, T ennessee Coal, Iro n & R.R. Co., B irm in g h am , Ala.

N

’Alabam a’s strik in g coal properties.

E dgew ater is approxim ately 12 m iles w est of B ir­

m ingham and three from E nsley where the ch ief fu r ­ naces and m ills o f the company are located. An in ter­

works railroad connects th is and the various other m ines of the company w ith its industrial works includ­

in g the byproduct ovens w here m ost of the mine product is made into coke.

A t th is m ine the coal m easure worked is the P ratt seam well known for its excellent coking qualities. An average section o f th is m easure would be about as follow s: Top, sandstone or slate, coal 6-in., slate 2-in., coal 44-in., slate 6-in., coal ll- in „ bottom, hard clay.

The total h eigh t o f th is bed is thus 69 in., of which 61 in. is clean coal w ith 8 in. of slate and parting.

Six thousand acres -lie tributary to th is m ine in which a fter 13 years o f operation there remains

T he h ead p iece show s a g e n era l view of th e u p p e rw o rk s a t th e E d g e w a te r m ine. T h e v a lle y of th e stre a m t h a t ru n s p a s t this p lan t is m o re or less s u b je c t to overflow so t h a t a ll dw ellings m u st be placed on h ig h e r ground. N one of them , th ere fo re, a p ­ p e ars in th is view.

36,000,000 tons y et to be recovered. T his mine is divided into three sections, separated by faults, near one of which (th e Camp Branch) the h oistin g sh a ft is located. Here the dislocation am ounts to 147 ft., a rock tunnel connecting the sh a ft to the w orkings on th e upper level. On the m ain east entry another rock tunnel is driven to the low est level, the dislocation at this point being 55 ft. A small, double-drum, motor- driven hoist hauls the coal through th is tunnel to a side track on the m ain east lower level.

Dislocation in the fault passing near the sh a ft amounts to nothing at the southern barrier pillar.

From this point in a distance o f 6,000 ft., it gradually increases to 172 ft. In the n ext 8,000 ft. the average throw amounts to about 100 ft. A t th is point th is fault subdivides into five separate dislocations and d is­

appears entirely w ithin the next 1,000 ft.

Such fau lts not only change the vertical location o f the coal but in m any instances alter the line of dip.

Thus the first south entry on the upper level slopes J per cent to the southward, w hereas the m ain south entry on the lower level rises 1 per cent to the south.

All workings are on the room-and-pillar plan w ith entries either singe or double as local conditions m ay dictate. Rooms are driven 35 ft. w ide and double tracked. The w idth of pillars is determined by th e depth of the coal; when th is is not more than 350 ft.

first working m ust not exceed 50 per cent of the total area. A s greater depth is attained the size o f the pillai's is increased to carry the additional burden and permit removal of the pillars w ithout loss. It is th e general practice to draw both room and entry pillars retreating as soon as room work is completed.

Electric undercutters are employed on all room and

■242 C O A L A G E ^Vol. 28, NO. 8

a cu th er^R a > !^ ± C ru sh e r- -^ --n

TiT bZ r $ h 4 d '',,^ 0 // house. . n p p 't I--j .■

V /asher Too! house

_ 'M achine &E1ectr/c sh op Shoe shop ‘Bathhouse

■Hose house

W V R ,

Timber

racks- house' Ho/sf- ^{Sand 7 \} C.W.W.

f \ Qe-Sis& sary

le t house

_ “ “ }7', n r p 'A ir. s h o f t

c.w.w. p . r i / m ■ ' • 7 o / / « f

fiouse U \ C a - m p t j c ' W B r i n ch.

' C o m m jssa ry

Lunch stand i

- o / Magazine /

1 -^ 4 _________

SO 200 300

-L_j I i I Scale, Feet

/ o ' . - i f

Orom d s ta n d

F ig . 1— G eneral L ay o u t of E d g ew a ter S u rfac e P la n t

T his show s th e a rra n g e m e n t of bu ild in g s ra ilro a d tr a c k s an d th e like. l£ w ill be no ted th a t the s h a f t is on one side of the tra c k s a n d the w a sh e ry on th e other. W h ile th e bo iler p la n t a n d p u m p in g

sta tio n a re n ot considered a s fo rm in g a p a r t of th e m in e p la n t y e t ste a m is fu rn ish e d fo r o p eratio n of th e m ain hoist.

-entry work and, when l'oof conditions will perm it, on pillar drawing as well. Timbers in rooms are set in rows 4 ft. apart each way and m ust be kept w ithin 4 ft. of the working face. All m ining m achines are

•equipped w ith spraying heads and before the coal is shot the entire face is vvet down w ith a garden hose b y men employed for th at purpose.

Inherent m oisture in th is coal normally am ounts to 3.33 per cent. Samples taken daily for a month after the coal w as crushed preparatory to w ashing showed that the spraying and w ettin g down o f the face increased the m oisture content of the entire output 1.84 per cent, making a total of 5.17 per cent.

Norm ally the coal is loaded and delivered on the entry by the miner. In m any places, however, local grades against the loads are too steep fo r manual labor in which case the cars are moved to and from the face by company men who employ a sm all self- propelled electric crab car as shown in one o f the accompanying illustrations. T his machine moves along the entry and can either deliver the loads at th e room necks or make them up into trips ready for the haulage locomotive.

In his work the m ine forem an is assisted by a num ­ ber of section forem en each of whom m ust hold a fire boss’ certificate. Each such section forem an has about

■50 men under his control. P articular care is exercised over m iners who may be engaged in draw ing room or entry pillars. This close supervision is responsible for a recovery am ounting to fu lly 95 per cent. The mine foreman is provided w ith an underground office where he can m eet the section foremen and fire bosses and from which he issues instructions. A first-aid room

F ig . 2— C ross-Section of S h a ft and Coal Bed T h is show s how th e m ine is divided n a tu ra lly into th re e sectio n s by fa u lts. N o t only a re u n d e rg ro u n d o p eratio n s th u s c u t up by n a tu re b u t th e p itch of the g ra d e s v a rie s co n sid erab ly b ecau se of th e s e d isp lacem en ts of th e m ea su res.

where, through periodic inspection, all necessary m edi­

cal equipment is kept in first class condition, is also provided.

Mine cars in service at th is operation are of the solid body type equipped w ith 14-in., roller-bearing wheels. They are 8 ft. 9 in. long over all, 4 ft. 3 in.

wide and w eigh approxim ately 1,600 lb. The average load carried by these cars is 2,800 lb. and the number in service averages 1,050. The axles extend 2 in.

beyond the wheel hubs and the cars are held in the revolving dump by th ese projecting axle ends instead of by gripping the top of the w heels as is common prac­

tice. The rin gs or hand holds on the ends o f the cars are som ewhat o f an innovation. They w ere installed originally as a sa fety precaution in m ines w here there was but small clearance beyond car and roof. W here the m iner delivers the loaded car at the entry, however, they have proven h igh ly advantageous w hen crossing sw itches. C onsequently they have been adopted gen ­ erally throughout the m ines of the T ennessee company.

On the lower level o f th is m ine, eleven 8-ton electric locom otives are used, operating on 250-volt direct cur­

rent at a speed o f 6_ m.p.h. They are equipped w ith 40-hp. motors. P a rtin g s are provided at suitable points from which the coal is hauled in “through” trip s o f 20 cars each to the side track at the sh a ft bottom.

All loaded trips from both north and south m ain en­

tries are delivered on the south side o f the sh aft, a runaround being provided.

On the upper level, loads are delivered to a side track on the m ain w est e n tiy at th e 'se c o n d south entry.

From here 20-car trips are hauled to the sh a ft bottom by a double-track endless-rope system . Twelve 8-ton mine locom otives are in use on th is level.

A t the sh a ft bottom all cars are uncoupled and w eighed separately. Their contents are discharged in a three-com partm ent, gravity-operated revolving dump.

S ix cars may be and usually are in th is dump a t one tim e— two loads and four em pties. One-third of a revolution is sufficient to dump a pair o f loads. Coal from the dump enters an equalizing bin of approxi­

m ately 40 tons capacity from which it moves by gravity to a m easuring bin o f 6 tons capacity or sufficient to fill one skip." Movement of the coal from bin to skip is controlled by tw o hydraulically-operated gates.

These in turn are controlled by a 4-w ay valve which insures closure o f the upper gate before the lower one can be opened. A sm all w inch is provided for m anipu­

lating these gates by hand in case of em ergency. This

is rarely called into use, however. One man loads the skips and does all sign alin g to the h oist engineer.

A rrangem ents on the upper level are sim ilar to those on the lower except th at an additional kickback and car haul are necessary to control the m ovem ent o f the em pties. On Aug. 10, 1922, 6,200 tons w ere hoisted in two sh ifts. Of th is total, 3,722 tons w ere produced on the day turn and 2,478 tons on the n ig h t sh ift. These are averages of 414 and 275 tons per hour, respectively.

All m ine tracks are laid to 36-in. gage. All main entries are furnished w ith 60-lb. rails supported by steel tie plates and laid on 5 x 6-in. creosoted pine ties.

No. 4 reinforced m anganese steel frogs and w eighted sw itches are employed generally on all turnouts except those in the v icin ity of the sh a ft bottom w here a few No. 6 fro g s are used. E ntry track is graded carefully and ample clearance provided on one side for the passage o f employees.

Room entries are laid w ith 40-lb. steel rail on 5 x 6-in.

untreated tie s protected by steel tie plates. On room turnouts No. 2 plate frogs are used. Room entry track is only graded where local dips are encountered and natural grades are too heavy fo r economical operation.

Rooms are double tracked w ith 16-lb. rail.

So fa r as possible th is m ine is ventilated on the split system . In extensive w orkings such as these, where the coal is produced a t points a long distance from the sh a ft bottom, it is custom ary for the sake o f sa fety to drive rock tunnels to the surface w hich serve as escapeways. A s a rule th ese are 7 x 12 ft. in cross- section and are driven on a 30-deg. pitch.

Three such escapew ays are available from the upper level of th is mine. One is located at the third south entry off the m ain w est entry, one is near the fifth north entry w hile th e third is known as No. 8 escapew ay.

and is located at the extrem e southern end o f the w orkings. An opening is also provided through the barrier pillar to the B ay V iew m ine. T his is located at the face o f the second north entry and serves both operations. Under all conditions th is opening is sealed.

To accomplish th is seal two concrete partitions have been built, each 6 ft. thick. They are located 6 ft.

apart. In each an opening 24-in. in diam eter is left.

A 3-in. sh a ft w ith four steel disks keyed to it, th at is, one disk on each side of each partition, passes through both concrete walls. Tw o-foot circular openings are provided in each disk and the disks arranged in pairs, th at is the openings in the tw o disks on opposite sides of each bulkhead are in line w ith each other but at an angle o f 180 deg. w ith the openings in the other pair.

A s all disks are keyed rigid ly to a common sh a ft they

Au g ust 20, 1925 C O A L

F ig . 3— E le ctric ally D riven C rab C ar

W ere g ra d e s in th e room s a r e too steep fo r th e c a rs to be m oved b y h a n d th is c ra b is em ployed. T he cable m ay e ith e r p u ll its lo ad d ire c t o r it m a y b e led aro u n d g uide blocks o r sheaves.

A G E 24S

C r o s s S e c tio n . Through, Revolving D u m p a n d S h a f t F ig . 4— Section T h ro u g h Dum p, Bin and S h a ft F ro m th e dum p th e coal slid es in to th e m e a s u rin g b in a n d th en c e into the skip. In a sm u c h a s all lu m p coal Is c ru sh ed before going to th e w a sh e ry no p a r tic u la r p a in s a re ta k e n to p re v e n t d e g r a ­ dation.

all turn together. T his arrangem ent assures closure o f the opening through the seal at all tim es y et perm its the ready passage of men.

The ven tilatin g fan servin g the upper level is located on the third south entry escapeway 4,500 ft. southw est o f the sh aft. It is of the h alf-casing, double-inlet, reversible type, 8 ft. in diam eter and 3 ft. 6 in. w ide.

It now produces 120,000 cu.ft. o f air per m inute again st a 4-in. w ater gage. T his m achine norm ally is belted to a 125-hp. motor. A second m achine of like size but operated on direct current is held in reserve and m ay be started up at any tim e. A s originally installed, both these m achines w ere operated on alternating current—

one motor on 60 and the other on 25 cycles. T his arrangem ent did not prove entirely satisfactory inas­

much as during heavy electrical storm s both lines would be disabled w ith the result that the m ine would be closed down for days.

In order to forestall th is contingency the size o f th e 250-volt m ain feeder line w as som ew hat increased and a direct current m otor installed. A 400-kw., 250-volt, steam driven generator is kept under steam at all tim es ready for any em ergency.

Intakes fo r the upper level are the escapeway near the fifth north and the m anw ay near the m ain shaft.

An 18 x 7 -ft. Guibal type of fa n ven tilates the lower level. T his m achine originally w as driven by steam but is now belt-connected to tw o 150-hp. m otors, one a 60-cycle a.c. and the other a 250-volt d.c. machine.

It is installed at the air sh aft, a short distance from the main h oistin g sh a ft and now produces 110,000 cu.ft.

of air per m inute again st a 3.4-in. w ater gage.

F ig . 5 show s the type of air crossin g or overcast that has been adopted as standard by th is company.

244 C O A L A G E VOL. 28, NO. 8 It amounts to an average o f 1.6 tons .of w ater per ton of coal produced.

The main sh a ft is of oval cross-section w ith m ajor and m inor diam eters of 21 and 12 ft. respectively. It is concrete lined throughout and the buntons and guides are steel H -shapes. Its depth from the surface to the upper-level skip landing is 294 ft. w hile to the lower- level landing it is 427 ft. The dumping point on the headfram e is 73 ft. above the surface, m aking total hoists from upper and lower levels o f 367 and 500 ft.

respectively.

The self-dum ping skip has a capacity o f 6 tons and, when empty, w eighs approxim ately an equal amount.

The headfram e is of steel construction throughout and has a total h eigh t of 102 ft. From the supply bin of approxim ately 40 tons capacity, the coal is fed to the shaking screens by a reciprocating plate feeder.

The screens are arranged for a normal delivery of all coal to the w ash in g plant. When necessary, how­

ever, run-of-m ine, nut and slack and hand-picked lump can be loaded onto railroad cars. The upper deck of the screen is fitted w ith 3-in. perforations the under­

size feed in g direct to the belt conveyor leading to the w ashery; the oversize passes over a picking table and thence either by chute to railroad cars or by conveyor to the washery. In th is latter case the larger coal is F ig . 5— P la n and Section of an O vercast

T h is design o f o v e rc a st h a s been m ade s ta n d a r d in th is com ­ p a n y ’s m ines. T he sides o r w a lls a re of p lain a n d th e top of rein fo rced concrete. T his m ak es a finished job t h a t is both p e rm a n e n t an d efficient.

All m ine doors are built to standard size and installed in duplicate. A ll haulage roads are sprayed throughout th eir entire length at least every other day. A ir samples are taken in each return at least weekly and tested for methane. Intakes fo r the lower level are the main sh a ft and the escapeway at the second north entry approxim ately one m ile north o f the m ain shaft.

The m ain pum ping station is located on the lower level near the main shaft. The equipment consists of two centrifugal pumps o f 2,500-gal. per m inute capacity, direct connected to 400-hp., 2,300-volt, alternating- current m otors operating at 1,200 r.p .m .; also two 6 x 18-in. triplex plunger pumps backgeared to 40-hp.

direct-current motors. These latter m achines supply the coal washery, the spray lines and th e bin gate operating m echanism at the sh a ft bottom. F ifteen small gathering pumps are scattered throughout the m ine at points where gravity drainage cannot be obtained.

D uring 1924, 445,000,000 gal. of w ater w as pumped from this m ine. This is equal to approxim ately 12 per cent o f the total precipitation over the working area.

F ig . 6— E ndless Rope H o ist U nderground

T h is m ach in e h a u ls the c a rs in trip s u p th e pitch of th e u p p er level to th e s h a ft or to a poin t from w hich th e y w ill g ra v ita te to th e sh a ft.

F ig . 7— M ine C a r U sed a t E d g e w a te r

Tw o d e ta ils of th is c a r a re so m e w h a t u n u su a l. Tw o rin g s a re a tta c h e d to th e solid end g a te s n e a r th e top. T hese serv e as h a n d h o ld s a n d m ak e it u n n e c e ssa ry fo r th e m in e r to place his h a n d s on to p of th e box w h en m oving the car. T he a x le s also p ro ject a b o u t 2 in. f a r th e r fro m the w heel h u b s th a n th ey do in m o st c ars. T h is p ro jectio n fu rn ish e s a m eans of h o ld in g th e c a r in the ro ta r y dum p.

placed on top o f the sm aller m aterial, only one conveyor extending to the washery.

The air sh a ft is 380 ft. south o f the h oistin g sh a ft and is sunk to t h e 1 lower level w ith a short rock tunnel connecting it to the upper level. T his sh a ft is circular and 11 ft. in diam eter. It is concreted down to the solid rock, below which point it is devoid o f all lin in g and all obstructions, being used for ventilation only.

The concrete collar o f th is sh a ft is extended above the surface and provided w ith steel explosion doors. The air duct leading to the fan is below the surface and is concrete lined.

From a point near the air sh a ft a 7 x 12-ft. rock tu n ­ nel on a 30-deg. p itch , is driven to the lower level.

It is connected to the upper level by a short lateral tunnel and is used for low ering tim ber an'd other sup­

plies. A concrete stairw ay separated from the track by an iron hand rail perm its entrance and egress o f em­

ployees. T his slope is electrically lighted throughout.

A t the entrance o f th is passage stands the check- house. H ere record is kept of all em ployees entering or leaving the m ine. Special checks are kept on hand ready fo r the use of company officials or v isito rs not on the m ine register as no one is perm itted to enter

Au g ust 20, 1925 C O A L A G E 245

F ig . 8— R o ta ry D um p in A ction

T h is is a th re e -c o m p a rtm e n t dum p, a c a r o r r a th e r a p a ir of th em , b ein g acco m m o d ated in each co m p artm en t. T h is device is g ra v ity -o p e ra te d a n d a lw ay s c o n tain s e ith e r fo u r em p ties o r fo u r em p ties a n d tw o loads.

or leave the m ine w ithout a record being made of th is fact.

Developm ent o f th is m ine w as begun in 1912. In th a t year 115,606 tons o f coal w as produced. Since Jan. 1, 1913, it has been operated double-shift and the output has increased year by year until 1924, when 1,159,400 tons w as brought to the surface.

A t th is operation the combined boiler plant and pum ping station is not considered as form in g a part o f the m ine equipment. This is because it constitutes the main w ater supply fo r all plants o f the company.

Steam fo r the m ain hoist, however, as well as for heating purposes, is furnished from th is boiler plant.

The m ain h oist has 28 x 48-in. cylinders, th ese en­

gin es being direct-connected to the drum sh aft. The drum servin g th e upper landing is cylindrical, 8 ft. in diam eter and grooved fo r lj - in . rope; th at fo r the lower level is conical, increasing from 9 ft. 6 in. in diam eter at the small end to 12 ft. 6 in. at the large end. It also

F IG . 9 C oncrete A rching

A t th e fo o t of the s h a f t th e h e ad in g is w ell p ro tected fro m a ll p o ssib ility of ro o f falls. T he tra c k w o rk is also h eav y a n d well laid. A ny m ish ap in a place like th is m ea n s a tie u p of th e h o istin g sh a ft.

I t th u s p a y s to m a k e e v e ry th in g in th e sh a p e of tra c k s a n d ro o f s u p p o rts solid, s tro n g an d s u b s ta n tia l.

is grooved for l i - i n . rope. T his m achine is equipped w ith steam reverse gear and steam brakes; it also has an autom atic stop to prevent overwinding.

The h oist is housed in a suitable brick building which contains no other equipm ent as th is m igh t d is­

tract the hoistm an’s attention.

A well lighted and ventilated, slate-roofed brick power plant contains tw o 500-kw. motor generator sets supplying 250-volt direct current fo r m ine u se; also a 400-kw. 250-volt steam -driven direct-current gener­

ator for em ergencies. T his latter machine is kept under steam at all tim es and can be started in a few moments.

In order to reduce line losses another 500-kw. motor generator set has been installed a t the second south escapeway. The underground transm ission lines have sufficient capacity to perm it operation of any two o f these m achines. Under normal conditions one o f them is practically held in reserve ready fo r any em ergency.

Fan drives occupy the southern end o f the power house. O riginally a steam engine drove th e fan, but th is has been replaced w ith motors and belts. The fan is now driven norm ally by a 150-hp., 60-cycle, alternat- ing-current motor, w ith a 250-volt, direct-current machine o f equal power in reserve. The repair shops are of brick w ith a slate roof carried on steel trusses.

They include a m achine shop, a blacksmith shop and an electrical repair shop. This latter is the central repair shop for all the coal m ines of the company. It is well supplied w ith m achinery for the repair o f all the types of motors now in service. In the south end o f th is building an office is provided for the ch ief electrician and the superintendent o f coal w asheries.

In the bath house, which is of brick w ith a slate roof, provision is made for 366 w h ite and 510 colored employees. The bath and change rooms are separated by a solid wall the necessary openings in w hich arc fitted w ith sw in gin g doors.

A com m issary and a lunch stand are located at the

246 C O A L A G E Vol. 28, N o. 8

F IG . 11 E scapew ay F an

E ith e r of tw o m o to rs, one upon each side, m a y be u se d to d riv e th is fa n . T hese tw o m o to rs a re o f eq u al r a t e d h o rsep o w er b u t one o p e rates on altern atin g - an d th e o th e r on d irec t c u rre n t. N o rm a lly th e a lte rn a tin g - c u r ­ r e n t m ac h in e. o p e r­

a te d on p u rc h a se d pow er d riv e s th e fa n . S hould a c c i­

d e n t b e fall e ith e r th is m o to r o r th e c u r re n t su p p ly line th e o th e r m o t o r m a y be p ro m p tly s ta rte d .

driven, elim inating all pulleys, belts and sh a ftin g and perm itting the operation o f any m achine sin gly or all sim ultaneously. A s four of these m achines are in ­ stalled the normal capacity of the plant would be 220 tons per hour. On one occasion, however, all o f these m achines w ere operated continuously at 75 tons per hour for 18 hr., m aking a total w ashery output o f 5,400 tons for this particular day, the results, so far as quality was concerned, equalling normal.

From the tipple run-of-m ine coal is brought to the crusher house by a 30-in. belt conveyor. H ere it is delivered to tw o shaking screens w ith 1-in. perforations.

The oversize from these screens goes to the crushers and that passing the screen bypasses them to an in­

clined belt to which the crushed m aterial likew ise is delivered. The normal size of the crushed product is

! in. and under and as the oversize rarely exceeds 10 per cent it does not affect the ultim ate results.

From the crusher house the coal is delivered by a 30-in. belt conveyor to the raw coal bin where it is distributed by an autom atic tripper. Rotary feeders deliver th is raw coal to the various jig s. The overflow from the last cell o f each jig is flumed to the washed coal settlin g tank whence it is transferred to the washed coal bin by a d ew atering elevator. In like m anner the refuse is collected from the first and second valves and the first and second hutches and is delivered to the refuse bin for disposal.

C irculating w ater from all settlin g tanks overflows into the m ain sump. From here a centrifugal pump tran sfers it to the cone-shaped sludge settlin g tank.

The overflow from th is tank is collected into the main pipe th at supplies the jig s. B y th is arrangem ent the w ash w ater is used over and over again, only the make-up being added. T his am ounts to. about 12 per cent of the w eig h t o f the coal treated, .icpproximately 2 i tons o f w ater is in circulation fo r each ton o f coal washed. A valve in the bottom o f the cone-shaped sludge tank perm its the sludge to be drawn off and shipped w ith the washed coal.

A concrete drainage pad extends along the railroad F ig . 10— The M ain Coal H oist

T his h o ist is p ecu liar in th a t it is equipped w ith tw o d ru m s, one cy lin d rical a n d th e o th er conical, each se rv in g its own level.

A lthough th e electric h o ist fo r m ine use h a s m ade g re a t p ro g ress d u rin g th e p a s t few y e a rs m an y o p e ra to rs still p re fe r th e “old re liab le ” ste am -d riv e n m achine.

southern entrance to the mine yard. The form er has a self-service grocery and vegetable departm ent and the latter provides lunches at all hours w ith special service at noon. It is liberally patronized b y. surface employees and others. A djoining th is building but outside the m ine yard is an em ergency hospital and dispensary. Here medical attention and the services o f a trained nurse are available at all tim es.

At th is mine the w ashery is of concrete and steel construction throughout. All settlin g tanks as well as the flumes under the floor are o f reinforced concrete, as is also the building itse lf up to the floor level. All bins, tanks and the like above th is point are of steel, no wood being used. The jig s are o f the double plunger type w ith three 6-ft. cells equipped w ith Elm ore revolv­

ing discharge valves. These m achines make three products— washed coal, boiler fuel and refuse. The rated capacity of each jig is 55 tons per hour but if necessary 75 tons per hour can be effectively prepared.

The jig s are set on a concrete floor perm itting ready access to all m oving parts. A t their tops steel operat­

ing platform s are provided upon which all- electrical controls are mounted. Each jig is independently motor-

August 20, 1925 C O A L A G E 247

F IG . 12 E d g e w a te r

W ash ery T h is u n it of th e m ine p la n t is b u ilt of co n crete a n d s t e e l exclusively.

B ecau se of d ir t o r e x tra n e o u s m a te ria l th a t c a n n o t be sep- a r a t e d fro m th e coal in th e m in es it i s n e ce ssa ry t o w ash th e e n t i r e m ine p ro d u ct. T h a t p o rtio n t h a t is a l­

re ad y sm a ll enough is se n t d irec t to th e j i g s : th e l a r g e r pieces a r e c ru sh ed dow n to su ita b le size. T he w a s h w a te r is u sed over an d over a g a in only the m ak e u p bein g added.

A n aly sis of W a sh e ry F eed and W a sh e ry P ro d u c ts

Volatile Fixed

M atter Carbon Ash Sulphur

Per Cent Per C ent Per C ent Per Cent R a w o o a l... 2 7 .3 2 60.4 3 12.25 1.56 W ashed coal... 29.30 65.9 6 4 .7 4 1.22 Boiler fuel... 25.89 58.3 4 15.77 2 .7 0

tracks from the upper end o f the bins to a point some distance below the w ashery. All leakage and drip from either the cars or the w ashery is collected in a small sump from w hich it is recovered and returned to cir­

culation. T his pad has proven of great advantage in keeping the tracks clean as all spillage from the cars can be hose flushed into the sump and from thence elevated into the w ashed coal settlin g tank.

When th is w ashery is in operation all jig s and se t­

tlin g tanks as well as the m ain sump are fu ll o f w ater.

W hen it becomes necessary because o f accident or the necessity of c.jan in g out any . of the various pieces of apparatus, the circulating w ater from the sludge tank is bypassed to a w ashout tank provided for the purpose.

When the em ergency is over a valve is opened and th is w ater returns by gravity to the main sump.

D uring the year 1924, in treatin g 1,093,633 tons of coal the follow ing average results w ere obtained:

W ashed coal, 82.35 per cent; boiler fuel, 6.72; “clean”

refuse, 10.4, and w asher loss 0.53 per cent. T his latter item or w ashery loss is the quantity of clean coal that is carried away in the refuse. It is the content o f the refuse th at w ill float in a liquid o f 1.37 sp.gr.

The follow ing table sets forth the proxim ate analysis of the raw and washed coal and the boiler fuel.

northern by colored employees. The sam e types of houses have been erected in both sections, but there is a larger proportion o f tw o- and three-room dw ellings in the colored than in the w h ite section. All streets and alleys are graded and surfaced w ith chert or burned mine refuse. Ample ditches are provided to carry off heavy rainfalls. Substantial w ire fences have been provided, all posts being set in concrete. D om estic w ater supply is obtained from the city o f Birm ingham , a special 8-in. line nearly four m iles long b ringing th is w ater to the village. An outdoor hydrant is provided between adjacent houses. F ire hydrants are installed throughout the tow n and reels of fire hose and other necessary equipment located at convenient or strategic points.

Churches and schools are provided in each section of the village. Receptacles fo r garbage are placed in the alleys behind each dw elling and are em ptied regularly by the sanitary departm ent o f the m ine organization, their contents being destroyed in an incinerator. A lto­

gether the village contains 604 dw ellings, about 30 per cent of which are in the w hite and the rem aining 70 per cent in the colored section.

Float and sink tests on the w ashery refu se gave the follow ing average resu lts: Float, in liquid o f 1.37 sp.gr. 5 per cent, ash content, 4.9 per cent; sink in same liquid 95 per cent, ash content 65.94 per cent.

The valley o f Camp Branch in which th is m ine is located is rather narrow and on account o f occasional floods not well suited to modern village building. All houses, therefore, are built on higher ground where conditions are suitable and ready access can be had to the plant.

The m ine plant divides the village into tw o sections, the southern portion being occupied by w h ite and the

F ig . 13— J ig F loor o f th e W ashery

E ac h jig m ak es th re e d is tin c t p ro d u c ts— clean coal, bo iler fuel a n d refuse. T he se p a ra tio n Is re m a rk a b ly effective even though in tim es of em erg en cy these' m ach in es o v er long p erio d s a re d riv en well beyond th e ir ra te d cap a cities.

248 C O A L A G E VOL. 28, N o . 8

Colstrip Mine Is Country’s First Electrified P it

The first com pletely electrified open-pit coal m ine in th is country is at the newly-made town o f Colstrip, approxim ately 35 m iles south of F orsyth, Mont. The coal bed, about 180 acres in extent and 25 ft. deep, is owned by the N orthw estern Im provem ent Co. and is being worked by Foley Bros., general contractors, of St.

Paul, Minn. The coal is sub-bitum inous w ith a heat content o f about 11,000 B.t.u. The output o f the m ine will be used for the locom otives of the N orthern Pacific R.R. in Montana.

A s a result of a thorough study o f the property, it w as decided to utilize electricity in m ining th e coal.

An extension of the Montana Pow er Co.’s 55,000-volt transm ission line was made and complete electric equip­

m ent w as purchased for stripping the overburden, m in­

ing the coal and hauling it. T his equipm ent consists o f an electric shovel, w ith a 155-ft. boom and 6-yd. bucket, used as a dragline excavator for stripping, equipped w ith Ward-Leonard control; a coal loading shovel w ith direct-current drive, and tw o 60-ton electric storage- battery locomotives. The locom otives are th e largest storage-battery units in the coal fields. They are equipped w ith lead storage batteries o f a special size and include a m otor-generator set in the cab of each fo r charging.

D uring the tim e spent at the shovel w hile the cars are being loaded, a flexible cable, running from a bank of transform ers on the shovel, is plugged into the loco­

m otive for charging. W hile coal is m ined from one strip, the overburden is removed from the n ext and is cast into the excavation resulting from the removal of the coal.

Many another strip p in g operation in older coal m in­

ing regions than th is is u sin g electric: shovels both for rem oving cover and fo r loading coal into cars, but none is electrified as to haulage as com pletely as Colstrip. Since the fu el does not have to be put through a cleaning and sizin g plant, th e railroad spur is built into the p it so th at coal is loaded directly into Northern Pacific cars. T rains o f considerable length are handled in and out of the w orkings. Thus heavy m otive power is necessary. The b ig storage battery locomotives w ere deemed to be the proper th in g. They are successfully b egin n in g th eir career o f service.

Other operators of the few p its now w orking in the far W est are w atch in g the venture in electric m ining w ith deep in terest as, in fact, are strip p in g operators in other sections. The opening o f the tract w ith the b ig shovels has also centered w ide attention on the entire coal field in th e Rosebud section of Montana.

T hey’r e B ig F ellow s T hese 60-to n n ers now s e rv in g the com pletely e le c tri­

fied C o lstrip o p e ra ­ tio n of th e N o rth e rn P acific r a ilw a y a re th e h e a v ie s t s to r ­ a g e b a tte r y locom o­

tiv e s in u se b y a n y coal s trip p in g com ­ p a n y .

N o rth e rn P acific’s n ew m in e a t C olstrip, M ont.

August 20, 1925 C O A L A G E 249

Rosebud F ield in Montana W ins New A ttention

N o r th e r n P a c ific S tr ip p in g P it at C o lstr ip Is M ain O p e r a tio n in 4,000-Square M ile T r a c t P r o d u c ­

in g I n d u s tr ia l S u b -B itu m in u o u s F u e l By T hom as E dw in Sm ith

F o rs y tli, Mont.

T

nous coal 27 ft. thick is stripped and loaded by electric shovels and draglines. T his operation is designed to produce eventually 5,000 tons of coal per day at a cost not to exceed 65c. per ton delivered to the railroad’s m ain line at F orsyth. The railw ay has been using here­

tofore about 660,000 tons o f coal per year from the Red Lodge m ines which w as costing about $3.50 per ton so the benefit o f the new operation should be large.

T his operation directs attention to M ontana coal.

That portion of the field in which lies the Colstrip tract is roughly rectangular and is approxim ately 90 m iles long and 60 m iles w ide w ith its southeast corner on the divide betw een Powder and L ittle Pow der rivers on the state line. The overlap into W yom ing is more nearly triangular w ith the apex a fe w m iles northeast of Casper. Over practically the entire area, one 20-ft.

bed is found and in the interior of the field lie as m any as 17 beds of coal 5 ft. or more thick. The field’s area in Montana is roughly 4,000 square m iles and in W yom ing perhaps 6,000 square miles.

A long Tongue R iver there are five beds more than 9 ft. in thickness. One bed 95 ft. thick has been opened up in the W yom ing portion o f the field w hile beds o f 40 and 50 ft. frequently are reported from drilled wells.

The six m ines o f the Sheridan W yom ing Coal Co.

near Sheridan, Wyo., w ith a daily capacity o f 10,000 tons are on one edge of th is great field and th e N orth ­ ern Pacific strip p in g m ine at Colstrip is on the other.

There is a m ine on Powder River near Broadus th at is open fo r business all the year round and one on Tongue River near B irney th at is developed to supply local trade a t any tim e. A number of local banks, w here some settler w ill blast out coal for his neighbors, operate during the fall and early w inter m onths and there are a still greater number o f open p its w here the settlers go and strip the cover off the coal to supply their own needs.

Ra il w a y s Ex p e c t to Re a p Be n e f i t s

The N orth & South Ry. under construction from Casper, Wyo., to M iles City, Mont., along Tongue R iver will traverse th is field fo r more than 200 m iles. The Chicago & N orthw estern Ry. has announced the exten­

sion o f its line from Belle Fourche, S. D., to M iles City, Mont., and th at line w ill pass through about 20 m iles of th is coal region. The Chicago, M ilwaukee & St. Paul Ry. is considering g e ttin g its fu el from there also and has already sent one party o f officials to inspect the offered holdings. It is barely possible th at w ith in the next five years five railw ays and the Black H ills indus­

tries w ill get th eir fuel from th is field at a cost o f less than $1 per ton. W hat effect th is w ill have upon the camps o f Red Lodge, Roundup and Sheridan w ith th eir union rate of $8.39 per day rem ains to be seen.

The coal field in general is a plateau gently sloping

Clinker M asses A re Common in th e Region *¡1 A g re a t deal of th e coal n e a r outcro p s in th e R osebud field is bu rn ed back fo r a co n sid erab le d ista n c e ; a n d the te rrito ry . In spots, is fu ll of clin k e r such a s th is s u rfa c e c h u n k n e a r th e en g i­

neer engaged in p la n e ta b le su rv ey in g .

to the northeast and crossed by tw o river valleys, sev­

eral long creeks and num erous gullies, m any o f which have cut through the entire series, thus m aking geo­

logical exam ination easy. The area is characterized by a more rugged topography than the area o f Cretaceous rocks which surround it. The rocks are harder and more p ersisten t; the hills are higher, larger and have steeper sides; the coulees are longer, deeper and have steeper sides. The hard gray and buff sandstones weather out in bold r elief form ing long, high alm ost unscalable cliffs. The higher portions o f the field are called m ountains by the inhabitants but they are m erely remnants o f a form er surface set off by erosion.

Sa n d s t o n e Cl i f f s Fo rm Co n t r a s t

Clinker beds resist erosion better than the other rocks and form fa irly level benches. Many o f th ese terraces are farm ed. A long the larger stream s, erosion has isolated m any clinker-capped buttes and th ese red and green, tree-capped m esas w ith gray and buff sand­

stone cliffs below are a pleasing contrast to the som ber- colored beds outside the coal areas.

The m axim um relief o f the region near Colstrip is 750 ft. ranging from 2,950 ft. above sea level at the creek bottom at the north edge o f the field to a m axi­

mum of 3,700 ft. at the top o f the h ig h est hill near the workings.

Drainage o f the entire Montana area is into the Yellowstone River, either direct or by w ay of Tongue and Powder rivers and Sarpy, Arm ells, Rosebud, and Pumpkin creeks. The steep grade of the drainage courses renders the run-off o f precipitation extrem ely rapid.

Climate o f the area is typical o f the sem i-arid regions lying east of th e Rocky M ountains. Sum m ers are generally hot and dry. The n igh ts are uniform ly cool and a daily range in tem perature o f 65 deg. is common. W inters are only m oderately cold except fo r a few days each w inter w hen tem peratures as low as 50 deg. below zero occur. The average'w in ter tem ­ perature is above zero. W arm spells, during w hich nearly all the snow m elts, occur nearly every m onth o f the winter.

Precipitation averages 14 in. per year, com ing usu­

ally at three periods: F irst, during May and June when abciut 5 in. o f rain fa lls; second, during Septem -