McGr a w- Hi l l Co m p a n y, In c. Ja m e s H . McGr a w, President
E . J . Me h r e n, Vice-President
Devoted to the Operating, Technical and Business
Problems of the Coal-Mining Industry Engineering EditorR. Da w s o n Ha l l
Volume 28 N E W YORK, SE PT E M B E R 10, 1925 Number 11
Island Creek
T
H IS IS T H E ISLA N D C R E EK num ber of Coal A g e. The sto ry of how Island Creek Coal Co. has grow n in technical, physical and economic im portance in th e w orld of coal is presented in th e leading articles of th is issue, not because th a t company is a parago n of coal o p erating v irtu e b u t because it has risen so strongly over fa u lts and handicaps th a t have consigned m any ano th er such o rganization to m ediocrity.
Vision, vigor and the application of keen intelligence have done m uch from 1902 fo rw ard to m ake Island Creek Coal Co. one of th e m ost consistently profitable coal pro p erties in the h isto ry of th e in d u stry . F av o r
able n a tu ra l and labor conditions do not account wholly fo r th is. Method is in p a r t accountable. Coal men everyw here who are reaching out fo r m anagem ent and operating ideas th a t will im prove th e ir own businesses and th u s help in today’s advance of th e coal in d u stry to a h ig h er plane of efficiency will eagerly read th e pages of this issue to learn Island Creek method.
th erefo re, to find such an influential ally as Mr.' Lewis liftin g his voice in p ro test a g a in st renew ing considera
tion of th e p erp etratio n of th a t economic crim e. I t would be m ore encouraging, however, if M r. Lewis was n o t exercising his control over th e coal in d u stry in such a way th a t m any otherw ise sober-m inded citizens are driven to believe th a t w h at he denounces offers them th e ir only relief from his ty ran n y . ,
Mr. Lewis b reathes brave w ords a g a in st regulation, b u t his actions are the stro n g est support of the school he condemns.
No D isagreem ent, but—
A
F E W Y EA R S AGO the conservatives of th e U nited M ine W orkers saved th a t organization fro m th e folly of an out-and-out declaration in fav o r of the n ationalization scheme im ported from R ussia via E n g land by re fe rrin g the question to a special com m ittee fo r fu r th e r study and report. A few days ago th e subject so dear to th e radical dream ers and th e addled- th in k in g “econom ists” whom E llis S earles so aptly dubbed Greenwich Village coal diggers w as again dragged fo rth by energetic new spaper re p o rte rs eager to b rig h te n up a hum drum sto ry of the an th ra cite deadlock.John L. Lew is has been prom pt to disclaim respon
sibility fo r th e resurrection. The stories “reviving discussion of th e th eo ry of nationalization of th e coal in d u stry ,” he states, “do not o rig in ate w ith th e m ine w orkers.” John H ays Hamm ond, declares th e p resi
dent of th e U nited M ine W orkers, m u st b ea r th e onus because th e p hairm an of the U nited S tates Coal Com
m ission “has been h a u n tin g the lawns of W hite Court, p esterin g the P re sid e n t” to abandon the trad itio n al governm ent policy of non-in terferen ce w ith business and establish a sem i-regulation of th e an th ra c ite indus
try . “I t is obvious,” Mr. Lewis sagely rem arks, “th a t an y legislation enacted by Congress dealing w ith an th ra c ite m u st sim ilarly be superim posed upon the bitum inous in d u stry .” Such regulation, M r. Lew is has indicated both publicly and privately, is no t advocated by th e U nited M ine W orkers.
W ith th e fed eral operation of railroads still a vivid m em ory and th e S hipping B oard m ess a con stant rem ind er of w h at happens w hen th e governm ent u n d er
takes to step out of its n a tu ra l sphere, only a m ino rity would fa v o r reg ulatio n of e ith e r b ranch of th e coal in d u stry except as a la st altern ativ e. I t is cheering,
M aintenance and Success
W
H E R E V E R W E F IN D coal p ro perties which stan d out as efficient profit-m aking producers, such as the Island Creek m ines described in th is issue, we invariably soon observe th a t unusually good supei*- vision and care is given the m ining equipm ent. In these days one h ardly need argu e th a t low-cost operation should go hand in hand w ith the use of labor-saving equipment. But, stran g ely enough, although m ost m en adm it th a t th e success of a m ine depends larg ely upon the am ount of equipm ent it uses, they fo rg e t th a t poor m aintenance and careless operation lim its th e usefulness of ap p a ratu s and profit it can make.
I f it is w orth while to invest a larg e am ount of money in a m achine, why isn ’t it also w orth while to in su re its continued operation and success by providing adequate re p a ir facilities?
Breakdowns and delays to haulage system s often tie up production in a section of a m ine em ploying m any men who m ust rem ain idle un til service is restored.
A m ain hoist or power sub station fa ilu re m ay sh u t down a whole m ine fo r a day or more. Only by re g u la r inspection to avoid such accidents and by providing sufficient re p a ir p a rts can a m ine hope to be able to pay its overhead fo r every day it is in operation.
Consumers and th e Safety P roblem
S
UCH A M O D ER A TE U SE of rock d u st as does not invade th e rooms probably will not g re atly affect the sale of coal. The public, however, will view w ith disapproval any dustiness of product w here th e dust does not resem ble fuel and some difficulty m ay be experienced in disposing of th e rib s and stum ps of entries, w here they still re ta in a heavy coating o f rock dust.
However, th is coating could be washed off w ith a hose before shots are fired. W here extensive sp rin k lin g is done and fine coal adheres to th e larg e lum ps th e re ta ile r complains, fo r he finds he has m ore screenings.
The consum ers find th a t th ey have a du sty coal. T hus the public is offering some resistan ce to m odern safety methods.
The coal m ig h t be w ashed down a f te r being prepared.
A fte r all, such a w ashing of the lumps, six o r eig h t inches in diam eter or la rg e r will not add much m oistu re to the coal fo r w hat w a te r is applied will speedily ru n
Island Creek Number
339340 C O A L A G E Vol. 28, No. 11 o ff; b u t w ith th e sm aller sizes, or w ith run-of-m ine it
will re su lt in shortage of weight; th e railro ad w eig ht of coal and w a te r not coinciding w ith th a t of th e dry coal w hen it is received. F o rtu n ately in these cases th e re is less objection to ad hering fine coal and consequently w ashing down fine sizes will not be necessary.
From the C ourthouse Steps
D
AY-BY-DAY SA LES of coal m ining p ro p e rty in sheriffs’ hands d u rin g the sum m er w as not a healthy th in g fo r th e coal industry. The effect th a t th is so rt of th in g is bound to have on ce rtain coal m ark e ts d u ring the n ex t y ea r or so while m arg in s on coal are slim cannot be overlooked. In sections of K entucky sales from courthouse steps have p u t some b arg ain s into the hands of buyers. A p ro p erty valued a t $600,000 sold fo r a m ere $32,000. A nother w hich sold less th an two years ago fo r $250,000 w ent off th e auction block a t exactly one-tenth its value. T here are others. The list is long.
The buyers probably can afford to operate these pro p erties successfully even though th e previous owners w ent broke try in g to do it. The new holders’ invest
m ent is so small th a t th e ir depletion charge, in te re st on bonded indebtedness and o th er capital charges are practically nothing. The advantage th is gives these companies in th e m ark et m ay be enough to completely underm ine nearby m ark ets upon which o ther and m ore regularly financed m ines depend fo r th e ir outlet. T hus the m uch heralded law of the survival of fittest which is supposed to be operative w ith especial effect in the coal indu stry, produces stran g e results.
Score: Y ellow Cab, 6 7 ; Coal, 2 3
M
E N H O N ESTLY s triv in g to overcome n a tu ra l obstacles to efficiency in coal m ining a re irked by the high m arks set up in certain o th er in d u strie s whose problem s are not com parable to coal’s. Take Eugene McAuliffe fo r instance. Mr. McAuliffe stand s a t any ho u r on the curb of alm ost any busy city s tre e t in A m erica and w itnesses the ant-like in d u stry of th e ubiquitous Yellow Cab. I t never seems to q u it work.Mr. McAuliffe ponders. Then, w ith h is custom ary m ental vigor he g ath ers up sta tistic s on th e Yellow Cab, com pares them w ith sta tis tic s of coal m ining, and, in his Union Pacific Coal Covipany E m ployees’ M agazine, deals coal an o th er black eye.
He says th a t John H ertz, th e founder and, fo r 10 years, th e a c tu a tin g s p irit of th e Yellow Cab does w h a t he does in the city stree ts of th e land “by efficient organization expressed in good equipm ent, well m ain tained, and th e re a fte r used. B efore th e recent collapse of the coal m ining in d u stry th e average w orking y ear was 215 days out of 308, or on th e basis of 8 h r. per day, 1,720 h r. p er year. In Chicago th e Yellow Cab Co.
averages 16.2 h r. actual service p er day, every day in th e year, b u t elim inating holidays and assum ing a y ea r of 308 days, its cabs would operate 4,990 hours, or 290 per cent of the average m ine year. N inety p e r cent of th e cabs are alw ays ready fo r service, the peak demand com ing a t 1 :0 0 a.m. Sunday (S atu rd a y n ig h t) ; 70 p e r cent are double sh ifte d ; th e cabs average 50,000 m iles a y ear and la st on an average th re e years.
“ O ur m ines and m ine equipm ent are employed ab ou t 23 per cent of the y ea r (excluding h olidays), while John H ertz’s cabs keep busy 67 p er cent o f th e tim e.
N aturally it is a f a r step fro m coal m ining to w iggling a cab th ro u g h th e stre e ts of New Y ork or Chicago, b u t the H ertz perform ance w as developed in 10 years. The m ining in d u stry is now about 750 years old and efficient m echanization is ju s t coming in, while the w ork y ear has gone back. We w an t m ore of th e Joh n H ertz m ental a ttitu d e in th e coal in d u stry ; such would m ean b e tte r earnings, s a fe r employment, h ap p ier m en and cheaper coal.”
T rue enough. We certain ly do w a n t m ore dauntless m en of m ental keeness in coal. The in d u stry needs th e ir stim ulus, th e m inin g a r t th e ir fresh n ess of vision.
However, M r. McAuliffe surely recognizes th a t severe lim itatio n s which N a tu re h as fixed inflexibly upon underground m ining m akes it essential th a t efficiency of the coal in d u stry be m easured on a different scale from th a t of the Yellow Cab. The cab does not ru n con
tinually in a low and caving tunnel. I ts roadw ays are m aintained fo r it by others. I t can travel w here it pleases. So long as it ru n s a t all its income is up to standard . Can coal do th a t?
Raw-Material States Suffer
I
N A R A W -M A TER IA L country capital seems to d rift alm ost inevitably to th e industries: producing th a t raw m aterial. M an u factu rin g g ets only a passin g consideration, and, consequently, in a s ta te like Pennsyl
vania or W est V irg in ia we see coal and iro n trav e lin g aw ay to be used a t d is ta n t points and th e products of those raw m aterials being b ro u g h t back a f te r having paid tra n sp o rta tio n both ways. T his is n e ith e r econom
ical nor desirable, b u t it seems alm ost inevitable, con
stitu te d as we are.
P a r t of th e overdevelopment of m in eral resources comes from th a t very fact. The genius of th e in h ab i
ta n ts of raw -m aterial s ta te s is directed solely to th a t development. No m a tte r how greviously the in d u stry m ay have suffered or m ay be suffering, somebody is looking fo r an opp ortu nity to open new m ines, usually some im pecunious person who cannot hope to compete because he cannot equip his m ines adequately.
U tah, fo r instance, is suffering ju s t now from th e obsession. I t is said th a t th e sta te is cursed w ith too much coal. In Carbon County everyone has his eye on a coal m ine ra th e r th an on th e one hundred and one oth er possibilities, th a t would make U tah a well-rounded state.
R esting on only two or th ree in du stries, all based on raw -m aterial production, any com m unity has an ex
trem ely u ncertain existence. W hen th e p a rtic u la r raw m aterials are not w anted, business is dull to u tte r s ta g nation. No o ther place of employm ent or investm ent is open, ahd the tow ns w aste away. Even th e railroads, having noth in g to haul, lay off men or give them sh o rt time.
Diversified in d u stry is needed as much as diversified farm in g. We rebuke the cotton fa rm e r fo r hauling in oats, wheat, corn and hay th a t he could grow on his own acres. We chide him fo r excessive anx iety to in
crease his cotton acreage in th e face of th e w eakness of th e cotton m arket, bu t the coal in d u stry is no b etter.
I t develops f a r too m any p ro perties th a t should rem ain untouched. L et capital go into coal m ining w ithout lim it, so f a r as it increases efficiency, b u t let i t n o t be w asted in cheap, inefficient equipm ent th a t gluts th e m arket while not low ering th e cost. And above all, let it v isit no m ore g rie f upon regions already ovc, developed.
Island Creek Number
Se p t e m b e r 10, 1925 C O A L A G E 341
V
Would You Increase Tonnage and Reduce Costs?
Island Creek Has Done It
C areful D iv isio n o f A rea A m o n g M in e s o f L a rg e but N o t P h en o m en a l S iz e — M ore In s p e c tio n and L e s s R epair — N o S u b stitu tio n of C oals— T o w n s to A ttr a c t M ore D esira b le M en — H o u s e s, M in es and O ffices E a s y o f A c c e ss
By R. Dawson Hall
E n g i n e e r i n g - E d i t o r , C o a l A g e , N e w Y o r k C ity
N
OT W ITH O U T some basically correct principles of m anagem ent and operation could the Island Creek Coal Co. of Logan County, W est V irginia, have arriv ed a t its presen t large production. Its m ines will possibly produce th is y ea r m ore coal th a n those of any independent bitum inous coal company. T here m ust be some reason fo r th is rap id rise to leadership, and it will be my endeavor to set down th e cause of th e g row th of th is company since 1902, w hen it s ta rte d m ining on a small scale a t Holden in the h e a rt of Logan County.One of its prim e principles relates to selling. I t sells direct to th e consum er, and it confines its business to its own coal. In consequence, it is not subjected to th e loss of re p u ta tio n w hich a producer of a good product inevitably su stain s w hen some other coal is su b stitu ted fo r its own. All its business is done w ith coal th a t it knows is good and dependable, from beds th a t it is su re are clean, m ined by men under its own supervision, carefully p rep ared and picked on its own tipples. As a good re p u ta tio n is th e basis of all success
fu l business, it is not well to have o ther persons su b sti
tu te in fe rio r coal fo r a stan d ard product no r is it advisable to do as is th e practice of some operators, to ship fuels of o ther companies and from o ther m ines and seam s in place of th e ir own. In short, th e Island Creek Coal Co. does n o t itself su b stitu te n o r give o th ers an op po rtu n ity to do so.
T he tipple f»nd slope a t N o. 1 m in e a re show n in th e headpiece.
T h e g a lle ry th e slope s h e lte r a b e lt co nveyor 285 ft. long:.
An op eratin g principle th a t the Island Creek Coal Co. has adopted to its g re a t advantage has been to divide up its field in carefully planned areas so as to m inim ize haulage, electrification and v en tilatin g costs.
Each m ine has its predeterm ined area and each area is of a size app ro p riate to the physical conditions. The division of the whole field h as been m ade easy by th e m any n arro w valleys w hich give read y access to every coal section, though in some of them th e Island Creek seam does not outcrop.
The Island Creek Coal Co. is not seeking to m ake big records fo r single m ines. I t is w illing to leave th a t honor to oth er operators. L arg e gross tonnage from a suitable num ber of m ines a t a correct m inin g and tra n s porting cost m ay n o t m ake headlines b u t seems more likely to, and actually does, produce dividends, cer
tain ly under Logan C ounty conditions. Do not believe, however, th a t th e company fav ors th e operation of small m ines in larg e num bers. Its la rg e st m ine is now producing 65,000 tons a m onth, and its new est operations, Nos. 20 and 21, are designed fo r a m ax i
mum daily ou tp u t of 4,000 tons, quite a sizeable p ro duction even in these p re sen t days. In fact, w hereas in 1923 th e Island Creek Coal Co. produced 3.1 m illion tons of coal from nineteen m ines in th e Island Creek seam, in 1924 i t had concentrated its activ ities to twelve m ines and yet produced n early 5 m illion tons.
It found th a t th e efficiency in operation w as co rre
spondingly g re a te r, and a t p re sen t it is m in ing a t the ra te of over 6 m illion tons w ith g re a te r ease and a
342 C O A L A G E Vol. 28, No. 11 lower cost per ton th an before. So th e Island Creek
company is an exponent of the value of th e slogan
" B e tte r and few er m ines.”
B u t such a practice of enlargem ent, of operations reaches a lim it, and th e m anagem ent of th e Island Creek m ines believes th a t a 4,000-ton-per-day m ine is p referab le fo r favorable conditions such as th eirs. By keeping th e size of its plants w ith in lim its such as these, i t can avoid long hauls and sim plify its ven tila
tion problems.
T raveling from m ine to m ine one is im pressed w ith th e fa c t th a t the Island Creek Coal Co. is a believer in m odernization and believes in it not alone in the re stric te d sense th a t when it s ta r ts a new m ine it should m ake it th e last w ord in m ine construction. S h a fts Nos. 20 and 21 a re probably th e m ost in te re stin g installations of th e company, and they are new, b u t all th e plants are m odern because they have been diligently modernized. A long series of reconstru ction jobs have m ade available every new form of production help.
Old tipples have been replaced by new, and r ig h t now two new tipples are being b u ilt to do the w ork m ore inexpensively and m ore effectively th a n those they replaced.
W hen th e slopes a t several of the m ines w ere first driven they w ere tim bered, b u t coal dust tended to collect on the collars and th e m anagem ent fe ared th a t th is d u st would create an explosion hazard. In conse
quence th e slopes have 'been lined w ith concrete.
U nderground equipm ent is constantly being replaced and supplem ented. N otable changes of th is kind have been th e recent installation of about 2,000 low-type steel m ine cars equipped, like every car on th e job, w ith roller bearings. The use of electric coal drills is an o th er evidence th a t th e Island Creek company is not behind-hand in its m odernization program . These are only a few of th e ways in which th is com pany has brou g h t its operations a b reast of th e tim es.
And we have here by no m eans a company w ith ou t a past. I t has had tim e and plenty of opportunity to grow m oss-backed and tim e-w orn b u t it lacked th e disposition.
Since 1902 when ox team s laboriously hauled equip
m ent over th e m ountains a distance of eig h t miles from
Fig. 1—Production Curve of Island Creek Coal Co.
T h e s a g in th e cu rv e betw een 19X6 a n d 1920 m a rk s th e p eriod during: th e w a r a n d s h o rtly th e r e a f te r w hen lab o r w a s sc a rc e an d c a r su p p ly lim ited. T he s tr a ig h t line betw een 1921 a n d 1923 m a rk s th e p eriod d u rin g w h ich m a rk e ts w ere b ein g re a d ju s te d . T he ra p id a s c e n t b etw een 1923 a n d th e p re s e n t d a y sh ow s how th e la s t re a d ju s tm e n t of th e m a rk e t h a s in cre as ed th e p ro d u ctio n of th is com pany. A t th e b eg in n in g of 1923 th e com pany h a d n in ete en m in es in o p e ra tio n ; d u rin g 1924 a n d 1925 only tw elve h a v e been o p e ra tin g a n d y e t the p ro d u ctio n h a s been g ro w in g ra p id ly . T h is s h a r p ris e is a s trik in g ex am p le of w h a t m o d ern
izatio n w ill do. , -y . .
Fig. 2—Out from the Cool of the Mine Into the Summer Sun
L oaded trip lea v in g No. 18 m ine. T h e tr a in c o n sists of tw e n ty low -type m in e c a rs of 21-ton c a p a c ity h a u le d by a 15-ton locom o
tive. The sea m a t th is m in e lies 189 ft. above th e level of the ra ilro a d tra c k a t th e tipple. One of th e few m in es of th e com p an y w here th e c a r s com e to th e su rfa ce .
th e village of D ingness, W. Va., on th e N orfolk and W estern R.R. g re a t changes have taken place. A t th a t tim e a saw-mill was constructed which cut down th e m erchantable tim b er. I t continued its operations till 1919. As one looks a t th e hills one hard ly realizes th a t th e w ork of lum bering is completed. They are still verdure-clad and as picturesque as ever.
The company gradu ally acquired a larg e acreage and opened new m ines, its g ro w th being slow because of lack of ra ilro a d facilities, though by 1910 it h ad sfeven m ines and an ou tp u t exceeding H m illion tons yearly.
A t th e close of th is p re sen t y ea r th e company will have m ined alto g eth er fro m all its nineteen m ines, p a st and present, over 44 m illion tons.
A t present, th e com pany has in fee sim ple 27,000 acres of coal land, all in one larg e tra c t. I t is estim ated th a t under th is p ro p erty are about 215 m illion tons of coal in th e Island Creek seam, 82 m illion ton s of coal in th e D rap er seam and 60 m illion tons in th e E agle seam. To date m ining has been confined en tirely to th e first-nam ed bed.
A liberal policy w ith re g a rd to labor has been ch ar
acte ristic of th e Island Creek Coal Co. I t h as recog
nized th a t any company, th a t would expand, m ust have villages and living conditions th a t would a ttr a c t the b e tte r kind of labor. Only trouble can be expected if th e towns in w hich th e m en are housed a re of th e kind th a t men of orderly h ab its and h ig h ideals shun. The Island Creek villages have not only scenic beauty b u t com fort and neatness. The m an who lives in them can say “good-bye” to th e pioneering life w ith its hardships.
W ith no less th a n 290 actual w orking days in th e y e a r; 'w ith a system of te n schools w hich have the hig hest ra tin g in Logan County, th e funds of which are augm ented by th e company, so th a t th ey ru n nine instead of eig h t m on th s; in an alm ost u rb a n com
m u n ity com prising 10,000 persons, all of whom dwell in and around Holden (a com m unity fo r th e w elfare of w hich th e company holds itself responsible) w ith good w a te r supplied by fo u r w a te r filtratio n plants of a com
bined capacity of 324,000 gal. in 8 hr. th e employee of th e Island Creek Coal Co. rig h tly feels he has ideal conditions. The b est m en and the la rg e st supply of m en can be obtained by an o perating policy such as this.
R everting to th e filtration p lants it m ay be said th a t
Island Creek Number
■Graded road
M in e No.19
Mine No. 17 Graded road■
'Verdun^i
End o f '
\corcrete road ^ 'M anLs
^l'sroïBvii
, Iard IS. i 3-6 [CREEK \
COAL V , 'a v i s
«Sly.
P r i c e B of+om o f P ig e o n Cr,
Concrete N rood
O u tcro p o f / s t a n d Creek ( /ft
s e a m--- M i n e N o . II '•
^rndn s
U p p e r Vvhi+man
M in e N o .14 /iiurT tville
'Power!me
Mine M o n a v ille
‘No. 12 M in e No. 20
ÏÜT1L1TIES
¡‘COAL <
C0RR-<* / '-Concrete ro a d ' Outcrop o f
Is la n d Creek seam ,'M icc o
Se p t e m b e r 10, 1925 C O A L A G E 343
Fig. 3 — Map Show ing H oldings, M ines, V illages and Pow er Lines o f the Island Creek Coal Co.
T h e o u tcro p p in g a r e a s on th e r ig h t in able a n d , econom ical. W h ere th e c ro p w o rk ed out. B u t In d eep -ly in g fields, th e tim e w ill give p lace to th e d e ep e r m in e s on div id es a coal field in to sm a ll a re a s , It is c o st of s in k in g slopes o r s h a f ts a n d th e ex- the left. T hese m in e s h a v e been a p p o r- u seless to sp en d m oney in p ro v id in g a h u g e p e n d itu re fo r c onveyors o r h o ists m ak e it tioued la r g e r a r e a s b ecause, w h e re th e co al o u tp u t w h ich could only be a tta in e d b y th e -p ro fita b le to p u t in fe w er p la n ts a n d th sse is deep, few er a n d la r g e r m ines a r e d e s lr- tim e th e a r e a re a d ily a v a ila b le w a s a b o u t o f la rg e cap acity .
th e la rg e st is a t Holden. I t has a capacity of 200,000 gal. in 8 hr., th e w a te r being pum ped from th e R ig h t F o rk of th e M ain Island Creek. The w a te r is tre a te d by th e use of chlorine,- soda ash and alum and th en filtered and piped to th e houses. F ire plugs are dis-^
trib u te d as needed to g u ard a g a in s t fire, aided by a fire tru c k which gives a p re ssu re of 350 lb. p er squ are inch. T he tow n of Holden also is provided w ith fire- alarm boxes.
In all th e villages some m eans of sewage disposal has been provided. W herever th e p ractice is convenient and safe, th e sewage is discharged into th e creek.
In other places it is piped to septic tanks. In Holden th e stre e ts a re paved and in lesser com m unities h ard
roads or th e ir equivalent have been provided. Side
walks have been laid w here needed and s tre e t lights are everywhere installed. All lots are fenced.
To m ake possible th e quick delivery of lig h te r m ate
rials from storehouse to m ine, to aid officials and doctors in m aking th e ir rounds, to accommodate its m ine w orkers and to prevent th e tra c k in g of d irt into th e ir houses as well as to benefit th e county a t large, th e company, in 1923 and 1924, g rad ed and constructed ten miles of 16-ft. concrete roads a t a cost of $675,000.
W ithout good roads th e m ines, even th ou gh reaso n
ably close to one another, are n o t read ily accessible fo r th e v isits of officials, especially in ra in y w eather.
How near the m ines are to each o th er can be judged
Island Creek Number
C O A L A G E V o l. 28, No. 11
Fig. 4—Rock Dusting in No. 20 Shaft Mine
T h e I s l a n d C r e e k C o a l C o. i s n o t p a s s i n g lip a n y t h i n g n e w w h i c h is l i k e l y t o m a k e i t s m i n e s m o r e s a f e . L a t e l y i t h a s g o n e t o r o c k d u s t i n g . I t is n o w r o c k d u s t i n g t h e h a u l a g e e n t r i e s in i t s s h a f t m i n e s a n d w i l l e x t e n d t h i s a c t i v i t y t o a l l o f i t s o p e r a t i n g m in e s . I t w i l l f u r t h e r g u a r d a g a i n s t c o a l - d u s t e x p l o s i o n s b y e r e c t i n g r o c k - d u s t b a r r i e r s a t t h e n e c k s o f r o o m p a n e l s . H e r e is s h o w n a c e m e n t g u n b e i n g u t i l i z e d f o r d i s t r i b u t i n g r o c k d u s t .
from the general layout map of the p ro p e rty (F ig . 3 ).
W ith good roads, frequ ent, even daily, v isits by the general m anager and his operatin g and en gineer
ing assista n ts are possible. R ad iatin g from Holden and leaving the m ain th o ro u g h fa re between th a t town and Logan, th e county seat, are a num ber of branch roads which reduce to a m inim um th e distance by autom obile from any settlem ent on the p ro p erty to e ith e r of these towns. Most of the m iners employed by th e Island Creek Coal Co. own autom obiles, so th a t they m ay enjoy the activities of th e la rg e r towns.
R epair men from th e m echanical and electrical departm ents m aking head q u arters a t Holden all travel to and from th e ir work in autom obiles, th e roads having made feasible th e erection of a larg e central shops building w here re p airs can be m ade uniform ly u nd er the w atchful eyes of the departm ents. Speedy tr a n s p o rtatio n of supplies by tru ck s has enabled th e com
pany to operate efficiently w ith only a small stock of re p a ir p a rts a t any one mine.
Like all successful companies th e Island Creek Coal Co. lays m ore stress on inspection th an on re p air. W ith any o ther plan th ere can be no continuity of operation.
And fo r th a t inspection th e company vests the au th o r
ity in th e equipm ent-m aintenance departm en t and not in th e m ine officials. L et us consider a few examples of th e way in w hich th is plan functions.
As f a r as condition is concerned, th ere is no dif-
Fig. 5—Air Drill Breaking Roof for Overcast
D ire ctly o v er th e coal seam in th ese m in es is a bed o f h a r d m assiv e s la te w hich is b ro k en only w ith th e g r e a te s t difficulty.
C on seq u en tly fo r th e b u ild in g of o v e rc a sts a p o rtab le c o m p re sso r is h a u le d to th e Job a n d th ere b y a difficult t a s k is m ad e co m p a ra tiv e ly easy .
ference a t the Island Creek m ines betw een an old and a new m achine. As a result, cu ttin g crews are not anxious to g et a m achine newly a rriv ed from th e fa c
to ry and are no t allowed to m ake such a choice, fo r .there is no difference in o p erating efficiency between it and any o th er m achine. F req u e n t inspections and prom pt atten tio n to defects keep equipm ent up to stan d ard, and the cu ttin g operations are closely w atched by the equipm ent-m aintenance departm ent, th e cuts th em selves being inspected to asc ertain w hether th e m achine ru n n e r has been using dull bits.
The electrician a t each m ine thoroughly inspects every cu ttin g m achine on th e job a t least once a week, th e inspection being m ade in th e m otor b arn w here facilities are provided fo r th e m aking of all neces
sary ad ju stm en ts. In addition, th e m achine ru n n e r inspects and ad ju sts th e m achine daily and each day m akes out a daily re p o rt w ith a copy as to th e condi
tion of th e m achine. These he h an ds to the n ig h t boss, who in tu rn passes the re p o rt to th e m ine elec
tric ia n and gives th e copy to th e m ine su perintendent.
I f th e m achine needs re p a ir it is taken im m ediately
Fig. 6—Automobile Truck Disposes of Mine Refuse
W h a t little m in e re fu s e is b ro u g h t to th e ou tsid e fro m th e in te rio r of th e Is la n d C reek C oal Co. m in es is h a u le d a w a y in auto m o b ile tru ck s, in tro d u c in g a novel use fo r th is ty p e of vehicle a t th e m ines. T ills schem e is th e le a s t co m n licatcd an d th e m o st econom ical fo r the d isp o sal of sm all q u a n titie s of rock w hich a re d um ped o v er th e b a n k s of th e ro ad s.
to th e m otor barn . E lectric coal drills are stored d u r
ing th e off-shifts in th e sam e place, w here th ey are inspected each day and th e necessary re p a irs made.
Only once, and only a t one m ine, in a period of twelve y ears d u rin g w hich m any m ines have been oper
atin g, has a day been lost by reason of fa n trouble.
This co ntin u ity of fa n operation can be a ttrib u te d solely to the care w ith w hich th e fa n s a re inspected fo r defects and th e prom ptness w ith which any fa u lt is corrected. Each fa n is inspected once a week by th e a lte rn a tin g -c u rre n t electrical departm ent.
■Coal A g e has alread y outlined th e scheme of tipple inspection which provides com parative freedom from breakdow ns of tipple equipm ent. F o r full details the re ad er is re fe rre d to th e May 7 issue, p. 678.
The au th o rity of the m ine su p erin ten d en t or m ine forem an does n o t extend to th e m ine electrician. The la tte r rep o rts to th e head of th e d irec t-cu rren t electrical d ep artm en t by whom all of his orders a re given.
The com pany in sists th a t all room s and en trie s be driven uniform ly wide and s tra ig h t and in adherence to
Island Creek Number
Se p t e m b e r 1 0, 1 9 2 5 C O A L A G E 345 its stan d ard plan of m ining. The w ork of every
eighteen or tw enty loaders is directed by a s tra w boss.
As the room s and headings advance, center lines are painted on th e roof, th e lines being extended by a center boss and helper w ith each advance of one cut. S u r
veying corps re p o rt the finding of all off-center places to the su perintend ent and th e general superintendent.
A m ine inspector is employed; he re p o rts directly, and only, to the general superintendent, who prom ptly acts upon the inspector’s suggestions.
The Island Creek Coal Co. prep ares its coal w ith g re a t care, as is instanced by the fa c t th a t it requires th a t each ra ilro a d car shall be carefully swept before it is loaded. I t is anxious to m ain tain the appearance as well as th e quality of its coal, and any lump which has a lu ster in fe rio r to th a t of the bulk of th e coal 'is rejected, even though its analysis m ay m easure up to th a t of th e average. A t th e Island Creek m ines all th e coal is screened, even th e run-of-m ine, because only by screening is i t possible to pick out the im p urities in th e coal of la rg e r size. W hen run-of-m ine is shipped it is m ade up of the assem bling of the sizes a f te r th e im purities have been removed on the picking table.
r
Fig. 7—How Island Creek Builds Roads
W ith o u t e a s y c o m m u n icatio n n o b u sin ess c an be c onducted pro fitab ly . A p rim a ry n e e d of efficiency is good ro a d s. H ow m an y co m p an ies n e v er ach iev e success b e ca u se th e y f a ll to p ro vide ro a d fa c ilitie s an d becom e b u rie d in th e r u ts a n d m ud holes th a t in ev itab ly fo rm in d ir t ro a d s? Is la n d C reek h a s sp e n t 5675,000 In h ig h w a y s like th is.
Though it is a fa c t th a t the Island Creek m ines have had a good record fo r safety, th e company is m aking a concerted effort to increase the safety of its w orkers.
I t is actin g as f a r as it can th ro u g h its employees in the work it is doing in and about th e m ines and th ro u g h o u t the property. T h a t p a r t of the program of safety in which the employees have not, as yet, con
cerned them selves is shouldered by th e company. B ut by continual education, example and tra in in g the com
pany is extending th e control of employees in the safety cam paign.
P erh a p s th e stro n g est link in the chain of safety a t these m ines is th e safety clubs. M ention of th e ir m ethod of fu nction in g was m ade on p. 873 of th e Ju ne 11 issue of th is m agazine. A few additional rem arks relative to th e ir purpose and practice are appropriate a t th is point. The safety clubs w ere organized, as indicated by an excerpt from th e rules and reg ulatio ns governing them , “to protect th e employees of th e Island Creek Coal Co', from accidents in and around the m ines and to prom ote a system of first-aid tra in in g th a t will
Fig. 8—Even the Railroad Is Attractive at Holden
B y lay in g a sid ew alk an d e re c tin g a n Iron fence on e ith e r side of the ra ilro a d tra c k s th is th o ro u g h fa re fo r tra v e l on foot h a s been m ad e sa fe. T he scene is en h an ced in b e a u ty b y th e hedges a n d trees.
enable the employees to look properly a f te r the health and com fort of th e ir fellow w orkers.”
Obviously it is an organization of employees, over which th e company assum es no control. Each m ine has its own club presided over by the sup erin ten d en t as president and th e m ine forem an as vice-president.
M eetings are held every two weeks by th e several d u b s to discuss accidents and m eans to p reven t them.
F ailu re of any employee to atten d a t least one m eeting a month subjects him to a fine. Any employee who violates the company rules or sta te m ining laws is fined 50c. fo r each such act by the club and is fu r th e r open to prosecution by law.
S afety police are elected by th e club fo r one m onth.
T h eir duty is to detect unsafe practices. They present th eir cases a t the m eetings of th e club, and th e m em bers collectively pass judgm ent. So wide fiung is the au th o rity of th is club th a t if an employee is caught speeding his autom obile on th e pro p erty he is convicted fo r that, act by h is associates.
Every m an on th e payroll has received a 15-hr. course in first-aid tra in in g given by th e U. S. B ureau of Mines.
In addition a first-aid team of six men is m aintained, and at least ten men have been tra in e d in m ine-rescue work a t each mine.
A nother company w ith the same executive officers and many of the same d irecto rs is th e Pond Creek Pocahontas Co. which owns th e e n tire stock of the
Fig. 9—Experienced Man Watches Center Lines
The m an a g e m e n t does n ot re ly upon a m ine boss to keep places pro p erly cen tere d . I t em ploys c en ter bosses w hose job it is to ex ten d th e lines by s ig h tin g fro m one plum b-bob cord to an o th e r, ail of w hicli a r e su sp en d e d from ro o f sp a d s a t s ta tio n s definitely estab lish ed by th e su rv e y in g corps. In th e illu s tra tio n th e c e n te r boss is h o ld in g u p th e s a fe ty lam p m erely to lig h t u p th e cords.
A h elp er w ho s ta n d s a t th e o th er end of th e line a s s is ts him in a sc e rta in in g directio n s.
Island Creek Number
346 C O A L A G E V o l. 28, No. 11
Headed for Market
T h is Is th e d a y ’s o u tp u t fro m Isla n d C reek M ine 17 h a lte d fo r p u r poses of p h o to g ra p h y only a n d not becau se th is b u ll of a n e ngine is sta lle d . T he p ro d u ctio n of th e 12 Is la n d C reek m in es in L o g an C ounty, W . Va.
h a s been m o u n tin g s te a d ily since th e co m p an y m ad e its 85,000-ton s t a r t i r 1902, u n til th is y e a r it is ex p ected th a t th o to ta l fro m th e 12 w ill r e a c h 6,000,000 to n s.
Fig. 10—Score Board Where Naughts Are Popular
H ere a re listed the n am es of th e a s s is ta n t m in e fo rem en a n d th e n u m b er of a cc id e n ts in No. 1 m ine djiy b y d a y in th e sectio n s o v er w hich th e y h a v e co n tro l. O pposite each n a m e a re tw o lines o r sq u ares. In th e u p p e r a r e listed m in o r a c c id e n ts a n d in th e low er, th o se t h a t a r e serious.
B y-Products P ocahontas Co., its coal being sold by th e Island Creek Coal Co. The Island Creek and Pond Creek Pocahontas coals are of a different character, the fo rm e r having m ore volatile m a tte r th a n th e latter.
The B artley sh a ft a t th e Pond Creek Pocahontas Co.
is only s ta rtin g operations b u t is expected to produce 400,000 tons d u rin g the c u rre n t year.
Another Case Where Roads Pay Dividends
F ire tru c k a n d m en a t H olden. I t is good p ra c tic e to ho u se the fire tru c k close to th e sh o p s a n d to pick a c rew of fire fig h te rs fro m the m en w ho w o rk th ere. W ith th is a rra n g e m e n t no tim e is lo st in g e ttin g to th e fire. T h is a p p a r a tu s develops a w a te r p re ssu re of 325 lb. p e r sq u a re inch.
Charity For “Unsafe” Men
S u ch a scene a s th is is e n ac te d ev ery p a y d a y a t a lm o st a n y m ine offlce. T h ese u n fo rtu n a te s a r e v ictim s of m ine a cc id e n ts re su ltin g fro m th e c are le ss n es s of th em selv es o r o th ers. M ost of th e m in e rs, a s th ey file fro m th e cage, p a y envelope in h an d , c o n trib u te to the crip p les w a itin g in line o u tsid e o f th e door.
Fig. 11—Holden “Club” Is Well Worthy of Name
A c h ee rfu l, re s tfu l s p ir it p e rv ad e s th is club house. Such places a re b u ilt n o t so m u ch of lu m b e r a n d sto n e a s of h u m a n lives, a n d th e H olden b u ild in g h a s n o t o n ly good s tr u c tu r a l m a te ria l b u t good h u m a n m a te ria l also, to m ak e th e club a re a l hom e. T h e H o ld e n ite s a r e q u ite p ro u d o f th is b u ilding.
B y-Products Pocahontas Co. will ship about 225,000 to 250,000 tons th is year, so th a t th e tw o p ro p erties will provide a tonnage of fro m 625,000 to 650,000 tons, which will b rin g th e production of th e e n tire ag g reg a
tion of companies up alm ost to 7 million tons. When complete the yearly tonnage of the two Pocahontas com
panies will be over a m illion tons a year.
Island Creek Number
Se p t e m b e r 10, 1925 C O A L A G E 347
“ System W ithout Red T ape” Keeps Costs Down
R ig id , R eg u la r In sp e c tio n and R eports P o in t O ut th e
“S titc h in T im e ”— C entral M eterin g C uts P o w e r B ills — S ta n d a rd iza tio n H o ld s R epair S tock s L o w but A m p le
By J. H. Edwards
A sso ciate E d ito r, Coal A ge H u n tin g to n , W . Va.
A T A GROUP OF M IN E S so completely electrified Z A as th a t of th e Island Creek Coal Co. of Holden,
-*» W. Va., th e w ork of installing, supervising, and m ain tain in g electrical and m echanical equipm ent holds an im p o rtan t place am ong facto rs essential to low-cost production. The use of equipm ent b est adapted to th e conditions, and the p roper m aintenance of th a t equip
m ent are im p ortant, no t only because of th e direct re la
tion to operating cost, b u t also because, indirectly, they help to increase coal production.
The group consists of twelve o perating m ines— five d rift, five slope, and tw o sh a ft— all in th e Island Creek seam. The coal which is a hig h g ra d e bitum inous of h ard character, averages about 76 in. in thickness and contains a p a rtin g of 1 in. to 2 in. of slate. Generally speaking th e bottom and top a re good and th e re is a com paratively sm all am ount of w a te r to be pum ped from th e m ines. V ery little gas is encountered, open lights being used even in th e two s h a ft operations.
The seam lies practically horizontal, and th e re a re no n a tu ra l g rades of sufficient steepness to lim it in any way the use of electric locomotives fo r g a th e rin g and hauling.
All coal is undercut w ith electric m achines, loaded by hand into 2 A-ton m ine cars, and g ath ered by cable-reel locomotives. E xcepting th e hand loading, th e m ines are completely electrified fo r hoisting, fo r driving pum ps and fo r ventilating.
The m ost outlying m ine of th e group is only 4 miles by good road from o p eratin g h ead q u arters a t Holden where the w arehouse, and re p a ir shop a re located, and 5 miles from th e point of central m eterin g of power.
T his power is purchased a t 6,600 volts from the Kentucky-W est V irg in ia P ow er Co. and tra n sm itte d a t th a t voltage to th e various m ines over pole lines owned and operated by th e coal company. T here is a to tal of 18 miles of th is line in use.
T he h ead p iece sh ow s th e to p w o rk s o f M ine 21, one o f th e tw o Is la n d C reek s h a f t m ines. I t w a s com pleted in 1923 a n d m ay a tta in a d a lly p ro d u c tio n of 4,000 tons. A t th e le ft is sh o w n a n in sp e cto r e x a m in in g a n e le ctric d rill w hich h a s been le ft by the o p e ra to r in su ch a p o sitio n t h a t one m an c an give it a te s t w ith o u t aid. A t th e r ig h t H . L. B ra d sh a w , ch ief e le c tric ia n o f th e a lt e r n a t ing c u rre n t d e p a rtm e n t checks th e v o lta g e a t a m ine s u b s ta tio n .
In order to provide fu r th e r in sig h t into th e general conditions, a few figures on power consum ption and production are given in Table I. The k ilow att-hour data includes all power used not excepting th a t fo r house lig h tin g and o th er outside-of-m ine purposes.
Table I—Relation of Electrical Energy and Tonnage at Island Creek Mines
Period K w .-H r. T o n s M ined K w .-H r. p e r T on
All of 1924... 16,300,000 5,000,000 3 .2 6 O ct., 1924... 1,460,000 520,000 2.81 F ir s t 5 m o n th s of 1925... 7,100,000 2,300,000 3 .0 8 A verage for 21 m ines of ov er 10,000 to n s p e r m o n th cap acity ,
all 100 p e r c e n t electrified a n d in th e sam e g en eral te rrito ry
as th e Island C reek m in e s... 4 .6 6 H ig h est of th e a b o v e... 7.91 Low est of th e a b o v e ... 2.3 6
H ere it m ay be well to explain th a t company houses are provided fo r practically all employees. I t will be noted th a t the kilow att-hour-per-ton figures in th e table are considerably less fo r th e Island Creek m ines th an is the average fo r a num ber of o ther W est V irg in ia m ines of about th e sam e capacities.
The Island Creek m ines v ary in capacity from 1,000 to 2,700 tons p er day, and th e total consecutive daily production is approxim ately 22,000 tons. T his la tte r figure divided by 3,890 (th e m axim um average 5-min.
dem and) gives 5.65 tons p er day p er kilow att. A s a com parison, a 2,200-ton m ine in th e same coal field g ets only 3.255 tons per day per k ilow att of 5-min. demand.
T his indicates th e advantage th a t a group of m ines such as th e Island Creek pro p erties g ains by central m etering of purchased power.
F o r a company which has been op eratin g and develop
ing m ines fo r over tw en ty years, th e equipm ent of th e Island Creek is highly standardized. The d esirab ility fo r stan d ard izatio n is given im p o rtan t consideration w henever an y th in g new is to be purchased, b u t m u st n atu ra lly tak e second place when im provem ents a re offered which a re of d istin c t advantage.
On th e outside equipm ent, a lte rn a tin g -c u rre n t m otors are used exclusively, these being of a few stan d ard sizes, so th a t a small stock of bearin g s gives protection a g a in s t th e only trouble common w ith th is type. The d irect-
Island Creek Number
348 C O A L A G E Vol. 28, No. 11 A ssum ing th a t all locomotives and m ining m achines are in use each day, the efficiency m easure is 1,100 tons per haulage locomotive, 256 tons per g ath erin g locomotive, and 286 tons p er m ining m achine. Roughly 10 per cent of these locomotives and m achines are not in use but are serving as spares. T his m akes the actual tonnage per w orking u n it h ig h er th a n the figures here given. None of th e equipm ent is double-shifted.
The length of th e s h ift is 8 h r.
In order to g et large tonnages the Island Creek com
pany keeps on h and a complete supply of re p a ir p a rts so th a t only in unusual instances is it necessary to shu t down a piece of m achinery to aw ait th e shipm ent of re p air p a rts from th e factory. Table II lists the totals of the five principal classes of re p a ir p a rts kept in stock in the central w arehouse.
The value of stock on h and a t the w arehouse is Orderly Storage of Wheels, Axles and Tires Is Noticeable
Around All Island Creek Mines
c u rre n t substations, which in every case are located out
side of the mines, are equipped w ith synchronous converters of 200- and 300-kw. sizes and of two makes.
T he stan d ard d irect-cu rren t voltage is 250; however, fo u r of the older m ines are still using 500-volt pressure.
Squirrel-cage m otors of both th e one-speed and two- speed types are used fo r driving the m ine fans. No synchronous m otors are in use, yet the power fa cto r a t the central m etering point averages 80 per cent. In asm uch as th e re is no power fa cto r clause in th e ra te schedule th ere is no need fo r correction.
Table II—Repair Parts of the Five Principal Classes Kept in Stock at the Central Warehouse
F o r m ining m ach in es... $26,036 F o r locom otives... 36,654 F o r tip p le s ... 11,813 F o r p u m p s ... 4,763 F o r chills... 3,346 T o t a l... $82,612
§82,612. A dding $15,000 w hich it is estim ated will cover th e small re p a ir p a rts kept in stock by electricians a t th e twelve mines, m akes a g ra n d total of $97,612 invested in re p a ir p a rts exclusive of arm a tu re s and other item s which circulate back and fo rth between th e m ines and the re p a ir shop. T his figure divided by
Gatherers in Mine 12
A t th e b o tto m is show n a 6-ton c ab le-reel locom otive o f the ty p e com m only u sed fo r th is serv ice in Is la n d C reek m ines. T his m ach in e u n d erg o es th e m o st rig id in sp ec
tio n s p erio d ica lly w hich is one of th e r e a so n s w h y Is la n d C reek h a u la g e difficulties do n o t include m a n y locom otive break d o w n s.
Such c a re fu l inspection u s u a lly rev eals m ec h an ic al w e ak n e sses b efo re th e y c au se tro u b le. Also, th e sy s te m of m an a g e m e n t a t th ese m ines c alls fo r in te llig e n t tre a tm e n t of eq u ip m en t by o p e ra to rs . I f inspection sh ow s a m o to r h a s received u n n e ce ssa ry ab u se, so m e th in g is done to c o rre c t care le ss h a n d lin g before it becom es h a b itu a l.
E ac h m an is given som e p e rso n al re sp o n si
b ility fo r h is ow n m otor, how ever. H e is ex p ected to re p a ir c o n tro llers a n d keep b ra k e s a d ju s te d . A t th e u p p e r r ig h t is a th irte e n -y e a r-o ld locom otive, fre s h fro m th e shojw, w h ich is s till g iv in g good service.
Island Creek Number
Se p t e m b e r 10, 1925 C O A L A G E
Group Storage of Supplies and Orderly Handling of Them Cuts Down Costs
A t th e le ft is th e su p p ly b u ild in g fo r on th e o u tsid e a t a p o in t h a lfw a y betw een tim e in g e ttin g su p p lies from th e c e n tra l M ines 11 a n d 12. T h ese m ines a r e close th e tw o. w areh o u se, th e m ine e le c tric ia n s keep a t the to g eth e r, so. in ste a d o f c a rry in g a se t of A t th e r ig h t is a n in te rio r c o rn er o f th e re sp ectiv e m ines a sm all su p p ly o f such su p p lies in sid e e ac h m ine, one s e t is k e p t su p p ly b u ilding. In o rd e r to avoid loss of p a r ts a s a re needed freq u e n tly .
22,000— the daily tonnage—gives $4.43 fo r spare and re p a ir p a rts p er ton. T his favorable figure indicates th e advantage gained by standardization, and by cen
tralized operation. As a com parison it is safe to say th a t the average W est V irg in ia m ining company ca rries
$9 or m ore fo r spare and re p a ir p a rts per ton. To sub
s ta n tia te th is estim ate th ere is cited th e following actual figures of six m ines: $14.57, $8.34, $9.52, $10.72,
$7.58 and $8.34.
R esponsibility fo r inspection, supervision, and m ain
tenance of electrical and mechanical equipm ent of the Islan d Creek m ines is no t centered upon one m an but in ste a d is divided among fo u r men, who re p o rt in dividually to th e general superintendent. One of these men— the chief electrician of d irect-cu rren t equipm ent
— has charge of all underground m achinery, except the a lte rn a tin g -c u rre n t m ine pumps. The chief electrician of a lte rn a tin g -c u rre n t equipm ent has charge of sub
stations, fans, hoists, tran sm issio n lines, house lig h t
ing, etc. The m aster m echanic is in charge of the m achine tool, el^ptric welding, and blacksm ith d ep art
m en ts of th e central shop. A general inspector has am ong his duties the complete inspection of tipples and tipple equipm ent.
The division of the electrical w ork between two men is unusual, however, a t the Island Creek m ines i t apears to w ork satisfacto rily . I t am ounts practically to the equivalent of having one man in charge of u n d er
g round equipm ent and an o th er in charge of outside equipm ent. T his arran g e m e n t enables each m an to con
ce n trate on h is p a rtic u la r branch of the work, and gives each an oppo rtunity to go into detail in inv estigating trouble and devising m eans of avoiding recurrences of it.
Six m en and th e chief, H. L. B radshaw , compose th e average force of the a lte rn a tin g -c u rre n t departm ent. A larg e room in the m ain shop building serves as head
q u arte rs. H ere th e chief has a desk, and in addition th e room is used fo r th e storage of tools, small re p air p a rts, portable te s t m eters, and small equipm ent.
Benches along the wall provide a place fo r miscellaneous re p a ir work. No w inding equipm ent is provided fo r th e reason th a t burn -o uts of a lte rn a tin g -c u rre n t m otors are ra re . The few jobs of th is class of w inding are tra n s fe rre d to th e w inding room of th e d irect-cu rren t departm ent.
Cleaning and inspection are two im p ortant phases of th e w ork of th e a lte rn a tin g -c u rre n t departm ent. I t is
a company policy to do everything possible to prevent breakdowns. The prevention of trouble leaves m ore tim e fo r inspection and cleaning. This, in tu rn , fu r th e r reduces trouble.
All synchronous converters, m otors, and o th er elec
trical ap p aratu s are reg ularly cleaned out w ith com
pressed air. F o r th is purpose th ere is used a 17.5- cu.ft., m otor-driven a ir com pressor m ounted on a F o rd chassis. This m achine is parked alongside a tipple, sub
station, or other building w here electrical equipm ent is installed, the m otor cable is plugged into a power re ceptacle and the com pressor is operated until the blow
ing out of th e m achinery is completed. T his one com
pressor serves all of the mines.
A nother in tere stin g purpose of th is portable com
pressor is to act as a spare fo r the a ir brakes and control of the hoists a t the two s h a ft m ines. I f any trouble should occur w ith one of the m otor-driven com
pressors, ho istin g would be stopped only fo r the sh o rt tim e necessary to g et th e portable u n it on the job, plug in the electric cable and connect the a ir hose. Cleaning equipm ent of th e portable type costs f a r less th an equipping w ith s ta tio n a ry com pressors every building where electrical equipm ent is in use.
A lthough electrical equipm ent is inspected w hen it is blown out, the chief of th e departm ent m akes it a point personally to inspect all im p o rtan t item s such as sub
stations, mine fans and hoists. He sees each fa n a t least once each week and sends a weekly, re p o rt of th e condition of each to the general su perin tend en t. The substations and hoists are inspected as often as th e fa n s but no repo rts are m ade out covering these. The chief electrician decides how often such inspection is necessary.
O ther work com ing u nd er the alte rn a tin g -c u rre n t departm ent is th e care and read in g of m eters. Besides the d istrib u tio n m eters in su b statio ns and hoist houses, coal company m eters are installed a t th e power com
pany’s tra n s fo rm e r substation. T his in stallatio n con
sists of a g rap h ic voltm eter, g raph ic pow er-factor m eter, g raph ic w attm eter, and a plain w a tth o u r m eter.
These fu rn ish a complete check on th e w a tth o u r and dem and-m eter read in g s of th e power company, and are read by th e chief electrician a t th e sam e tim e th a t the represen tativ e of th e power company read s his m eters.
In the several years of use of purchased power no dis
crepancies have arisen in these readings.
