Coal Age : devoted to the operating, technical and business problems of the coal-mining industry, Vol. 27, No. 21

McGr a w- Hi l l Co m p a n y, In c. Ja m e s H . McGr a w, P resid en t E . J . Me h r eN', V ice-P residen t

Devoted to the Operating, Technical and Business

Problems of the Coal-Mining Industry

Volume 27 N EW YORK, MAY 21, 1925 Number 21

Just H ow Much?

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cials a t the m ine do not know how much energy is b eing w asted, how m uch is being used, and so any talk about savin g cannot be estim ated properly or, if assumed, cannot be checked. Thus w e continue our w astefu l practices in operation.

A s fo r the men who run our m achines th ere is no check on them. They cannot even keep tab on them ­ selves. I f they desire to save expense fo r the operator they have no w ay o f assu rin g them selves th at th ey are doing it, no w ay, a t least, o f tellin g to w hat exten t it is being done. To g e t th is inform ation, energy, voltage and current m easuring devices are necessary, for un­

m easured leaks are forgotten or overlooked especially w hen it is an in visib le en tity like electricity th at is b eing lost.

W e are gradually learning to h ig h -lig h t w aste in operation and distribution. N o longer do w e allow it to go en tirely unm easured. It is th e skeleton a t the fea st, but w e would not fa il to place it at the head of the table, for it spurs us on to greater achievem ent.

A t C incinnati, W. L. Affelder w ill describe th e charts by w hich the rise and fall o f operating costs o f every kind are kept prom inently before the eye o f the super­

intendent. The w hole cost tells but little, for it may be composed o f h ig h and low item s. The inform ation should be obtained about every departm ent of the work, so th at a finger prom ptly m ay be placed on those details which need consideration. The ch ief who can only say th at the m ine cost is too h ig h is at a disadvantage as compared w ith one who can indicate ju st w here the fa u lt lies. I f it is in the m atter o f power, th e electrical en gin eer should be consulted, if in haulage cost, the m atter is one to be considered w ith the forem an and so forth.

Sim ilarly, departing from Mr. A ffelder’s charts and speaking only of w h at th ey su g g est, if the electrical costs are too h igh one should know where. Is it in the m in in g m achine w hich works w ith dull b its or which w astes energy in short-circuits? Is it in a pump th at is w orking at low voltage? Is it in a locom otive that causes excessive peaks by being started in parallel?

In general there is no answ er to th ese and sim ilar ques­

tion s but w here graphic or other records are available, an opportunity is afforded to ascertain the causes and to figure out ju st w h at any given change w ill save.

It has been found th at a knowledge of costs is the greatest assurance of economy. Those who have m et­

ered th eir operations have been found to be m ost suc­

cessfu l in reducing consum ption and in prom oting efficiency. W ith such m eters th ey have determ ined standards o f operating cost w hich they are actively seeking to surpass. In engineering, as in athletics, each record is an incentive to fu rth er achievem ent.

U n iform ity Cannot Stop at th e B reakers

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tion are a w onderful thing. The few rebels at heart cloak th eir reactionary feelin g s w ith silence or w hisper th eir reversionary sentim ents only in the circle o f th eir m ost intim ate associates. The advantage o f uniform ity which prom ises an im proved and a standardized quality product is so apparent th at its champions need but state th e case to still open opposition.

However, it is not the out-and-out opponents o f the new era who are dangerous. I f the success o f the standards adopted last March are threatened it is by th eir professed friends. N o group has been more clamorous in the name of u n iform ity than the retail coal m erchants. T hey had a good cause and, under able leadership, they brought th eir fight to a happy conclusion. B ut w hat shall it profit them or th e indus­

try as a whole i f here and th ere individual retailers to gain a tem porary advantage adopt rescreen ing prac­

tices w hich go beyond those set up by the operators and deliver to the consum er coals w ith no undersize?

E ith er the standards approved by the anthracite pro­

ducers are a step in the r ig h t direction or th ey are not.

I f th ey are, then there is no good reason apparent w h y these sam e te st standards should not apply a t the retail yard. In fa irn ess the householder cannot be expected to accept coals w hich fall below those standards; in ju stice to the industry, he cannot demand more. The anthracite leaders slipped a cog when they did not em phasize th is point. I f th eir announcem ent o f the new standards had stated clearly th a t th ey w ere to apply to retail yard, as well as to breaker, te s t screens, the situ ation would have been greatly sim plified to the profit and advantage of all concerned.

This does not mean th at as tim e goes on th e standards w ill not be raised, th e perm issible leew ay now enjoyed sharply narrowed. It would be depressing to look fo r ­ ward to any other developm ent. B u t these changes should be worked out, as th e present standards have been, in conference and by consultation. A fter all, the b ig g est th in g about th e present standards is n ot the percentages fixed, but th e fa c t th at the in terests respon­

sible fo r 98 per cent of th e tonnage produced agreed upon uniform ity. T hat u n iform ity should not be destroyed by thoughtless or ignorant individual action.

Forcing Sales

A N TH R A C ITE O PER ATO RS m ay for a year or two l \ force No. 1 buckwheat and pea on th e retail m erchant and the evil m ay be overlooked, but to con­

tinue fo r years to b rin g th is pressure is neither w ise nor an evidence of a good m erchandising sense. I f the coal as sold is too largely m ixed w ith slate to be salable w ithout such pressure the operator should clean it so carefully th a t he w ill have no difficulty in its

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742 C O A L A G E V o l . 2 7 , N o . 21 distribution. In fact, i f the public is well served by

the pea and buckwheat that he buys, the retailer will be obliged to provide it and he w ill press fo r more rather than object to take w hat is offered. The fu tu re o f those sizes, w hich are too good fo r the industrial furnaces and thought by m any hardly good enough for the dom estic grate, lies in the perfection w ith which they are cleaned. A ny other solution of the problem can only anger the retailer and prove in the end bad business, for it w ill s a tisfy neith er retailer nor cus­

tom er. There w as a tim e w hen pea and N o. 1 buck­

w heat could not be cleaned, but those days are past.

Today m any devices to improve preparation are on the m arket and all sizes of coal can be and should be care­

fu lly washed.

Lewis as a Standpatter

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as he expressed it at the h istoric dinner held at the H otel Am bassador in N ew York shortly before the Jacksonville agreem ent w as signed.

In a recent in terview he asserted th at a lowered w age would not help the m ine worker. B ut no one would be helped m ore than the man in the m ines by such a revision of w age scales, fo r w ith it the m iner in union regions would g et m ore work. It is doubtful w hether a lowered w age would reduce the losses to the operator. H e would run h is m ines more steadily and thus h is costs would be decreased even m ore than the reduction in the w age scale would indicate, but he would still find the costs of coal provokingly high er than the sellin g price.

The union operator, therefore, can afford to w ait better than the m iner. W ith little to be gained from decreased w ages he cannot look forw ard w ith any par­

ticular pleasure to a w age revision, but the m iner has much reason to expect an im provem ent in h is condition from such a change, and he should be th e first to seek it and demand it. The operators are not expecting that the 1917 scale w ill be low enough fo r profit, and th at m akes them look upon L ew is’ standpattism w ith a degree o f indifference.

Should the w age be reduced in union m ines, and so draw business from th e non-union fields, operation would be less steady in non-union regions. W ith such low w ages as the m ine w orkers are now receivin g they would find th eir weekly income so sm all th at w ages could not be fu rth er lowered w ith ou t b rin gin g the income below a liv in g return. M iners would begin to leave the non­

union m ines either to return to the union m ines or to enter other lin es of industry. T his condition would reduce non-union production and give the union m ines a fu rth er advantage.

B u t Mr. L ew is is adam ant. Only action by the union men them selves w ill bring him to h is senses and it would have to be a concerted action. Individual deser­

tion s from the union ranks apparently w ill not cause him to b estir h im self. He w ill let the union go to pieces on the rocks rather than abate one tittle o f h is demands. And to the rocks it is going. F ear is keeping m en silent, but at som e tim e not fa r distant a concerted action m ay come and Mr. L ew is m ay realize th at the union men are united in but one th in g — nam ely in find­

in g a w ay individually or collectively of fixing a wage

that will make it possible for them to get work. A union m ine is a m ine w here the m iner has a h igh w age scale and no chance to earn it. W hat the m iner has is a large and luscious apple but one so fa r from the ground he cannot reach it. H e is finding th at the sig h t o f such an apple w ill not save him from the pangs o f hunger.

Some day, w hatever Mr. L ew is m ay say, the m iner w ill appease h is cravings by one o f the sm aller and less luscious apples grow in g a t a level w ith in range o f h is uplifted arm.

Our Growing M arket

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tion to live in apartm ents, w ith consequent economy in h eatin g and reduction in the num ber of rooms occupied.

B ut in a survey of the fu tu re it m u st never be fo r ­ gotten that the population is stead ily increasing, and that the demand fo r coal tends to grow w ith it. Gradu­

ally w ith increasing w ealth comes a desire fo r more and larger rooms, m aking more heat necessary. Instead of the restricted liv in g quarters of th e w ar, the public is dem anding large high rooms w ith a lower density of occupancy.

N or is th a t all. Many farm ers in the w inter, heat one room only, u sin g a sin gle stove w ith ou t steam , hot- w ater or hot-air radiator's. The kitchen gets a little uncertain heat from the cook-stove, and the other rooms g et a modicum o f w arm th from livin g room and kitchen.

That condition is not goin g to continue. The farm er in even the more desolate regions w ill demand the com fort o f a house th at is w arm throughout. In m any sections of th is country he has so long enjoyed th at luxury th at he would question w hether it is n ot th e general condition in all farm ers’ homes. We can assure him th a t m any houses in rural d istricts are stove-heated w ith only one or tw o rooms provided w ith even th at degree o f com fort.

Wood lots also are p assin g w ith the years, and w hat rem ains is so valuable th at th e fa n n e r ’s stove is no place for it. The coal bin should be able to displace the wood pile m ore and m ore year by year. N ew uses for heat arise w ith every industrial developm ent and as the country becomes m ore industrial and proportionately less agricultural th e quantity o f coal used w ill increase

— even though the rate o f increase m ay show, at least for a short while, a progressive decline w ith the p assin g of the years.

Opportunities to augm ent the use of coal are by no m eans lacking. The anthracite operators are decrying the inadequate flues w hich are being installed by specu­

lative builders. H ow about the inadequate furnaces which heat sa tisfa cto rily only the low er rooms or those that have a favorable exposure? In one little village designed by architects o f national reputation the first furnaces installed w ere all ill-calculated to do th e work demanded of them . Today the furnaces provided are more nearly equal to the task assigned them , but even now larger u nits would be necessary to make every room in the house really com fortable in chilly w eather. The hard-coal architects would do w ell to prepare tabula­

tions th at will enable householders to check th eir fu r ­ naces and so ascertain in advance w hether th eir equipm ent w ill keep th e house warm from cellar to garret w ithout undue forcin g of the fire.

Ma y 2 1 , 1 9 2 5 9 C O A L A G E _{7 4 3}

A m erican M inin g C ongress A ssem bles Men o f th e Coal In d u stry N ex t W eek

C in cin n ati M ee tin g and M ach ine E x h ib itio n G ive O p p o rtu n ity to D isc u ss and D e m o n str a te M od­

ern M in in g M eth o d s — Som e F o r e m o st E n g in e e r s and O pera­

tors to Sp eak

M r . B r i g h t , a c o n ­ s u l t i n g e n g i n e e r o f n o t e , w i l l s p e a f c T u e s d a y a f t e r n o o n o n " M i n e H a u l a g e . ”

M r . M c A u U f f e , p r e s ­ i d e n t o f t h e U n i o n P a c i f i c C o a l C o w i l l p r e s i d e a t t w o s e s ­ s i o n s .

Graham Bright

Eugene McAuliffe

A n E d i to r i a l I n t e r p r e t i n g t h e C i n c in n a ti E x p o s i t i o n

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tion of Coal M ining Equipm ent and M achinery held by the Am erican M ining Congress. In the stalls of the m anufacturers w ill be seen some o f the m echanism s th at w ill make th at change possible and in the discus­

sion s o f the engineers will be explained how those m echanical servants can be made to do effective work.

M ining is backward in the sense that it has not been able so fa r to effect the econom ies th at have been made in m anufacturing. T his has been due not so much to an unprogressive sp irit as to the natural difficulties in­

herent in the work o f m ining. We do not have in m ines the height, w idth and length, the cubical space, in which to operate the m achines th at have proved effective on the su rface or under cover of large factoxy buildings.

B ut w e are learning rapidly to adapt such m echan­

ism s to our lim itation s o f space and movement, and the years before us will enable us to overcome all our difficulties. We are learning that the roof can be better controlled w ith speedier extraction. W ith rapid opera­

tion we are able to avoid dangers, as the skater does who passes scatheless over thin ice, being saved from the perils of his journey by the very speed o f his travel.

Our w orking places w ill advance so rapidly th at the forces of nature w ill not have tim e to destroy the sup­

port o f clay and coal by which the roof is upheld or to weaken the cohesion and stren gth by w hich the strata of the roof its e lf are m aintained in place.

Y ears ago the copper m ine was equipped w ith a small mill and concentrator, and little plants w ere econom i­

cally possible. Today the n ecessity for spending m illions in these adjuncts has elim inated from the cop­

per industry the sm all operation, and fly-by-night finan­

cial ventures are at an end. When the operation of coal m ines is only possible w here great and expensive m achines are provided, the small m ine will go by the board. The m ine w ith ou t equipm ent w ill be unable to compete. A w age differential in its favor, short

haulage distances and inexpensive ventilation and drain­

age will not avail to save it from relatively h igh costs.

The m ining m achine w as the first step in th is change, but the use of excessive powder, despite its dangers and the in ferior product provided, made m ining m a­

chines less essential. The hand labor o f underm ining could be avoided by le ttin g powder do the work, but the work o f shoveling cannot be so readily evaded except by the use o f expensive m achines. It is true, shoveling can be made a relatively lig h t and easy job by the introduction of conveyors, but these m achines are them ­ selves a costly addition to the equipm ent o f the small mine.

So a b ig change is com ing, not only in the in stru ­ m ents and m ethods o f m in in g but in the aggregation s o f capital by w hich such m ining is performed. Coal m ines w ill be brought together by com bination, and they w ill then operate on the sam e principle as big m etal m ines. When less coal is needed a u n it w ill be closed down entirely and the other u n its will continue to work intensively. I f too much coal is still being produced other units will be closed but those which work w ill continue running at top speed. N o longer will m ines operate one or tw o days a w eek at a loss to th eir owners.

T hese changes are so phenomenal and th eir approach w ill be so clearly heralded by the exposition at Cin­

cinnati th at it w ill behoove every m in in g man to be present, w hether he is likely to have a hand in them or is goin g m erely to stand by and note th eir over­

w helm ing effect on h is in terests. It is a new world fo r the m in in g man, and he should not fa il to leave his desk in the office or his tours underground to look over w hat it prom ises or portends fo r him. Only by reso­

lute m odernization pursued in the lig h t o f the best en gin eerin g advice can he hope to continue h is place in the industry. A t Cincinnati w ill be grouped the men who can advise and in stru ct w ith the m achinery by which the advice and instruction can be made effective.

Do not fa il to be there. R. D a w s o n H a l l .

7 4 4 C O A L A G E V o l . 27, No. 2 1

How to Cut Costs Is Central T hem e o f Sessions at C incinnati F or Men o f the Coal Industry

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In an effort to g e t th e se s s io n s o f th e C on gress r ig h t d ow n to bedrock and keep th e m th ere, th e sp eak ers w e r e ask ed n o t to p rep are fo rm a l p ap ers b u t to com e read y to p u t th e ir b e st th o u g h t on sp ecific su b je c ts in to 10 or 15 m in u te s o f d iscu ssio n fro m th e floor. E ach s e s s io n h a s a g en er a l su b jec t, th e d isc u ssio n s to b ear on v a rio u s p h a se s o f it. A ft e r each sp eak er h a s m ade h is com m en ts on h is a ssig n e d to p ic, th e lid g o e s off and an y o n e can h ave th e floor to sa y w h a t h e p le a se s—

b riefly.

The Program

T h e e n tir e p rogram fo r th e se s s io n s o f th e C on gress f o llo w s :

Monday, May 25, 1925 7 :30 p.m.— Music H all Auditorium.

Formal opening National Exposition of Coal Mining Equip­

ment and Machinery.

Tuesday, May 26, 1925 10 a.m.— Music H all Auditorium

Subject: “Mechanical and Electrical Equipm ent Problems.”

Chairman: R. L. Kingsland, superintendent power and mechanical department. Consolidation Coal Co., Fairmont, W. Va.

1. “The Use of Acid-Resisting Metals for Mine Drainage Equipment.

Comments—J, A. Malady, electrical engineer, Hillman Coal

& Coke Co., Pittsburgh, P a...10:00-10:10 Discussion ... 10 : 10-10 : 20

S . “Speed Reducers.’’

Comments—H. D. Smith, general superintendent, American Coal Co., HcComas, W. V a... 10:20-10:30 Discussion ...10 : 30-10 : 40 3. “Economies Which Can He Effected by the Proper Use

of Watthour Meters.”

Comments—William Eamont, general superintendent, Ster­

ling Coal Co., Bakerton, P a ...10: 10-10 : 50 Discussion ... 10 : 50-11: 00 4. “General Use of Storage Batteries in Mines.”

Comments—J. B. Hicks, electrical engineer, Consolidation Coal Co., Fairmont, W. V a... 11:00-11:10 Discussion ...11:10-11:20 R. “The Hazards of Stray Currents.”

Comments ...1 1 : 20-1 1 : 35 Discussion ...1 1 : 35-12 : 00

Tuesday Afternoon

1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.— M usic H all Auditorium Subject: “Control of Mining Equipment.”

Chairman: C. Means, consulting engineer, Pittsburgh, Pa.

“ M i n e 1’ u m p B ”

C o m m e n t s — W . H . L e s s e r , m e c h a n i c a l e n g i n e e r , M a d e i r a , H i l l & C o ., F r a c k v i l l e , P a ...1 : 3 0 - 1 : 4 0 D i s c u s s i o n ... 1 : 4 0 - 1 : 5 0

“ M i n e F a n s . ”

C o m m e n t s — L . W . H o u s e h o l d e r , c h i e f e n g i n e e r , R o c h e s t e r

& P i t t s b u r g h C o a l C o ., I n d i a n a , P a ... 1 : 5 0 - 2 : 0 0 D i s c u s s i o n ... 2 : 0 0 - 2 : 1 0

“ T i p p l e M a c h i n e r y . ”

C o m m e n t s — W . C . A d a m s , c o n s u l t i n g e n g i n e e r , A l l e n &

G a r c i a C o ., C h i c a g o , 111. ...2 : 1 0 - 2 : 3 0 D i s c u s s i o n ... 2 : 3 0 - 2 : 40

“ M i n e H a u l a g e . ”

C o m m e n t s — G r a h a m B r i g h t , c o n s u l t i n g e n g i n e e r , P i t t s ­ b u r g h , P a ... . . 2 : 4 0 - 3 : 00 D i s c u s s i o n ... 3 : 0 0 - 3 : 1 0

“ A u t o m a t i c S u b - S t a t i o n s . ”

C o m m e n t s — T . F . M c C a r t h y , e l e c t r i c a l e n g i n e e r , C l e a r f i e l d B i t u m i n o u s C o a l C o r p . , I n d i a n a , P a ...3 : 1 0 - 3 : 2 0 D i s c u s s i o n ...3 : 2 0 - 3 : 3 0

We d n e s d a y, May 27, 1925

10 a .m . to 12 N o o n — M u sic H a ll A u d ito r iu m S u b je c t: “ M e c h a n ic a l L o a d in g in A ll I t s P h a s e s .”

C h a i r m a n : E u g e n e M c A u l i f f e , p r e s i d e n t , U n i o n P a c i f i c C o ., R o c k S p r i n g s , W y o .

1 . “ U n d e r g r o u n d L o a d e r s i n U s e T o d a y / '

I n t r o d u c t o r y r e m a r k s , g i v i n g d e s c r i p t i o n s o f d i f f e r e n t t y p e s o f m a c h i n e s n o w i n u s e , b y a r e p r e s e n t a t i v e U n i t e d S t a t e s B u r e a u o f M i n e s , c o v e r i n g r e c e n t i n v e s t i g a t i o n s o f l o a d i n g m a c h i n e s , i l l u s t r a t e d w i t h l a n t e r n s l i d e s

... 1 0 : 0 0 - 1 0 : 3 0 C o m m e n t s — F . E . C a s h , U n i t e d S t a t e s B u r e a u o f M i n e s ,

P i t t s b u r g h , P a . ; E . H . J o h n s o n , U n i t e d S t a t e s B u r e a u o f M i n e s , P i t t s b u r g h , P a .

2 . “ P r a c t i c a l E x p e r i e n c e I n t h e U s e o f M e c h a n i c a l L o a d e r s . ” C o m m e n t s — A b n e r L u n s f o r d , g e n e r a l m a n a g e r , F o r d s o n

C o a l C o ., S t o n e , K y ...1 0 : 4 5 - 1 1 : 0 0 D i s c u s s i o n ... 1 1 : 0 0 - 1 1 : 1 0 C o m m e n t s — E d w a r d O ’T o o l e , g e n e r a l s u p e r i n t e n d e n t ,

U n i t e d S t a t e s C o a l & C o k e C o ., G a r y , W . V a . . 1 1 : 1 0 - 1 1 : 2 5 D i s c u s s i o n ...1 1 : 2 5 - 1 1 : 3 5 C o m m e n t s — T . F . W h a l e n , g e n e r a l s u p e r i n t e n d e n t , P i t t s ­

b u r g h & E r i e C o a l C o ., P i t t s b u r g h , P a ...1 1 : 3 5 - 1 1 : 4 5 D i s c u s s i o n ... ... 1 1 : 4 5 - 1 2 : 0 0

Wed n e sd a y Af t e r n o o n

1:3 0 p .m . to 3 :3 0 p .m .— M u sic H a ll A u d ito r iu m S u b je c t: “ P r a c t ic a l E x p e rie n c e in th e U s e o f M e c h an ical

L o a d e rs .”

C hairm an : Eugene McAuliffe, president, Union Pacific Coal Co., Rock Springs, Wyo.

Comments— George B. H arrington, president, Chicago, W il­

mington & F ran k lin Coal Co., Chicago, 1 1 1... 1: 30-1: 45 D iscussion ... 1 :4 5 - 2 :0 0 Comments—I. N. Bayless, general superintendent, Union

Colliery Co., Dowell. Ill... 2: 00-2: 15 Discussion ...2 : 15-2 : 30 Comments—J. W. Devison, general m anager, New E n g ­

land Fuel & T ran sp o rtatio n Co., G ran t Town, W.

V a... 2: 30-2: 45 Discussion ...s... 2 : 45-3 : 30 Comments—C adw allader Evans, Jr., general m anager, H ud­

son Coal Co., Scranton, Pa.

Wed n e sd a y Ev e n in g

S m o k e r a n d E n te r t a in m e n t.

Th u r s d a y, May 28, 1925

10 a .m . to 12 N o o n — M u sic H a ll A u d ito r iu m . S u b je c t: “ M u tu a l A d a p ta tio n o f M in in g M e th o d s a n d

L o a d in g M a c h in e s.”

C hairm an: A bner Lunsford, general m anager, Fordson Coal Co., Stone, Ky.

1. “ W ith Thick Coal and Thin Coal U nder V arying Roof Conditions.”

Comments—T. E. Jenkins, vice-president, W est K entucky Coal Co., Sturgis, K y... 1 0 :0 0 -1 0 :1 0 Discussion ... 1 0 :1 0 -1 0 :2 0 Cbmments—E dw ard Graff, general superintendent, New

River Coal Co., MacDonald, W. V a... 10: 20-10: 30

Discussion ... 1 0 :3 0 -1 0 :4 0

2. Some Successful A daptations.

Comments—H. S. Gay, general m anager, Gay Coal & Coke Co., Mt. Gay, W. V a... 10: 40-10: 50 Discussion ... 1 0 :5 0 -1 1 :0 0 Comments—F. E. Dunlap, general m anager, H elena-Straven Coal Co., Straven, Ala ... 1 1 :0 0 -1 1 :1 0 Discussion ...1 1 : 10-11: 20 Comments— W. G. Duncan, Jr., general superintendent, D uncan Coal Co., Greenville, K y ...11: 20-11: 30 Discussion ... 1 1 :3 0 -1 2 :0 0

Th u r s d a y Af t e r n o o n

1 :3 0 p .m . to 3 :3 0 p .m .— M u sic H a ll A u d ito r iu m S u b je c t: “ U tiliz a tio n o f F a c e a n d O th e r P o r t a b le C o n ­

v e y o rs .”

C h a irm a n : T. W. Dawson, consulting engineer, H . C.

F rick Coke Co., Scottdale, Pa.

Comments—E. F. Miller, general superintendent, B erth a- Consumers Co., Rachel, W. V a... 1 : 40-1: 50 Discussion ...l : 50-2 : 00 Comments—A. M. Ogle, Indianapolis, In d ... 2: 00-2: 10 Discussion ... 2 : 10-2 : 20 Comments— F. G. Wilcox, president, W est End Coal Co., Scranton, P a ...2 : 30-2 : 40 Discussion ...2 :4 0 - 2 :5 0 Comments—G. B. Southw ard, electrical engineer, W est V ir­

ginia Coal & Coke Co., Elkins, W. V a...2: 50-3: 00- Discussion ... 3 :0 0 - 3 :1 0 Comments—E. B. Raiguel, chief engineer, Coal Service

Corporation, H untington, W. V a...3: 10-3: 20 Discussion ...3 :2 0 -3 :3 0

Th u r s d a y Ev e n in g

6 p .m .— H o te l G ib so n B a llro o m . I n f o r m a l D in n e r

S u b j e c t ; “ W a t c h m a n , T e l l U s o f t h e N ig h t.* *

S p e a k e r : H . L . G a n d y , e x e c u t i v e s e c r e t a r y , N a t i o n a l C o a l A s s o c i a t i o n , W a s h i n g t o n , D . C .

May 21, 1925

C O A L A G E

S u b j e c t : “ S o m e P r o b l e m s o f t h e A n t h r a c i t e P r o d u c e r s . ” S p e a k e r : E . W . P a r k e r , d i r e c t o r , A n t h r a c i t e B u r e a u o f I n ­

f o r m a t i o n , P h i l a d e l p h i a , P a . S u b j e c t : “ T h e R e a l I s s u e . ”

S p e a k e r : J . F . C a l l b r e a t h , s e c r e t a r y , A m e r c i a n M i n i n g C o n g r e s s , W a s h i n g t o n , D . C .

S u b j e c t : “ T h e F i n a n c i n g o f C o a l M i n i n g P r o p e r t i e s a n d I m p r o v e m e n t s . ”

S p e a k e r : R o b e r t K . C a s s a t t , C a s s a t t & C o ., P h i l a d e l p h i a , P a .

8 plm.— Conference, H otel Gibson Ballroom Subject: “The A dvantages of Graphic Charts in the In­

terpretation of Coal Mine Costs.”

S p e a k e r : W . L . A f f e l d e r , a s s i s t a n t t o t h e p r e s i d e n t , H i l l ­ m a n C o a l & C o k e C o ., P i t t s b u r g h , P a .

I l l u s t r a t e d w i t h s l i d e s .

F r i d a y , M a y 29, 1925

10 a.m. to 12 Noon— Music Hall Auditorium Subject: “E ffective Practice and Actual Costs of Rock

D usting.”

C h a i r m a n : A . C . C a l l e n , U n i v e r s i t y o f I l l i n o i s , U r b a n a , 111.

C o m m e n t s — A r t h u r N e a l e , g e n e r a l m a n a g e r o f m i n e s , P i t t s ­ b u r g h C o a l C o ., P i t t s b u r g h , P a ...1 0 : 1 5 - 1 0 : 3 0 D i s c u s s i o n ...,10 : 3 0 - 1 0 : 4 0 C o m m e n t s — D a n I - I a r r i n g t o n , c o n s u l t i n g e n g i n e e r , N e w h o u s e B l d g . , S a l t L a k e C i t y , U t a h ...1 0 : -1 0 - 1 0 : 55 D i s c u s s i o n ...1 0 : 5 5 - 1 1 : 0 5 C o m m e n t s — W . C . H o l m a n , c h i e f e n g i n e e r , P h e l p s - D o d g e C o r p o r a t i o n , D a w s o n , N . M ...1 1 : 1 5 - 1 1 : 2 5 D i s c u s s i o n ...1 1 : 2 5 - 1 2 : 0 0

Fr i d a y Af t e r n o o n

1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m .—-Music Hall Auditorium Subject: “E ffective Cutting and Shooting Methods to

Secure Greater Realization.”

C h a i r m a n : G e o r g e F . O s i e r , v i c e - p r e s i d e n t a n d g e n e r a l m a n a g e r , P i t t s b u r g h T e r m i n a l C o a l C o ., P i t t s b u r g h , P a . 1 . “ H o r i z o n t a l C u t s I n T o p , B o t t o m a n d M i d d l e . ”

C o m m e n t s — C . E . R e y n o l d s , m i n e s u p e r i n t e n d e n t , A l l e g h e n y - P i t t s b u r g h C o a l C o ., P a r n a s s u s , P a ... 1 : 4 5 - 2 : 0 0 D i s c u s s i o n ... 2 : 0 0 - 2 : 1 0 2 . " S h e a r i n g . ”

C o m m e n t s — G e o r g e P e a r t , g e n e r a l s u p e r i n t e n d e n t , R o c k y M o u n t a i n F u e l C o ., D e n v e r , C o l o ...2 : 1 0 - 2 : 2 5 D i s c u s s i o n ... 2 : 2 5 - 2 : 4 0

3 . " S n u b b i n g . "

C o m m e n t s — Li. E . Y o u n g , g e n e r a l m a n a g e r , U n i o n C o l l i e r y C o ., S t . L o u i s , M o ...2 : 1 0 -2 : 5 0 D i s c u s s i o n ... 2 : 5 0 - 3 : 00 4 . “ S h o o t i n g . ”

C o m m e n t s — C h a r l e s W a g n e r , G l e n A l d e n C o a l C o ., S c r a n ­ t o n , P a . ; T . G . F e a r , g e n e r a l , s u p e r i n t e n d e n t , I n l a n d C o l l i e r i e s C o ., I n d i a n o l a , P a ...3 : 0 0 - 3 : 1 0 D i s c u s s i o n ... 3 : 1 0 - 3 : 2 0 5 . “ T i p p l e P r e p a r a t i o n . ”

C o m m e n t s — C . W . S m i t h , c h i e f e n g i n e e r , I l l i n o i s C o a l C o r ­ p o r a t i o n , C h i c a g o , 111...3 : 2 0 - 3 : 3 0 D i s c u s s i o n ... 3 : 3 0 - 3 : 4 0

Higk-Caliber Men to Speak At Cincinnati Sessions

Men who have perform ed services o f real value to the coal industry— and th is is not determ ined alone by the titles they carry w ith in their own com panies— are the ones chosen fo r the program a t C incinnati. They are men whose talents and train in g have enabled them, in m ost cases, to do the th in g s they are goin g to talk about next week. Photographs o f some o f th ese men appear w ith th is article.

For instance, Graham B right, who speaks in the elec­

trical session Tuesday, May 26, on m ine haulage, is an alum nus of the U n iv ersity o f P ittsb u rgh who has been recognized for years as a specialist in the application o f electric power to railw ays and m ining. F or a num ­ ber o f years he w as in charge o f the m ining division o f the en gin eerin g departm ent o f the W estinghouse Electric & M anufacturing Co. and is now a m em ber

Som e o f the Men W ho W ill

H elp to Make th e T echnical Sessions o f the M ining Congress Interesting

T o p r o w , l e f t t o r i g h t : T . C . M u l l i n s , v i c e - p r e s i d e n t a n d g e n e r a l m a n a g e r o f t h e S u n l i g h t C o a l C o ., o p e r a t i n g a t B o o n v i l l e , I n d . ; I . N . B a y l e s s , s u p e r i n t e n d e n t o f t h e K a t h l e e n M i n e o f t h e U n i o n C o l l i e r y C o . a t D o w e l l , 111.; A . W . D i c k i n s o n , g e n e r a l

s u p e r i n t e n d e n t o f t h e U n i o n P a c i f i c C o a l C o ., R o c k S p r i n g s , W y o . ; D a n i e l H a r r i n g ­ t o n , c o n s u l t i n g e n g i n e e r , S a l t L a k e C i t y . U t a h .

B o t t o m r o w , l e f t t o r i g h t : J . D . Z o o k , v i c e - p r e s i d e n t o f t h e I l l i n o i s C o a l C o r p o r a ­

t i o n , C h i c a g o , 111. ; R . L . K I n g s l a n d , g e n e r a l s u p e r i n t e n d e n t , p o w e r a n d m e c h a n i c a l d e ­ p a r t m e n t , T h e C o n s o l i d a t i o n C o a l C o ., F a i r ­ m o n t , W . V a . ; W . L . A f f e l d e r , a s s i s t a n t t o t h e p r e s i d e n t o f t h e H i l l m a n C o a l & C o k e - C o ., P i t t s b u r g h , P a .

746 C O A L A G E Vol. 27, N o . 21

of the firm of Howard N. E avenson and A ssociates o f P ittsb u rgh , Pa. He is a m em ber o f m any professional societies and heads the transportation com m ittee o f the A m erican M ining Congress.

E ugene M cAuliffe, president o f the U nion Pacific Coal Co. which opei'ates 16 m ines in W yom ing and W ashington, is an operator w ith a w ealth o f experience.

He cam e out o f railroading where, during the n in eties he fired engines and ran them on various railroads of the Am erican W est and in M exico— including a year as an engineer on the old steam elevated lines at Chi­

cago— before he began a rapid rise through m echanical and operating departm ents until he made a real start in coal as coal agen t for the F risco and th e Rock Island lines. E ventually he became president of the Union Colliery Co. at St. Louis, Mo., a N orth Am erican Co.

subsidiary, and sank and operated for five years the Kathleen m ine at Dowell, 111. H is advanced ideas con­

cerning coal operating and the problems o f the industry have made h is com panies forw ard-looking pace-setters in some particulars.

Co m b i n e s St r i p a n d De e p Mi n i n g

T. C. M ullins, vice-president and general m anager of the S u n ligh t Coal Co. has had the experience, at Boonville, Ind., of operating both strip and underground w orkings on the sam e properties. H is experience w ith loading m achines has been extensive. He w ill dilate upon them at C incinnati. Mr. M ullins has had long train in g in m ining, although he is still a com paratively young man.

The present “boss of the w orks” at K athleen mine, Dowell, 111., is I. N. Bayless, m ihe superintendent, who talks on m echanical loading the afternoon o f May 27.

H e is 39 and “grew up in the m in es” having become a full-fledged m iner in h is home county o f W illiam son, in Illinois, a fte r finishing public school. He has been in the em ploy o f various m ining com panies in Illin ois and W est V irgin ia ever since and has worked h is w ay up through m any operating positions, adding a course in m ining a t the M ining School in F arm ington, 111., betw een 1910 and 1914. For five yeai-s he has been employed by the U nion Colliery Co., three years as m anager and the last tw o as superintendent o f the K athleen m ine. D ur­

in g h is tim e some in terestin g th in g s in m achine loading have been done at Kathleen.

So m e We s t e r n Me n Too

A. W. Dickinson, general superintendent o f the union Pacific m ines under Mr. M cAuliffe, has had a w ide experience in the M idw est and W est. In 1908 he took his engineer of m ines degree at the M ichigan College o f M ines, H oughton, Mich., and has been w ith the Central Coal & Coke Co., the W estern Coal & M ining Co. and the U nion Pacific Coal Co. Continuously since 1911 he has been in charge o f operations o f m ines. He, too, is on the program for d iscu ssin g m echanical load­

in g problems.

One o f the best known coal m ining men in the W est is D aniel H arrington, a consulting engineer of Salt Lake City, Utah, who is on the pragram , May 29, for some com ment about rock dusting. He has had oppor­

tu n ity to learn at first hand all o f the sa fe ty practices o f the W est and has had an im portant hand in in itia tin g and directing some o f them. Mr. H arrington w as born in Denver in 1878, graduated from the Colorado School o f M ines a t Golden in 1900 as m ining engineer and that year entered the employ o f the U tah Fuel Co. im m e­

diately a fter the W interquarters, Utah, explosion w hich shocked the world and which, incidentally, gave H ar­

rington a chance to g e t deeply into m ine sa fe ty problems at the sta rt o f h is career. He le ft the U tah Fuel Co.

in 1906 when he had become c h ief engineer. He w as superintendent o f construction of the Centennial Mine at Eureka, Utah, in that year and in 1908 and 1909 w as a consulting engineer in S alt Lake City. From 1909 to 1914 he w as in charge o f a coal m ine at Crosby, Wyo., when he w en t into the service o f the U nited S tates Bureau o f M ines. L ast year he resum ed his consulting practice, w ith part o f his tim e obligated to sa fety inspection fo r the U tah Fuel Co. and the U nited S tates Fuel Co.

Ap p l i e s Ra i l r o a d Tr a i n i n g t o Mi n i n g

A man who has applied railroad tra in in g to coal company problems is Joseph D. Zook, vice-president of the Illinois Coal Corporation o f Chicago, a company w hich has ju st built a huge new m ine at N ason, 111., and plans to operate it on an all-conveyor basis. Mr. Zook is 40. Upon leavin g school in 1904 he entered the service o f the B urlington railroad, rem aining w ith that company and the N orthern Pacific Railroad until he entered th e coal b u siness w ith h is present company in 1918. The Illinois Coal Corporation owns and operates a small connecting railroad out of its new m in in g town of Nason, the Jefferson Southw estern R.R. H e is scheduled to discuss the transportation o f coal under­

ground by conveyor.

M echanical loading has received a great deal of study by engineers o f the Consolidation Coal Co. R. L.

K ingsland, general superintendent o f the com pany’s power and m in in g departm ent, is chairm an of one of the loading sessio n s a t the Congress. Mr. K ingsland go t h is degree a t Cornell in 1904, served an apprentice­

ship at the Stanley E lectric Co., P ittsfield, M ass., the W eston E lectric Co. o f N ew York City, and th e W est- inghouse E lectric & M anufacturing Co., P ittsb u rgh , Pa., before he became a ssista n t superintendent of m otive power for the P ittsb u rgh & B utler S treet Ry. Co. at Butler, Pa. He has been w ith the Consolidation Coal Co. at Fairm ont, W. Va., since Jan. 1, 1909, in various capacities.

He Wi l l Ma k e Ev e n Ch a r t s In t e r e s t i n g

Coal company executives m ay be interested especially in w hat W. L. Affelder, assista n t to the president o f the H illm an Coal & Coke Co. o f P ittsb u rgh , Pa., has to say on the n igh t o f May 28. He is goin g to show, w ith lantern slides as illustrations, how to interpret labor costs through graphic charts. Mr. Affelder, a graduate of the school o f m ines at Pennsylvania S tate College in 1899, started his m ining career by clim bing on a d raftsm an’s stool in the offices o f the H. C. F rick Coke Co., Scottdale, Pa. That sam e year he became a ssista n t engineer at the V inton Colliery Co., V inton, Pa., and the next year advanced h im self by taking the superin­

tendency of the M osgrove Coal Works, M osgrove, Pa.

S ix years later he became general m anager of the Mine La M otte Lead & Sm elting Co., M ine La M otte, Mo., where he stayed a year. From 1907 to 1912 he was superintendent o f the Redstone plant of the H. C. Frick Coke Co. at Brownfield, Pa. Then, for a year, he was general m anager o f the B ulger Block Coal Co., Bulger, Pa., and since 1913 he has been a ssista n t to the p resi­

dent o f the H illm an Coal & Coke Co. and affiliated com­

panies and general m anager o f operations.

M a y 21, 1925 C O A L A G E 747

Many Intern al-C om b ustion E n gin es Used al M ines

S om e A re S ta n d b y s; O th ers M ain P o w e r U n its — T h eir E fficien cies A re H ig h e r T h a n T h o s e o f A v era g e S tea m P la n ts— D ie se l-D r iv e n 75-K w . U n it S a v e s $165 M o n th ly

B y J. 11. Edwards

A s s o c i a t e E d i t o r , C o a l A g e , H u n t i n g t o n W . V a .

I

ciable quantity of power, however, is generated at m ine plants through the com bustion of natural gas. P ar­

ticularly during recent years m any a m ine using electric energy, either generated in its own plant or purchased from some public u tility, has made use o f internal- com bustion engines as a m eans fo r driving a part or all of its equipm ent in tim e o f em ergency.

N o absolutely reliable and dependable source of power supply has y et been developed and, consequently, it is h ighly advantageous fo r any mine to be a b le, in em ergencies to operate such im portant pieces of its equipm ent as the fan, and som etim es also the man hoist and a few pumps when, for any reason, the power supply fails. U nquestionably the exten sive use of the auto­

m obile has done much to popularize the internal-com - bustion engine as a source of power, and m ost in stal­

lations of th is type o f m achine at the m ines have been made during the past fe w years.

But, as has been hinted, the use of internal-com bus- tion engine u n its at the m ines is by no m eans confined to standbys. E specially w here natural g a s is available, som e o f the m ain pow er u n its or m ajor pieces o f equip­

ment are driven by these m achines. T his is particu-

Xo t e— T h e h e a d p i e c e s h o w s a n 8- c y l i n d e r I n t e r n a l - c o m b u s t i o n e n g i n e d i r e c t - c o n n e c t e d t o a g e n e r a t o r a n d e m p l o y e d in r e s e r v e o r a u x i l i a r y p o w e r s e r v i c e . U n i t s o i t h i s k i n d w i t h f r o m t w o t o e i g h t c y l i n d e r s a r e b e c o m i n g p o p u l a r a t m a n y c o a l m i n e s a s a m e a n s o f a v o i d i n g a c o m p l e t e s h u t d o w n w h e n t h e e l e c t r i c p o w e r f a i l s .

larly true of such units as are isolated from the main works and not readily reached by a power line. A recent in vestigation , o f n ecessity som ewhat lim ited in its scope, show ed th at out o f a total o f 12,998 hp. o f internal-com bustion engines installed nearly 73 per cent w as used in continuous service, and the rem aining 27 per cent w as employed only in case o f em ergency.

E n gin es u tilizin g natural gas as a fuel probably make up 75 per cent of those used in continuous service, fuel oil supplying an approxim ate 21 per cent additional.

Of these latter m achines, about 85 per cent have been installed during the last three years. Of the emer- gency-service engines covered by the in vestigation to which reference has ju st been made, roughly 90 per cent have been in service less than three years.

Two

Internal-com bustion engines may be divided roughly into two general classes: Gas engines and oil engines.

Those of the first type use natural or artificial gas, gasoline, kerosene or alcohol as a fuel. They are de­

signed for low com pression and are equipped w ith electric ignition. They operate on both the two-stroke and four-stroke cycles, but the latter con stitu te the m ajority of the m achines of this type. Oil engines, depending upon their design, burn all manner of liquids from the ligh ter d istillates or “gas oils” to fuel oils so heavy as to be difficult to handle w ith a pump. Some o f these m achines w ill operate on any liquid fuel w hether alcohol or oil. E ngines o f the oil type are for the m ost part o f the high-com pression self-ign ition class, but some are designed for only m edium com pres­

sion and consequently use the hot bulb or a modification of th is means o f ignition. A few years ago the m ajority of engines o f th is type operated on the four-stroke cycle.

74 8 C O A L A G E VOL. 27, N o . 21

F I G . 2

A Pioneer

S t a n d b y p o w e r u n i t f o r d r i v i n g t h e m i n e f a n i n s t a l l e d i n t h e h o i s t h o u s e s u b s t a t i o n r o o m a t t h e D e h u e m i n e o f t h e Y o u n g s t o w n S h e e t & T u b e C o ., a t D e h u e , W . V a . T h i s i s a 6 - c y l i n ­ d e r , 1 1 6 - h p ', e n g i n e d i r e c t - c o n n e c t e d t o a 5 0 - k w . , 2 2 0 - v o l t g e n e r a t o r . A s e l f s t a r t e r i s p r o v i d e d a n d c i r c u l a t i n g w a t e r i s c o o l e d i n a r a d i a t o r .

Pig. 1—Fan House at Dehue Mine

T h i s b u i l d i n g o f p e r m a n e n t s t o n e c o n s t r u c t i o n h o u s e s t h e m i n e f a n a n d i t s m o t o r d r i v e . H a d a m e c h a n i c a l c o n n e c t i o n b e t w e e n s t a n d b y e n g i n e a n d f a n b e e n m a d e , a s w a s a t f i r s t c o n t e m p l a t e d , a n a d d i t i o n o f a p p r e c i a b l e s i z e t o t h i s s t r u c t u r e w o u l d h a v e b e e n n e c e s s a r y .

Today at least an equal number of the m achines being sold have a cycle o f tw o strokes.

The ordinary user draws no distinction betw een oil engines and D iesel engines. In the engine of true D iesel type, however, air only is compressed w ith in the cylinder, th is com pression b eing carried to such a high degi’ee as to raise the tem perature o f the air appre­

ciably above the ign ition point of the fuel. Into th is hot atm osphere, oil is sprayed by air at still h igh er pressure fu rn ish ed by an auxiliary compressor.

M ost oil engines use the principle of high com pres­

sion and se lf ignition, but m any types differ from the true D iesel in the method of fu el injection. Thus, instead o f being carried into the cylinder by an air blast it m ay be sprayed in m echanically or, in other words, forced into the cylinder by the action of a pump.

Thermal efficiency and fuel costs are o f secondary consideration in th e selection of engines for standby or em ergency service. They are o f prim e importance, however, when choosing engines intended for continu­

ous duty. In the ordinary gas engine em ploying low com pression, about 19 per cent o f the total energy of the fu el is converted into useful work. In the high- com pression oil engine, from 30 to 35 per cent o f the energy in the fu el is delivered to the en gin e sh aft.

The first of th ese efficiencies equals and th e second far exceeds th ose attained in even the modern steam plant u tilizin g large boilers and condensing turbines.

A lthough the internal-com bustion engine possesses a h igh therm odynam ic efficiency as compared w ith the steam plant, th e relatively h igh cost of it s fu el in m ost cases prohibits its exten sive em ploym ent fo r continuous

station ary duty. T his is particularly true of the ga so ­ line engine but does not apply w ith equal force to those using gas in territory w here natural gas is avail­

able at a low cost. On the other hand, the oil engine w ith a therm odynam ic efficiency o f 30 per cent or more, would appear to be a form idable com petitor o f the sm all coal-burning steam plant. The relatively high cost o f the oil fu el per u n it o f energy contained as compared to the low costs o f coal per unit of it s energy, in large m easure counteracts th is advantage o f high therm al efficiency. W ith fu el oil costin g 6c. per gallon, delivered at the plant, approxim ately the sam e quantity o f electric energy m ay be gen era ted ‘per dollar as can be attained w ith 13,000 B.t.u. coal costin g $1.80 per ton delivered in the bunkers if utilized in a non-con- densing steam plant.

Oil En g in e s Mu s t Be Co nsidered

I t is th u s evident that, from the standpoint of fuel cost alone, the oil engine is well w orth considering when a power plant o f a capacity large enough to operate a

Fig. 3—Motor Drive to Mine Fan

T h e m o t o r h e r e u s e d i s a 1 0 0 - h p . , 2 2 0 - v o l t , s l i p - r l n g m a c h i n e s h o r t - c o u p l e d b y b e l t t o t h e f a n . I n c a s e o f p o w e r f a i l u r e i t i s e n e r g i z e d b y t h e e n g i n e s h o w n i n F i g . 2 . O n l y a f e w m i n u t e s a r e r e q u i r e d t o s h i f t f r o m p u r c h a s e d t o g e n e r a t e d p o w e r .

coal m ine o f small to average size, is contemplated.

A nother advantage possessed by th is type of prime mover is that the labor necessary to operate an oil­

engine plant is much less than th at required by a steam plant o f equal capacity. M any people object to the oil engine because th ey believe that it requires h ighly