C o a l A g e
A McGr a w- Hill Pu b lic a tio n— Est a b l ish e d 1911
D E V O T E D T O T H E O P E R A T IN G , T E C H N IC A L , A N D B U S IN E S S P R O B L E M S O F T H E C O A L M IN IN G IN D U S T R Y
New York , April, 1930
Vo l u m e 35 Nu m b e r 4
* >
Management and Men
D I S T R E S S and unem ploym ent follow in g in the w ak e o f the national W a ll Street joy
ride re-em ph asize the com m anding place o f industrial relations in a sound economic order. In the coal industry, broken running tim e and the unhappiness which broods over v alleys o f com m ercial depression are so com
m onplace th at they have lost their pow er o f catastrop hic shock— but not their crushing w eigh t.
P O S S IB L Y , inter-industry reactions are still to o p oorly synchronized to justify early exp ectation s o f com plete regularization o f em ploym ent. T h e field o f industrial rela
tions, h ow ever, is broad and offers many op portu nities fo r profitable betterm ent even w h ere th e realization o f ideal stability lies fa r in the future. T h e re is a challenge here w hich p rogressive m anagem ent in coal, as w ell as in industry at large, must accept.
A L T H O U G H the record is not blank in in
d ivid u al successes in achieving better indus
trial relation s, fo r the industry as a w hole th e relationsh ip cries for im provem ent.
T h ere is no p o verty o f human understanding and broad sym pathy in the relations existing at m any m ines. T h e w eakness lies in a failure to effect an econom ic relationship which would profit both men and m anagem ent.
N O T A B L E P R O G R E S S , it is true, has been made in som e union fields in clarifyin g con
tractual relations and obligations. Certain non-union operators have throw n their in
fluence against the policy o f brother p ro
ducers quick to take every m arket loss and the price o f m anagerial' inefficiency out o f w ages. But w h at has been done on a large scale in m anagem ent-labor co-operation com parable w ith the B altim ore & O hio shop plan or the experim ent undertaken at the N au m k eag Steam C otton M ills?
T O S T E E R a fair course betw een offensive paternalism rooted in a survival o f the m aster-and-servant idea and the arm ed truce characterizing relations in m ilitantly organ ized fields is n ot easy. But it can be done and has been done w here education brings m utual tolerance and mutual understanding.
L oc u st S u m m it C en tr al B re ak er St ar ts U p
(Seepage 218)P h y eic len
M A N A G E M E N T O U T L O O K A T N EM A C O LIN +lts Relation to Labor Efficiency And Safety
B
U S I N E S S and in d u stry are groping fo r m ore direct control of th e situation in w hich they find them selves. R ap id expansion o f operations to m atch equally rapid gro w th of dem and fo r products and services, and consequent rises in the stan d ard s and com plexities of living, seem to have o utstripped hu m an e ffo rts to cope co n cu rren tly w ith all new problem s. M echanization is giv
ing bigger incom es to som e m en and m ore leisure to o th e rs; luxuries are becom ing necessities o v e rn ig h t; men o f pow er and w ealth a re ceasing to function alone. So sw iftly a re h u m an endeavors trav elin g today th at intuition as well as statistics m ust be used to determ ine the b ro ad er tren d s of commerce.
J u s t as statistics a re no m ore all- sufficient fo r pointing out broad trends, so n eith er can enterprise values be calculated by units o f m eas
u rem ent com prised o f only m aterial things, as land and m oney, buildings and m achines. A new factor, man value, is beginning to be recognized an d reckoned w ith in all estim ates of the w o rth of a p roject. So m uch is this so th a t a banker, w hen a p proached fo r th e financing of a p ro j
ect, requires as accurate valuation of m anagem ent as o f potentialities for earnings. In the fields o f hum an und erstan d in g and valuation, as re
lated to business and in d u stry , are hidden aw ay resources m uch richer than m aterial things. F ro m now on, in d u stry will progress only so fa r as these resources are uncovered.
M an values are no new facto r in the m anagem ent of the N em acolin
Physical F itness I s D eterm ined by Medical Exam ination. Findings are Filed on
T his 5x8-In. Card
m ine of the Buckeye Coal Co. (su b sidiary of the Y oungstow n Sheet &
T ube C o .), located in G reene County, P ennsylvania, and o perating in the P ittsb u rg h seam. F ro m the very s ta rt o f this plant— ground w as b ro ken fo r it th irteen years ago— know l
edge o f m en has been applied to its m anagem ent, and records have been kept o f th eir reactions and behavior.
T h is has been done not casually but deliberately— as a planned function of m anagem ent.
H ere, the m iner and his fam ily are provided w ith every large advantage found in u rban life : substantial and trim hom es, living conveniences, health protection, and good educa
tional facilities. T h o u g h not defi
nitely labeled by nam e as such, N em acolin is the tow n w hich was aw arded first place in the m erit- ranking o f m ining com m unities by the U . S. Coal Com m ission in 1923.
T h e description o f the best tow n por- April, 1930 — C O A L A G E
B U C K E Y E C O A L C O M P A N Y MEDICAL DEPARTMENT
Name
Age
O c c u p a tio n
S ocio i S ta te
N o o f C lu t'd re n
H e ig h t Ft
E y e s
Ear»
N o s e
Mouth Neck Heart
L ung*
Abdomen Arterie*
Extremities Ing. Region Spine Skin infectious Di*eaw
N a t i o n a l i t y
C i t i z e n
W e i g h t C o l o r H a i r
Genito-Urinaty Hi«»«
D c f e c U t h a t d i s q u a l i f y
Kind ol - « k “» ■lllo'v' d
U r i n a iy » i *
Sp. G- • React-
B l o o d P « e * w r e
S
REMARKS:
tra y s N em acolin w ith such exactness as to leave no possible chance of m is
taken identity.
A t this p lan t safety is a fetish w hich is served by all practicable m easures fo r the protection of life.
T h ere, too, the y ard stick of plant e f
ficiency used by the local m anagem ent in the directin g of operation is not cost p e r ton. In the c u rre n t gaging of p lan t efficiency, the basis is hum an productivity— in to n s p er m an -sh ift
— w ith due reg ard fo r safety to health and Kmb. I t is not to be in fe rre d from this th a t cost-keeping is n eg le c te d ; to the co n trary , it is kept up accurately from day to day. A s a m atte r of fact, the m anagem ent know s every day, tw o h o u rs a fte r startin g , w hat the exact labor costs w ere the day before. T h e m oney basis is used only indirectly at the plant fo r checking against hum an ac
com plishm ents. H ow ever, the m oney basis na tu rally m ust be used in place of m an values in ren d erin g accounts to the p a re n t com pany.
M an values cannot be gaged intelli
gently in dollars and cents. A s a p plied by the im m ediate m anagem ent of a plant, a m onetary system o f m eas
u rem en t o f achievem ent is indirect, fo r u n d er the dollar are hidden m any com plex m an facto rs th a t in the ab strac t d e fy analysis. I t is f a r easier to convert productive u n its into m on-
health. G rade “ B ” is accorded those in average to better th an average health. N o m an is em ployed u n d e r
g ro u n d w ho falls below g rad e “ B ”.
I f the applicant does n o t pass the physical exam ination, he is advised by the doctor as to ju s t w here he has failed an d told how this handicap can
T h ese records enable th e m anage
m ent to pass ju d g m en t on the m an m ore u n errin g ly in the event he is con
sidered fo r discharge o r prom otion, o r if he asks a favor. A s an exam ple, w hen a m an comes to see the su p er
intendent, to ask a favor or m ake a com plaint, the su p erin ten d en t glances
p h y s i c a l e x a m i n a t i o n r e c o r d
d a t e --- — • :
C L A S S --- ' MD.
D ISCHARGE O F IN JU R ED
.C om p any
For'm-W BO-4-f M^-27
T H E B U C K E Y E C O A L C O M P A N Y
N E M A C O L IN , P A . . . . 1 9 2 . . G E N E R A L O F F IC E :
I have hired . . . ___ . . . . .... ... a* a...! ...
His rate is ____ p e r ...
/M n rrlc d H e is< H ouse
IsVSlUKle
Last worked a t. ... His No. is..
r
I No
You will give him checks and house if any arc vacant.
Rate and Physical Classification A p p ro v ed ,, . . , . . . __________
-1 9 -
M r. -
The B earer — --- --- —
Check No. ___...— — who has been injured, is now uble to return to work.
. . . . -... MD
E m ploym ent I s a Form al Process W h ich B egins W ith Presentation at the General Office o f a H iring O rder Signed by the Forem an. T h is O rder Form I s SI .r 31 Inches.
W o rkers M u st Present a Release O rder Signed by the P lant P hysician B efo re R e sum ing W o rk A f t e r D isabil
ity. T h is Release Form M easures 3& x 4 -fa Inches.
eta ry term s th a n it is to reverse the tran slatio n . E ach system has its tran scen d en t place: p roductive units fo r th e p lan t m a n ag em en t; m oney units fo r the investor.
W h e n a new m an applies fo r a job, if accepted by the m ine fo rem an a fte r th e custom ary interview , he is re q uired to tak e a th o ro u g h physical exam ination in th e com pany hospital.
T h e e xam ining physician rates him in one o f a num ber of alphabetical grad es according to his physical fit
ness. T o receive th e g rad e of “ A ” a m an has to be in practically p erfe ct
be overcom e, if possible, and fo r w hat w ork he is physically qualified. T h is is a n o th er exam ple of m anagem ent in terest in th e individual. H av in g passed the physical exam ination, he m ust fill out an em ploym ent card, g iv ing his job h isto ry fo r th e last few years. T h is card folds in tw o and, w hen filed aw ay, serves as a pocket fo r holding o th er cards and slips devoted to his p erfo rm an ce as a w o rk e r and his behavior as a citizen o f th e com m unity. A record of his earnings th ro u g h a term of years is kept on the m aster file card.
over th e record and receives valuable aid in dealing w ith th e m anvs problem .
A t N em acolin, it is the aim to take every precaution possible to insure safety . N ew m en a re req u ired to tak e a course covering com pany rules and policies. S a fe ty is a p a rt of their education w hich in alm ost every case they accept o f th e ir ow n volition.
O nly recently, N em acolin w as given an aw ard by the B u reau of M ines fo r 100 p er cent first-aid train in g . S ix ty - fo u r m en, m any o f w hom are em ployed in no official capacity, v o lun
teered and took p a rt in tra in in g the m ass o f w orkers. T ra in in g in first aid and m ine rescue is done on com p any tim e. S ix ty -eig h t of th e eleven h u n d red m en on th e payroll are train ed in m ine rescue w ork, m any of them hav in g h ad experience in m ine rescue w ork a t m ine disasters. T h is w ork is supervised by a sa fety engineer.
T en com plete sets o f oxygen-
204 C O A L A G E — V ol.3 5 ,N o .4
b reath in g m ine rescue a p p aratu s are m aintained fo r em ergency use, w ith sufficient B u rrell all - service gas m asks and self-rescu ers in reserve.
T h e local rescue station is equipped w ith m any m odern sa fe ty appliances and its general layout is as adequate as any in the m ining fields.
I t is o f in terest to note th a t in 1929, of tw o first-aid team s from N em acolin a tten d in g the state meet held at E bensburg, P a., one team took first prize and received a beautiful cup presented by C harles M. Schwab, the second team tak in g fo u rth posi
tio n ; also, in the sam e year, a com bination m ine rescue and first-aid team placed th ird in the In tern atio n al meet a t K ansas City, M o., and was the leading P ennsylvania rep resen ta
tive.
S
A F E T Y records a re kept of every employee, this being a du ty of the safety engineer. E ach m an is in terro g ated as to his a ttitu d e on sa fe ty an d his accident record b e fo re com ing to N em acolin. In ju re d men, no m atter how slight the disability, are required by th e com pany to stay off th eir job fo r the full period required until discharged by the doctor.
Som etim es th is is n o t easy, fo r the steady w o rk e r dislikes to lose w o rk ing tim e. A lso, it requires re stra in t on th e com pany’s p a rt, as the m an’s place is unfilled and the no-lost-tim e record is m arred . O n th e other hand, the practice lessens the
likelihood o f a backset to the in ju ry and in ad v er
tently serves as a penalty w hich all m en try to avoid by being careful.
U nderg ro u n d w orkers a re being persuaded to w ear s a f e t y goggles, w here they are p ractica
ble, and safety sh o e s; all m ine em ployees c a r r y self-rescuers. T h e c a rry ing o f self-rescuers is com pulsory fo r any indi
vidual u n d e r g r o u n d , w h eth er employee o r vis
itor. W ea rin g of safety shoes and goggles is being m ade m ore o f a custom th an a requirem ent, since the com pany w an ts to see this equip
m ent in use and introduced it thro u g h persuasion and education only, as the m anagem ent does not believe in fo ist
ing these articles on the men.
N em acolin is now producing an average of about 6,500 tons a day.
T h e average daily tonnages produced have been steadilv increasing from 5,750 in 1927 to 6,500 in 1929, w ith
a total of 1,715,000 tons fo r 1929.
F o r th e gettin g o f this tonnage safely and efficiently, close supervision is m aintained. T h e supervisory force consists o f the m ine forem an, two general assistants, eight d a y -sh ift sec
tion forem en, and eight firebosses on each sh ift.
All forem en belong to the N em acolin forem anship organization, w hich m eets once a m onth. T h is body elects its officers and functions entirely by itself. T h e sa fe ty e n g i
neer atten d s the m eetings, b u t he does not participate in the discus
sions. H e is expected m erely to prom pt the presiding officer in the bests in terests of the higher m an agem ent.
U sually, only one problem is d is
cussed at a m eeting. T h e statem ent of the problem is fu rn ish ed by the superintendent and is o f a practical n atu re relating directly to the plant.
T h e purpose o f this m eeting is not alone to train m en in the technique o f th eir jobs b u t to develop a closer u n d erstan d in g betw een the forem en as well as the fu rth e r object o f teach
ing the forem en public speaking and
On to the Lamphouse
of im p artin g confidence an d poise.
T h e re is yet an o th er organization at this plant, know n as the C entral S afety Com m ittee. I t is com posed of the heads of departm ents— the su p er
intendent, who p resid es; the chief engineer, the m ine forem an, the g en eral outside forem an, the safety engi
neer, and the m aster m echanic.
M an y of the subjects are in the form of recom m endations w hich are rep o rted on. V ario u s questions arc taken u p ' and recom m endations d ra fte d . F req u en tly an investigation is required w hich is rep o rted a t the follow ing m eeting. R ep o rts on cer
tain phases o f operation a re repeated in every m eeting, as, fo r exam ple, the condition o f fire-fighting equipm ent and the explosives cars. T h e su p er
intendent alw ays in terje cts into the m eeting a detailed account o f some op eratin g m ethod o r procedure— p e r
haps rock-dusting, ventilation, m a
chine o r electrical inspection— which m eans th a t th e m an o r m en in charge of th e operation covered m ust be p re pared to give a com plete re p o rt a t the nex t m eeting.
M eetings o f both these bodies are not looked upon as m ere r o u tin e ; they are serious affairs, conducted w ith p arliam en ta ry decorum . O ne o f these m eetings m ay last fo r hours.
G
O O D forem anship teaches th a t the boss w ho plans and keeps his m en busy all of the tim e, daym en in cluded, is re sp e c te d ; w hereas th e easygoing, listless type is held in little e s
teem . A t this m ine th e bosses keep the m en w o rk in g steadily, b u t never force them beyond a norm al rate.
W o rk in g a t a pace h ig h er th a n norm al is feverish activity and tends to accen
tu ate the h azards of m ining and cause abandonm ent o f safety p re cautions.
U n d erg ro u n d efficiencies are high at N em acolin and yet the m en w ork no fa ste r o r h a rd e r than elsew here, because delays have been reduced to a m inim um . R arely does a m iner have to w ait fo r a m ine car and sup
plies are alw ays available fo r his needs. F u rth e rm o re , th e m an ag e
m ent attem p ts to facilitate the jo b of loading coal to the degree w here the m an produces a satisfacto ry o u tp u t and m akes a good living, yet gets aw ay from the m ine a t qu ittin g tim e o r earlier.
A t Nem acolin, every m an, w hether he be paid a flat o r a piece rate, is cherished -for his hum an qualities. A m an is a m a n ; he is given utm ost consideration regardless o f his job.
A nd the door o f the executives’ office is alw ays open to him . H ead s o f d e
partm ents have grow n to th in k of their men first and them selves last.
Positions of official ch aracter are given only to m en who have proved th e ir reliability. T h e assum ption is m ade th a t they a re capable of filling the place and are given the necessary, well-defined authority. W ith in his
A pril, 1930 — C O A L A G E 205
fo r a new school in th e tow n, b u t the tow nship w as unable to pu sh this educational p ro ject, because of a lack o f funds. T h e com pany engaged an architect, financed the building, a r ran g in g fo r repaym ent over a five- y e a r period, and directed th e con
stru ctio n . T h e re are eleven children from the tow n of N em acolin in col
lege this year. M any o f them are w o rk in g th e ir w ay th rough.
E very E ffo rt I s M ade to Enable M en to Leave the M ine on Tim e
sphere, each boss is expected to spend his tim e p lanning and supervising w hile th e m en u n d er him execute the details. In this w ay, every m an is being ta u g h t the jo b o f his superior.
W ith ra re exceptions, all vacancies a re filled by men in the organization.
Snap ju d g m en t has been divorced en tirely fro m the functioning of th e m anagem ent. I t 'i s realized th a t m in
ing o f coal is too precarious an u n d e r
taking fo r toleration of any b u t sound ju d g m en t. W h en a decision is to be m ade, all w hose opinions a re desired a re called to g eth er in one o r m ore m eetings and the m a tte r thrashed out.
P ressin g problem s are ham m ered at d ay a f te r day until a satisfa cto ry d e
cision is reached. W h e re quick ac
tion is unnecessary, m ore tim e is taken. In all m atters p en d
ing decision, the u n w ritten rule is to m ove according to the exigency o f the occasion.
R ed tap e is taboo. E ach
m an know s w here he stands and how to get action w ith the least effo rt an d in the sh o rtest time. T h is m eans, of course, th a t m anagem ent control is largely decentralized.
O bservations of this m anagem ent are th a t fluctuating and low w ages will d isru p t an organization, low er the efficiency and, co n tra ry to general belief, increase absenteeism .
C onsideration fo r the desires of the m en and th eir fam ilies is alw ays upperm ost in the m ind of the m an agem ent. A ction is taken to supply those desires and w ants, b u t in no case is action m otivated by p h ilan thropic im pulses. A m u tu al u n d e r
stan d in g exists betw een the people and the m anagem ent.
In the early days th e re was need Slope Portal at Nem acolin Through W hich R ock,
Materials, and Supplies A re H andled
T
H E R E a re 21 teachers in the N em acolin elem entary school, who, in addition to teaching, a re helping to m old th e ch aracters of the m ore th an eight h u n d red children who daily pass th ro u g h th e doors o f th eir tem ple o f learning. T h e re are 78 chil
dren fro m th e tow n o f N em acolin atten d in g the C um berland T o w n sh ip H ig h School, w hich is located n ear the B orough of C arm ichaels, a dis
tance of th ree m iles fro m N em acolin the children being tra n sp o rte d to and from school in well equipped buses provided by th e school board.
N em acolin has earn ed c o u n try w ide recognition as a g re a t coal-m in
ing operation. F re q u e n tly the ques
tion is asked, “W h a t a re th e policies th a t m ake it g re a t? ” T h e general policies a re h e re given. T h e com pany is engaged in hum an engineer
ing. I t is investing in people as well as in a plant.
In the early d evelopm ent'of the N e m acolin m ine and com m unity, a g reat deal of tim e and stu d y w as given to th e co nstruction o f th is p lan t and the houses, w ith a view of hav in g p ro p er m ining and living conditions fo r the w orkm en. T h is com pany believes th a t re tu rn s in loyalty, as well as o u tp u t of coal, fa r exceed ex p en d i
tu re s in h andling th e m in
ing gam e in a h u m an w ay.
206 C O A L A G E — Vol.35. N o .4
IN ANTHRACITE REGION
-^Machines Make Low Coal Minable And Water Tunnels Feasible
M
e c h a n i z a t i o n is u n ostentatiously m aking p ro g ress in the an th racite region, an d th a t progress, though not exclusively exhibited in low coal, is m ost in evidence w here th e seam s are thin.
S tillw ater m ine, an operation of the H u d so n Coal Co., in the extrem e n o rth o f the N o rth e rn an th racite field, exem plifies this com paratively recent developm ent in hard-coal practice.
T h e coal area w hich is being w orked is u n d er a relatively light cover—
about 100 ft. T h e m ine produces a ro u n d 500 sh o rt tons daily. O n being bro u g h t to the su rface the coal is tra n sp o rte d over an extrem ely rough te rra in a distance of about 3,000 ft. by an A m erican Steel & W ire
Co. aerial tra m to a tipple. A t this point it is loaded onto railroad cars, w hich tra n sp o rt it to the Coalbrook breaker, w here it is prepared for the m arket.
T h e coal is 28 in. thick, but has be
neath it 4 in. of bone. A 6-in. k erf is cut beneath the seam, p artly in the 4 in. of bone and p artly in the clean coal above it. T h e coal seam is of excellent quality and has some slips in it, but no re g u lar face. T h e slips ru n in all directions, and the coal is g n arly and not blocky, like bitum i
nous coal. It hangs tight to the roof, from w hich it m ust be to rn by shooting.
W h e re the coal is being mined in cham bers by the aid o f E ickhoff con
veyors, these cham bers are on 50-ft.
centers, are 24 to 28 ft. wide, and 300 ft. long, and of coal height. N o rock is rem oved. T he conveyors are 10 in.
w ide at the bottom , w ith flaring sides, a n d are driven by 7^-hp. electric units.
T h e y are set on the center line of the cham ber. In th in coal, a conveyor should not be too w ide o r too heavy unless a large tonnage p er u nit has to b e handled. Such a tonnage is not
provided by a single room , so a light conveyor am ply suffices. I t is less costly to purchase, less laboriously and less expensively extended, and consequently m ore desirable in all re- pects. I t can be driven w ith less pow er and by a u n it th a t costs less to install, f o r the concrete foundation needed fo r a heavy d riving u nit need not be provided. T h e floor o f the room s in the S tillw ater m ine is stro n g enough to keep the m achine in place if it is held by steel screw jacks firm ly braced against the roof. Sw ivel pans a re provided on the end of the con
veyor, so th a t very little sh iftin g of the coal is necessary.
W h en a cham ber is started the set
up is m ade 30 to 50 ft. from the g a n g way. T o drive this cham ber over 300 ft., the drive m ust be m oved back into the cham bers from 100 to 150 ft. T h e drive is capable o f handling 300 ft. of chute in either direction w ith o u t buckling.
In o rd er to advance the w ork ra p idly, the cu ttin g m achine sta rts its cut on one side of th e room as soon as the coal on th at side is loaded into the conveyor. C oncurrently, loading com
mences on the o th er side. T o each cham ber are apportioned fo u r m e n : O ne a carm an who operates the shak
ing engine and loads the cars, topping them so as to provide fo r a good capacity; one a m achine ru n n e r who usually is in charge o f th e gang, and tw o laborers who load the coal into the conveyor. E ach g ang produces about 38 sh o rt tons p er sh ift. A s there are tw o shifts, each room p ro duces about 76 sh o rt tons, an d the fo u r room s, have an o u tp u t of 304 tons daily.
G ravity fav o rs th e flow o f coal from the face to th e car, th e g rad ien t being betw een 2 and 3 per cent. A s
By R. DAW SON HALL
Engineering E ditor, Coal A g e
height has to be m ade in the gangw ay fo r the m ine cars, bottom is lifted, and the conveyor accordingly comes to the desired height above th e top of the car w ith o u t an y term in al upgrade.
In an o th er p a rt o f the m ine a long- wall scoop face is being p rep ared w ith an E ickhoff conveyor. T h e gangw ay intersects a tail-ro p e haulage plane, and a longwall place is being started sufficiently fa r back o f the plane to afford it a pillar 50 ft. w ide, fo r p ro tection. A s the plane is inclined at an angle o f m uch less th a n a rig h t angle to the gangw ay, th e room , being driven to open up th e longw all face, is inclined in th a t sam e direction. It will be extended till about 350 ft. long, w ith the aid o f a 12-in. conveyor pan actuated by a 7^-hp. M T 8 E ickhoff drive. W h e n the conveyor has been extended about 300 ft. in length, the d riving u n its will be m oved up 200 ft., so th a t the im pulse will n o t be a t one end and th u s will n o t have to be tra n s m itted fo r the full length o f the con
veyor. T h e pans, being light and n arro w , m ight buckle if th a t w ere done.
A s soon as the place is driven up, the room will be sw ung a t the fa r end, so th a t it will be vertical to the g an g w ay and then it will be bent a little fu rth e r, so as to produce a convex rib— the kind of rib desirable fo r scraper loading. W h e n the rib is convex, th e scraper in try in g to go straig h t tends alw ays to collide w ith it and in so doing g ath ers the loosened coal from its foot. A s soon as the correct shape of rib is provided, the scraper will be introduced, and the E ickhoff conveyor will re tu rn to cham ber w ork. In fact, it is the in ten tion n o t only to p u t this conveyor
A pril, 1930 —- C O A L A G E 207
back to room w o rk b u t to place th ree m ore in sim ilar locations.
W a te r-tu n n el construction by no m eans has come to an end in the an th racite region especially, in the E a ste rn M iddle F ield, w hich centers a round H azleton. I t also has become a m echanized activity.
T h e L ehigh & W ilk e s-B a rre Coal Co. has bad tw o M yers-W haley shovels w ork in g on the 19,000-ft.
tunnel from A u d en ried to C ataw issa V alley. T h is tunnel ru n s m ore or less parallel w ith the strik e of the m easures 0 11 a g radien t of 0.17 per cent. O w ing to w ater conditions, only one o f the shovels is op eratin g at present.
A n o th er w a te r tunnel th at is p a r
ticularly in terestin g , because of its novel form o f m echanization, is th a t being d riv en from th e Jed d o -H ig h - land Coal C o.’s H ig h lan d N o. 5 m ine to C oxe B ro th e rs & Co.’s m ine at D rifto n . N ow th a t the la tter com p any has been absorbed by the Jeddo- H ig h lan d Coal Co., arran g em en ts are being m ade to d rain the D rifto n m ine th ro u g h the Jed d o tunnel, and a Sullivan d ra g o r hoe has been installed to load the rock into m ine cars. A few w ords as to th e tunnel m ay well p reface referen ce to its m echanization.
T h e Je d d o tu n n el is 15,100 ft. long.
I t is constructed u n d er the Black C reek R idge saddle o r anticline, w hich lies betw een th e D rifto n and Jed d o basins. I t cuts deeply into the P ottsville C onglom erate rocks.
A T the tim e the Jed d o tunnel w as -¿A - constructed, an o th er tunnel w as excavated about a t rig h t angles to it.
T h is follow ed along the Jed d o basin.
A t th a t tim e it w as d riv en 4,880 ft., bu t la te r it w as ex te n d ed a fu rth e r 3,800 ft., m aking its total length 8,680 ft. N ow , a f te r a delay o f years, a tu n n e l about a t rig h t angles to the la t
te r tunnel is being constructed back fro m th e Jed d o basin to the D rifto n basin, w hich, a t first blush, seems a stra n g e proceeding. T h e reason is th a t the D rifto n basin is n o t a sim ple s tru c tu re b u t has a saddle or cross
anticline over w hich w ater has now to be pum ped a t m uch expense. A f te r the tunnel is com pleted to D rifto n , th e w a te r will travel from th e D rifto n basin dow n to th e Jed d o basin, dow n th a t basin to the Jed d o tunnel, w hich w ill c a rry it back to th e D rifto n basin and out by th e tu n n el opening.
T h e g rad ie n t o f th e original tunnels w as 0.333 p er cent. T h e inclination w as n o t a t all based on the fall neces
sary to c a rry a sufficient volum e of w ate r in a rock channel o f the size
constructed but ra th e r on the incli
nation needed to prevent silting.
T h o u g h a g ra d e of 1 ft. in 300 will n o t alto g eth er p rev en t this action, it is ju s t steep enough th a t d u ring periods of fresh et th e floods of w ater will sw eep out any silt th a t has been deposited d u rin g low w ater. T h e tunnel th e re fo re is self-cleaning.
In the new tu n n el the g rad ien t will be 0.422 per cent. A s th e re is w ater a t th e D rifto n approach o f th e tunnel w hich w ould flood the la tte r if driven from th a t end, the excavation is con
fined to the Jecldo, o r H ig h lan d N o. 5, approach. T h e tunnel passes th ro u g h the P ottsville C onglom erate, w hich is a rock th a t can be tunneled only w ith difficulty. I t is not possible to ad-
w-votf-->\
S ketch o f Jeddo Tunnel and Connections
vance in conglom erate rock a t record speed. T h e m ax im u m ra te of a d vance w ith m echanical aid and trip le sh ift, w orking, as stated, a t one end only, is about 85 y a rd s a m onth, but in general it has been m ore nearly 60.
T h e cross-section is 8x12 ft., the height having been slightly increased to aid m echanical m ucking.
T h e P o ttsv ille C onglom erate here and th ere has a little red shale, but th a t is quite occasional, and still m ore occasional a re sm all beds o f quartz.
B u t eternal is the hard , pebbly rock, w ith here and th ere a w elling sp rin g o f clear w ater, w hich, how ever, u su ally coats w ith red stains th e w alls it travels over. T h e anticline betw een the basins ap p aren tly has been p a s s e d ; a t least the m easures are now dipping.
Som e 2,500 ft. o f tu n n el has been d riv en out o f above 4,100 ft.
D iffering fro m the o rd in ary scraper such as is generally used fo r loading coal, the hoe o r d ra g d ro p s from above on the m aterial to be scraped.
T h a t is w hy it h ere is term ed a hoe.
I t has no handle, o f course, b u t it is pulled back an d fo rth by ropes.
P rovision is m ade fo r th e raisin g and low ering o f the hoe by p u ttin g the ' sheave by w hich the re a r rope is o p er
ated as n ear the ro o f as possible. T he w eight o f the hoe causes it to fall on
the m aterial to be hoed as soon as th e strain on the rope is released. A s it is d raw n fo rw a rd it engages m ore and m ore o f the m aterial till it is
fully loaded.
M uch as w ith the o rd in ary scraper loader, th ere is an inclined plane th a t is pushed to the loading point, in this instance by the g a th e rin g locom otive, and th ere is, m oreover, an o v erh an g ing fra m e th a t su rm o u n ts the mine car. T h is fram e, having m ere side ru n n e rs and no bottom , su p p o rts the hoe but lets the rock fall th ro u g h th e opening into th e car below.
A t H ig h lan d N o. 5 the cars are large, being 5 ft. 3 in. high and r u n ning on a 4 ft. S-i-in. track . T h ey hold, w ater level, 147-4- cu.ft. E ach o f these cars is filled in fro m p erh ap s 13 to 16 com plete trip s o f the shovel.
A trip takes about h alf a m in u te ; th a t is, a car is filled in fro m 7 to 11 m inutes.
B u t the w ork of loading is not so sim ple as this w ould suggest. Such large and violent shots a re fired th a t the rock is th ro w n fo r a distance of about 400 ft. T h is m aterial is not only rock o f dim ensions b u t fines th a t pack som ew hat h a rd e r th an sea sand, and shovel w ith difficulty.
C onsequently, the job of m ucking includes m aking the rails clean enough fo r th e passage o f cars and m achine.
T h is m ay take a h alf hour. I t is s u r
p risin g how readily and how stiffly the fine conglom erate sand will pack, w h eth er carried dow n th e gangw ay by a blast o r deposited by th e w aters of the tunnel.
A P A R T fro m the prelim in ary hand loading of m aterial th a t fails on the rails, th o u g h the la tte r do n o t a p proach the face n e a re r th an 30 ft., the cleaning u p consum es about 2-|- hours.
H o w ev er, the tim e betw een placing and rem oving the p ortable incline be
fo re and a fte r loading has been at tim es as sh o rt as 1^ hours.
T o ventilate th e tunnel w hich has been driven in rock w ith o u t a re tu rn airw ay fo r a distance o f 2,500 ft., a 30-in. U n iv ersal blow er has been in
stalled which ex h au sts the a ir th ro u g h an 18-in. galvanized-iron pipe, the fo rw a rd end o f w hich has to be kept som e 100 ft. aw ay fro m face o f the tu n n el because of th e violence o f the shots. In o rd e r th a t the body o f the pipe m ay fit to g eth er tightly, a length of pipe is reserved fo r the inby end and is used fo r th a t pu rp o se only. Its rim show s the violence to w hich it is subjected every tim e shots a re fired.
U sin g the fa n as an ex h au st, the air, w hen it has been befouled by the
20« C O A L A G E — V ol.35,N o.4
Drag or H oe T hai Loads R ock in the Tunnel to D r ift on Mine
explosion, is rem oved in the pipe and does not h ang aro u n d the tracks. T he ventilation pipe is suspended from th e roof. A blow er o r booster fan is being installed in the line about 1,500 ft. fro m the first fan, to assist it in d ra w in g o u t the foul air. T h e pipes a re connected m uch like those of an o rd in ary stove pipe and rest on hooks set in the rock rib o f the tunnel.
A s soon as the a ir c u rre n t has cleared the tunnel sufficiently to p e r
m it m en to en ter it, they begin to load up— into a car, pushed in by the a tte n d a n t locomotive— th e rock blown over the trac k s by the blast. M ean
tim e, a m an has gone to the end of the tunnel and scaled off the loose rock in the roof and on the sides and face. T h a t done, he takes a w ater L ey n er drill and proceeds to drill th ree holes in the face as near to the ro o f o f the tunnel as possible, one n ear the rig h t rib, one near the left, and one in the center. T hese he sinks to a depth o f about 18 in.
In to these holes a re in tu rn driven w edges w hich hold the face sheave, th u s providing fo r the rearw ard m ovem ent o f the hoe. By the tim e the holes are drilled, the men have cleaned up the loose rock and the rock sludge fro m aro u n d the rail, and the locom otive has pushed the inclined plane into place and the crew has a t
tached it to the rail by devices. T he w o rk o f m echanical loading then com m ences a t say the rig h t-h an d corner o f the f a c e ; the rock being generously bespread fo r the w hole 30 ft. between
the face and the loading incline. A s occasion requires, the sheave is moved over to the center and then to th e left rib hole till all the rock is cleaned up.
D u rin g the inevitable delays aw ait
ing the placing o f cars, the d ra g is w orked on sh o rt ru n s betw een the face of the tunnel and a point im m e
diately in fro n t o f the incline. T h e heavy rock, o f course, has fallen near the face and is im bedded in finer m aterial. Consequently, the greatest resistance is experienced at th a t point and it is desirable th a t this debris be moved d u rin g th e spells betw een actual loadings, so th a t pieces too large fo r the d rag o r too deeply im bedded m ay be w orked out into open
w here they can be sledged if neces
sary.
A s w ith all scraping operations, the equipm ent does not rem ove all the rubbish, its w ork being m ost effective n ear the face, b u t all th a t is needed, and th a t only near the ribs, is fo r som eone to th ro w over or d ra g the small q u an tity o f rock th a t is beyond the range o f the hoe into its path, a m uch lig h ter operation by fa r than liftin g it up into a car th a t stands 63 in. above the rail and some feet back.
In o rd er to prevent the scraper fro m piling rock a t the sides o f the shovel, steel-plate w ings are bolted on either side o f the flared foot of the incline, w hich to g eth er fill out th e full w idth o f th e bottom o f the tunnel and so intercept any rock th a t m ay tend to go astray , tu rn in g it in the desired direction. Som e o f the rock a t this point, of course, m ust be th ro w n over into the path o f the shovel.
A n en tire w o rk in g sh ift used to be devoted to the w o rk o f m ucking a 6 -ft. cut. N ow it takes a t m ost 3 hours. T h e speed m ade now is al
m ost double th a t attain ed w ith hand loading, though the cross-section of the tunnel has had to be m ade larg er to accom m odate the equipm ent. A t p resen t six m en a re w o rk in g a t the face, one o f w hom ru n s the machine.
A seventh m an operates the loco
m otive.
T h re e shotholes are drilled in the top o f the face. F o u r shotholes are drilled in a row near the bottom . T h e re are tw o holes n ear each rib in line w ith the le ft and rig h t top and bottom holes, respectively. All these holes are drilled stra ig h t in fo r a distance o f 7 ft. T h ey a re loaded
Shooting Diagram o f the N e w Tunnel to D rifto n ; Center H oles S h o t First
£>•-7 ft. lo n g
l-jd
ift.h n g :
a*'
7 f t long s t r a ig h t
O*-
7ft. lo n g s tr a ig h t
A pril, 1930 — C O A L A G E 209
w ith 7 sticks of 60 p er cent gelatine dynam ite. T h e re is an in n er rin g of six holes, also drilled stra ig h t in fo r a distance o f 8 ft. and loaded w ith 8 o r 9 sticks o f the sam e e x plosive. T h e center six holes are 9 ft. long and they are driven to m eet a t the rear. T h ey are charged w ith 12 o r 15 sticks. D elay fuses are used, electrically fired, a rran g ed so th a t the center shots fire first. In all th ere are 24 holes.
A n o th e r com pany th a t has entered w hat is, fo r the an th racite region, a new field in loading is the G eorge F.
L ee Coal Co. A t its C hauncey Col
liery it has installed fo u r N o rth e rn p it-car loaders, one in coal and th ree in rock and coal. T h e la tte r are being used in the d riv in g o f gangw ays in seam s of coal so th in th a t about 70 per cent of the m aterial m oved is rock and only 30 per cent coal.
T h e p it-car loader w as not o rig inally designed fo r rock, and some changes have been m ade w hich have resulted in bettered service. A m ong these are angle iro n s set on the end o f the loading p latfo rm an d so a rra n g e d as to prev en t rock from w edging betw een the flights and the nose of the m achine. Saw teeth \ in.
high and |- in. betw een points have been provided on the flights. T h ese p revent the rock from sliding back.
T h e fram ew o rk also has been strengthened. A s a result, the m a
chine is able to handle alm ost a n y th in g tw o m en can load on it. So successful has the G eorge F . L ee Coal Co. been in the operations of these loaders th a t several other an th ra cite com panies are p rep arin g to use them o r already have them installed.
I
N O R D E R to assist in loading the coar, N o. 16 gage steel shoveling plates are laid on the floor of the gangw ay b efo re shooting the coal o r rock. M ax im u m efficiency is obtained w here it is possible to use one coal loader in tw o places. O ne of these places can be shot about an h o u r b efo re the m en a re ready to load it out,. W h ile the air is clearing they can com plete th e loading in the o th e r place. O n e m iner and his helper does the drilling fo r the tw o gangw ays. T h e re are th ree m uckers to each m achine.
T h e headings are driven 6 ft. 2 in.
clear of the rail. T o th a t m u st be added a n o th er 8 in. fo r th e track and on one side about 1 ft. fo r the in
clination of the coal seam . So the average m inim um height in the clear is 7 ft. 4 in., of w hich 30 in. is coal and the rest, o r 58 in., is rock. A s a rule, th ere is m ore th an the 58 in.
o f rock to handle, fo r the ro o f does not alw ays fall to the specified height.
T h e cars hold 100 cu.ft. level full.
O n e m achine w hen w o rk in g be
tw een 3 and 11 p.m . loaded 100 cars o f rock and 15 o f coal in 17 days.
W o rk in g betw een 11 p.m . and 7 a.m.
it loaded 110 cars of rock and 25 of coal in the sam e period. It was w ork in g steadily on tw o gangw ays.
I t is stated th a t in general w hen load
ing by hand th e cost w as $36 per yard and th a t w ith the loader the cost has been low ered to $20, a saving of
$16.
A big advantage in the sem i
m echanical loading is the g reater rap id ity w ith w hich a gangw ay can be advanced. In th e past the d e
velopm ent in 30-in. coal w as so slow th a t no capacity could be obtained.
Diagonal Facc Gives B ig g er Tonnage and Feii’cr C onveyor F littings
T h e m anagem ent w as alw ays clam o rin g fo r m ore tonnage. T h e ro a d w ays advanced so slow ly and deliv
ered such a small o u tp u t w hen advanced th a t a fa ir colliery tonnage w as impossible. H en ce it is in terest
ing to note th a t a t C hauncey Colliery w ith 66 per cent m ore m en in a g ang
w ay (five instead of th re e ) 150 per cent m ore advance w as m ade w ith the N o rth e rn loader th an w hen w o rk ing by hand.
In Coal A g e of D ecem ber, 1927, V ol. 32, p. 333, w as described the w ork of the G eorge F . L ee Coal Co.
w ith Siem ens - S chukertw erke and E ickhoff conveyors. T o this th e re is n o t m uch to add a t th is tim e. B oth types o f conveyors are being used w ith satisfaction, th e E ickhoff con
veyors tak in g the coal fro m w h at p e r
haps I m ay be pardoned fo r term in g th e S -S conveyors. In m any cases the la tte r are delivering coal direct fro m the face to the gangw ay and some a re liftin g coal up a 4-deg. pitch.;
T h re e S -S conveyors som etim es d e
liver to a fo u rth u nit o f the sam e size and w ould ta x its capacity except th a t no m ore th an tw o are delivering coal to the receiving conveyor a t any one time. T w elve S -S conveyors are delivering coal fro m tw elve cham bers to tw o E ickhoffs, b u t o f the six delivering to any one Eickhoff, only th re e are fu rn ish in g coal at any one tim e, the o th er th ree being in places w here, at the m om ent, shots are being loaded and fired. T h e su p e rin ten d ent and forem en a re enthusiastic about m echanical loading. W ith coal as low as 30 in. and m ark ets as they are, it is m echanize o r close dow n, and the C hauncey Colliery is one of th e very few in the a n th racite region th at, by reason o f m echanization an d good m ark etin g m ethods, ru n steadily.
E x p erien ce has m erely increased th e conviction of th e S cran to n Coal Co. th a t m echanization is desirable.
In the M arch, 1928, issue of Coal A g e , Vol. 33, p. 167, th e hom e-m ade shaking chutes o f this com pany, w o rk in g in 18-in. coal, w ere de
scribed, and . they are still w ork in g and giving satisfaction.
B ut at the R aym ond Colliery of the com pany th ere is som e v irg in coal in the N ew C ounty, or R id e r N o. 2, bed ru n n in g from 36 to 44 in. in thickness w hich will be m ined by room -and- pillar m ethods w ith 30-ft. cham bers and 2 4 -ft. pillars. I t is n o tew o rth y th a t the coal will be cut w ith Sulli
van and Je ffre y u n d e rcu ttin g m a
chines to a depth o f 5-2- ft. and then loaded by hand into E ickhoff con
veyors w ith d riv in g units like those in use a t S tillw ater, an d pans 10-in.
w ide below the flared sides.
T
H E point o f m ost in terest is th a t the face will not be square to the center line o f the room but a t an angle o f 45 deg. T h is w ill give a longer face, increasing th e to n n ag e obtainable b efo re a re a d ju stm e n t in location o f the conveyor will become necessary and au gm enting th e p ro duction p e r conveyor. T h o u g h the room is only 30 ft. w ide, the face will be 42 ft. long. B y lengthening the face the cost of the conveyor p er ton o f production is reduced. T h e re will be tw o sw ivels on the conveyors.T h ese are a few only o f th e m any com panies in th e an th rac ite region th a t are becom ing actively interested in m echanization. In fact, th ere is h ard ly an im p o rtan t com pany th a t has n o t m ade som e m ovem ent in th a t direction, and som e of th e com panies already m entioned a re about to m ech
anize th e ir m ines fu rth e r, sp u rre d on by th eir ow n experience as to the ability o f m achinery to reduce costs.
210 C O A L A G E — V o l.3 5 ,N 0.4-
C O -O R D IN A T E M EN A N D M A C H IN ER Y
1 V M A J O R P R O B L E M in m odern coal m ining is
A
th e co-ordination of m en and m achinery. T h e increased use of u n d erg ro u n d loading m achines is elim inating hand labor, b u t it is not elim inating men. It is re q u ir
ing a different class of labor— a com bination of m iner and m echanic.
T h e personnel fo r the m odern m ine m ust come from one o f tw o sources: a mechanic m ust be trained fo r u n d erg ro u n d w ork, o r the m iner m ust be train ed to use and operate m achines. Since th ere are now available in the coal-m ining in d u stry capable and com petent w ork
m en at present u n train ed in the use of the m achine, but w ho a re adaptable to m achine operation, the present problem is to determ ine the best m ethod of training.
O ne o f the first steps is to convince the m en of the practicability o f th e m achine idea; to convince them th a t it is possible fo r th em to use m echanical appliances u n d e rg ro u n d ; and to fu rth e r convince them th a t m a
chine w o rk is m ore pleasant and th a t it is equally p ro fit
able to them and to th e com pany. In o ther w ords, the m en m u st he m ade “ m achine-m inded.”
A t those m ines w here m echanization has elim inated hand m ethods, it has been found th a t the m en are not antagonistic. It is tru e th a t at first th ere is a general disinclination to change from fam iliar to new m ethods, but this applies m ore to the older th an to the younger
men. It has been-found th a t once the m achine has been successfully dem onstrated th ere is a desire on the p a rt of the m ore progressive m en to be em ployed on the m achine loading crew s. Such m en are very valuable to th e ir com panies, and th eir ideas and suggestions have freq u en tly contributed very g reatly to the success of the operation.
M echanized loading fo r m odern m ining has not reached the point o f standardization, but it has reached the point w here it is know n definitely th a t som e form of tra in in g fo r the mechanical crew is highly desirable, if not o f prim e necessity. It is to the com pany’s ad v an tage to have a system o f train in g men in augurated by the com pany, ra th e r than to have the m en tra in and teach them selves, by experience, at the com pany’s e x pense. I t will be clearly show n at the C incinnati con
vention th a t th is is p articu larly tru e, since m echanical developm ent has now dem onstrated th at th ere are c e r tain rig h t and w rong w ays of using equipm ent.
T h e objective in tra in in g m en is to b rin g about tw o things : sa fe ty and efficiency. U n d e r the new m ethods, w ith groups w orking u nder close supervision, .discipline can be inforced and w here practices have been found correct these practices can be em ployed at the discretion of the com pany and not at the discretion of the in d i
vidual m iner. H ow ever, it is highly im p o rtan t th a t in fo rm u latin g these rules and practices the operating com panies should first know th a t th e ir rules are correct, and it is by co-operation betw een m echanized com panies and by com paring various practices, such as will be m ade possible at the forthcom ing convention, th a t th e best rules will be m ore quickly obtained.
T h e A m erican M in in g C ongress convention and exposition offer a splendid o p p o rtu n ity to b rin g o u t in fo rm atio n on this im p o rtan t subject. T h e safety factor, increasingly im portant w ith th e advent of m echanization, depends fo r its success upon th e pro p er tra in in g o f the m en ; upon the developm ent and em ploym ent o f the “care-m eans-safety” idea. T h e con
vention and the w ork of the A m erican M ining C ongress have done m ore th an any o th er single fa cto r in the in d u stry to cause th e m en to th in k in the term s of the m achine.
T h e creation of the new te rm “m echanical-m inded- ness,” an adherence to approved practice, and the adoption of safety codes are real and vital problem s facing th e coal operator.
Chairman, P rogram Comm ittee, A .M .C . Cincinnati Convention
A pril, 1930 — C O A L A G E 211
WHY GO TO CINCINNATI?
+ Fellowship, Exposition, and Talks Promise Profit, Say Committeemen
B
r o a d e r a c q u a i n t a n c e s h i p and exchange of experience w ith o th er m en in th e in d u stry an d a w ider know ledge o f th e latest and best in equipm ent a re seen as com pelling reaso n s fo r attendance a t th e S eventh A nnual C onvention of P ractical Coal O p e ra ting Officials and N ational E x p o sitio n of C oal-M ining E quipm ent, to be held a t C incinnati, O hio, M ay 5-9, u n d er th e auspices o f th e M a n u fa c tu r e rs ’ D ivision o f th e A m erican M ining C ongress. T h e view s e x pressed are responsive to a n inquiry addressed to m em bers of th e p ro g ram com m ittee o f the convention by Coal A g e.
S everal m em bers o f the o perating d ep a rtm en t and one representative fo r th e engineering dep artm en t, a n o th e r fo r the sa fety division, and one
from th e purch asin g d ep artm en t of each com pany should atten d th e C in
cinnati convention, in th e opinion of S. W . Blakslee, general m anager,
S. W . Blakslee A
P ennsylvania Coal & Coke C o rp o ra
tion. T h ese rep resen tativ es should give p a rtic u la r atte n tio n to th e read ing and discussion of pap ers and to all o f th e exhibits.
“ I t has been o u r experience,” ob
serves M r. Blakslee, “ th a t m em bers o f o u r o rganization w ho have a t
tended th e C incinnati convention each y e a r have re tu rn e d w ith ideas th at, w hen p u t into effect, reduced our costs, m ade o u r m ines sa fe r fo r th e employees, a n d aided indirectly the m ark etin g of coal. I f a com pany w ith an annual o u tp u t o f 1,000,000 tons spends $1,000 in sending m en to C incinnati and, as a result o f know l
edge gained a t th e convention, costs are reduced only 1 mill p e r ton, the expenses have been p a id ; if 1 cent p er ton is saved, the com pany, of course, reaps big dividends.”
S u p erin ten d en ts, m ine m anagers, and chief electrical and m echanical engineers will get th e m ost o u t of the m eeting, says F . S. P fa h le r, vice-president and general m anager, S u p erio r Coal Co. Possibly, he adds, a m an fro m th e accounting d ep art-
D. Cooper R. p . Malo
m ent also should be included in the delegation. T h ese m en “o u ght to stu d y th e exhibits of m achinery o f all kinds th a t could be used in the m odernization o f a m ine and give p a rticu lar atten tio n to equipm ent m ost adaptable to conditions a t th e ir own o p eratio n s.” T echnical sessions b e a r
ing on problem s m et in th e ir own w ork should be covered.
“ M echanization o f m ines, in my opinion, is in its in fan cy ,” declares M r. P fa h le r. “ O n ly th e su rfa c e has been scratched. T h e A m erican M in ing C ongress offers an o p p o rtu n ity fo r o p eratin g m en to g a th e r in a few days a t a sm all expense in fo rm atio n th a t w ould tak e w eeks to acquire in any o th er w ay. T h e m a n u fa c tu rers display the m ost u p -to -d ate m achinery and m ake it well w o rth any m an ’s tim e to spend a few days a t this con
vention if he hopes to keep up w ith the o p eratin g gam e o f m ining.”
Because the papers presented a t the technical sessions a re available fo r later study in p rin te d form , em phasis is placed upon the benefits to be de
rived fro m a stu d y o f th e equipm ent exhibits by R . P . M aloney, president, P e n k e r Coal M in in g Co. H e su g gests th a t o p eratin g com panies should
ty N ew ell G. A lfo rd
212 C O A L A G E — V o l.35.N o.4
