1022 May 16, 1913. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. ___________________________________________________________________________ — PROGRESS. — _____________________ _____________________ The Origin of Coal. At the annual meeting of the Yorkshire G-eological Society a discussion on the origin of coal was introduced by Prof. P. F. Kendall, F.G.S. Mr. Kendall pointed out that there were two views of the mode of the origin of coal. One which was for many years prevalent was that the coal consisted of drifted vegetation accumulated in masses in the sea or in lakes. The other theory was that the vegetation had grown on the spot. The latter had been adopted by a great majority of British geologists, but there had lately been a recrudescence of opinion in favour of the drift theory. Mr. Kendall argued strongly that this theory was incompatible with the facts as related to all except the cannel coal. The true coal seams had a very wide extension and regular thickness, and it was inconceivable that transported vegetable matter should be distributed over so vast an area with such regularity. The coal was usually pure— in many cases the amount of ash in its burning being no more than would come from the burning of vegetable matter. Examination of vegetable matter brought down by rivers always revealed a considerable admixture of mud and sand. No remains of aquatic animals of any kind had ever been found in true coal, and they must surely have been present in transported material. More- over, true coal had always a bed of mudstone or sand- stone replete—as were the beds examined that day— with rootlets. All these facts indicated clearly growth in situ. In the case of cannel coal all the conditions were reversed. The beds were small in area; the material was very irregular in thickness ; there was no seat earth, no soil with plant roots ; and the coal itself almost invariably contained the remains of aquatic animals. So that the evidence, both positive and negative, was in favour of the growth of the coal vegetation on the spot. ______ Rubber from Coke-oven Gas. The limits of the coke oven appear to be inexhaustible. According to a communication by M. Gouvy to the Societe des Ingenieurs Civile, coke-oven gas may prove an important factor in the production of synthetic rubber. It appears that the product as provided by the patents of the firm of Bayer and Co., of Elberfeld, is based upon a substance termed “ butadiene,” which is found in small quantities in coke-oven gas. The process is being carried out by the Teerwertungs Gesellschaft, of Duisburg, under German patent No. 248178, dated June 13,1912. ______ Production of Sulphate. Messrs. Bradbury and Hirsch, in their review of the sulphate of ammonia market in 1912, estimate the following as the world’s production in that year:— Tons. Germanv ................... 465,000 ..................... ..................... United Kingdom............. 379,000 United States ............... 165,000 France ...................... 68,500 Belgium...................... 49,500 Austria-Hungary and the rest of Europe ................... 170,000 Total............... 1,297,000 ______ Coke-oven Gas Engines in Belgium. L. Greiner, in the Revue Universelie des Mines et de la Metallurgie, gives an interesting summary of recent developments in Belgium in the utilisation of blast- furnace and coke-oven gas for driving gas engines. He shows that this development has been constant, and that the size of the engines has rapidly increased, until at the present time machines up to 7,000-horse power capacity are in use. At present 94 engines are at work in Belgium with an aggregate effective capacity of 128,775-horse power, and 68 of these, of 93,175-horse power, are of Belgian manufacture. The Cockerill Company have 22 (29,600-horse power), the Ougree- Marihaye Company 18 (20,300-horse power), theSambre et Moselle Company 13 (22,000-horse power), and the Providence Beige Company 11 (14,600-horse power). Of the total number of engines, those working on blastfurnace gas have an effective horse-power of 110,175, and those using coke-oven gas 18,600 E.H.P.; going back to 1905, these figures represent an increase in seven years of 175 and 430 per cent, respectively. Nevertheless, M. Greiner points out, of the 17 firms in Belgium owning 46 blastfurnaces in operation, 10 only employ gas engines, and he calculates, taking half the gas generated as being disposable for this purpose, and a gas engine consumption of 2,300 calories per effective horse-power, that the power available at blastfurnaces at the present time is 232,337-horse power, so that present output represents only 48 per cent, of the maximum. On a somewhat similar basis, he argues that if the whole of the 3,160,950 tons of coke made in Belgium in 1911 were made in modern by-product ovens, there would be a total production of 89,900-horse power to be obtained from gas engines, the present output thus being only 20*7 of the maximum. THE LONDOfl COAL TRADE. Thursday, May 15. ______________________________________________..... The London coal trade for the past week has been largely interfered with by the holiday season. The London Coal Exchange has been practically closed since Friday, the 9th inst., and although the offices have been opened for a few hours, there has been no business done until the present Thursday. The collieries generally are also closed for the three days, so that very little coal has been coming forward. The advances in the railway rate on goods traffic have been eagerly watched by the London traders, but no change has been made in the coal traffic rates. The seaborne traffic still continues brisk, and the holidays have somewhat seriously interfered with supplies. The Metropolitan Water Board have been discussing a renewal of the yearly contract for small nuts, and it is understood that Nuneaton small nuts have secured the order for the year. The quantity is about 13,000 tons. The household market immediately prior to the suspension of work for the holidays was showing a somewhat weakening tendency, but the changeable weather has no doubt effected a firmer tone, and kept the consumption above the usual average for this season of the year. Very little buying, however, was done above the contract quantities, and the stocks at the various wharves and depots are still very low. The warm weather somewhat checked the settlement and the renewal of the yearly contracts, especially as at the time merchants were in many cases compelled to put the coal coming forward on the ground, with very little outlet for it at the time. The seaborne market, however, continues very firm, and prices are unchanged. The shipping trade is taking largely-increased quantities of coal off the home market. With reference to the house coal contracts the collieries are maintaining a very firm front, and it is already reported that many of the yearly contracts have been renewed, notwithstanding the period for closing the present year does not elapse until June 30. All the renewals have been at an advance. The collieries are firm at Is. advance, but merchants freely report that they have closed some at 6d. advance, and others at 9d. More, however, have been renewed upon the sliding scale basis, and the minimum basis for Derby brights has been fixed at 26s. This gives rise to the conviction that when “lowest summer prices” are settled, 26s. for Derby brights will be the minimum for the year. The attendance on the market on the Friday before the holidays was smaller than usual. “Labour Day” somewhat affected the Welsh coal market, and since then “non-unionist” strikes have been somewhat prevalent. The anthracite market is very dull, and stocks are reported very heavy. Gas coals are, however, in good demand, and although the manufacture is at its lowest limit, yet a good business is being done with forward contracts and outside sales, and the tonnage for shipment is much larger than usual at this season of the year. Freights are reported to be lower, and the Baltic freights are said to be down to 4s. 10|d. to 5s. Market quotations (pit mouth) : Note.—Although every care is exercised to secure accuracy, we cannot hold ourselves responsible for these prices, which are, further, subject to fluctuations. Current prices. 13/ 12 11/6 15/ 11 12/6 12/ 13 13/ 12 11/ 14/ 14/ 13/6 11/6 15/ 14/ 13/ 13/6 13/ Yorkshire. Wath Main best coal................. Do. nuts....................... Birley cube Silkstone............... Do. branch coal ................. Do. seconds...................... Barnsley Bed Silkstone.............. West Riding Silkstone .............. Kiveton Park Hazal ................. Do. cobbles................ Do. nuts................... Do. hard steam................. New Sharlston Wallsend ............. Wharncliffe Silkstone coal.......... Do. Flockton Main ............. Do. Athersley house coal....... Newton Chambers best Siltstone...... Do. Grange best Silkstone Do. Hesley Silkstone ... Do. Rockingham selected Do. Rockingham Silkstone Derbyshire. Wingfield Manor best................ Do. large nuts.......... Do. small nuts.......... Do. kitchen coal............. West Hallam Kilburn brights......... Do. do. nuts .................. Do. London brights ............ Do. bright nuts................ Do. small nuts .................... ............ Manners Kilburn brights............ Do. do. nuts .................__ i Shipley do. brights .| Do. do. nuts ______.! Mapperley brights..................! Do hard steam ..............• Cossall Kilburn brights..............! Do. do. nuts................| Tro well Moor brights................i Do. do. nuts....................... Grassmoor Main coal................ Do. Tupton .................... Do. do. nuts................... 12/ 11/9 9/6 1°/ 12/ 11/9 11/ 10/9 9/6 12/ 11/9 12/ 11/9 12/ 11/9 12/ 11/9 11/6 11/' 12/6 Last week's prices. 13/ 12/ 11/6 15/ 11/ 12/6 12/ 13 13 12 11 14/ 14/ 13/6 11/6 15/ 14/ 13/ 13/6 13/ 12/ 11/9 9/6 10/ 12/ 11/9 11/ 10/9 9/6 12/ 11/9 12/ 11/9 12/ 11/9 12/ 11/9 11/6 11/ 12/6 11/ 12/ Current Last week's Derbyshire—(cont). prices. prices. Clay Cross Main coal 12/6 12/6 Do. do. cubes 12/ 12/ Do. special Derbys 11/9 11/9 Do. house coal 11/ 11/ Pileley best blackshale 12/6 12/6 Do. deep house coal 10/6 10/6 Do. hard screened cobbles 1°/ 10/ TT^rdwick best Silkstone 12/6 12/6 Do. Cavendish brights 11/6 11/6 Do. cubes 11/6 11/6 Nottinghamshire. Clifton picked hards 12/ 12/ Do. small hards 11/ H/ Do. deep large steam 12/ 12/ Annesley best hards 12/ 12/ Do. bright cobbles 11/3 11/3 ’Linby best hards 12/ 12/ Do. bright cobbles 11/3 11/3 Digby London brights 12/ 12/ Do. cobbles 12/ 12/ Do. top hards 13/ 13/ Do. High Hazel coal 14/ 14/ Best wood hard steam coal 12/ 12/ Do. bright cobbles 11/3 11/3 Hucknall Torkard main hards 12/3 12/3 Do. do. cobbles 11/3 11/3 Do. do. nuts 11/ 11/ Do. do. High Hazel H P. ... 14/9 14/9 Do. do. London brights 12/3 12/3 Do. do. large nuts 12/3 12/3 Do. do. bright nuts 11/3 li/3 Sherwood H.P. hards 12/ 12/ Do. hard steam 10/6 10/6 Do. brights ... 11/3 11/3 Do. cobbles u 11/3 11/3 Do. large nuts 11/9 11/9 Warwickshire. Griff large steam coal 10/9 10/9 Do. screened cobbles 11/ H/ Do. bakers' nuts 11/ 11/ Do. loco Two Yard hards 13/6 13/6 Do. Ryder nuts 11/6 11/6 Do. do. cobbles 12/6 12/6 Nuneaton steam coal ... 10/9 10/9 Do. screened cobbles 11/ 11/ Do. nuts 11/ 11/ Haunchwood steam 10/9 10/9 Do. screened cobbles 11/ 11/ Do. nuts H/ 11/ Wyken steam coal 10/9 10/9 Do. screened cobbles H/ 11/ Do. nuts 11/ 11/ Exhall Ell coal spires 12/6 12/6 Do. large steam coal 10/9 10/9 Leicestershire. Snibston steam 10/6 10/6 Do. cobbles 10/3 10/3 Do. nuts 10/6 10/6 South Leicester steam 10/ 1°/ Do. cobbles or small hards 10/6 10/6 Do. nuts 10/6 10/6 Whitwick steam 10/6 10/6 Do. roasters 10/6 10/6 Do. cobbles 10/6 10/6 Do. nuts 10/6 10/6 Netherseal hards 17/ 17/ Do. Eureka 12/6 12/6 Do. kitchen 10/6 10/6 Ibstock kibbles 10/ 10/ Do. large nuts 10/ 10/ Do. bakers' nuts 9/6 9/6 Do. Main nuts 10/ 10/ Do. hards 9/6 9/6 Granville New Pit cobbles 11/6 11/6 Do. Old Pit cobbles 10/6 10/6 North Staffordshire. Talk-o'-th'-Hill best 13/6 13/6 Sneyd best, selected 14/6 14/6 Do. deeps A A/ V 14/ 14/ Silverdale best 15/ 15/ Do. cobbles 14/ 14/ Apedale best 13/6 13/6 Do. seconds.... 13/ 13/ Podmore Hall best 13/6 13/6 Do. seconds 13/ 13/ South Staffordshire (CannockDistrict). Walsall Wood steam coal, London brights 13/ 13/ Do. shallow one way AO/ 12/ AO/ 12/ Do. deep nuts 11/6 11/6 Cannock steam 11/ 11/ Coppice deep coal X1/ 13/ 13/ Do. cobbles AO/ 12/ AO/ 12/ Do. one way 12/ 12/ Do. shallow coal A4