134

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

January 19, 1917.

THE LONDON COAL TRADE.

Thursday, January 18.

The market has been well attended during the week, not-
withstanding the railway restrictions. The alteration of the
market hours does not appear to have produced any great
change. An important meeting was held in London on
Tuesday with, reference to the freights chargeable under the
French and Italian limitation scheme. Bailway transport is
still causing a good deal of anxiety. The reports from the
depdts sho'w a greatly increased number of orders > from the
general public. Trolleys are now entirely withdrawn from
the London streets, and are used wherever passible in the
delivery of coals for orders on hand. The labour shortage at
the wharveis and depots considerably hampers the delivery
trade, and the unfavourable weather impeded traffic. House
coals have been fairly plentiful, but the slow arrivals have
forced a good deal of picking up from the stocks on the
ground, so that the quantity in hand is small, and in many
quarters seems to have arrived at a very serious stage. Steam
coals are scarce, and whilst the munition works are calling
for such large quantities, there is very little free coal avail-
able. Kitchener cobbles and bakers’ nuts are practically
unobtainable, and large users are content to secure whatever
quality can be sent. A considerable amount of friction has
been noticeable on the London market with, reference to the
under-loading of coal Wagons, and particularly whilst the
difficulty of securing an .adequate number of empties has
been so acute. The smaller merchants who have compara-
tively few empties are the greatest sufferers, and this has
been traceable only when the colliery sidings have become
congested with empty wagons. Last month, when wagons
were so scarce, every truck was loaded to its utmost capa-
city, but in many cases the swing of the pendulum has
brought in an unusual number of private wagons, and the
colliery sidings are overcrowded. The Exchange was visited
on Monday by a member of the Board of Trade, for the
purpose iof enquiring into the large increases of the price of
coal in the Notth Woolwich district. Many of the mer-
chants were interviewed, and it was stated that dealers were
charging as much as 2s. 4d. per cwt., alleging that traders
had been levying abnormally high prices for truck loads of
coal delivered in that neighbourhood. A keen demand is
noticeable for all qualities of coal; 15s. 6d. has been secured
from the Humber to London, and 16s. 6d. from the Tyne
to London. Twenty-five vessels arrived in the Biver Thames
for Monday’s market, and. 13 for Wednesday—aL contract
cargoes. The large institutions in and around London are
finding it exceedingly difficult to keep pace with the urgent
requirements of the hospitals and asylums, and a special
requisition has been issued to contractors, drawing attention
to the absolute necessity for'maintaining the heating, especi-
ally in the case of sick patients; and they report that the
recent inclement weather has depleted all their stocks to a
greater extent than was anticipated. The continuance of
the cold weather is increasing the demand at the various
wharves-and depots, and the consumption at -the present
moment is rapidly reducing all stocks on hand. Some of the
collieries are declining to book any further orders, but in a
few cakes the output has -slightly increased. Slacks have
been very plentiful, but the better qualities still maintain
the maximum prices. Finer slacks are moving slowly.

From Messrs. Dinham Fawcus and Company’s Report.

Friday, January 12.—The seaborne house coal market
was steady to-day, but no available cargoes on offer. One
cargo.

Monday, January 15. — The demand for seaborne house
coal continued good to-day, but 'Supplies were scarce, and no
transactions reported. Ships, 25.

Wednesday, January 17.—There was no alteration in the
seaborne house coal market to-day, which remained firm,
but nothing on offer. Cargoes, 13.

THE IRISH COAL TRADE.

Thursday, January 18.

* Dublin.

There is no new feature, demand keeping fairly good, and
prices unchanged, with stocks moderate. Current quotations
in the city are as follow :—Best Orrell, 44s. per ton net;
Yorkshire brights, 43s.; best Wigan, 42s.; best slack, 36s.;
retail prices, 2s. lOd. to 3s. per sack of 10 st.; steam coal,
from about 40s. par ton; best coke, 44s. per ton. Prices of
Irish coals from the Wolfhill Collieries, Queen’s County, are :
Malting coal, 45s. per ton; house and gas coal, 40s.; coarse
culm, 15s. per ton—all f.o.r. Athy, the nearest railway con-
nection with the mines. A resolution was passed last week
by a local public body, suggesting that, as the Government
has taken over control of the Irish railways, it should imme-
diately take measures to connect the above coal areas especi-
ally with the main line, as it would give employment, increase
supply, reduce freights, and free shipping. The coal vessels
arriving in the port during the past week amounted to 46,
as compared with 60 the week previously, the total quantity
of coal discharged upon the quays being 17,000 tons, as
against 25,000 tons in the previous week.

Belfast.

Prices remain steady, and the trade is about normal, sup-
plies both of English and Scotch coals being more plentiful.
Prices of household coals are as follow :—Best Arley, 43s. 6d.
per ton; Orrell nuts, 42s. 6d.; English house, 41s. 6d.; Scotch
house, 39s. 6d.; Orrell slack, 39s. 6d. Approximate prices
of steam coals are : Scotch, 35s. per ton; best English and
Welsh steam coal, 40s. per ton. Gas coke runs from about
37s. 6d. to 40s. per ton, and foundry coke commands from
• 60s. to 64s. per ton delivered. Freights continue to be firm,
from 10s. to Ils. 6d. from Garston to Belfast, and from
Ayr from 5s. to 5s. 6d. per ton.

Partnership Dissolved.—The London Gazette .announces
dissolution of the partnership of E. Goldschmidt, P. K.
Speyer, P. Becker (who continue the business), and L.
Nachman, trading as Brandeis, Goldschmidt and Company,
metal brokers, 18-19, Fenchurchstreet, London.

Coal Trade After the War.—The President of the Board of
Trade has appointed Mr. Adam Nimmo to be chairman of the
committee appointed to consider the position of the coa^ trade
after the war, especially with reference to foreign competi-
tion. Mr. Nimmo takes the place of Lord Bhondda, who
resigned in consequence of his acceptance of office as Presi-
dent of the Local Government Board,

WASTE HEAT FROM COKE-MAKING.

At Wednesday evening’s meeting of the Newcastle
section of the Society5 of Chemical Industry, Mr. Henry
Peile, of the Priestman Collieries Limited, who is also
chairman of the section, gave an interesting account of
the manner in which his firm utilises the waste heat
from coke-making and of the electro-chemical processes
undertaken by them at Howlands Gill. He stated that,
until comparatively recent years, very little of the waste
heat from coke-making was utilised except for raising
•steam for colliery purposes. This was usually done by
installing Cornish or Lancashire boilers on the flues,
carrying the waste heat from the beehive ovens to the
chimney. In this way but a small portion of the waste
heat was utilised, only 1 lb. of steam per 1 lb. of coal
carbonised. In 1904, when the firm erected their patent
ovens at Blaydon, they added a complete installation of
water-tube boilers, which were fired by the waste heat
and gas generated. The steam from 90 ovens was
carried direct into an up-to-date power station. The
whole of the power generated at that station was
delivered into the mains of the Newcastle Electric
Supply Company for general distribution in the New-
castle district. In that way the whole of their
waste heat and waste gas were utilised to the
best advantage, as the station was kept running
day and night. At Howlands Gill they had an installa-
tion of 200 beehive ovens. About eight years ago they
decided to utilise the waste heat from these ovens for
the production of electricity. ’They erected nine Stirling
water-tube boilers on the main flues which carried the
waste heat from the ovens to the chimneys. Where
they d:ound it was necessary, they added steam-driven
fans to increase the draught on the ovens. They also
fitted economisers at the back of the boilers so as to
avoid any loss of waste heat. As the process of making
coke in beehive ovens was more or less intermittent,
they decided to erect two Bettington tubular boilers,
which were fired with a mixture of coal and coke ballast.
The fuel was elevated into an overhead bunker, from
which it fell into a disintegrator, where it was ground
into a very fine powder. The powder was blown into
the boiler by hot air and burnt with a hot flame and
very complete combustion. Each boiler was capable of
producing 15,000 to 20,000 lb. of steam per hour. In
addition to these two boilers, they erected a battery of
four Stirling boilers fitted with underfeed movable
grates especially designed to burn ballast, one of
their waste products from coke-making. Burning
coke ballast was one of the cheapest ways of raising
steam, and at the same time getting rid of waste
material from ovens which otherwise had to be
disposed of at some cost. The ballast contained
about 80 per cent, of carbon, and therefore was a very
valuable fuel. From these six boilers they were able
to add to their steam from the coke ovens 60,000 lb. per
hour. The whole of the steam was superheated to
200 degs. Cent., and carried by one steam range into
their power station. In their Whinfield power station
at Howlands Gill, they had installed four Westinghouse
turbines fitted with three-phase alternators, working at
a voltage of 6,000. All these machines were inter-
changeable. In addition, they had steam condensers,
electrically-driven water-circulating pumps, cooling
towers and spray coolers. The electricity, which
was generated at 6,000 volts, was passed through
specially-designed transformers, being supplied to the
Newcastle Alloy Company at a varying voltage
suitable for use in their electric furnaces. As the
station was run on a continuous load night and day,
they found it necessary to keep the transformers cool
by means of oil and water. The output of their station
approached 30,000,000 units per annum. Special trans-
formers were installed for supplying power to the
colliery for pumping, hauling and lighting purposes.
They also supplied electricity for lighting purposes in
the district. The low-tension current from the trans-
formers was passed through the walls of the power
station into the Alloy Company’s works, where it was
utilised in the manufacture of ferro alloys and for other
purposes.

In the early stages of the company, experiments in
the manufacture of ferro-silicon were carried opt in a
small electric furnace, which he exhibited to the
meeting. On the strength of the results of these
experiments, they erected larger furnaces, until now
they had a 2,000-kw. furnace producing from 10 to 15
tons of ferro-silicon per day. During the last four
or five years they had successfully produced the
following grades of ferro-silicon:—25, 50, 75, and
95 per cent. During the last fortnight they had
successfully produced the 95 per cent, ferro-silicon,
which was of exceptional purity, containing 95 per
cent, of pure silicon. They had now under considera-
tion a scheme for the production of from 1,000 to 2,000
tons of this material per year fpr war purposes. They had
also produced carborundum in their furnaces, but, up till
now, not on a large scale. He showed a sample of their
product, very pure and of excellent quality. Before the
war, they had a furnace running on carbide and made
1,000 or 2,000 tons of that material, but, owing to keen
competition, they decided not to continue its manu-
facture. The next alloy they took in hand was ferro-
molybdenum. They experienced considerable difficulty
in making that alloy, on account of its very high
melting point and the difficulty of getting rid of
objectionable impurities. These difficulties had been
overcome and they were now producing an alloy of
excellent quality,testing over 80 per cent, of molybdenum.
At the beginning of the war it was discovered that there
were practically no stocks of ferro-chrome in the
country. They were asked to make that alloy and,
within three or four weeks of the outbreak of war, were
in a. position to supply their customers. Since then
they had made large quantities of all grades of ferro-
chrome, with carbon content ranging from | per cent.

to 10 per cent. He exhibited specimens of all grades of
ferro-chrome, drawing special attention to the % per
cent, carbon grade, which had a very fine crystalline
fracture. Two or three months after the outbreak of
war alarue demand for ferro-tungsten, for the manu-
facture of high-speed steel for munition works, set in.
To make that material they erected a specially-con-
structed furnace house filled with furnaces suitable for
the manufacture of that alloy. They were now producing
between 300 and 400 tons of ferro-tungsten, all of
which was being supplied to steel makers in Sheffield.
Considerable difficulty was experienced at first in
breaking up that alloy, but these had now been got over.
Before the war, cuprous oxide was all made electrically
in Germany. His firm were now producing between
300 and 400 tons per year.

The objects in putting up these works were (1) to
utilise the waste heat from their coking plant, and (2)
the production in this country of the various ferro
alloys which were all being supplied from abroad. The
value of that policy had been fully demonstrated since
the war broke out, as otherwise great difficulty would
have been experienced in obtaining the . necessary
supply of alloys with which to carry on munition work.
He had said enough to show how a waste product from
coke-making could be turned to a good account either
in producing electricity for general purposes or for the
production of electric alloys and for use in other pro-
cesses in which electricity was employed. If we were
to meet competition in the future, we must be prepared
to see that there was no waste of any sort going on in
our works.

At the outset of the meeting the hon. secretary (Mr.
E. F. Cooper) announced that at the February meeting
of the section the paper by Miss Marie 0. Stopes and
Dr. H. V. Wheeler on “ The Constitution of Coal ”
would be discussed at the request of the London section,
before which section it was to be read. It was hoped to
induce Dr. Trevor Jones to open the discussion.

LAW INTELLIGENCE,______________________

HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE.

KING’S BENCH DIVISION.—January 12.

Before Mr. Justice Sankey.

Charter Litigation.

L. Gueret Limited v. Seebold.—Plaintiffs, who are coal
merchants and exporters in Cardiff, claimed damages from
Mr. Theodore Seebold, of Bilbao, owner of the ss. “ Vicente
Carsi,” for alleged breach of a charter-party. The plaintiffs
said they chartered the ship on October 28, 1916, for a voyage
to Barcelona at 50s. per ton, and in breach of the charter the
defendant chartered the vessel to Messrs. Harris and Dixon,
and .refused to allow the plaintiffs to have the use of the
ship. As the result of this, the plaintiffs said they had’ to
charter another ship at 62s. 6d. per ton. The defendant
said that his agents in Cardiff (Hall Brothers, Cairns, Noble
and Company) had no authority under the circum'stances to
charter to tire plaintiffs, and without the plaintiffs holding a
definite licence for export, and they presented a counter-
claim for damages for the detention of the steamer.

■ Mr. Justice Sankey gave judgment for the plaintiffs for
the sum agreed upon, viz., £1,481. The counter-claim
failed.

January 18.

Alleged Breach of Contract.

Lambert Brothers v. Watts, Watts and Company.—This
was an action by Lambert Brothers, London, against Watte,
Watts and Company, Cardiff, to recover damages for alleged
breach by the defendants of a contract in a sale note signed
by the defendants, dated January 22, 1916, by which the
defendants sold to the plaintiffs 3,700 tons of Bisca, Sir-
howy, or Powell Duffryn large coals for shipment per sts.
“ Costanza,” or substitute between February 20 and
March 15, 1916, at Cardiff, Penarth, Barry, or Newport, at
30s. per ton.

Mr. A. A. Boche, K.C., and Mr. Dunlop appeared for
the plaintiffs, and defendants were represented by Mr. Leek,
K.C., and.Mr. Wright.

The case for the plaintiffs was that they entered into this
contract with the defendants, and in March 1916 the defen-
dants agreed to extend the period for shipment until
April 15, 1916. On March 29 the defendants (it was said),
in breach of the contract, refused to ship the cargo into a
substitute for the Costanza,” and refused to stem the ss.
“ Kyleness ” and to deliver the coal. The refusal was
alleged to have been verbal by the defendants’ Mr. J. A.
Jones to Mr. F. H. Lambert.

In reply, the defendants said that the ss. “ Kyleness ” was
unsuitable, as it had only a 5,200-ton capacity. It was
further said that the plaintiffs had suffered no damage.

Mr. Leek, K.C., argued for the defendants that the original
contract expired by lapse of time on March 15, and that just
prior to this another contract was entered into, the second
agreement applying only to the “ Costanza,” and not giving
an option as to. a substituted ship. Mr. Leek contended the
contract applied to the nominated ship, and that the defen-
dants were fully justified in refusing to load any other vessel.

Mr. Boche, for the plaintiffs, said that the price of coal
was rising all along on the market. It-was the plaintiffs’
duty, when they found that the “ Costanza ” was not avail-
able, to send another ship, and he submitted that it did not
matter to the defendants. which ship lifted the cargo.

Judgment was reserved.

THE TIM-PLATE TRADE.

Liverpool.

The strict regulations now in force apply to all descriptions
of tin-plates, black-plates, terne-plates in primes, and
wasters, and the consequence is that the market is quite
nominal, in regard to prices. Transactions were reported
during the past few days at round 26s. 6d. to 26s. 9d. basis,
f.o.b. Wales, and there are possibly still sellers at about
these figures, although several works, are asking more money,
and many of them decline to quote at’ all. It is becoming
increasingly difficult to do business in these days. In regard
to.wasters, 28x20 cokes are scarce, and prompt parcels
realise full figures. For plates to arise, however, they are
probably worth about 26s. to 26s. 6d. basis for all sizes,
f.o.b. Wales, less 4 per cent.