May 24, 1918. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 1057 THE LONDON COAL TRADE. Thursday, May 23. The market has still a holiday appearance. Very few merchants assembled on the Exchange on Wednesday, although the demand for all qualities of household and manufacturing coal continues strong. A notice was put up on the Subscription Room door that the market would not be held, but very few knew of it. The attendance was very small. Warmer weather has undoubtedly lessened the actual consumption, and longer daylight hours con- siderably lessened the call for gas and electric light, but the eagerness to secure a fair supply of coal for stock purposes shows no abatement at the present time, and it is equally very palpable that some depots are exceedingly short of supplies. A new form or scheme of rationing- coal is to be announced in a few days, as both indus- trial coal and domestic fuel is to be rationed through- out Great Britain. The household ration is to be less next winter than last, and especially in the metropolitan area and at districts in the south of London. Priority is to be given to firms engaged on Government work. Gas and electricity are also to come under the rationing scheme. The Port of London Authority has given notice of a further advance of 15 per cent, in the dues and dock charges as from May 20. Dock labourers have had an additional war bonus of 2d. per hour, and the dock dues are to be increased to meet this. In the seaborne market a fairly good number of vessels have arrived during the holidays. Forty boats have arrived in the River Thames since the last week’s return, and 17 were returned for the previous Friday’s market, making a total of 57 for the week. The Metropolitan Water Board, at a recent meet- ing, stated that upwards of 200,000 tons of coal per annum were consumed by the Board at the various pump- ing stations and works. The tramways under the charge of the London County Council have been notified by the Board of Trade that they must at once reduce their coal consumption by at least 15 per cent. The only way the Highways Committee can at present recommend to the Council for economising the consumption of fuel is by lessening the tramway service in the evenings and on Sundays. Stocks of coal are still stated to be very low at the various metropolitan gasworks, and a considerable amount of friction is caused by the compulsory use of private owners’ wagons to keep the gasworks going, and especially now that so many of the merchants are wanting their own wagons loaded with coal for their own wharves and depots. Contracts are considerably in arrear, and practically no tonnage is offering for open sales. Merchants and collieries alike are overcrowded with orders on their books. From Messrs. Dinham Fawcus and Company Limited. Friday, May 17.—There was no alteration in the sea- borne house coal market, there being no cargoes on offer, but a fair enquiry was noticeable. Arrivals, 16. THE TIM-PLATE TRADE. Liverpool. Business has been very slow during the last few days, owing to the holidays. The tone of the market is fairly good, although several makers are now showing more dis- position to book ahead for a couple of months, or so, due, no doubt, to the slump in block, and are offering slight concessions below the official maximum figure, to secure orders. Wasters continue in good demand, but there is no improvement in terne plates, which are exceedingly quiet. SOUTH WALES MIMING TIMBER TRADE. The supply of mining timber for South Wales collieries has been fairly good during the past few days. Several sales of home grown have recently been concluded, and a good amount has been cut. Transport difficulties are still somewhat pronounced, and landowners who have sold their timber are very anxious for the wood to be removed as quickly as possible in order to utilise the fields. With the better weather cutting is proceeding more rapidly. There are no seasons now for cutting wood. Imports of Irish timber during the past week have been somewhat poor, a total of about 750 tons being imported on private account. These supplies have gone quickly into consumption. The quality of the wood has been fairly good. Foreign Imports. The imports of foreign mining timber have been heavier. For the week ended May 17, 12,066 loads were received, of which 9,018 loads were taken by the Admiralty Pitwocd Committee. At this rate the allowance authorised to be imported by the Controller of Timber will be quickly used up. As the supplies are rapidly going into consumption there is every probability of the Controller granting an excess quantity this month. The actual imports were as follow:— Cardiff (includ>ng Barry and Penarth) : — Date. Consignee. Loads. May 11 Vyvyan Kelly and Co......... 1,152 „ 11 Lysberg Limited.......... 192 „ 11 Lysberg Limited.......... 720 „ 13 E. Marcesche and Co....... 480 „ 13 Lysberg Limited........... 48 „ 13 Lysberg Limited........... 48 „ 13 Budd and Co............... 96 „ 14 Lysberg Limited........ 1,680 „ 15 Lysberg Limited.......... 540 „ 15 Lysberg Limited........ 2,760 „ 16 Lysberg Limited........ 2,280 „ 16 Budd and Co............ 1,200 „ 16 Budd and Co.............. 120 „ 17 Lysberg Limited.......... 150 Total..... 11,466 Newport:— May 16 T. P. Thomas and Co......... 600 Quotations were firm at the maximum scheduled price. It is stated that arrangements are being made for importing larger supplies of mining timber from abroad for South Wales. In all cases the extra wood to be imported will not lessen the efficiency of shipping. Part cargoes will be taken on vessels which otherwise would sail from the Continent to this country in ballast. With regard to the project for making patent concrete pit props arrange- ments are being made for the rapid completion of a manufactory at Cardiff, a number of orders having been received by the contractors. Imports during April. The total quantity of foreign mining timber imported into South Wales ports last month amounted to 56,026 tons, or 16,026 tons in excess of the total quantity allowed to be imported. The pitwood importers were granted the con- cession of importing a certain percentage above their allowance. The average c.i.f. price of all pitwood imported during April last amounted to 61s. 4d. per ton. This wood was sold at 65s. ex ship, so that after allowance for loss of wood by barking, management, and other expenses, the profit to the importer is very small. THE IRISH COAL TRADE. Thursday, May 23. Dublin. The coal shortage has become more acute, and some of the local firms have considerable difficulty in keeping up business with industrial concerns. The shortage is said to be due to the fact that smaller vessels are now being used for the cross-Channel trade. As an instance, one steamer capable of carrying 1,100 tons to the port twice or thrice weekly is replaced by a smaller boat holding- 250 tons. Fine weather is reducing consumption of house coal. There is no change in prices, viz. :—Best Orrell, 51s. per ton; best Wigan, 49s. ; standard coal, 46s. 6d. per ton delivered; coke, 49s. per ton. Irish coal at Castlecomer pits (County Kilkenny) :—Best small coal, 30s. per ton; best large coal, 28s. 4d. ; bottom coal, 25s. ; breakage, 16s. 8d. ; culm, 13s. 4d. per ton. The total quantity of coal discharged upon the quays during the past week was 19,660 tons, compared with 18,887 tons the week previously. A conference was convened last week'by the Irish Coal Controller in the Mansion House. It was stated that rigid economy of coal is essential, and the necessity of availing as largely as possible of peat supplies was insisted on. The saving and storing of timber was also strongly advised. The principal object of the meeting was to appoint a sub-committee to deal with the midland area, as the north and south areas are already being dealt with. The aim is to obtain a fair distribution, and to make recommendations to the general committee. The storing of coal by consumers beyond a month’s supply will not be allowed, and the merchants will be expected to see that reasonable supplies are made available for'the poorer classes. The scarcity of labour for turf-cutting was a general complaint, and it was decided to have meetings at once to formulate a scheme whereby labour employed by the councils can be made available for securing an adequate supply of turf. It is stated that a new seam of coal has been discovered at Rossmore (Queen’s County), about two miles from Carlow. The coal has been tested and has given satisfactory results. Belfast. Supplies of house coal and steam coal for industrial pur- poses show no improvement, and under existing conditions it is impossible to increase the stocks. Prices remain as follow :—Best English coal, 51s. per ton ; English nuts, 50s. ; English kitchen coal, 50s. ; best English slack, 47s. ; Scotch house coal, 45s. ; standard coal, 44s. per ton net. The Director of Cross-Channel Transportation, acknow- ledging a resolution from Omagh Urban Council, wrote that the whole question of development of the Irish coal mines was receiving special attention. It is stated that arrangements have been made by the Department of Agriculture to send engineers to report on the resources of the Tyrone coal fields. THE BY-PRODUCTS TRADE. Tar Products.—Pitch remains firm in the London market at 55s., and is steady at 28s. to 30s. Liverpool and west coast f.a.s. The east coast quotation averages 30s. to 32s. f.o.b. No change in the tar position occurred over the holidays, and practically all the other by-products t remain at last week’s price level. The notification that crude carbolic and phenol will not be controlled after June 30 does not apply to such products as benzol, creosote or toluol. Solvent naphtha is steady, but the demand at times tends to be rather spotty, and conse- quently the market position is an unequal one. Heavy naphtha is in moderate request. The broken character of the week accounts for the scarcity of information regarding business transactions. Current quotations.—Pitch: London, 55s.; east coast, 30s. to 32s. f.o.b.; Liverpool, 28s. to 30s.; west coast, 28s. to 30s. f.a.s. Crude tar: London, 32s. 6d. to 35s.; Midlands, 27s. to 29s.; North, 28s. to 30s. per ton ex gas works. Benzol : London, 90 per cent. Is. 0^d., naked; North, 10^d. to ll^d., 50 per cent., Is. 4d. to Is. 5d., naked. Solvent naphtha : Naked, London, 90-190 per cent., 4s.; North, 3s. 9d.; July-December, 3s. 7^d. and 3s. 6d. respectively; 95-160 per cent, naked, London, 4s. 3d. to 4s. 6d.; North, 4s.; July-December, 3s. 10jd. and 3s. 9d. respectively. Crude naphtha: Naked, 30 per cent., 8^d. to 8^-d. ; North, 6id. to 6-^d. Refined naphtha- lene, £30 to £32 10s.; salts, 100s. Toluol: Naked, London, 2s. 4d. ; North, 2s. 3d. Creosote : Naked, London, 4^d. ; North, 4d. to 4^d. (Government price 75s. per ton f.o.b.). Carbolic acid : Crude, 60 per cent., east coast and west coast, 3s. 4d. naked; crystals, 39-40, Is. 3d. Cresylic : Casks, 95 per cent., 3s.; 97-99 per cent., 3s. 3d. to 3s. 6d. ex works London and f.o.b. other ports. Anthracene: 40-45 A 4^d., 48-50 A 6d., B l|d. to 2£d. Analine oil, Is. 2d., casks free; salts, Is. 2d., drums free. Sulphate of Ammonia.—The new Order regarding licences for making ammonia and ammoniacal products does not affect the previously existing conditions relating to sulphate. Forward business (home trade) is at the official rate of £16 7s. 6d. ; May, £15 5s. ; June 1 to August 31. £15 15s. ; September 1 to November 30, basis 24-^, less 10s. per ton to dealers and merchants. Imports of Pit Props.—The imports of pit props and pit wood in April amounted to 82,716 loads, valued at £396,919, compared with 97,300 loads, valued at £354,168 a year ago, and 206,940 loads, valued at £649,839 in April 1916. The four months’ imports aggregated 300,539 loads, valued at £1,473,518, compared with 387,397 loads, valued at £1,459,512, in the corresponding period last year. Imports and Exports of Coal Products.—The imports of coal products (not dyes) in April totalled. 3,042 cwt., valued at £52,263, compared with 2,801 cwt., valued at £41,570 a year ago. The exports of such products (weight unspecified) were valued at £221,509, compared with £249,457 a year ago, and £222,471 in April 1916. The dyestuff exports aggregated 9,820 cwt., valued at £132,672, showing an increase on the 6,302 cwt., valued at £76,905, in the corresponding month last year. CORINDITE: A NEW REFRACTORY AND ABRASIVE. In a contribution presented to the Refractory Materials Section of the Ceramic Society, Mons. A. Bigot described the process introduced by Lecesne for fusing bauxite. Preparation.—The process consists in heating in a cupola oven a mixture of bauxite and anthracite by blowing air into the lower part; before placing the matter in the cupola a fire has been made in the lower part. Under the simultaneous influence of the fire and the combustion gas the bauxite is reduced, aluminium carbide is formed, which in the presence of surplus air is transformed almost entirely into alumina. The heat developed by the reaction is such that the mass goes into fusion by successive layers. A special contrivance prevents the matter adhering to the refractory matter composing the sides of the oven. The operation terminated, the mass is cooled by means of the surplus air, and a vesicular fused block is found, in which an immense number of small alumina crystals will be seen disseminated in the solidified mass. The products obtained have been subjected to analysis after having been freed from the metallic parts by means of a magnet. White bauxite Red bauxite fused. fused. Alumina ... 68’80 ... Titanic oxide 3-85 ... 3’.0 Silica ... 21’40 ... 3’00 Iron oxide 5’25 .. ... 23J35 Carbon 0’60 ... 0’50 Loss on ignition OTO ... 0’15 This fused bauxite has been designated by the name of “ cor indite,” on account of the crystallised mass of corundum. White fused bauxite is a very refrac- tory substance. Red fused bauxite resembles emery in its composition ; it is a powerful abrasive substance. Fusing Point.—The point of fusion of the cor indite prepared from white bauxite taken from the Var department is very high; a cone made from this corindite begins to partly melt at 1,950 degs. Cent. It melts at a higher degree than the bauxite which served to make it. This anomaly is explained by the fact that the iron oxide which is found in the corindite has passed almost entirely into the ferrous state and a “ spinel ” Al2O3FeO is formed, resisting a very high temperature. Binders.—The crushed corindite is mixed with re- fractory binders, finely pulverised, such as bauxite, kaolinic clay, etc. Binding must be avoided with such bases as lime, magnesia, calcined dolomite, etc., which lower the fusing point of the mixture. The corindite and its binder are suitably moistened and mechani- cally mixed; the mixture thus treated is employed as an ordinary refractory mixture for the manufacture of firebricks, by hand or by machine. Those made by hand, in a soft paste, show in drying a shrinkage of from 1 per cent, to 2 per cent. ; those made b machinery do not shrink in drying. Baking and Shrinkage.—The dried bricks are bake between 1,350 degs. and 1,400 degs. Cent. ; they undergo no shrinkage. Between 1,700 degs. and 1,730 degs. they lengthen by about 0'5 per cent. Above 1,750 degs. they begin to undergo a shrinkage attain- ing 3 per cent, at 1,850 degs. Porosity.—The porosity depends on the mechanical composition of the mixtures and on the compression; it varies from 9 per cent, to 12 per cent. Resistance to Wear.—This resistance is very great; the product is three and a half times more resisting to wear than good magnesia bricks. A lining to rotary cement kilns made of agglomerated corindite lasts twice as long as a lining made of bricks of non-fused bauxite. Action of Slag and Scoria.—Refractory products based on fused bauxite are attacked by slag and scoria in the same way as refractory matter made from non-fused bauxite. The action of slag and scoria is being studied and is not yet completed. It is now ascertained that corindite products possess three essen- tial qualities: refractory power very high; variation of volume almost nil up to 1,750 degs. Cent.; very great resistance to wear. Therefore the employment of these products will yield good results in rotary cement kilns, in gas and heavy oils ovens, in coke ovens, etc. Ireland possesses considerable deposits of white bauxite, relatively poor in alumina and up to the present useless. Fusing trials have been carried out on 500 kilogs. (half a ton) of this bauxite; the results were the same as with the French bauxite. Bricks made from this fused Irish bauxite have been tried in England with success. Nevertheless, as Irish bauxite is a little less rich in alumina than French bauxite, its refractory power is a little lower, but remains far superior to that of other argillaceous refractory matter in England. Coal Factors and District Committees.—A circular letter issued to the members of the Rail-borne Coal Factors and Wholesale Merchants’ Association, 115, Leadenhall-street, London, E.C.; the North of England Coal Factors and Wholesale Merchants’ Associa- tion, Westminster Chambers, East Parade, Leeds; the South Wales and Monmouthshire Wholesale Coal Factors’ Association, 108-9, Bute-street, Docks, Cardiff; and the West of England Coal Traders’ Association, Montpelier, Bristol, states that after negotiation with the Controller of Coal Mines, the Advisory Committee of Coal Factors’ Associations has secured representation of coal factors and wholesale merchants to the various District Coal and Coke Supplies Committees appointed under the Coal Transport Order, 1917. Any member having com- plaints arising out of the working of such Order, or as a result of disturbance with or re-allocation of supplies, should draft them in a concise form, taking care that the facts are beyond dispute, and forward them to the secretary of the association of which he is a member, for consideration by the Advisory Committee, and further action if necessary.