558 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. September 13, 1918. JAPANESE COAL AkD COKE QUESTION. The following notes are extracted from a report in the Indische Mercuur by the engineer, J. Koomans, on the coal and coke position of Japan: — Indian coals are not caking coals, and are therefore unsuitable for making coke in the usual way. The few Japanese gas works do not supply the quantity of coke required for industry, and it became, there- fore, desirable to enquire whether it was not possible to make serviceable coke of Indian coal. Japan is rich in young coal deposits, but in order to make satisfactory coke from the latter, they are mixed with anthracite coal. The Japanese brown coals, although fairly plentiful, only make about | per cent, of the total production. The chief mass of brown coal lies in the island of Kiushu and in Hokkaido (Jesso); that is, in the extreme south and north. The middle and largest island, Honshu, possesses only one important field, that of Iwaki, north of Tokio. There are also rich coal deposits in Saghalien, of which the quality is similar to that of Hokkaido ; it yields even genuine caking coal. In the neighbourhood of Japan there is also brown coal in northern Formosa and Corea, and the latter territory appears also to contain a semi- anthracite coal. The coal reserves of Japan are assumed to be 824 million tons (Kiushu 648, Hokkaido 52, other islands 124), to which must be added a probable 2,939 million tons (Kiushu 1,261, Hokkaido 1,458, other islands 220). Of the total disposable quantity, 3,763 tons, there are only about 60 million tons of anthra- citic nature. Coal mining in Japan is not yet 50 years old, and whilst the production in 1874 amounted only to 200,000 tons, it was 22,293,000 tons in 1914. This production Steel Works at Yawate is charged with a mixture of 70 per cent. Japanese (Futase) coal (State mine), a moderate caking gas coal of great purity, and 30 per cent. Chinese Kaiping coal, a genuine caking coal with about 30 per cent, volatile substances, or a mixture of 80 per cent. Futase coal with 20 per cent. Chinese Penchifu coal, which cakes less than that of Kaiping, to which frequently a small percentage of Japanese Shishimachi coal is added, which has the property of baking very hard whilst swelling. In other steel works other mixtures are used. Generally one can obtain a coke that can be used in blast furnaces of large size with a mixture of two to three suitable Japanese and Chinese coals. At the modern Japanese coke installations we always find machines for bringing the coke pounded into the ovens. This method is, however, not strictly neces- sary if one wants a very thick and firm coke (foundry Coke) or desires to use as much Japanese coal as possible. The new Japanese ovens are all built for the recovery of by-products, and at the Imperial Steel Works the chamber walls are made of home-produced silica bricks. The tendency of this material to be diathermanous stimulates the active working of the distillation process, which runs therefore to two-thirds or three-quarters of the time that is required with chamber walls of ordinary firebrick. The charge is 11 to 13 tons, which they reckon to work off in 24 hours. The coke ovens (Koppers type) sent from Germany, at the Miike mine, cost about 17,000 florins each. For the extension only of the iron and steel industry, for Japan’s own consumption, about 900 ovens of that type would have to be built, so that a considerable capital outlay is necessary for these installations. These Miike ovens (92) can take 450 tons of coal per day, yielding 300 tons of coke, besides the necessary sulphate of ammonia 0’9 per cent., coal tar 7 per cent., light oils with 70 per cent, benzol 1 per cent., The first is, with its nearly 2,000,000 tons turnover, twice as great as the second, as it is closer to the shipping traffic. Both harbours have high piers built out to sea, where the railway trains come along a gradient. The upper surface of the pier is 18 metres above the average water level. THE GERMAN COAL AND IRON TRADES. We give below further extracts from foreigu periodicals that have reached us, showing (he course of the coal and iron trades in Germany:— Westphalian Coal Companies in 1916-17. The table given below shows the participation of the largest share companies in the Syndicate allotments in 1916 and 1917, together with their share capital, loan and debenture indebtedness, depreciation accounts, net profits, dividends and the incidence of capital, deben- tures and net profits per ton of participation in the syndicated output. German Coal Syndicate Settling Prices. The following are the new settling prices which came into operation on September 1 as compared with those prevailing during the corresponding period in 1915 (in parentheses). It should be noted that the prices are subject to an addition of 0-15 mk. per ton in the case of coal, and 0*20 mk. in the case of coke, to compensate the coal owners for the new turnover tax. Bituminous coal: Thro’ and thro’ slack, 25-20 mk. (13-00); thro’ and thro’ (25 per cent, large), 26*70 mk. (14-25); mixed (40 per cent, large, 27*60 (15) mk.; best mixed (50 per cent, large), 28*20 (15-50) mk.; thro’ and thro’ smithy, 27*60 (15) mk.; mixed smithy, Company. Participation (thousands of tons). Share capital (thousands of marks) on Dec. 31. Loan and debenture debt (thousands of marks) on Dec. 31. 1 Written off on Dec. 31 (thousands of marks). Net profit (thousands of marks) on Dec. 31. i Per ton of participation. Dividends in per cent. Share capital. Share and loan capital (including debentures) Net profit. 1916. 1917. Briq. Coal. Coke. Briq. Coal. Coke. 1916. 1917. 1916. 1917. 1916. 1917. 1916. 1917. 1916. 1417. 1916. 1917. 1916. 1917. 1916. 1917. Harpen a8,876 2,415 50 a9,026 2,415 545 85,000 85,000 34,051 32,793 11,673 11,496 13,401 13,404 9 58 9’42 13'41 13'05 1'51 1'48 12 12 Hibernia 5,813 1,513 66 5,813 1,613 66 70,000 70,000 18,202 18.051 5,039 6,804 10.975 9,690 12'04 12'04 15'17 15'15 1'89 1'67 15b lle Essener Steinkohlen-Bergw. 2,326 811 2,326 811 25.000 25*000 12*261 17^069 ' 2*211 2’489 4,954 5,094 10'75 10'75 16'02 18'09 2'13 2'19 10 12(1 Arenberg 2,943 937 — 2 943 937 — 14,400 14,400 30,317 29,936 2,170 2,978 3,843 4,637 4'96 4'96 15'19 15'06 1'30 1'57 25 30 Consolidation 1,952 515 — 1,952 515 — 20,000 20,000 — 2,725 1.236 4,951 5,182 10 24 10'24 10'24 10'24 2'54 2'65 22 22 Mulheimer Bergw.-Verein... 1,590 95 425 1,590 95 425 14,000 14,000 6,686 6 660 988 1,377 1,896 1,863 8'80 8*80 13'01 2'99 )'19 1'17 11 11 Dahlbusch 1,210 183 — 1,210 183 — 12,000 12,000 2,557 2,682 866 933 2,099 2,38! 9'92 9'92 1203 2'13 1'73 1'97 16 18 Konigsborn 1,125 414 — 1,125 414 — 11,000 11,000 5,330 5,135 1,500 2,500 3,117 3,220 9 77 9'77 14'52 14'34 2'77 2'86" 15 18 Ko nig Wilhelm 1,138 543 — 1.138 543 — 8,500 8,500 9,484 9,209 1,614 1,59! 2,847 4,291 7'46 7'46 15'80 15'56 2'50 3*77 20e 20e Koln-Neuessener B.-V 1,972 554 — 1,972 554 — 10,500 10,500 — — 1,966 2,749 7,629 8,129 5'32 5*32 5'32 5'32 3'97 4'12 40 40 Magdeburger Bergw.-A -G. . 580 — — 700 — — 4,000 4,000 — 311 294 1,078 1,255 6'90 5'71 6'90 5'71 1'86 1'79 26f 30g Bochumer Bergwerks-A.-G. 500 200 — 5C0 200 — 6,000 6 000 764 675 359 725 426 431 12*< 0 12'00 13'53 13'35 0'85 0'86 5 6 Aplerbeck . 350 — 100 350 — 100 2,400 2,400 572 44') 280 460 282 372 6’86 6'86 8 49 8'11 0'81 1'05 10 12 Total, or average 30,375 7,369 1,952 30,645 7,469 1,952 282,800 282,800 120,221 122,650 31,682 35,572 57,497 59,948 9'31 9*23 13'27 13'23 1'89 1'95 15'13 15 a Including Siebenplaneten and Viktoria. b 15 per cent, on 16 million marks original shares and 4£ per cent, on 10 million marks preference shares. c 11 per cent, on 60 millio*J marks original shares and 4$ per cent, on 10 million marks preference shares. d Including a special bonus of 20 m irks per share. e 20 per cent, on 7'3 million marks original shares an- 25 per cent, on 1’2 million marks preference shares. f 25 per cent, on 3 million marks old and 24 per cent, on 1 million maiks new shares. & 30 per cent on 3 milli n marks old and 28 per cent, o i 1 million marks new shares. serves almost entirely for home use. Only three million tons average were exported of recent years, and more than half a million tons were imported. The brown coal production, on the other hand, hovers about 100,000 tons. The imported coal is chiefly used for reducing metalliferous ores. With such an intelligent people as the Japanese, one would not expect such carelessness as takes place in mining. The writer estimates that with a produc- tion of 23,000,000 tons yearly, more than 40,000,000 tons are rendered worthless for further production. However, they appear to be ready to introduce im- provements. It is chiefly the threatened mine fires that cause the mine owners to be content with only a partial winning of the coal, and to let the rest be lost. Thus, taking into account the almost certain de- velopment of coal production and consumption to be expected in Japan, the apparently enormous reserves will be used up in some tens of years. This is well understood, and it is not to be wondered at that that country feels itself drawn to China, which on a rough calculation contains about a thousand milliard tons of coal. The world’s production is now about a milliard. The Tonkin anthracite imported into Japan, pro- duced by the Societe Fran^aise du Charbonage du Tonkin, has a calorific value of 8,400; it contains 92 per cent, of carbon, only 2 per cent, ash, and 6 to 8 per cent, of volatile substances. As a flaming coal it is therefore unsuitable, but with a Japanese Takashima coal, very rich in gas, containing 35 to 40 per cent, of volatile substances, and only 60 per cent, of carbon, it can provide a fine fuel in briquette form, which can be used under marine water tube boilers. On the other hand, war briquettes are made in Tonkin by the addition of 30 per cent, easily caking Japanese “Miike” coal, yielding a fuel of 8,070 calories value. Workable coking coal as is known and used for the production of foundry coke is not to be found in Japan. The caking coal possesses too high a content of volatile substances, and the resulting coke is not only very porous, but does not resist pressure suffi- ciently, so that in the blast furnace it becomes bruised through the weight of the overlying mass. Owing to their great porosity, most of the Japanese varieties of coke are known for many splits. Even the best caking coals of Kiushu are not quite exempt. Such varieties might be mixed with anthracite coal in order to produce a serviceable product, although perhaps they would not be used for iron smelting (Miike coke), owing to the too high sulphur content. The coke oven installation of the Imperial Japanese and 360 cubic metres of gas per ton of coal. An ex- tensive experimental factory has been erected for the preparation of aniline colours. In the prosecution of the coking works of the Japanese iron industry it should be very advantageous to use Kailan hard coal (Port of Chin Wang Tao, North China). Besides this there is but one other mine in China affording real coking coal, namely, the I. Hsien mine, some distance from the Tsientzin- Pukow line, where the cost of production appears to be extraordinarily low. This coal contains 63*3 per cent, of parbon and 26-8 per cent, of volatile con- stituents, with a heating value of 7,720 calories. Very useful coking coals appear to be found also amongst the Australian coal. The Carr disintegrator is generally used for grind- ing the coal. It is noteworthy that most of the Japanese coal mines by far have an annual production of under 100,000 tons. Mines of such low production are the exception in Europe. The workmen, as a rule, work a 12-hour day, and then they work at their ease, so that the maximum production is a little greater than that of the Ombilin mines—154 tons, against 124 tons per year per underground workman. The first figure is averaged for all the coal mines. In some large con- cerns the position is still more unfavourable. A rela- tively large number of young persons work in the mines. In 1915 the proportion was about 20 per cent, under 20 years of age underground. The number of workmen’s accidents is pretty high, namely, 4 per 1,000, against 2J in Ombilin and 2 in Holland. By far the most interesting coal harbour in Japan is Wakumatsu, at Kiushu, where a good 7,000,000 tons of coal are shipped per year with Brown and Dunrey travelling cranes. It is strange that coal stores, where the wagons are automatically filled, are lacking. The railway wagons remain loaded till their turn comes to be emptied. On the occasion of the writer’s visit 8,000 of such loaded wagons of ten tons were on the harbour ground. One day’s stagnation in the arrival of ships, as often occurs in times of typhoon, means, therefore, a considerable loss in demurrage. The second well-equipped harbour on the island is that of the Miike mine, a private under- taking of the great Mitsui Company. There are five loading cranes there with a daily 5,000 tons capacity. Nagasaki and Karatsu have no mechanical equipment. Still, relatively large quantities of coal are loaded there. The bunkering in all the southern harbours takes place by hand, the rate being, for large coal, 17, and for fine, 20 tons per hour, payment at 33 sen per ton. Hokkaido has two important coal harbours, Muroran on the south, and Otaru on the west coast. 28- 20 (15*50) mk.; large coal—I., 29-40 (16-50) mk.; 11., 28-20 (16) mk.; III., 28*50 (15*75) mk.; washed nuts—I., 20 (17) mk.; II., 30 (17) mk.; III, 29*70 (16-75) mk.; IV., 29-10 (16-25) mk.; V., 27*60 (15) mk.; washed small, 24-30 (12*25) mk.; coking coal, 27*90 (14-25) mk. Gas and flaming gas coals: Thro’ and thro’ slack, 24-90 (12-75) mk.; thro’ and thro’ flaming, 26'40 (14) mk.; thro’ and thro’ gas—flaming, 27-80 (14-75) mk.; produce coal—I., 27-90 (15-2o) mk.; thro’ and thro; gas, 27-80 (14*75) mk.; large coal—I., ’29-40 (16-50) mk.; II., 28*80 (16) mk.; HI., 29-70 (15*75) mk.; washed nuts—I., 30 (16-25) mk.; II., 30 (17) mk.; III., 29-70 (16-75) mk.; IV., 29*10 (16-26) mk.; V., 27-60 (15) mk.; unwashed nuts—I., 29*10 (16-25) mk; nuts, slack, over 30 mm., 24*60 (12-o0) mk.; up to 30 mm., 23*40 (11-50) mk.; unwashed small, 21-30 (9-75) mk.; washed small, 24*30 (12-25) mk. Smithy coals: Thro’ and thro’ slack (10 per cent, large), 25*10 (13) mk.; thro’ and thro’ (25 p. c. large), 26-10 (13-75) mk.; 35 p. c. large, 26-70 (14'25) mk.; best mixed (50 per cent, large), 28-20 (15-50) mk.; large, 29-10 (16-25) mk.; washed nuts—I., 31*80 (18-50) mk.; II., 31*80 (18*50) mk.; III., 30-30 (17-25) mk.; IV., 29*70 (16-25) mk.; small, 23-10 (11-25) mk. Lean coals : (a) Eastern District.—Thro’and thro’ slack (10 per cent, large), 24*30 (12-25) mk.; thro’ and thro’ (25 per cent, large), 26- 10 (13*75) mk.; 35 per cent, large, 26-70 (14-25) mk.; best mixed (50 per cent, large), 27-60 (15) mk.; large, 29*40 (16-50) mk.; cobbles, 30-60 (17-50 mk.) ; washed nuts—I., 32-40 (19) mk.; II., 32-40 (19) mk.; 111., 30-30 (17-25) mk.; IV., 29*10 (16-25) mk.; un- washed small, 21-30 (9-75) mk.; washed small, 22-50 (10-75) mk. (b) Western District.—Thro’ and thro’ slack (10 per cent, large), 24 (12) mk.; thro’ and thro’ (25 per cent, large), 25-80 (13*50) mk.; 35 per cent, large, 26-40 (14) mk.; best mixed (50 per cent, large), 27- 30 (14-75) mk.; mixed (45 per cent, large), 30 (17) mk.; washed anthracite nuts—I., 34*80 (21) mk.; II., 39*60 (25) mk.; III. (house), 35-10 (21-25) mk.; III. (steam), 29-70 (16-75) mk.; washed nuts, IV., (8/15 mm.), 27 (14*50) mk.; unwashed small, 19-80 (8-50) mk. ; washed small (up to 7 per cent, ash), 21-90 (10-25) mk. Coke: Blast furnace coke—I., 37 (17-50), mk.; II., 35*80 (16-50) mk.; III., 36*40 (15-50) mk.; foundry coke, 37*60 (18) mk.; broken coke—I. (50 mm. and over), 40 (19*50) mk.; II.a (40-70 mm.), 41-20 (20-50) mk.; II.b (over 30 mm.), 40 (19*50) mk.; III. (over 20 mm.), 36-40 (16*50) mk.; IV. (under 20 mm.), 29- 20 (10-50) mk.; semi-screened and semi-broken, 37 (17*50) mk.; nubbles, 36-40 (17) mk.; small screened, 34 (15) mk.; screened pearls, 28 (10) mk. ; breeze, 16*90 (2-25) mk. Briquettes: I., 31 (16-75) mk.; II., 29*80 (15*75) mk.; III., 27*70 (14) mk.