History of Bay County, Michigan, and representative citizens, Part 27

Author: Gansser, Augustus H., 1872-
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : Richmond & Arnold
Number of Pages: 738

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This has in fact been the experience of the coal industry itself in Bay County. When in 1897 Alexander Zagelmeyer and a few others had proved by systematic and scientific borings that coal existed in paying quantities under the prosperous farms of Monitor and Frankenlust township, when in that year the first shaft was sunk for the original Michigan coal mine, and a vein some four feet thick was worked, with very little trouble from water, the future of the bituminous coal industry in Bay County was

assured ! Men and capital were ready at once to follow this lead, and in a few years Bay County had 14 coal mines !

We find in the United States government report on our country's mineral resources, that there are 335,000 square miles of the bitu- minous coal area. Michigan is called the Northern field, and its coal area is limited to the central part of the Lower Peninsula. The discovery of paying coal veins here in 1897 stimulated the sinking of coal shafts in all parts of this area, so that in 1904 Michigan ranks 22d in the list of coal-producing States, where eight years before she had no rating at all. We find in the State geological survey for 1904 the following general arrangement of the Lower Michigan rocks : Drift for 65 feet, slate 50 to 100 feet, Upper Carbon coal group. Then Parma, 100 feet; Gypsum, 300; Marshall sandstone, 75; Coldwater shales, 800; Berea sandstones, 65; Antrim shales, 225; Traverse group, 350; Dundee limestone, 100; Monroe beds, 700, etc. The State geologist deplores the fact that out of the numerous deep wells put down in Bay County, only a few have pre- served records of the rock formations trav- ersed.

The deepest hole in Michigan's surface, aside from the deep copper mines of the Upper Peninsula, was the drill for rock salt of the North American Chemical Company in the South End, which reached a depth of over 3.500 feet before work on it was abandoned. Drift was found for 120 feet; coal measures, 444; then 20 feet of limestone ; and at a depth of 586 feet the flow of 85 per cent. brine. Then came sandrock down to 635 feet; sandy shale for the next 25 feet; blue shale for 40 feet; and at a depth of 712 feet came 10 feet of gypsum. Then came 98 feet of blue shale; 10 of hard limerock, 80 of sandstone, and there, at a depth of 920 feet, the second flow of brine,

WOLVERINE COAL MINE, No. 3

WENONA COAL MINE

SON

STEAM

AND WATER SUPPLIES

RAL.ROAD

SILVANA

THE INDUSTRIAL WORKS, Bay City, E. S.

(100-ton Railroad Crane, manufactured by The Industrial Works.)

A CORNFIELD IN BANGOR TOWNSHIP (Property of Ex-Mayor Peter Lind, of West Bay City.)

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100 per cent. All of Bay County's present salt- wells, by the way, reach this second flow of brine. Then came 135 feet of red and white shale, and so on down to 3,508 feet. Similar rock formations are registered at Kawkawlin and a salt-well in Hampton. The State geol- ogist is still confident that rock salt exists be- low that free flow of brine, but if it is more than 3,500 feet below the surface, it would not pay to secure it. Hence the attempt was given up, but the experiment of the North American Chemical Company has proven of much benefit to future geological surveys at such great depth in other parts of the State.

But to return to the discovery of a paying vein of soft coal underneath Bay County, and its development. The Michigan mine was quickly followed by the sinking of the Monitor mine shaft. Expert coal miners were brought here from Ohio, Illinois and Pennsylvania, and coal leases were sought among the farmers of that vicinity with feverish flurry. At first the coal mining rights were sold outright by the farmers, but of late years the farmers merely execute long term leases, with a proviso, that they get a royalty on all coal mined.

Handy Brothers established the first mine in Bangor township, following it soon after with a second shaft in the same vicinity.

Then E. B. Foss and George D. Jackson sank a shaft on the historic ground of Oa-at-ka Beach, near the mouth of the Kawkawlin River. Here they found the finest vein of coal in all Bay County, and it is to this day one of the most productive mines in Michigan. The great danger is the flooding of the mine, as the bay is but a few hundred yards to the east. The last time this happened was in April, 1905, when the mine had to be shut down, owing to the rush of waters. This mine is splendidly equipped with all modern appli- ances, and its pumping apparatus would keep

an ordinary mine clear at all times. The flow of water gradually recedes, and then mining is resumed.

The Pittsburg mine shaft was sunk near the pretty village of Amelith, the Valley mine near Frankenlust, where are also the Bay mine No. 2, the Hecla mine and, still nearer the city limits, the Central mine, while the Salzburg mine is located near the very center of that suburb, and the United City mine is also within the city limits on North Union street. The Wolverine mines Nos. 2 and 3 are in Williams township, the farthest west of the city, and the new Auburn mine is located in the same vicin- ity. An excellent vein exists thereabouts, and the Midland Branch of the Michigan Central Railroad furnishes easy transportation to the miners and the coal.

The latest working addition to Bay County's mines is the What-Cheer mine in Merritt township, 10 miles southeast of Bay City, located and operated by E. B. Foss. So confident is Mr. Foss in the excellence of that East Side vein, that he is even now arranging with other capitalists to build a railroad through the "Thumb" to Port Huron, to handle his coal. Rights of way have been se- cured, as well as an entrance into the lake har- bor at Port Huron, with terminals in this city, so that this mine will mean the fulfillment of a long cherished wish to have railroad connection with Tuscola, Sanilac, Huron and St. Clair counties.

The government geological survey for 1904 gives the coal area for Michigan at 11,300 square miles. The coal output in Michigan for 1898 was 315,722 short tons; 624,708 in 1899; 849,475 in 1900; 1,241,241 in 1901; 964,718 in 1902 ; and 1,367,619 in 1903. The falling off in 1902 was due to the strike of the coal miners, which for many weeks closed down all the mines. The value of the output at the

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mines for 1903 was given at Washington as $2,707,527. Owing to the shortage of the fuel supply in 1903, the price of this coal advanced from $1.71 in 1902 to $1.97 per ton in 1903. The miners averaged 171 days in 1902, against 247 working days in 1903. The average num- ber of men employed in Michigan was 2,276 in 1901 ; 2,344 in 1902 and 2,768 in 1903. The average production per miner was 494 tons in 1901; 4II tons in 1902 and 545 tons in 1903. The working day in all the Michigan coal mines has been from the first eight hours.

The coal production of Bay County in 1902 was 248,645 tons, of which the local con- sumption was 29,596 tons, 9,916 tons were consumed at the mines, and 209,133 tons were loaded at the mines for shipment. The total value was $410,615 ; average price, $1.65 ; aver- age days in operation, 149; and 660 miners found employment. In 1903 there was loaded at the mines for shipment, 288,284 tons; 24,215 tons were sold for local consumption, and 12,522 tons were consumed at the mines, making a total output for 1903 of 325,021 tons. The total value of Bay County's coal output for 1903 was $607,091, with $1.87 per ton, 206 working days and a force of 714 skilled miners. These mineral statistics do not include the many workingmen used in and about these coal mines, but merely the machine and pick miners.

The average price of this coal in Michigan was $1.62 in 1896; $1.46 in 1897; $1.47 in 1898; $1.39 in 1899; $1.48 in 1900; $1.41 in 1901 ; $1.71 in 1902; and $1.97 in 1903.

It will be seen that the opening of new mines did not reduce the price of the coal at the mines. On the contrary, the price has ma- terially advanced and quite beyond the per cent. of increase in cost of mining. It follows that more mines would be operated under these conditions, if there was a ready market

for the coal at these prices. But either the present mine operators hold their commodity at too high a figure, or else the railroads, upon whom the mines are dependent for moving their output, have discriminating rates in favor of the older coal fields of Ohio. This latter appears to be the case, for the Ohio mines de- liver coal much cheaper in Detroit than the Michigan mines can.

It would seem that these mines will have to look to water transportation to meet this ad- verse condition. It is apparent that the coal will have to be hauled from the mines to the river wharves, and that the same railroads now own these tracks, but an industry with such a bright future must rise to the occasion! The several mines, or all in one section by collec- tive action, will have to own and operate their own branch roads from the mines to deep water, and then their transportation problem will be solved and solved right. The mere de- cision to do so may bring the established roads to see the error of their ways, and so insure the Bay County coal as liberal and fair treatment as is accorded the Ohio and Pennsylvania pro- duct.

Great as has been the growth of the coal industry in Bay County in a short seven years, there is still but a crude beginning. The known coal area of Bay County extends from its west- ern border to Munger on the east-20 miles from east to west-and from Amelith to the Kawkawlin River-12 miles from north to south! The vein in all this region varies but little, and mining is possible under identical conditions. Since the coal lies so close to the surface, the cost of sinking the shaft and pro- viding ventilation, hauling and draining facili- ties, is not excessive, and on the basis of even the lowest bituminous coal prices in the last IO years, the business appears to offer a mar- gin that must attract capital, and prove a boon

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to labor and the business interests of Bay County.

More interesting data is gathered from the last report of the State labor commissioner. There were 28 mines in operation in Michi- gan in 1904, with 2,714 employees, averaging 7.7 hours per day and 18.3 days per month. This lack of work in 1904 was due almost en- tirely to a lack of cars and a consequent slow turn. At the time when there was a demand for the coal, the mines could get no cars, and so the competitors from other States supplied much of the home market! The average daily wages of all coal mine employees was $3.01 per day in 1904; 28,335 gallons of illuminat- ing oil were consumed, and 23 mines using blasting powder used up 65,163 kegs, averag- ing 5,430 kegs of powder per mine. The ag- gregate of coal mined in Michigan was 1,414,- 834 tons, at an aggregate cost of $2,286,- 160.21, or $1.62 per ton.

The wage scale agreed on in 1904 runs to March 31, 1906, and provides that pick miners shall receive 91 cents for each ton from a 30- inch vein, 96 cents for a 27-inch vein, and $1.01 for 24 to 27-inch veins. The ton is 2,000 pounds, over a 7/8 diamond or flat-bar screen, 14 feet in length with 72 feet super- ficial area. Exact scales for narrow work and room turning are provided. Bottom cagers, drivers, trip riders, water and machine haul- ers, timbermen and track-layers receive $2.42 per 8-hour day ; helpers, $2.23; company men in long-wall mines, $2.23; motormen, $2.65; pipemen, $2.36; trappers, $1.06; greasers, $1.18; all other inside day labor, $2.23. Out- side day labor for eight hours: Dumpers and trimmers, $2.23 ; engineers, $2.65 ; carpenters, $2.55; check chasers, $1.32; firemen, $1.91, and the same amount for all other outside labor. A special schedule per ton is provided for chain machine mining and the punching

machines, loading and drilling being 53 and 521/2 cents per ton, respectively, cutting and shearing in proportion.

Since this scale is in force, with practical adaptations to local conditions, in all the bitu- minous districts of the country, the cost of mining the coal should not operate against Bay County coal, hence the discrimination must be in the transportation cost and fa- cilities.

The Wenona mine is now putting in an electric hauling system, and there the frolick- ing days of the timorous mine mule are num- bered! The boys will miss his antics, but will breathe easier, when they hear a coal car ap- proaching, for like his cousin, the army mule, the mine mule has fits of bad temper, when he kicks recklessly at everything and everybody, tears around and balks alternately, and more than one driver and miner has gone to his last reward under the sudden impression of a mul- ish hoof. The Wenona mine in 1904 em- ployed 150 miners, 80 day men, 10 trappers and 46 machine men. The manager is E. B. Foss and superintendent, James Gallagher. The What-Cheer mine is a shaft opening, 196 feet deep; shaft 8 by 18 feet in the clear ; gauge of mine track, 40 inches; coal vein, three feet thick and of fine quality. The rooms have just been driven; 20 miners and 10 day men are employed. The Michigan mine has an air in- let of 19,800 cubic feet per minute, employ 92 miners, 32 day men, three trappers and eight machine men. Frank P. Young is manager, and Sam Wormeldorf, superintendent. The Central mine employes 75 miners, 25 day men, two trappers and 10 machine men. George Waller is manager. Wolverine mine No. 3 is one of the best in the country, having just put in a new electric light plant, new boilers, new guides in hoisting shaft, new cages and a new motor to haul coal to pit bottom. Fire wiped

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out all above the ground recently, but the build- ings are being put up again as quickly as pos- sible. The working force is composed of 126 miners, 30 day men, three trappers and seven machine men. R. M. Randall is manager and Alex. McElwain superintendent. Wolverine mine No. 2 has increased hopper and otherwise improved mine capacity ; employs 127 miners, 30 day men, three trappers, and 60 machine men. The Pittsburg mine has 61 miners and 28 day men; John Werner is manager. The Bay mine is one of the most reliable in Bay County ; employs 78 miners, 31 day men, four trappers and 14 machine men. M. L. Davies is manager. The Hecla mine shut down in October, 1903, pending a settlement of the legal troubles of that million dollar concern, and is expected to reopen in 1905. The United City mine reached coal within the West Side city limits August 26, 1904; the shaft is 6 feet 8 inches by 14 feet ; with a depth of 142 feet ; the coal vein is nearly six feet thick. At present 60 day men are employed. John Walsh is manager and David Jones, superintendent. The Coryell mine has 180 miners, 67 day men and eight trappers. Charles Coryell is man- ager and Elias Mathews, superintendent. The old Valley or Dutch Creek mine is now being operated by one of the pioneers of the coal mine business of Bay County, Frank Zagel- meyer, with 29 miners and 10 clay diggers. He found an excellent quality of clay for making brick in the mine shaft, and so conceived the idea of digging clay and coal in conjunction, organizing the Michigan Vitrified Brick Com- pany, which will furnish the brick for all of Bay City's paving this coming summer. This venture may open a new field for our coal mine operators. Alexander Zagelmeyer, the orig- inal pioneer coal mine operator, has a fine mine in the Salzburg, employing 80 miners, 23 day men and one trapper. He caters particularly

to home consumption of his output, although he has excellent railroad facilities besides, and is gradually increasing the output of the mine. He is a prominent figure at all councils between the well-organized coal miners of District No. 24, United Mine Workers, and the coal opera- tors, and has always succeeded in settling on terms mutually satisfactory, all differences, due to new conditions and accidents of the coal strata. The two short strikes in the dis- trict have been due to a desire on the part of the operators to make sure that their interests were at least as well protected as those of other operators in the same competitive field, and the determination of the miners to improve their living conditions, wherever possible.

While the mining in Bay County is not surrounded by the dangers of other coal fields, the deadly mine gas being entirely absent here, still accidents are numerous. On December 29, 1903, John Simmons, aged 35, single, was killed at Wolverine mine No. 2, by falling rock. On January 16, 1904, Thomas Brown, aged 25, single, was killed by a premature ex- plosion at Wenona mine. On May 14, 1904, Fred Serva, aged 28. married, was similarly killed at Wolverine mine No. 2. On October 26, 1904, William Western, aged 42, married, was killed at Wolverine mine No. 3, by falling slate. A dozen miners were injured by similar causes, though not fatally. Andrew Stevens, State mine inspector, reports all mines having mine ventilators, driving the fans at a speed insuring at least 100 cubic feet of air for each miner per minute, and the air is well distrib- uted through all the entries.

The lack of cars for shipping was keenly felt by the industry, especially in Bay County, and the output was curtailed on this account. These mines are now seriously considering the transportation problem, on which so much of their future business is dependent. Chicago

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imported and consumed 11,000,000 tons of coal in 1904, and with cheap water transporta- tion all the way should be as good a market for Bay County coal, as it once was the best customer for our lumber. More outside mar- kets and more home consumption will be neces- sary for the future development of our coal industry, and strong efforts should be made at once to secure iron and metal industries, that will go hand in hand with our coal industry. Certain it is, that with three to six feet of coal right under our feet, the cheap fuel problem has been solved for Bay County for all time!

The Legislature early provided for the reg- ulation of the coal mines, and the protection of the lives of the coal miners. Act No. 57, Pub- lic Acts of 1899, provides : I. For a mine in- spector, at $1,500 per year; II. That escape shafts must not be less than eight feet square ; III. That a competent and trustworthy en- gineer shall attend to the hoisting devices. IV. That safety catches and covers be on all cages, which can carry but 10 men at once, and then only when the other cage is empty; V. That employees name the weighman; VI. Operators held responsible for safety of mines, and fresh air supply; VII. Imposes the penal- ties for violations of these safeguards, and sets forth the rights and duties of the State mine inspector. The Legislature of 1905 is now considering some minor additions to this act, providing for uniformity of these safe- guards at all mines. Since the Bay City mines are not very deep, their safeguarding is easily assured. Verily :

Down the broad vale of tears afar The spectral camp is fled ; Faith shineth as a morning star, Our ghastly fears are dead !

TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES.

All our natural resources-lumber, salt,

coal and agricultural products-are dependent for their fullest development upon a ready means of transportation from forest and field and prairie, to the factory and workshop, and the finished product from the scene of their manufacture, to the markets of the world.

Father Marquette, sailing along the west- ern shore of Lake Huron, followed the wide reaches of Saginaw Bay, until a great, wide river poured its flood from the south, and in- vited them to "O-Sauk-e-non," the "Land of the Sauks" or Sacs, as they are called in these later days. The explorations of this devoted Jesuit are not well preserved, the findings of the first white men to visit these shores but vaguely outlined, in the musty records of long ago. But the great river, with its black forest of pines, and the crowded wigwams of the Indians in some pretty groves, where solemn councils were held with the red men, some weeks before reaching Mackinaw, can have been none other than our own.

The other rivers that pour their floods into Lake Huron from the south and west are in- comparable to the deep and wide flood of the Saginaw. The earliest inland trading stations in Michigan were on its banks, and the first villages and permanent settlements north of Detroit are in this valley. The easy mode of travel by canoe and bark to and from Detroit, and between the several settlements on its southern forks and branches, proved early the pathway of the primitive commerce and trad- ing of Central Michigan.

In 1792 the relatives of Louis Trombley re- ported to the military Governor at Detroit, that this Indian trader and two of his coasting vessels had been lost somewhere near the mouth of the river of the Sacs! The "Savage," a 40-ton sloop, about 1830 sailed in and out of the Saginaw in search of fur and trade with the Indians. In 1832 a 50-ton vessel brought

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freight for the American Fur Company, and carried a load of potatoes from Duncan Mac- Clellan's, far above the sand-bar, to Detroit, the first export of farm produce from this val- ley. In August, 1837, George Raby sailed the "North America" into the river, and for years traded with his schooner up and down the river and bay shore. The "Conneaut Packet,' sailed by Capt. J. Davis Smith, carried the first cargo of lumber for the McCormicks to De- troit in 1842. This boat, together with Cap- tain Wilson's little schooner "Mary," were both driven by storms on the Canadian shore and wrecked shortly after.

In July, 1836, While Judge Miller, James Fraser and Surveyor Eleazer Jewett were din- ing at Leon Trombley's log house, where Fourth avenue and Water street now intersect, the company were startled by 10-year-old Louis Trombley rushing into the little shack, shouting : "A steamboat, a steamboat !" Judge Miller often recalled how they hurried outside to see what had deceived the boy into thinking a steamboat was coming. To their great aston- ishment and delight it really was the steamer "Governor Marcy," chartered by Mr. Jenni- son and others of the city above the sand-bar. Mr. Jennison was the father of Charles E. Jennison, who in this very year 1905 is assist- ing, with his sons, in again securing regular steamer connection with Detroit and the shore cities. Such is the flight of time, with its re- curring cycles in the lives of men ! The "Gov- ernor Marcy" proudly made headway against a southern wind, and was the first steamer to plow the waters of this river.

In 1847, James Fraser, the Fitzhughs and others built the stern-wheeler "Buena Vista," somewhat on the Ohio River style, the first one to be built on this river, and for many years thereafter this boat did a thriving busi- ness along the river and its navigable tribu-

taries. Orrin Kinney, still living on Cass avenue, was her first engineer !

About 1850 the steamer "Columbia" be- gan making weekly trips between here and De- troit ; the tug "Lathrop" began towing on the river ; Capt. Darius Cole brought the "Snow," and "Charter;" Captain Wolverton ran the steamer "Fox" after 1854, and soon the river was alive with craft of all descriptions. We had the timber and the mills, but not until plenty of boats for shipping the product of the mills were at hand did the lumber industry assume its final large proportions.

In 1858 Captain Cole established the shore line to Alpena with the steamer "Columbia." Later the "Metropolis," "Arundell" and "Sag- inaw Valley" made this route, while the "L. G. Mason" and "W. R. Burt" came here in 1868, for the river passenger traffic. The writer has enjoyed many trips on all these boats between 1883 and 1893, and witnessed the destruction of the "L. G. Mason" by fire about 1890 near the Lafayette avenue bridge.

The river and lake craft underwent con- tinual changes and improvements, and it is in- deed a far cry from the original "Buena Vista" to the monster "Sylvania" just launched on these self-same waters!

Old mariners will recall the foundering of the side-wheeler "Dove" near the mouth of the river, where she stranded, and will recall the familiar names of the river craft about 1885 : Steamers "Metropolis," "Dunlap," "E. T. Carrington," "Luther Westover," "Emerald," "Sea Gull," "Handy Boy," "Plow Boy," "Post Boy," "Arundell," "Forbes"! They were the means of transportation then, where to-day are the electric cars and vestibuled trains. Thus early the steam-barges "Donaldson," "Sanilac," "Benton" and their barges carried their lumber cargoes to Ohio ports, just as they did in 1904. But they are the few survivors of

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that immense fleet that handled Bay City's monster lumber shipments for 30 years and which annually wintered here, furnishing em- ployment and business to many men and merchants.

The propellers of deep draught were not long in locating a sand-bar at the mouth of the river, where the great stream had deposited the sediment of the lowlands for untold ages. In 1867 the work of dredging this deposit was commenced and finished in 1869. Many river improvements have been made since then, and lake vessels of the deepest draught can now enter this river. In 1905 the great steam- barges laden with salt and coal find no trouble in loading here, and the way to the outside world is made easy for them.

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History of Bay County, Michigan, and representative citizens, Part 27

Author: Gansser, Augustus H., 1872- Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Chicago : Richmond & Arnold Number of Pages: 738

Author: Gansser, Augustus H., 1872-
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : Richmond & Arnold
Number of Pages: 738