AUCKLAND'S COAL SUPPLY.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 202, 28 August 1888, Page 5

AUCKLAND'S COAL SUPPLY.

THE GAS COMPANY'S ARRANGE-

MENTS,

EXPERIMENTS WITH LOCAL COALS.

The Auckland Gas Compainy has adopted effective measures to guarantee tte lighting df the city, whatever proportions the miners', strike may assume in Australia. All the coal received from Newcastle by the sis. Bucephalus, some IjOOO tonsi, was consigned to the Gas Comp&ay, arid the cargo was made up of the besfrquality of gas making coals raised. The Company had also, in view of the strike, made ■ arrangements for four vessels to fallow the> Bucephalus, at Newcastle, and all of these arrived in Newcastie and Sydney w i thin a week previous to the strike. T^ey therefore lost their chance-of getting coils, all available cargoes having been disposed of. The oas Company has, however, made.a contract in New Zealand for supply tof the best; gas coals sufficient to last tiH the end of the yearl Supplies will arrive from Greymouth by steamer once a fortnight, the firs* cargo being due to arrive early in the ensuing month. The Company's customers, therefore, need be under no apprehension' that 'their gas supply will either fail or btfcome deteriorated in quality. Experiments recently made by the Gas Company to ascertain the value, of the various local cbals for gas production, and the results wvere only fairly satisfactory. It was found that the produce of the local mines would ixot produce gas of a quality equal to tIW Company's requirements, and the Companjy has unfortunately been compelled to draw its supplies from elsewhere. " These experiments were -made prior to last Week, when the use <*£'"': Newcastle coil was resumed, and the change for the better in the light produced was noticeable to everyone. The increased value of Newcastle coal has .caused an advance of 5s per ton 'in the; price; of coke, which is chiefly the product >of' Newcastle coal, and is extensively used boifti in smithies and for household purposes. , The Gas .Company has also,; had under, consideration the contingencies which may arise in the event of the' miners', strike extending to the mineral at Greymouth- arid Westpoft. The directors do npfc anticipate any unsurmountable difficulty, even in that event, of keeping up the gas supply. The Company received from Sydney this morning a quantity of kerosene shale by the Christine^ arid this would be used for enriching.the quality of eras which could be extracted from Auckland coals.