PURPOSE: To make possible transport of lump coal in the state as it is, in pipe transportation of coal as in mixture with a medium, and facilitate thereby separating work of the solid from liquid after transportation by changing the specific gravity of the medium at a certain phase under transportation.

CONSTITUTION: Lump coal 1 is put into a container 5 at a mine for long land transport to the harbour. In to this container 5 is poured a heavy medium 2, through a pipe 6, composed of water and iron powder or magnetic powder and having a specific gravity equal to or larger than that of the lump coal 1. The coal 1 in this heavy medium 2 a float is flowed into a takeout hopper 7. This mixture is then sent to a magnetic separator 10 furnished at the harbour under the pressure by a pump 8 and, there, iron powder etc. is separated from the mixture and taken away. The rest of the mixture is sent into a solid/liquid separator 13 and, after separation of water, deposited in the coal yard 14 to be loaded in a ship 17 by a conveyor 15 later.