Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-11-29
POTOMAC COAL.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE ALEXANDER, e,

is the following account of the Lehigb -,
Schuylkill improvements and of the trade c. sr'
ed on them:
"It does not appear" say the comm;.
"that any considerable quantity of coaI1
taken to market, either by the Lehigb a. u Vas
Schuylkill, until 1920, when the LehigS r VI .lh'
ton was completed by the present comnga'
and 365 tons delivered at PhiladenbiIp
1921, 1912 tons were brought to marker L..
Of which were shipped codstwise. In O ,Sa
2,440 tons were brought to market $50 Of wv,
were shipped coastwise. ""'S
"The year 1920 may, therefore. be reg,,,.
as the era from which We are to date tho s' c'
trade Of Pennsylvania; trade which Grs wa
the past year, (lS33,) has increased to ns,s
100000 tons, amounting: in value, to abon, !!
100000 dollars" " o.
'During the past year, the Lehigh Goa, b.,
Navigation Company sent to marcel l23Gr
tons OF coal, 44,66s ofwhich were shipped co,y
wise"
"The Schuylkill Navigation Companv r..
incorporated, without mining and tr !dino -
vilege, (Which were granedto the Iehigb Can
pany,) and hence it was, and Of consenpar,.
must continue to be, their interest to invite M,
mage from every quarter and every source
IFa.
and eight miles in length, was commenced !,
1878; and completed at an expense of two nil
lion nine hundred and sixty thousand G,
hundred and eighty dollars and thirteen Gem.
Tolls were first taken, in 1918, amounting
two hundred and thirty three dollars; and tTo,
that time until 1925, it does not appear for
the annual reports of the company, that am
account was kept of the tolls on the seporo.
articles OF tonnage, but that the whole amopr,
ed, for the year 1924, to six hundred and tLrr
FIVE dollars. The next year, 1925, at which n.
riOd may be dated the commencement of h
coal trade on the SchuylkilI, the tolls increase
to fifteen thousand seven hundred and seye0,
five dollars and seventy-fOur cents. OF M,
sum, nine thousand seven hundred dollars wpr
received from coal. Having been designed q
a grand thoroughfare for the products Of Ii.
mine, the field, and the forest-as free nav
CATION. open to all who chose 10 participate n
its faciities-and entering the first coal field Al
its centre, affording an outlet for the coal
more than half its territory,-individua Of
capital and enterprise were attracted TO tie
scene, and railroads constructed. diyergiDg
all directions 10 the mines. LaborerS and ne
chancs Of all kinds, and from all nation,
thronged to the place, and found ready AMI
constant employment. new era seemed 70
have dawned in the mountains. The wilder.
ness was subdued. The coal basin seemed 70
he literally running over with active and resO
lutte Adventures; a rapidly growing pOpBIa.
ton became established; the wild animal wa
driven back 10 give place to host OF mlnen
who now pierce its thousand hills. So that, for
the last year, 1888, (only eight years from the
commencement of the coal trade on the SchUy-
KILL the tolls on the canal amounted to three
hundred and twenty-five thousand four hun
dred and eighty-siX dollars and slxty-hrt
cents. or this sum, two hundred and twenty'
eli .ht thousand one hundred and thlrtyelgh
dollars were derived from the article OF coal
alone"
Ry the extract above, it will be seen thatths
tolls on the last mentioned work, six years after
they commenced taking tolls, amounted to only
$685.; and that the following year produced an
increase of near $500 per cent; and it pre-
sumed, continued this rapid increase, until theY
reached the enormous sum already stated in The
year 1893.
One remark, it may not be amiss to make 10
this place, which may, perhaps, fairly explain
the cause ofthe slow increase ofthe consumpuOn
of Coal in the years 1920, q, and q. lhea"
tbracite, as is well known, is difficult TO Ign'r
and il was with no little difficulty and the app''
cation Of much ingenuity, that it could De cu'"'
ed with any degree Of comfort or facility Nov
its use is general and increasing.
On the other hand, the bitumnous Coal lSu'"
as the Potomac, which is said to be equa 10 ''''
of Newcastle upon Tyne the best IN thgidn"'
has been in use for ages, and may be reau'
applied to all purposes as fuel, for when wow
is used.
had intended here to have made very o'',
comparison ofthe two works, from matter ioO"'
in the documents; but as the body of the rePO''
furnished one ready to hand, far superior onE
could frame, have extracted iten'lfe' !"
great and increasing interest OF the SuOJ''h "
most of your readers, as evnced by the CAL u
the Convention, has tempted me 10 hrsSp','
perhaps, too far upon your columns i"'
terest must be my excuse.
Theincome ofthe SchuylkiIl NayIgalIou - Sv ,ps
pany, since their first reception OF lo', W
year 1918, supplies numerous details coun lnns n
ny OF all the principles relating to the his
canals, which have been comprehen'eu III
report. .o,Ior Of
The Scuylkll rises on the eastern Oo r;,rn.
the great belt of mountains common - ,%
ia and Pennsylvania. Its length Is u. e.onSi,s
much shorter; il drains much less han
country, and discharges much less %d. ,.;,b The
the Potomac Although connected WV"
TTn;oa canal II b,c in fact M large tTlOutdIl'