Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1860-04-21
WILL THE COAL FIELDS HOLD QUIT

Science some sixty years ago, started the in.
quiry "wM the coal Fields hold out 2" and
gave an unproptious and alarming answer TO
it. An abstract Of the report Of Professor
Rogers on the coal trade OF America and
Great Britain shows, the enormous amount
now annually consumed, and the ratio in
which that consumption has increased within
the last third of century. The prod4ce Of
the American fields during the year 1889, has
been computed at 100000 Of tons. The
produce of Great Britain during the same
year was 69,OOO,0O0. The entire produce of
the coal fields of the world is estimated for
the same time at l00,000000 These figures
are startling enough. But when we recollect
the rapdity with which they have been reach
ed from comparatively small amounts the
vista thev disclose is ineomparably more so.
The British coal trade has heretofore doubled
itself in about twenty-four years. This, how.
ever is slow rate of advance compared with
that which has been made iE our own trade.
We take the produce Of the anthracite mines
Of Pennsylvania as it is exhibited in the
tables of Professor Rogers, as an example.
IN thirty-eight years from 1920 to 1858, it
advanced at the rate Of $4,000 tons per an.
nun, and 1889 to l649, the produce doubled
itself in each five years, while il has again
doubled itself in eight years. We have seen
with $50 tons, and had reached in 1859,
100000 And then with the increase Of
wealth and the consequent increase of wants,
with the constantly multiplying applications
and uses of coal in the arts, with the opening
of new mines of the various metals, oil OF
which must be worked by the abundant con-
sumption Of coal with the rapid exhaustion
of what remains of the forests with the pro.
gressive exploration and civilization of nor.
coal-producing countries, aud the growing de-
mand for closer connection and more fre.
quent intercourse between remote nations it
is difficult to predict or conceive the extent
which the use of mineral fuel may reach in
the next twenty-five years. The inquiry 10.
voluntarily arises "Will the Coal Fields hold
out !" Notwithstanding the appalling amount
covered 10 the figures, eminent geologists
have given some comforts to mankind, by
gradually postponing the period Of exbaus-
tion. Mr.. Bailey predicted the supply of the
Durham aud Northumberland coal fields
would only last 200 years. DR.. McNab
named 375 years. DR.. Buckland conceded
400 years Professor Thompson extended
extendeud the period to 1000 years. Mr..
Hugh Taylor, (more liberal than previous
calculators) granted 1927 years. There are
men now living in this city who remember
the panic once created here, by the an.
nouncement that the workmen had reached
the bottom of the Mauch Chunk coal mine.-
The stock of the Lehigh Coal and Naviga.
tion Company fell twenty per cent, and
gloomy presentiments filed the general mind.
These apprehensions were caused by igno'
rance of the nature of the coal formations,
which, unlike other mines, occdr in strata or
seams, aud the hope OF abundant supply lies
in ertent rather than the thickness OF these
seams. In the great Northern, or Newcastle
field in England, there are about 81 different
seams of coal. These vary in thickness from
| inch to 6 feet, and they form an aggregate
of about 76 feet OF coal. The average thick
ness of the great coal fields Of the world va.
ries from 10 to 60 feet feet. That a coal bed
should be uorked through in no long time
was Of course to be expected, and was no just
ground Of ALARM Philadelphia Ledger.