Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1860-04-26

ham and Northumberland coal fields
would only last 200 years. DIR. McNab
uamed 375 years. DR.. Buckland conccd
ed 400 years. Professor Thompson OK
tended the period to 1000 years. Mr.
Hugh Taylor (morc liberal than previous
calculators, granted 1727 years.
There are men now living in Philadcl-
phia who remember the panic once Great
ed there, by the announcement that the
workmen had reached the bottom of the
Mauch Chunk coal mine. The stock of
the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Com
pany fell twenty per cent. and gloomy
presentimcnts filled the general mind
The apprehensions were caused by ignor-
ancc of the nature of the coal formations,
which, unlike other mines, occur in n
strata or seams, and the hope of abund-
ant supply lies in the extent rather than
the thickness of these seams. In The
great Northern or Newcastlefed in Eng
land, there are about 81 different seams
of coal These vary in thickness from l
inch to feet, and they form an aggrc-
gregatc of about 76 feet of coal The av-
erage thickness of the great coal field of
the world varies from 10 to 60 feet. That
coal bed should be worked through in
no long time was of course to be expect
cd, and was no Just ground of alarm.
These scientific predictions and popu-
lar fears about the exhaustion Of coal
may now be examined under the light of
wider explorations, more exact surveys,
and better knowledge of the structure of
the coal deposits.
The following is table of the areas
and solid contents of the coal fields in
the principal countries of the world, as
given by Professor Rogers in his admir-
able description of the Coal Field of
North America and Great Britain" an
nexed to the Government Survey of the
Geology of Pennsylvania:"-
Square miles of Total
coal area. square miles.
United states. ........ .l96,65n} oo,,oo
British Provinces of N. "A. .7,530l ~'ii0'
Great Britain. $4,000 ooc,
The rest of Europe ... .3,564S O'''f
The estimated quantities of coal in the
principal countries, are as follows:
Tons
Belgium NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 10000, 900 600
france ................... OOOOOO
British Islands s............... 100, ,00O, 800 900
Pennsylvania ............... 3l6,400, ,O00 900
Great Appalachian coal field
(this name is given to the
bituminous coal field which
extends through parts of PEN
sylvania, Ohio Kentucky, Ten
nesscc, and Virginia }. .....1, ,4s7 500, 100000
Indiana, Illinois and Western
Kentucky. 1,277 500, 900 900
Missouri and Arkansas Basin. 739 900, 100000
All the productive coal fields of
North America. ca...........4, 1000 900, ,OOO,OOC
A survey of these figures will serve to
tranqualize any immediate apprehensions
of short supply of coal.
1t will be seen that at the present rate
Of consumption, 100, 100000 of tons per
annum, the coal fields of Pennsylvania
alone would meet this demand for 3,164
years.
If the consumption were doubled, viz:
200, 900 900 of tons, the Great Appala-
chan field would meet the strains for 6,
9375 years.
If it were quadrupled, viz: 400, 100000
/ lIic productive CDtl llcl'lS vi NDTtu AlIlcT-
lea, would suffice for the worlds supply
for 10, 600 years to come.
To this we must add the consideration
that new coal fields are brought to light
as exploration becomes more extensive
and exact. DIR. Nordenskion, learned
Flemish traveller, who has Just returned
from visit to the Arctic regions, an
nounccs that he has discovered anthra-
cite coal as far North as Spitzbcrgen.-
One of the most remarkable features of
the coal system of the globe, is its liberal
distribution over the Northern hemis-
phere, where it is most needed. And it
will probably be found in the still unex-
plored regions of Central and Northern
Asia, that the same Divine forethought
and bcnifcence which provided this ines
timable element of human comfort and
progress on such an amazing scale ofmu-
nifcence for the people of our own conti-
ncnt, have been equally mindful of those
of Asia.-Nev York Commercial Adoer-
tiser.