New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-04-02
COAL.
ARE OUR COAL MINES MISREPRESENTATION TO
ECONOMIC OUR GOALS


ECONOMIC OUR GOALS.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: I have read with lively interest your
article on Steam to the Mediterranean" published III
this days issue of your paper Without doubt an almost
unlimited quantity Of btumnous coal could be furnished
by this country to supply the present and future wants
OF the countries bordering the Mediterranean because
the supply OF this variety Of coal IN the United states Is
practically inexhausble and it would il the trade In 1t
could established fairly prove great source of wealth
to Virginia and other States lying the Atlantic slope
and having this variety OF coal
Not SO, however, with Anthracite Goals. OF this
variety have none TO spare to foreign country Win
out endaDgeDg future resources for power as
nation. For, like Great Britain, we are limited III our
supply OF anthracite GOALS and though this country
probably contains than five times the quantity that
Great Britain has ii is all confined to limited area, ana
nearly all developed in greater or less degree in fact
some sections have been entirely mined out. During the
past year, the various companies who we're mining
anthracite coal took out used and transported about
900 tuns, and should the fannua increase OF con
sumption great during the next ten years as during
the past FIVE it will be that by the year 1850 more
than 80 100000 OF tins kind Of coal alone will he
annually required which amount is, according to the
estimate of practical mining engineers, greater than the
profitable maximum product Of all the anthracite nelus
Itisnow welascerained fact, that the yield of coal
per acre has been largely Oyerestimatcd In former
years. aud that the estimated area OF anthracite ter
rtory 400 square miles, equal ouly to small county
OF which many square miles has been exhausted oil us
coal. These lands in price from $3.50 to slOOO
per acre. according to their situation Dip OF yen or
quality and quantity Of coal The yield varies from
5000 tuns per averaging perhaps, less
than 80 200 tuns per Estimating the latter guam
tity about fair yield 1t will be seen that the
last years product exhausted about 633 acres. and ta
when the maximum production OF 3OOOo,ON tuns Is
reached say by $780, We shall be exhauSting more than
strong point to which wish TO bring public attention
the relation this variety of coal has to the production
the United States and the relation iron has 10
the power of state nation. 1t rs estimated by pract
cal iron that our production OF iron Will reach 100000
tuns 1871 We shall probably more than that guam
tty OF domestic and foreign make and assuming tnat our
population rapidly during the next twenty
wears as has the past years and the make and Use of
iron various increases IN Ike ratio, the product
Of iron IN the United states by year will reach fully
SOOOOoO tuns Gt ought to exceed that fgure), which
will be the largest annual production OF any nation III tne
,ynrl1 as before that time Great Brtains product will
producing districts will have by that time been used up
have become less than 1t Is now III may be estimated tnat
the manufacture of 100000 tuns oil IRON per year WILL
u putting various shapes require an annual con
sumption OF not less than l50O.@U tlns OF COAL fuliy
three ffths OF which would be anthracite for next after
charcoal anthracite is the most desirable fuel for making
IRON as well the cheapest provided this coal Is not
monopolzed or controlled TOO much by lew leading
have already alluded to the fact that corpora
Ons have fortified themselves for the future each own
ing IL said. from 5000 to 10000 acres OF the coal lands
selected with reference TO qdiHU qudnty ana tocdfHy
embracing nearly Oneh half of the whole area OF the an
hracte coal territory of the Union. They have far
reaching and controlling rnlfcatons IN the way OF rail
road and canal communications. ana possess Iuture
power If they chose 10 exert IT, equal to- not greater
than that once held by the British East India Com
pany. PenDsy lvanis 1t already produces more than
half the of the country ana her coal ana iron
make truly the Keystone State owes IL first 20 her
self prevent any company hereafter organized within
her borders holding more than 5000 acres OF coal
lands, and to forbid any two or more such companies
10 consolidating their land interest Let this matter
be looked into at by those having the 10 act
and az We have millions OIL millions Of tuns OF bituInl-
nous coal III Maryland, Virginia, aud Western Pennsyl
and in our Western States let us use that and save
anthracite.
You have already done the nation a noble and
valuable service IN urging its people TO spare its for
eSts for future Forests can to some extent, be
produced, but coal mines never You andoa still greater
good If you will assist IN preventing the further monopO
zaOn and waste Of the anthracite coal OF this country
Give us the steam line to the Mediterranean and export
by all bitumnOus coal may; but let us keep
anthracite coal here in the hands OF TO be
used In building up own country and making II what
IL ought by 18yO-he greatest iron producing
try in the world. Yours. respectfully, KEYSTONE.
POusplHe, Pa, March T. 1870.