The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-05-19
The Cumberland Goal Trade.

editor Of the Goal Trade Journal. It
would be difficult to find handbook
Of commerce in which the matter is
SO well classified, and the leading
facts so clearly and fully presented.
The issue for 1877 gives summary
Of the coal trade for the year 1876,
with comparative statements reach
back to the year in which the first
shipments were made in the respec.
tive mining districts. We cannot
give better illustration of the ad.
mirable method followed by Mr..
Saward in making up his statistics
than by quoting the substance of the
chapter on 1.-THE Cumberland Coal
Region" AS We all know, this re.
gion has three outlets to the seaboard
namely, by way of the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad to Baltimore by
way Of the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal to Georgetown and Alexan-
dria on the Potomac river, and by
way Of the Bedford division of the
Pennsylvania Railroad to Hunting
don; thence to Philadelphia, New
York or Baltimore. The centre of
the mining region is about 100 miles
distant from Baltimore, and about
245 miles distant from Philadelphia.
The coal is of the variety classed as
semi-bituminous, and is of superior
quality. The working sections are
from seven to fourteen feet in thick
ness.
The transportation of coal from
the Cumberland region first began in
the year 1912, when 1,7Os tons were
brought away by the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad. The next year the
shipments aggregated 1O,OS2 tons, by
1S47 the coal tonnage had reached
$3.50. The Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal was completed to Cumberland
in 1850, and during that year carried
4,042 tons of coal, to 1872, 1906 shipped
by rail. During the next year the
shipments by rail fell off to 174,7O1
tons, while the canal carried S2,97s
tons; but the next year 1859 the
railroad more than doubled its ton
mage, reaching 26S,459 tons, while
the canal fell off to 65.719 tons. In
1858 both the canal and the railroad
made tremendous gains, the former
carrying 1877 100 tons and the latter
1913 tons. 1t will be seen that in
the eleven years between 1912 and
1853 the Cumberland coal trade grew
from nothing to 1919 tons. From
that time forward the shipments, by
both canal and railroad, have been
exceedingly variable. Sometimes a
gain of more than one hundred
thousand tons would be made in a
given year, the half of which would
be lost in the next year. AS q gen.
eral rule, however, the railroad has
transported more than twice as much
coal as the canal. During the year
1876 the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road Company carried 1,O70.775 tons
of coal from the Allegany mines,
while the canal carried 632, 44O tons.
The largest shipments by the Balti.
more and Ohio road were in 1873,
when the coal tonnage reached l..
7S0,71O tons. The canal reached its
maximum in 1875, when S79, 1893 tons
were carried. Up to the close of the
year 1875 the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company had transported
from the Cumberland mines 1921
446 tons Of coal. Shipments have
been made by the Pennsylvania road
by way of Huntingdon since 1872.
The aggregate shipments by the
Pennsylvania route up to the close of
1876 were a trifie over half million
of tons.
The average price of Cumberland
coal delivered on shipboard at Balti-
more was $a.44 per ton (2,240 pounds)
In 1861. In 1862 the price was $4.23.
The price went up something over a
dollar ton per year from 1862 to
1865 when 1t attained its maximum,
T.57 per ton. The following year it
came down to 1874, and in 1867 it
got back to the normal price, 81 81.
During the next six years it varied
but few cents from this price. Dur.
ing the year 1874 1t fell to S4.6S. The
"hard times" that prevailed in 1875
sent 1t down to SAP, and In 1876
II touched bottom at So rs. Mr.. Sa-
ward informs US that the price OF
mining has been reduced In the Cum
berland coal region fifteen cents per
ton, and that with this reduction in
the cost Of production there Is good
prospect for an active trade in 1877.
The compendium Of the coal trade
now before US Ia little book of 81 pa
ges) takes up each of the coal dis
tricts in the United States, and gives
their production and capabilities