New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-02-18


! With lower prices for anthracite coal than
ever before prevailed the coal-prodUccrs aIe
prcpaIing to extend their shipments 10 foreign
lands during the new yelr. Meanwhile, the
decline of coal shipments from Great Britain
continues. and the ,'Ii," OF lahorers III some
import9rt mines, Notwithstanding the indus
| tina distress existing throughout the United
! Kingdom, shows that ir VIII not be possible
10 push sales in future 10y further reduction
nm the cost of minug. Coal has been the
basis Of a large share Of highlands prosper
iN. After many years of most wastciul con-
sumption. il was ascertained by the thorough
Investigations Of the Royal Commission on
Coat trat the supply in Great Britain, though
very LARGE, was by no means incXhaustihc,
and that the increasing depth from which
future supplies must be obtained would tend
slowly hut surely 20 enhance the cost. Ac-
cord,ny to the report OF that Commission, the
Urobab. aggregate yield OF ali seams of coal
above one foot thick, Of exposed veins, and
! within 1000 feet, was 90,20G, OOO,0 600 tons.
! But the necessary loss and waste in working
are considerable the seams less than two feet
thick are worked at decidedly increased ex-
ppnsc, and in this country are hardly ever
considered of enough value TO nay for work
:nl,; and the depth 10 which mines must be
pushed in order to take out the quantity
named will very greatly affect the cost of the
product 1t does not appear from the report
of the Commission what proportion of the
coal reported as within reach Is to be found
in the veins which are thicker, or more acces-
Siblo. and therefore more economically worked,
than those OF extreme depth and approaching
I IL ,i.ly
GGi the same report shows that nearly one
! th ri Of the whole estimated supply, viz;
32.i56. 100000 tons, was in South Wales
! that ISLE, 100000 tons were II Yorkshire
| AID D.Ibyshre, 1O,O3GOO0,O 900 tons III North
cumberland and Durham, and 9,S4O.OOO,OOO
tons in scotland. In other regions, the supply
| was comparativeiy small. 1t was further es-
| timatrd that, under the Permlan and other
formations. veins not yet exposed would be
| fouud OF sufficient size to yield, within the
workable limit, 1924, 100000 tons Thus it
WAS held that the entire available supply of
| Great Britain, without any Of the allowances
above named. was 146 $4,000, 900 tons.
Ii is estimated, on the same basis of COM
iuration, that the available supply III the
| Stale of Ohio alone is not less than 13G,32O,-
600 900 tons that the supply IN the single
State of Indiana is 12S,64O,00O, 900 tons /;
that the supply in the single State of West
Virginia is 2SS.O00 100000 tons and that
the sulplY in tn, single State Of Illinois Is
$4,000. OOO,O 900 tons. lii these four States,
he supply of coal within workable limits as
TO depth and thickness of seams is estimated
10 be- nearly eight times as great as the entire
Supnlv, in exposed veins and III seams est-
: h.
whole United Kingdom. Ii il be said that
such eSliinltes are liable to error. it may be
replied that the exploration IN Great Britain
mas been much moro thorough than Ill any
part OF thu country, aud that IN immense
amount Of coal, in VEINS from one to two rect
N thickue,s, is not usually considered work
.be or included il estimates IL this country,
though similar veins are included in the Brit
ssh estimates elycn.
+ c area Of workable coal lands in Great
Britain Is held 10 be equivalent to about
1000 square miles, VITA veins averaging 80
rect m AGGREGATE workable thickness. This
woad give about 5000 tons to the acre, At
| 300 tons per .ctc 10 the foot IN depth. But
il - estimated that 1900 square miles Of
coal deposit, with veins averaging 30 feet in
workable ttp'i, are 10 he i0lho ID IthnN5I-
wanna alone. lin Ohio, the area Is 200 square
miles, and though the average thickness is
less than in Great Britain, the available sup
ply is estimated to he nearly a. large. In
Yves Virginia alone with $4,000 square miles
Of cod deposits averaging 20 feet in wOrka-
Die thickness, the supply would be twice as
great rs IN the whole United Kingdom. In
Indiana, though the area is only 600 squire
miles, aud the cstimltcd thickness not more
than 20 .ect, the estimated supply il enough
10 excecu each year for one thousand years
the actual yield Of all cod fields in Great
Britain In Illinois, the area OF the coal fields
ls about 10000 square miles, Of which at
least 10000 are workable, and of 20 feet es-
uAiatod average dept. Over all this vast
fed The deposit is known to exist. and within