Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-10-26

temporary abandonment of the Black
diamond mine, for the latter will b.
hooded. Under these circumstances the
total yield of these mines for the re-
mainder OF the year may not exceed TO-.
90 tons.
THE SITUATION
But consolation is to be found in the
ract that two mines have lately been
opened, whose output promises TO in
crease San Francisco's supply most ma
terlaliy. One OF these Is the East Wei
ilnRton, yielding lsUO tons month, and
the second is tie Vancouver mine, the
output of which at present Is small, but
which it is promised by March next will
aggregate $500 tons a month. This
mine is situated in British Columbia
and is owned by an English company,
which has determined TO develop the
property To the highest extent, for
which purpose it has invested nearly
$4,000 in machinery. The mining op-
erations have just begun, and the first
cargo of the coal is now on the way to
this city. Still another source of sup
ply il the Coos Bay mines. From these
a monthly supply of 1900 tons may he
looked for. The district caA furnish
more, but the Newport company has
bonded the East and Southport mines
In order to avoid competition and work
its own property to better advantage.
We may thus look for 10000 tons of
coal from the mines of the Pacific coast,
and then the problem of the annual
supply becomes as follows:
Tons.
Received to date. 10000
AfiOat from foreign ports ...... 10000
Yield of Pacific coast mines 190, co
Total supply. ....................9 $50, COO
This computation allows margin of
5000 tons for the non arrival by Jan.
lst of coal vessels now down on the
lists. In addition there is available a
quantity of coal equal to the carry over
stock from 1888. But while it is thus
plain that there need be no scarcity of
Goal, at least for the present, provided
the owners of Pacific coast mines, hav-
ing no longer to fear cheap inward
freights, do not combine and curtail the
output In order to advance prices, there
would seem to be more reason to appre-
bend o coal famine later on in the
spring, and before the English feet of
wheat ships shall have set sail again for
San Francisco.
SPRING PROSPECTS.
February, March, April and May are
as good months for the consumption of
coal as are October, November and
and, appreciating this fact,
the gas and railroad companies, the
rolling mills and other large consumers
have lately been large purchasers of
foreign cargOes to arrive. 1t is, in fact.
that out of 125 cargoes now
oil route for San Francisco less than a
dozen have not yet been sold. 1t is true
that this movement of absorption is
caused fully rs much by desire to
secure certain kinds of coal which are
liable to become scarce as by an appre-
hension of advancing prices, but in
either case the effect on the general
market is the same. At all events it is
certain that the Pacific coast mines will
not have to compete with cheap foreign
Goals during the spring. and that an OPP
portunity to rule this market mere than.
sver will bs afforded them. In this con-
nectIon the inquiry how much coal the
local miners can furnish becomes peril
nent and interesting. The quantity can
be definitely and easily asoertained by
the receipts of foreign and
domestic Goals during the past nine
The result is as follows:
Tons.
British Columbia ,.... " N,GJ