New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-03
OUR STOKE Of COAL.

The OnIJcu states, WHICH nave lOIb sIOOu
second only to Great Britain in the list of coal
producing countries of the world. must soon
rank first. Fifteen years ago the coal produc-
ton of the United States was only Onc-third
That Of Grcar Britain; it is now about two
thirds, and it is easy to conceive that. with the
enormous deposits of the West practically yet
untouched, this country will in the distant
future not only be able to supply coal to vast
reputation at home, but will serve as store
house to the rest of the world, if the time is
ever reached when their coal deposits show
signs of exhaustion. A report made to the
Geological Survey on this subject by Charles
Ss,. Ashburncr gives many interesting and val
liable facts regarding the present output of
coal, and the prospects for future develop
ment. The product Of Great Britain dur
ing 1886 was 1871 51S,4S2 long tons, while
that Of the United States was. including col
Iiery consumption, 112, 743, 4O3 short tons, or
about onc-quartcr the total production Of the
world.
1t is a curious fact that while the amount Of
coal handled in this country during that year
showed an increase Of 1,7S5,SS tons over the
year before, there was decrease of S4,419,92O
in the total spot value a large proportion of
the product being sold far under the cost of
production and delivery. Yet the larger part
of the coal mined in Western Pennsylvania,
Nh. Asbburner declares, in spite Of common
impression to the contrary was sold at the
mine for more than the cost Of production.
The discovery Of natural gas, which it was
supposed might affect the demand for coal,
has only served to force it into wider market.
The use of natural gas in Western Pennsyl-
vania alone took the place of 10000 tons OF
coal day during that year, $1,000 of them
in Pittsburg. Yet the bituminous mines of the
state made larger output than ever before,
the superior quality of the coal giving 1t the
preference in distant markets over local Goals,
and so making up for the falling-olf in the
homo demand
The Pennsylvania output is nearly two-thirds
that Of the entire Union. Excluding collicry
consumption, the tOta! output for 1886 was
lO7. 6S2. 200 short tons; of this Pennsylvania
furnished 60 ,S57 30 tons, 10000 AIS anthra-
cite and 26lGO,735 bitumnous. Next to
PENNSYLVANIA comes Illinois with 9,246,435
tons, and Ohio with s,435,2i1; Iowa and West
Virginia arc about on level. with something
over 1000, 900 tons each. After Indiana with
100000 and Maryland with 2,517,577 tons,
no State produced as much as 2 200 600 tons.
It is worthy OF note as showing that we arc still
in the mere infancy Of our coal production,
that only s,272 sol short tons were produced
during 1886 in what is called the Western
coal field, stretching from tho Mississippi to
the Rocky Mountains, the best of it, by the
way, being mined in the Indian Territory; yet
the coal area there is greater than that of any
other coal field in the United States. The
Goals are of great variety, and underlie fertile
agricultural country destined in time to bear an
enormous population, It's rapid increase must
necessarily stimulate the development Of local
mines. The suffering Of this winter in various
parts Of the West for lack Of coal ought to and
undoubtedly will lead to the opening Of mines
nearer homo than the present sources. Tho
fact that Colorado produced in 1886 1861
cas- tons and Kansas 100000, Wyoming
500, 1855, and Indian Territory 534 $50 shows
that considerable progress has been made al
ready in this direction, though these figures
can only be regarded as the fantcst fore
shadowing Of what the product of the Western
coal field will be one Of these days. As for
the Rocky Mountain region, with its enormous
deposits, the biologists have done nothing
moro than guess at the area in which workable
coal beds will be found. and their surmise is
somewhere between 100000 and 100000
square miles.