Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-14
TWO CANALS NEEDED
To Provide an InexhauStible
Market for Pittsburg's
Coal Product.
THE DEMAND DIMINISHING,
Because of High Freight. Rates and
Difficult Distribution.
EFFECT ON FOREIGN COMMERCE.
Cheap Coal for Steamboats, Would Revive
the Merchant Marine.
THE DEMAND DIMINISHING,
EFFECT ON FOREIGN COMMERCE.
Cheap Coal for Steamboats, Would Revive
the Merchant Marine.
AN ANALYSIS OF FACTS AND FIGURES
WRITTEN FOR THE D1sPATcu.l

WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPATcH.l
Where is Pittsburg coal to find market?
Pittsburg coal is the best coal; it must 60 to
the best market by the best means. II our
coal trade is to grow with our growth we
must have frst-class water transportation to
New York; there our coal will find the most
extended use, the readiest sale, the best
prices and the eastcompetitIon. Fortunately
two comparatively economical measures
will enable Western Pennsylvania to place
coal in the New York market at prices to
defy competition. These two measures are
"a the construction of the Pittsburg and
Lake Erie Ship Canal; and (2) the enlarge
ment and improvement of the Erie Canal.
We must get an Eastern outlet and East
ern trade, for the Western and Southern
trade is being fought for by Western and
Southern Goals, which have material ad-
vantages in every point save excellence.
We cannot sell coal west of the Mississippi.
That section mines most extensive native
deposits. Underlying the Rocky Mountain
region vast coal measures extend from Mex
leo to Alaska from which were mined in
1888 anthracite, camel, bituminious and
Ignite Goals nearly 1000, 600 net tons in all.
Anew Facts Clearly Stated.
Underlying the IL States and Territories
between the Mississippi and the 103d
meridian are coal measures extending from
lIezico to Canada from which were mined
In 1888 camel, bItuminous and Ignite
toals nearly L, ,OOO, 900 tons in all.
] Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan
mined in 1883 nearly 100000 tons from
the central field. West Virginia, Ken
tucky, Tennessee and Alabama mined in
1888 trife less than 13, 900, 900 tons, nearly
all from the Appalachian coal field, which
We ourselves work, and far the greater part
from the Southern extension of the Pitts
burg seam.
The facts carry their own argument. The
operators of the Western and Rocky Noun
tain fields can and do supply the trade west
of the Mississippi, and can carry an effective
competition to Gulf ports.
The operators of the central field, i'm
mediately west of US, can maintain a keen
competition in the lake trade. The southern
miners in the Appalachian field have ad-
vantages in lower Mississippi trade The
Kanawha, Cumberland and Tennessee rivers
have better nsvigsble waters and longer
season of navigation than the upper Ohio.
Alabama can ship coal down the Warrior
river and supply the Gulf and East Indian
trades so cheaply as to monopoliEe them. In
all Western and Southern trade we are under
disadvantages which only the certainty and
volume Of our output and the excellence Of
our coal enable US to overcome at all.
Our Proportion of Trade Diminishing
In the past few years our proportion of
this trade has steadily diminished; and no
reason seems to exist that it should be 9TH
erwise. 1t appears that we must either
open new markets or mine coal mainly for
our own use and for coking. We must turn
from Western and Southern trade and look
for the future TO the North and East; from
markets where other operators can place
Goals cheaper than we TO markets where we
will have the advantage, and exchange a
relatively narrow and ever-narrowing mar
ket for one practically Iimitless
We have an inexhaustible supply The
Pittsburg seam alone, in the counties of
Allegheny, WestmoreIand, Fayette, Wash
ington and Greene, being estimated TO con-
tain II, ,000, 600, 600 tons of coal Beneath
this are other seams, the coal measures being
J, 500 feet thick, bearing coal seams sggre-
eating 100 feet in thickness, and upward of
100 0O0. coo 0GO tons of coal, one-third of
which is easily workable, even with our
present crude and wastefUl engines Of de-
velopmeut. These vast deposits, in fact,
nearly all the countless millions of tons OF
coal in the coai-bearing counties of West
ern Pennsylvania are most advantageously
located upon the natural road lines being
adjacent or convenient TO the Allegheny
and MonOngahelS rivers and their principal
tributaries which render easily practicable
the development OF frst-elass water trans
portation for the products of all this regiol
The wonderful ramifcations OF the river
system, the nearness Of the great lakes and
the ease of access TO them point unerringlv
the best methods to convey the best coal to
the best market.
The Pittsburg and Lake Erie SHIN Canal
will he our outlet; will give US dollar
freights to Chicago and Duluth; will give
Pi;tsburg coal decided advantage in the
lake trade. 1t will do more: twill give
US market far wider and more absorbent
a market practically without limit
Convenient Access for Pittsburg.
The Erie Canal will be enlarged and im-
proved, and will complete a line of first
class navigable waterways, from Duluth TO
New YORK CITY, TO which Pittsburg will
have convenient access at 4 central point.
These waterways will give US cheaD carriage
to interior New York, where 40 manufact-
uring cities and towns are accessible by
water, TO which, and TO 80 railroads, we can
deliver coal Tar cheaper than il can be OBJ
tainea from any other source. This region
alone uses more coal than we now ship.
THIS IS a great opportunity, but greater are
IN store Tor US. i
New York City is the great objective-the
center O. ihe Eastern coal trade Last year
The New York market handled nearlg 81
OO6, 00G net tons of anthracite, nearly II, ,OOO,.
UUO tons nf bituminous and camel Goals and
u,...ly !, 600 900 toHs OF imported Goals. The
anthracite costs an average of 81 81 at the
mire's mouth, and s. 1904 90 delivered on
cars at New York. The hitumiuous coal.
which IS to be delivered under a pooI ar
rau-ement, comes as follows:
Cumberland, Md, 5O1s per cent rail and i
water.
UlearHeld. Pa. 311s per cent rail.
POcanontas. Va. l4II per cent rail and water
New River, W. Va. II per cent rail and |
water.
Beech Creek. Pa. T1@ per cent rail.
West Virginia Central Railroad, 5% per cent |
rail
Reynodsville, Pa, 1S per cent rail and water.
The imported cual MAS all by water from |
C-pC Breton and Nova Scotia, brought in /
under Il duty OF 75 cents per toG.
Unanimous coal sold for S3(g3 25 on cars,