Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-05-05
COAL AND lIS CUSI.
THERE'S A UNIFORM PRICE Ar
THE MOUTH OF THE MINE.
The Middlcmen Sometimes Make
300 Per Cent.-Nature Has
Coal-bin iRNearIy Every Cline
The Worlds Yield.

afford to sell il at this price and make a
good profit. All the money between this
price aud the cost to the consumer
goes to the railroads for bringing it into
the city, the wholesale dealers and the
retailers in the way of profit. The re-
tailers who deal out in small quantities
by the suck or pailful get from $40 to
SIS profit on each ton, or about 200 or
300 per cent.
The first record we have of coal is
about 300 years before the Christian Era.
Toe time, however, when it wa' first
used as fuel does not seem to have been
decided upon. In England it has been
used since the year S54, and in 1924
King Henry III. granted a charter to
the inhabitants of New castle. on-Tyne
to dig for it. In 1910 when use as
fuel we read of its being objected to as
being injurious to health, but as wood
was very scarce its use soon became gen.
eral.
Coal is now found in nearly all the
countries OF the world, and the total
product of all the mines is estimated at
45O, 900, 900 tons year. This country
alone produces about 14O, co. 900 tons
of this amount, while England and Wales
together produce 170, 900, 900 tons, or
considerably more than one third Of the
total output.
The extent Of the coal fields in Eng
land is 1850 square miles Many c)l-
lieries there, as in other places, are
worked upon leases. all coal found
under the sea at low water mark be-
longs to the crown and can only be OBJ
tanned By paying royalties. In round
numbers $50, 900 persons are employed
IN coal mining in England, and in this
country nearly 100000 persons are SINH
larly employed.
In Central Russia there are coal de-
posts said to cove: 13, 900 square miles.
A German statistician give, the extent
Of coal fields in China IS ADO, 900 squire
miles. These figures seem somewhat
exaggerated. Near Pekin, the Chinese
capital, there is vein of coal, the seams
Of which are niuety-fve feet thick. The
Chinese have oaly recently found out
that their coal fields are very valuable.
In Japan several coal mines were
worked, and the annual output is about
1000, 900 tons. The japanese Govern
ment obtains the supply OF coal for near
ly all its steamers at a colliery on the
island of Takasina, near Nagaslki.
The principal coal mines in India are
situated on the line of the East Inlia
Railway, about 10 miles from Calcutta.
They cover an area Of 500 square miles.
These mines are very valuable, and it is
said that this railroad company is sup
piled at q rate lower than any other
company in the world.
In the islands of the South Pacific and
Indian Ocean coal is found at many
points aud these islands have become
very valuable as coaling stations. In
Sumatra and Borneo coal is produced in
large quantities, particularly in the lat
ter place, where a nine has been worked
by the Dutch for many years. There
are also extensive coal fields in the re.
gion of Mozambique, East Africa.
The Cunard Company's various steam
ers burn 1000 tons Of coal day, or
10000 tons year, 1t may be in-
ferred from this what an enormous guam
tity of coal is used by all the steamships,
railroads and factories all over the
world, to say nothing Of the amount
cons lmed for heating houses.
The ocean steamers OF the twenty-four
lines that leave New York take about
1000, 600 tons a year Of coal for their
homeward voyage. New York is, Of
course, the largest coal consuming city
on this continent. Nearly 1000, 900
tons are burned here each year.
The deepest mine shaft is said to be
near Pottsville, Penn. 1t is 100 feet
deep. From one mine In Pennsylvania
are hoisted 1875 mine cars every ten
hours. This is equal to 22)O tons Of
coal, as each car contains more than two
tons. Seven hundred men and ninety
mules are employed inside this mine,
and 400 men outside. This force has
produced as much as IS, 900 tons Of coal
in one month. About 1900, 900 tons
of coal are annually used in the United
States in the manufacture OF gas, aud
producing nearly s,OOO,OOO tons Of
coke.
Coal is not only used for burning and
heat giving purposes. There is more in
heap OF coal than most persons are
aware Of. Besides gas, ton of coal
will yield $50 pounds Of coke, twenty
gallons of ammonia water and lao pounds
Of cval tar. Destructive distillation OF
the coal tar give seventy pounds oi
pitch, seventeen pounds OF creoscte,
fourteen pounds OF heavy oils, 81 pound,
OF nhphtha yellow, vt pounds OF nsphtha-
line, At pounds Of nsphthol, 1t pounds
of alizarin, 2t pounds solvent naphtha,
II pounds of phenol, 1t pounds aurine,
II pounds Of aniline, I of a pound OF
toludiue aud ! pound of authracine.