The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-03-14

Pittsburgh rivormon complain that
business this year Is worao than II has
been since tho coal trado originated.
This Is not duo, says tho Pittsburgh
Post, to hard timea, but tho natural
outsrowth OF conditions that threaten
tho destruction Of tho river coal trade
with tho south. 81.
Formerly local operators enjoyed q
practical monopoly Of tho coal TRADE. not
only in tho towns aud cities along tho
Ohio and lowor Mississippi rivers. but
oven in tho cities OF tho upper AIisso uri
and its tributaries. Tho completion OF
tho great trunk lines to tho west ruined
the latter part Of tho business, as tow.
( ing Goa! up tho Missouri against tho cur
/ rent was rather expensive. But the
markets Of tho Ohio and lcvcr Missis.
sipi can always DO reached by river
cheaper than by rail, and 80 the coal
men looked upon this part OF thoir trade
as sure OF staying by thom.
To a certain extent il has, but tho
West Virginia and Alabama coal fields
havo been recently developed. and their
completion has damaged tho Pittsburgh
operators lar moro than the railroads
ever did or ever can. The substance Of
opinions expressed by leading coal mon
in series OF interviews sums up as fol.
lows:
The ksuawha fields in West Virginia,
\ are 225 miles nearer tho market than
the Monougahcla mines. AT first this
! may not seem such great advantage.
( but the rlvermen iully realize that 1t Is.
The first ono hundred miles OF tho Ohio
\ river Is the worst stretch between Pitts
( burgh and Cairo. Its currents are swift,
1t Is filled with shoals and shifting riff
fles and sandbars. Many bridges OBJ.
atruct tho channel, aud arc constant
source OF danger to the tows of coal
that have to pass them. Then, again.
the water here will often DO insufficient
to allow OF the taking out OF full tow,
whom the lower river is in good condi.
ton. Even OIL good stage OF water 1t
is customary for boat OF any size to be
helped out OF the harbor by ono OF the
Z pool boats. The tow Is divided, the
larger craft taking about two-thirds OF
it,and the smaller the remainder. When
tho worst part OF the river ia passed the
tow is consolidated. and tho pool.boat
returns home light This adds mate.
rally to the cost OF transportation, and
moving the coal the extra distance costs
much in the course Of n year.
Another thing that hampers the Pitts.
+ burgh operators. as they stated it yes.
terday, is the price paid for mining.
The river miners are now receiving
s. 622 hundred bushels, while in some
OF the competing West Virginia mines
it is said the coal is dug for So hum
dred. This leaves q difference OF &c
cent bushel in favor OF the latter. Add
4 to this the quarter OF n cent toll that
must be paid to every bushel OF Pitts
4 burgh coal shipped by river, and the
extra cost Of shipping from hero 10 the
Z kanawha river, and there is full cent
bushel in favor OF tho kan2wha peo-
pie. This takes no account OF the losses,
which are much heavier on the part Of
the river between here and Point Pleas
Z ant than on any 225 miles OF river be-
tween there and New Orleans. The
Z bottom OF tho river is strewn with coal
and wrecks OF coalboats, and represents
Thousands and hundreds OF thousands
Z OF dollars OF Pittsburgh capital. The
Virginia operators, too, meet with
losses, but they have comparatively
safe river to navigate; and, again. they
can ship almos: the year around, whilo
the Pittsburgh boats are often laid up
= half the year on account of low water.
Taking ali these facts in consldera-
ton, 1t is easy 10 see that the Pittsburgh
men have hard work to hold their mar
se.s. They must figure closely on con-
tracts or they will be captured by tho
other people, who can afford to market
4 their coal ut least cent cheaper than
their loss favored competitors.