New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-10-11
BLACK DIAMONDS.
,. GREAT COAL INDUSTRY AND ITS
MANY RAMIFICATIONS.
,rsr,NG FACTS CONCERNING MINING
TRANSFORMING AND SELLING THE
,N1TEp STATES SECOND AMONG
COAL. PRODUCERS

TINTED STATES SECOND AMONG
COAL PRODUCERS.
u,.s comfortably in big easy chair. with
- ,h-oNn aside and eyes feastinS on the cheer
Tan Of a CRATE fire, one seldom stops to
'a s The many processes involved between getting
SUI n, of mother earth and delivering it ready
eo' .ho scuttle and shovel OF the consumer. With
' scattering ideas of mines, coal-trains. coal
- which are always blocking the streets. and
=, huls which always seem unusually large, the
'.ge person is content to allow the subject to
Every now and then there are mining dis
'e Involving immense loss of life and property.
-, the newspaper accounts OF which Is cleaned
.sa,,,ona knowledge. Fortunately these do not oc-
o,,en. and in the rush of everyday life are soon
forgotten - ,,.,,., ,,. o,si;,. no r,.v-
IA os the most important of the processes used
w.,r,pc from the earth that which Is OF value 10
rom the reports OF 1895 it is found that the
va Nc, tons produced in the United States
'oN TO Us 162 1876 Pennsylvania leads the list
ss.a,ss while North Carolina comes last In re-
rtnr the year OF 1853 it is found that the ,hi'eu
w. maintains It's position the second largest
ee,.cr OF coal in the world being only niue
P behind Great Britain for the first place AS
", coal is offered at a low price especia"S va.
.sninous coal. q large portion OF whieh j. es''i
va, distance TO market. On the large 'o"''"ee
ss.r,ne the markets OF the AtiahtlC %" .oa
fapf =, alrays railway carriage or from ." 70
and the price obtained nets the companies
w W., ,bree mills per ton per mile
a 0eu coal the most expensive 10 mine anu
An'n' ,or market. is found only within Limited
-. an Pennsylvania. ana Is 'h"S He''
a'e ,,se, consumption. These coai he'os arc
Of sIe" IA nv the railroads entering the held
hHe" ,.,,a,s Z, make their proht between the
a,r and the transportation ai'n'e"
~msd nv the management oi ' 49,
aH 49, business for last year looted up ." ''''
o eide of the ledger. II mas pee" sou -.
49,. ,- the anthracite coal question: VIC us
fide'.he 49,. the suppiy Is not inexhaustloie. VIC
menu. +-o,, a fixed quantity. the accreuons Ok
sT ...h when used. can never DC oieh'eu ~
ss''' ,or Known to man. To squahue. '''i' u"
any an Injustice no, alone 20 oarSe'Ve' %.
.,o.s who come after us an" ="
~, Leave barren heritage
THE MATTER OF PRICE.
III. mice OF coal not only interests ''S " 49, 80
orxiously looking for proi.s' Jul ~
"". .., who Is obliged TO figure IL III % O." 49,.
:, rsoriv expense. From oa'eip rr,oss ~
OIL ' =. g. aiffcult TO see how the 10" p' -
sup'ee' :. he reached again unless the ra',oaus
ie~ 'H- ., heated competition. are se'isneo "
- -, the business at loss Last -
80 said that the railroads were In the
~ .o,rare position, while the uaue ,.,or.
-.-s, kind Of shape as the resui. - ~ ,ha rest
"ois' n The road which led All inc ies.
over pe'e1" ,s alleged 10 have done so at
torr2
IN 'ne ' =, h.s heen suggested that ihasi"u0"
srea' vs. ~ coal Is Of such ABSORBING ih'e,
- the country at large. eonnnis ITO
- anro;nted by the Government W ,h.n
az .o., Of production and transporter r...on.
az nrice which should make the pus' ss,ars and
-, roa,an,a 10 the railroads ana oe"
ably proh' N..roser, = minimum cost 10 the con-
I,ra the price Of ice. the price o. oo"' -
nsver-ending bone OF eohtehuoh. s..,.. =, nrob
- s,,,n,rous coal of the United states - pr"
III, abeaner at It's initial point Una" III '"' $50.
m,,rv 81 the world. The delivering rave a,''"'s'
a. several times the mining price, noNsse' S -
~, ., n. great distance from the seaeoaiu ne
~. rhs total net output of soft coal per year q.
- .r.sant time Is estimated at about i-s"''V'
=, MANY districts wages have been hammer"
80 and this kind of coal is beins mined al Inc
crescent time cheaper than 1t ever was "eio'I
Turning TO export statistics II 10 10 10
rots tat the United States in 1881 exported 4"'4i'
49,. a. crsa, britain while In 1895 the tons ex-
or..d IN that country amounted TO only Loo
There q similar falling OF in the case OF the eS
variations 10 Germany. Last year the 'o'ai en-
nor,s amounted to 1i7o,7l0 tons anthracite anu -
2ll.sSs tons bituminous' H..
,,srestjnp facts regarding the coal industry Of the
world which has been said 10 be the basis OF all
other industries The Kingdom OF Great Britain
holds first place as producer. with an output Oh
49, 900 gross tons In 1894. employing 'oso~ per
sons and having value at the pit OF u F." 'o'i'
The United States, with an output o. l"o'''"''
comes next. Germany holds third place with an
output OF 100000 tons. employing 10000 persons
Belgium. France and Russia. producing about 3D.
~ 10 tons come next in the order named. givins
employment TO $4,000 persons. The list inciuaes
also Austria Hungary Spain. Italy. Japan sweden:
Australasia and Nova Scotia. The consumption VI
coal per capita is highest in Great Britain. ~hefe
II IL set down as $40 tons In the United STATES
TT ia N Austria,
only one-sixth Of a ton per annum. the couh-
tries which are the greatest coal producers anu
consumers are the highest In poins or ci'ni@a'Io''
New.York City is said TO consume annually e""'-
% tons OF COAL Jersey city and BROOKLYN 'aA'
.75aVo tons between them. More coal Is dealt win
At this point than at any other excepting i-e'uo.
fSe shipnnr norris for millions OF tons or coal Oh
every kind and variety located in this vicinity
and a low estimate places the tons handieo eaen
year at 100000
FEEDERS TO THE METROPOLITAN TRADE
The ,eedo,s IN the trade Of the metropolis. for
heal use and for shipment TO Eastern ports, a'e
found in the shipping points on the New-Jersey
shorh OF the Hudson the Kill Won kull ana Hari-
tan Bay South Anboy, Perth Amboy. fort !'eeo
hg E,lzabethport. Port Johnston, fort h'perH'
Jersey City. Hoboken and Weehawken- Ne"pn's'
Rsncout. Piermont and Cornwail are also 'i'"u'"''
points for the local trade
In sivirg tho various stages through which coal
passes before reaching the consumer Inc his'
n0csps worthy Of note is the mining OF inc coa,,
As an example. colliery whose annual ou.pu. o.
Anthracite coal is $4,000 tons Is taken. euea d
mine employs about 800 persons IN d'HeIens
capacities. OF which number 800 are miners Gnu Guy
hs,.,. ,o..,har With 10 mules requiring 40 driv-
~
Hard coal lies In seams ranging from to ID feet
ulsk and from 200 to 100 feet below the surface AS
sasn as coal has been reached by means OF test
hg the nrst work IL to put down shafts or gang
vays From these mains are dug out ana orahcn'
- tom tho mains are what are termeu n.su ;.
hnv and IN turn from the headings run "roorne
Imam ~ ,ha ,rins il kept In the Office and every