Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-04-30
Coal Trade Journal.

Coal Trade Journal.
As your able work has for so long pre-
scented in such a careful and consum-
mate manner all the statistics in rela-
ton 20 coal, both in West Virginia and
the other sections of the country, will
not attempt anything more than an out
line Of a discussion of West Virginias
capabilities in the way of ccal produc-
ton. West Virginia has but lately come
TO the front Us q coal-producing State,
and it is but lately that her wonderful
coal fields have been opened to the
world; since then her steps in progress
have been the strides of a giantess.
\ fair illustration Of the evolution Of
West Virginia from a spaTsely settled
agricultural State into a great coal-pro-
duCing State is instanced by book on
West Virginia published in 1866 This
book has 210 pages, of which Ten pages
only arc devoted 10 coal. The author Of
this work WAS possessed of 4 great G4al
of ability ana was full OF learning in
reference to The STATE. but anyone is to
be excused for not being able at that
day 70 tell 10 what proportions the coal
industry of West Virginia would attain
In 1866 West Virginia produced Coo
Goo tons Of coal. This was from q scat
tered territory on the B. & o. Il. r.. on
the KanGwha river then without slack
watcr navigation and on the Ohio river
To-day the great county of Klnawha
produces from its limits more than
twice as much coal as the whole State
of West Virginia produced in 1866. and
the county Of Mcdowell to-day produces
three times rs much coal as the whole
State of West Virginia produced in
1866.
Another illust0tion-th county Of
Mcdowell in West Virginia has more
men employed in the production of coal
Jh2n its whole total population amount
Cd 10 in 1865. This illustration is not
alone Gu, Of ffty-sour counties, there
are only three in West Virginia in
which coal has net been discovered. and
the Goals of this State are Of the best.
The Appalachian coal chain has here its
highest development. Within the
boundaries OF West Virginia Goals are
found which are thicker in seam, purer
in quality and more easily mined. and
at the same time more accessible TO the
markets % the world than any other
Goals in this country. There are only
five or six shaft mines IN West Virginia.
The mi~es are mined horizontally and
the mining IS of the cheapest. There IS
but a small section Of he State which
has only one vein o. coal. In Boone
aad I.cuan counties. there is in one
mountain So feet Of cCal. In a large
part Of the great KsDawha district.
there are TWO veins OF coal, one on the
top of the other, and both easily worked.
Throughout Logan county and the great
district south Of the K3nawhg river
there are in alTCs, every instance two
os three splendid workable veins of ccal,
lvt0g one above the other. SO is this
the case with almost every coal field in
the state Of Yves, Virginia. No district
} is dependent upon one vein, but when
one is worked out. there is another at
hand ready for operation.
An illustration Of the progress Of the
coal trade IN West Virginia is shown by
the figures of the coal production of the
State. In 1876 sac produced less than
aHN. 600 tors Of cO7l: n 1877. 11OO0Oc
rUtra Ia 1890. f,uOU,OUu ,0u. IN 1880 n
231. $50 tors. and in 1895 she produced
1OS7t 100 TONS OF coal Within the lin
lis Of the State. there are between SIN
teen and seventeen thousand square
miles Of coal She has 5000 square
miles more than England. 5000 square
miles more than Pennsylvania, the two
great Gl-proGucing regions Of the
world. In speaking Of Pennsylvania
no one for g moment wishes TO dispar-
age her greatness as a coal-producing
State. She is a great State in coal pro-
duction. bur her fields are small as COM
pared with the vast extent Of the fields
o. West Virginia. The CcnaellSyille
section. as We all know. IS only three or
four miles one way by eight or ten miles
the other way. The great competitive
section Of the P0cahOutas field IS more
than 400 square miles in area and the
New river coal field. the other great
West Virginia competitor of Connells-
Vile. is almost IS great in area. So 1t
is wish The great Nhrion or Monongalla
field Such is the case with Elk Garden
or Davis aud Elkins field
The State IS advSntaEeCUSly located
for n large control Of the coal market
c.s the world. EveryUhere the noun
tains which are filled with these uneN-
celIe3 Goals are cut with rivers en-
whose bosOms the coal can DC cAeaply
carried 10 the great artery Of commerce
the Ohio River. The Kanawha River
the Elk River, the Little Karawha
River and the MonOgahela River are
all today carrying coal, or are being
n,,erared 70 carry coal cheaply to She
market. We arc only I SAT miles from
New Orleans and the great markets SIT
uqted on the Gulf of Mexico West
Virginia coal. considering quality can
be more cheaply transported than from
any other part OF the United States
Pittsburg and the great coal-producIn2
region thereabouts will be in snort
time relocated 10 the Northwestern
markets and 10 the railroads or the
North and East. The mouth 81 the
Kanawha is about 200 miles nearer the
Southern market The great Appaia--
chian chain OF the southern part OF
West Virginia is bisected by the Kama
wha. and here the slack-wGter naviga-
ton BY the Government finds the bts'
development in the country.
What Is known as the Kanawha coal
field is composed of the county OF Kan
awha and part OF the county Of Fayette
Kanawha county in 1896 produced 49,
so tons OF coal. but in 1895 she pro
- 70