The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-08-05
COAL OUTPUT LAST YEAR
Increase in .S97 Was All in the BIZ
luminous Product - Cause of
Falling Off in Anthracite.

The advance copy of the report of the
geological survey. showing the output
of coal in the United States during
1897, is out. 1t shows that all of the
increase in production last year was
in the output of bituminous coal. In
fact the production of bltumnous coal
has shown an increase in each year
since 1894. and, had it not been for a
falling off of over 100000 long tons
in the production of anthracite coal in
1896, the output in that year would
have exceeded that of the preceding
one. The bituminous coal product in
1896 was 2,522. .OS3 short tons more than
in 1895, but this gain was more than
wiped out by the decrease in the pro-
duction of anthracite. The production
Of bituninous coal in 1897 was 10,14S,-
626 short tons more than in 1896 and
1851, 709 short tons more than in 1895
The production Of anthracite coal
showed a decrease of 1,914,319 short
tons as compared with 1896 and of s.
567,574 short tons as compared with
the production of 1895.
1t was observed that while the total
product in 1897 was S.235.3Os short tons
more than in 1896, the value increased
average prices declined from $1.02 per
short ton in 1896 to 90 cents in 1897.
Furthermore it is seen that while the
increase In output in 1897 was confined
to the production of btuminous coal,
the decrease in price is also limited to
the bituminous product, The product
of Pennsylvania anthracite in 1897 was
as, S14,07 long tons, or SO, 531 1858 short
52S,2S7 long tons, or 81, 346 OS7 short tons,
valued at sS1, ,74S,651, in 1896, and ST.
7s5122 long tons, or 81 ,999, 1886 short tons,
valued at sS2019,972, in 1895. Compared
with 1896 the production of anthracite
coal in 1897, shows a decrease of /, ,709,-
213 long tons, or 1,9l4,3l9 short tons.
The minimum yearly product of an
| thracite coal was reached in 1895, COM
pared with which the output in 1897
shows loss of 4,971, ,04S long tons, or
| 5,567,574 short tons.
In fact the amount Of anthracite coal
mined in 1897 was the smallest in six
years. with the exception of 1894 when,
| before the panic the production fell
off to 46,35S l44 long tons, about 450,-
900 long tons less than the output of
| 1897. This increase of over 5000, 900
| tons in the production of 1895 indi-
| Gates that the industry has recovered
from the effects of the financial panic,
| AMI other causes must be looked for
to account for the decrease in the pro-
| duct ir the next two years. Mr.. Will
liam W. Ru'ey. in his contribution on
the production of Pennsylvania anth-
| racite cites two reasons which have
been assigned for the decrease in an
thracite consumption. The first Of these
| is the increase in the use of bituminous
coal in competition with the smaller
sizes Of anthracite for steam raising;
the second is the increased consump.
tion of gas for cooking and other do
mestic purposes.
To these must be added another fac
| tor--the decrease in the production OF
anthracite pig iron. The output Of an
thraCite pig iron ir 1887 was more than
200, 900 long tons less than that of 1896
While the production of pig iron made
from bituminouS coal and coke in.
creased nearly 100000 long tons. The
decrease in the output of anthracite
pig iron was directly responsible for a
decrease of l60 900 long tons in the
consumption of anthracite coal, based
on an average of $500 pounds of Goa
to one ton of pig to anthracite alone
or of about 1875 pounds when mixet
with coke. The increase of 300, 90,
long tons in the production or pig iror
from bituminous coal and coke was di
rectly responsible for about 2200, ,00'
short tons of the increase in the pro
duct of bituminous coal based on al
average of y tons of coal to u ton o
pig.