Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-08-25

Figures From Annual Report Of
Geological Survey.

S~~ 6c~Ss- = - -
WEST VIRGINIA is STILL THIRD
IN THE COAL PRODUCING
STATES OF THE UNION, WITH
AN OUTPUT OF 16,700.s99 SHORT
TONS, WORTH AT THE MINES
s10,131 ,264-THE STATE HAS AN
UNRIvALLED RECORD IN THE
HISTORY OF COAL PRODUCTION
IN THE UNITED STATES-LAST
YEARS OUTPUT is FIFTEEN
TIMES AS GREAT AS THAT OF
-FAIRMONT SHOWS THE
GREATEST GROWTH.
Special to the Register.
i WASHINGTON, D. c., August "a
The annual report Of the geological
survey on the production OF coal IN the
United States during the calendar year
1898. now in the hands of the printer,
shows that the total coal production
was PIG, 974,6 67 short tons, worth at the
mines s2OS, 0OO,85O OF this vast amount
West Virginia mined in 1898, Ii, 700,999
short tons of the spot value of $10,1 49,
264. West Virginia still holds undis-
puted title to third place among the
coal producing States, distinction at
tained in 1896 and held for three years.
In the year mentioned West Virginia's
product exceeded that of Ohio by the
small margin of 1902 short tons. The
next year, owing to the injury to the
Ohio coal trade resulting from the
miners strike, the lead was increased
to more than 1000, 900 tons, which was
maintained and somewhat exceeded in
1898, although Ohio's product last year
was 2,319,925 tons more than in 1897,
and over 26S,000 tons larger than West
virginias output the year before. West
Virginias product in 1898 was, however,
2,452,S40 tons more than in 1897. and
about 133, 900 tons more than the in
crease in Ohio's product The report
goes on to say:
''West Virginia has an unrivalled re-
cord in the history of coal mining in
the United States The records of the
years prior to 1873 are incomplete and
unreliable, but beginning with an out.
put of 100000 tons in that year, pro-
duction has increased each year with
but one exception, until in 1898, twenty
years later, the product exceeded 49,
100000 tons,
FIFTEEN TIMES
what it was in 1878, and indicating an
average annual increase of 100000 tons.
The increase of nearly '2,500,000 tons in
1898, and decrease of approximately
100000 tons in the production of IL
linois, puts West Virginia within 1,900,-
600 tons, or about 10 per cent, of that
State, and if the ratios Of increase in
the two States be taken as a guide for
the future, Illinois will have dropped
to third place at the close of the CEN
tury-December 81. 1900. Taking the
record of the two States for the last
fifteen years and dividing the time into
periods of five years each as the best
method of showing the average in
crease in business, we find that for IL
linois the average yearly production in
the five years, 1884 to 1883 inclusive,
was in round numbers 12,400,000 tons.
In the next five years, from 1889 to 1898
inclusive, the average yearly output
was 16, 553, 900 tons, an increase of 1875
per cent. In the five years ending in
1898, the average production was 49,
$4,000 tons,
AN INCREASE OF 1875 PER CENT.
over the second period and Of so per
cent. over the first. Dividing West
Virginia's product in the same way, it
is shown that the average output in
the first five years was 4,223,000 short
tons In the second period it was s.
$4,000 short tons, an increase of over
100 per cent, and in the final five years
the average product was 13,36S,O00
short tons, 81 per cent. more than in
the second term and 80 times the aver
age for the first five years. The figures
taken in connection with the statistics
of the last three years. show that the
production in each of these States in
1900, if not interfered with by strikes
or other untoward conditions, will ap-
proximate 21,O0O,OO0 short tons.
Comparing the production of 1898