The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-05
WORLDS COAL BUSINESS
UNITED STATES SECOND To GREAT
BRITAIN IN PRODUCTION.
This Country Turns Out 30 Per Cent
Tons, but Exports Only 4.OOO,O0O.
special to the indianapolis Journal.
I2l TO IL
s. PENNSYLVANIA ST.

Special to the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, June f.-The coal pro-
duction and consumption Of the world dur
ing the past fifteen years are presented in
some tables just prepared by the Treasury
Bureau of Statistics. These show that while
the United Kingdom is still! the largest coal
producer of the world the United States IS
a close second, and IL the present rate OF
gain is continued will soon become the lead
ing coal producing country Of the world
The coal production of the United Kingdom
in 1897 was 2]2,00o.00o tons; that OF the
United States, 17s0oo.oOo tons; Germany. el.-
10000; France. 100000: Belgium. 220oo.ooo:
Austria Hungary, 100000; Russia, nearly
10 900, 900; Australasia, nearly 100000; Japan.
over 100000; British India, 1000 900: Canada,
nearly 100000; Spain, 100000. while no
other country reached 100000 tons in pro-
duction. The United States. however. has
gained much more rapidly during the fifteen
years under consideration than has the
United Kingdom or. indeed. any Of the inn
portant coal producing countries of the
world, her gain during the fifteen years be-
ing over 70 per cent. and that Of the United
Kingdom less than "a per cent.
The announcement just made by the geo.
logical survey that the coal product OF the
United States in 1895 was 2f9. $4,000 short
shows that the United States is rapidly
gaining on that country a coal producer
and will soon become the leading coal pro-
ducing nation OF the world. AS an exporter
of coal, however, the United States takes
low rank in proportion TO its production and
stands fourth in the list Of coal exporting
countries In 1897 the expectations OF coal
from the United Kingdom were $500 900
tons; from Germany. l2,00.000; from Bel
a little less than 4'ooOo90. though in 1885 the
quantity exported was slightly above AGO.
900 tons. Australasia comes next to the
United States as a coal exporting country.
her exports amounting to nearly 100000
tons, while France exported about 2.5o0.0O0:
Japan. 100000. and Canada about 1.2500o0
France is the largest coal importing coun-
try, her importations in 1897 being nearly
Y .ooo,00o tons, while Germany imported e.
0Oo,0go; AUSTRIA Hungary, 100000 Italy, A.
10000; Canada, nearly 10000: Belgium,
nearly 100000; Russia, 2.5ooooo: Sweden
over 2 10000; the United States nearly l.
10000 and Australasia, 100000 tons, while
no other country imported as much as L.
0oc.000 tons.
Great Britain is also the largest consumer
OF coal I'm proportion 10 population. her coal
consumption in 1897 being 3a tons per
capita; that Of Belgium. 30 tons: the
us1s rsaes as 81 u.s.
$50; Austria Hungary. 0.Sl; Spain, 0Is:
Italy. o.ls; Russia, o.os; Japan, o67 OF a ton
per capita.
According to these figures. which are sum
married. from report OF the coal produce
ton OF the principal countries OF the world.
Just issued by the British government. the
United States now produces about 30 per
cent. OF the coal OF the worli. the coal
product OF the fourteen countries enumer-
ated in the tables being Ce6. 000.0 900 tons in
1897, OF which the United States produced
100000 tons. while in 1888 she produced
but q per cent OF the total coal product
of the countries enumerated As above in
dicated. the 1895 figures make an even more
satisfactory showing for the United States
whose product In long tons for that year
is lss. 2s2 oot against Doe 0l2.oco long tons pro-
duced in Great Britain.
The following table shows the coal mined
In all countries producing more than 1000
90 tons annually. in 1sS3 1890 AMI 1895. Ilg-
ures for 1897 being given in cases whero
those for 1895 are not accessible: