The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-22
COAL FOR 400 YEARS.
England's supply, 1t Is Believed,
Will Last Until the Year 1900.

From the New York Press.
Probably the first man to make an esti-
mate of the quantity of available coal re-
naming in the British area was DR. Ed
ward Hull, who in 1859 put it at 70 S43. 900. 600
tons. DR.. Hun included only the coal with
in vertical limit of 1900 feet in depth
and he estimated that his amount of coal
would suffice for nearly 1000 years. Thirty
years ago a great scare arose as to the
probable limit of the duration of England s
coal supplies. Coal then was wasted sadly
only the best and largest being deemed of
any value. A Royal Commission was ap-
pointed to consider the subject in 1866 and
in 1871 Il reported that an epoch of l ,273
years has been assigned by the commits
sioners as the period during which the
coal would last at the then existing rata
of consumption. The quantity of worka-
BILE cool within a depth of 1900 feet was
estimated to be 90207. 900 tons This was
redssuring news, and the alarmsts of the
time had to take seats in the background
But since this estimate was made many
causes conducive to expansion in Eng
lands coal production have been at work
The population of the British Isles has iu-
creased enormously; indeed, by the begin
ming of tAe twentieth century it Is esti-
mated that the population will reach Al
603,329 The increase OF steam power in
the navy and mercantile marine, the in
crease in the export of coal and the in
crease in British manufacturers and rail-
ways-all these have combined to render
the estimate of 1871 of less and less value
each year
Nobody needs to be told that a great ad-
vance of recent years has taken place in
the construction of ships in iron and steoI
This means an increased demand for iron
a n re- hal & ba =
mand for railways and steamships is bound
to grow as years so on, the question as TO
the future of Briiain's coal supply a year
or two ago came to the front again. DR.
Edward HUI once more set to work to try
to arrive al the total estimated quantity
Of coal in the visible and concealed coal
fields within a depth of 4.0O0 feet remain
ing at the close of the nineteenth century
The total for the United Kingdom work
ed out at 81 6S3 100000. This is, of course
much less than LAG $50. 2S5, 1913 tons which
the commissioners of 1870 put down as the
total quantity of workable coal. DR.. Huh
explains that the difference in the two es-
Inmates IS due 10 three facts: ID That the
commissioners included seams of coal be-
tween one and two feet in thickness. seams
which i'm his opinion. could never be work.
ed AT great depth or at a remunera-
tive cost; (2) that a great and unforeseen
increase in the consumption of coal had
taken place between 1870 and 1899; go that
recent investigations and discoveries had
enabled Englishmen to be better informed
regarding the extent of their coal fields
than they were twenty-seven years ago.
Eighty-two thousand millions tons re-
NAMED at the close of this century and
available for future usei The present gem
Grafton seems to have no cause to worry
about the future Of England's coal sup
ply DR. Hun divides this quantity by the
estimated output at the same period. which
he takes to be 200. 100000 tons. and he finds
il viii he sufficient TO last for little over
400 years This VIII carry us on to 300 A.
ID.