Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-05-29
WHEELING, ". VA, MONDAY, NAY %, 1899.
OUR COAL PRODUCTION.
1t Reached The Enormous Total Of
219,835, 1888 Tons in 1898,

AN INCREASE OF NEARLY TEN
PER CENT. OVER THE PRE-
VIOUS YEAR-WEST VIRGINIA'S
PRODUCTION WAS 1886, 119
TONS, AN INCREASE OF NEAR
LY 100000 TONS OVER 1897.
Washington, May 28.-The statistics
of the production of coal in the United
States during 1898, have just been
completed by Edward w. Parker, State
statistician of the United States Geo.
logical Survey. The compilation
shows that the total production of all
kinds of coal in 1898 reached the en-
ormous figure of 219,S35, 1898 short tons,
an increase of nearly ten per cent. over
the output of 1897, which amounted in
round figures to 200 100000 tons and
was up to that time the largest ton
mage ever obtained in the United states.
Great Britain's product in 1898 was
226,2S7,313 short tons, slight decrease
from 1897. Practically all of the in
crease in production in the United
States was in bituminous coal. the out
put OF anthracite coal in 1898 being
4,515,543 long tons, an increase of
only a little over 100000 tons over
1897. OF this increase, 100000 tons
were in the amount of coal consumed
at the collieries themselves, so the to-
tai increase in the amount of
COAL ACTUALLY MARKETED
was only 100000 tons. There was a
decrease in the selling value of anthra-
cite coal of S3,S72, 900, while the btu
minous product increased in value S.
10000.
There were only three States in the
Union whose coal product in 1898 was
less than that of 1897. These were
Illinois, whose production fell off
1,473,459 tons, credited entirely to labor
troubles, and Montana and Oregon,
whose decrease was comparatively I'M
important. Among the bituminous
coal producing States the largest in
crease was in Pennsylvania, where 10,-
557,953 tons were added to the 1897
bituminous product, the total amount
mined reaching 65,155,S 44 TONS
WEST VIRGINIA'S PRODUCT.
increases 2,437 900 tons, reaching to-
tai of 16,835,119 short TONS Ohio with
a total of 14,476,5OO short tone, in
creased 100000 tons. The next State
in Importance is Alabama, with total
output of 6,553,000 tons in 1898, an in
crease of $4,000 short TONS; Indiana
increased $4,000 tons. reaching a total
of a little over five million tons. Ar
kansas showed 40 per cent. increase.
Statistician Parker thus comments
upon the showing made:
The large increase in, the production
of bituminous coal and the compare
tive stationary condition of the an
thracite industry calls attention to the
increased competition of bituminous
coal and it's products Of gas and coke
for domestic consumption with that of
anthracite coal. For a number of
years the anthracite producers have
experienced a great deal of difficulty in
keeping their production
WITHIN THE MARKET DEMANDS
and incidentally restricting the prod
uct necessarily increases thu cost Of
mining and correspondingly necessi-
tates higher selling prices for the coal.
Each advance in the selling price of
this fuel makes customers for the coke
and gas products of bituminous coal.
The increasing use of mechanical
methods of mining bituminous coal
has materially reduced the cost of min
ing, and while the anthracite producers
are faced with a continually increasing
cost of their own product, they are also
obliged to meet competitor whose
cost of production has been steadily de-
creasing. 1t appears from the general
condition of the anthracite and btu
minous coal mining industries that an
thracite coal is becoming more and
more luxury and it will finally be
restricted to markets where the price
is merely incidental.