New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-01
KING CARBON.

The increase in coal production in this coun-
fry is significant II is. we nre told, greater
thon the increase in any other country. III we
comnare the quinquennium 1SI1'75 with 1891
'95 we find that the coal output Of Great Brit
ain. the foremost coal-producing country in the
world was AZ per cent larger in the latter than
in the former. In the same periods the output
of France increased 20 per cent and that OF
Germany. thanks to the vast industrial ana
commercial development Of that empire no less
than 115 per cent. In the other countries OF the
world not reckoning the United States, the in
crease was greater STILL amounting to 1872 per
cent. But even these last figures are far infe-
rlor to those of the United States, for here the
average annual output has increased In these
twenty years by fully 1913 per cent. To-day
This country produces more coal than any other
in the world, with the single exception Of Great
Brltnin, and is rapidly pressing on to the first
place.
This is significant. because coal means power
There Is scarcely an industry of Importance that
is not directly or Indirectly dependent upon It,
Means of transportation on land and sea. manu-
factories of nearly all kinds and even the de-
tails of domestic economy all pay tribute to
King Carbon In some cases gas seems TO have
paratively limited use Of natural gas the gas IT.
self is made largely from coal. Electricity to
some degree supplants coal gas and coal fires
and steam power but in the majority Of cases
the electric current is generated by the power
of coal In ou;strIpping The rest Of the world in
coal production therefore he United States en-
joys the promise and potency Of outstrpping
1t in all Industrial achievements ana material
progress.
The one unpleasant phase Of the subject APP
pears when we analyze our own ccal statistics
II seems that our vast increase OF production Is
chiefly in bituminous or soft" coal. Thus in
1870 we produced l5.O00000 tons OF anthracite
ard II 100000 tons OF bltumnous. In 1880 the
figures we're 2S.O000n and II 100000 respec-
lively, The anthracite not having doubled and
the btuminous having considerably more than
doubled. BY 1895 the same process had been
repeated the anthracite output being 460000O0
and the bltumiDOus 94.0o0.000, the Increase Of
the former being ca per cent and of the latter
100 per cent Since 1895 there has been an act
ual decline In the output of anthracite the fig
ures for 1897 being only 41.0OO.O00, while the
increase in bituminOus has gone on. the figures
for 1897 being 106.000.0W tons This. we say.
Is unpleasant. because btuminous coal means
smoke and SCOT and smut and cnders and gas
and n vast train Of nuisances which are found
wherever II Is used
Nevertheless 1t Is respectfully submitted to
DIR. Robert A. Black. Deputy Commissioner OF
Health for the Borough of Brooklyn. City of
York. that the 100000 tons of anthra-
cite coal marketed each year are ample to sup
ply all possible demands for fuel In this com
nunlty. and that II Is not now necessary and is
not likely 10 be I'm this generation or the next
10 draw upon the bituminous supply for use
here True. the anthracite supply is practically
confined TO the one State of Pennsylvania
though New Mexico and Colorado have some
mines Of importance. But Pennsylvania Is
pretty nearly as big as England. And England
produces more coal than the whole United
States-iudeed more than one-thrd of all that Il
produced in the world-and at the present rate
of use has enough yet in her mines TO last hei
1.2OO years. SO we reckon that II the whole
Borough of Brooklyn burns nothing but anthra
cite the Pennsylvania mines will not be ex
hausted for some centuries,to come
And as long as there Is d supply Of anthracite