Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1900-09-10
COAL FOR AGES TO COME.

Inc UeVelOpm6nI OF Une cOhl lDuuS-
try 10 West Virginia has been phe-
nomenal. Ten years ago the State
produced comparatively small
amount for shipment, the great bulk of
is product gong by river TO the lower
OHIO and Mississippi valley cities. Ii
was then seventh in the list OF coal
mining States. Since then It has
forged ahead, till last year it WAS third,
and the returns from the mines for the
oast six months show that it will be
second in 1900. Not only has West
Virginia coal gained in tonnage OF out
put, but in prestige as well. West
Virginia now pro iuces the coal that is
deemed the standard By which others
are measured in the United States
navy. The State can furnish seven diff
terent varieties of coal, each suited to
A particular use, from the camel which
is hard as flint, to the soft, oily bitumi-
oous that almost gives out grease by
compression.
Twelve years ago there were but two
regions in West Virginia that shipped
coal-Ksnawha and New River. Now
there are 80 big colleries At Fairmonl;
80 on the line OF the West Virginia
Oeutral Railroad, owned by Stephen B.
Elkins, Henry G.. Davis and K. @. ker-
ems, aud as many more on the line OF
The Norfolk and Western, while
throughout the length OF the Baltimore
& OHIO there are mines OF more or less
magnitude that sbip coal in quantities
ranging to 100 cars day.
While the coal industry has had its
greatest progress in these regions thou
.ands of acres of coal land in all parts
IF the State have passed into the hands
# capitalists, many Of them living out
side the State, who are waiting for al
opportunity to develop. Four new
.ailroads are now building in various
oarts of the State which have for their
purpose the opening up OF coal lands,
And another railroad vas chartered
within a week for the same purpose.
Within two weeks, ID coal companies
nave been chartered by the Secretary OF
State, aud there are applications in his
flee for three more charters. One day
last week, seven companies to mioe
coal and manufacture coke, were
chartered.
A few eks ago a great ado was
made over the fact that coal was to be
shipped from Philadelphia to England.
Pocahontas coal, from the Norfolk q
Western region, was going to England
tbree years ago, and long since won IT.
self D ace in the Euglish navy. Wesl
Virginia coal is shipped regularly 10
[talv, France, Egypt, Greece, Mexico,
all Central American cities, Rio Janeiro
and Buenos Ayres' The West Indies
are large, steady and growing market.
For wears the United Mine Workers
Union, composed chiefly OF miners OF
PENNSYLVANIA, Oaio, Indiana and Hi
oois. have been trying In vain to get the
miners of West Virginia to join them.
West Virginis's rates per ton are lower
man those paid in any mining region
| where there is union, bnt the miners
| make more money per month. This If
due to the quality of the coal and the
thickness OF the seam. Where an U tic
| miner works in seam from two to hvt
feet thick, the West Virginia miner
| works 10 a seam from seveu to fourteen
! feet thick.
The West Virginia miners have an in
dependent union OF their own, whict
6xes the scale OF prices for each sl1
months at conference with the opera
tors. and in the four years that TN
union has existed there has never Deei
A strike or difference of opinion tina
was not settled within week.
There are places in the Norfolk d
Western region where seven ditfereD
seams of coal. each different in quaint
ty from it's fellows, lie one above TIT
other in the same hill, ard every sean
valuable and workable. There ar
manv places where five seams are work
ed and the coal run to the cars Ant
boats from one tipple, each seam diner
ent from the others.
The best seam perhaps is 10 me yves
VIRGINIA Central region. In 1886 Jane
q. Blaine was one of party OF states
msn who visited Senator Elkins an
looked over the mines. On that OF
oasiopIMr. Blaine, sitting astride morse
and wearing high silk hat, rooe II
, 70 one of Senator Elkins' mines wit
two feet 10 spare above his SILK ma ns,
That coal seam is one of the world
wonders. and shaft fifteen feet mig
h was taken from it 10 the Paris Expos
n ton. It's average thickness is fourtee
feet. without breaks or flaws.
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