The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-09-14
TO SHIP COAL ABROAD.

Some effective work has been accom-
plished by agents of the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad for the opening up of big
export coal trade from Baltimore. Quite
number of Baltimore and Ohio men took
vacation abroad this summer and it
now appears that these trips were in
pursuance of well-laid plan to get into
touch with all of the big coal handlers of
Europe.
With broad-gauged foresight the man
agement early in the year put under way
the tremendous coal docks and pier at
Curtis Bay, which, when completed, will
be the biggest of their kind not only on
the Atlantic Coast but in the world
Within a short time the first section to be
built will be ready for work. With its
complement of 50-ton steel coal cars and
the physical improvements made in the
track between Baltimore and tie mines
the Baltimore and Ohio needed only de-
finite arrangements with foreign coal
handlers to open up a trade which, it is
believed, will make this city the greatest
coal port in the country.
Another feature of this business yet to
| be developed is the establishment of a
| regular line of golfers. 1t is known that
| a number of ocean transportation COM
| panies have plans under way in this direc-
| the Atlantic Coast information has been
obtained showing that never before have
there been so many calls for estimates to
| build ocean vessels Much of this work
is in anticipation of the development of
the export coal trade. Competition and
| the disappearance of the most accessible
coal in the old European mines are the
| influences which are counted upon to en-
able American coal producers to capture
| a big foreign trade. 1t is said that even
at the present time, with suitable vessels
almost unavailable, American coal can,
after paying a freiyh charge of - ton
| be sold at substantial profit in Euro
pean markets. Great Britain has an eX-
port coal trade Of over 40,000,000 gross
tons year, sent to almost every country
in the world, including large shipments
to San Francisco. There is already Il
sentiment in England that this trade is
not of especial advantage because of the
lack of UNEMPLOYED coal fields in that
country and its effect in depicting those
needed for home consumption. 1t is
considered possible that the British
Government may eventually put an ex-
port duty on coal. With natural condi-
tons already enabling American coal
producers to turn ont coal cheaper than
those of Great Britain such an act would
| increase their advantage in competing for
the trade
Besides the great Cumberland region of
| Maryland, whose coal became famous be-
cause Of the steaming records of the
American vessels in the naval battle of
Santiago, there is tributary to Baltimore
and reached by the Baltimore and Ohio
the Fairmont and Elk Garden regions of
| West Virginia. In both of these regions
during the past year there has been some
heavy buying of coal properties by Ralti-
more capitalists. One of the largest deals
was that of the Century Coal Company,
which is now opening up mines and
building railroad to connect with the
| Baltimore and Ohio.
Another large purchase was by the
Georges Creek Coal and Iron Company,
which is another Baltimore corporation.
New mines are also being opened up on
this property.
Baltimore capital is also heavily inter
ested in the coal fields of Southern Penn
sylvania. 1t has also gone largely into
more remote regions whose outlet will
not, however, be through Baltimore. A
notable case of this kind is the Alabama
! Consolidated Coal and Iron Company,
which acquired some of the largest tracts
in the Birmingham district