Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1900-02-16
The COAL TRADE
In the Fairmont Region Still
Holds Up
And Many Orders are Received by the
Operators That can not be Filled
The Output is Greater Than the Rail.
roads can Handle-SOme Facts about
The Coal Production of the Country.
Fairmont Free Press.

Fairmont Free Press.
The coal and coke trade continues
brisk but is considerably hampered
by the railroad not being able to
move the freight, Saturday there
were $50 cars Of coal and coke in the
yards here. Every available side
track and space of all kind was uti.
lied to hold the cars. The Nj. r.
main track is blocked with los cars.
the extension is full and all the yard
tracks are out on the lead. Between
here and Morgantown there is prob
ably l50 cars waiting to be brought
into the yard, and Connellsville yard
has over 200 ears for here and local
points, consisting of oil well supplies
and all kinds of merchandise and
material.
Practically nothing has been
moved east the past week and fully
two thirds of the supply on hand is
for eastern points and is badly need
ed The M. r. delivered l, 043 loads,
decrease of about 10 cars day.
The local mines delivered 9SS loads,
which is also decrease. A total
tonnage of $3.50 tons of coal and
coke was received in the yard which
shows decrease oil about 5000 tons
ovei the week before The coke ship
ments went still lower and only g.
$40 tons were shipped while the coal
forwarded shows 81 800 tons or a
slump Of about 5000 tons.
The car supply shows an increase
of about $50 cars 1,S00 cars being
the number received as compared to
I,543 the week before. OF this mum
Der the Nj. r. received S42, differ
ence in favor of the local mines.
The price for coal and coke re-
mains practically unchanged and Or
ders are plentiful many of which
have to be ignored as they call for
immediate shipment which is inn
possible.
Over 100000 tons of coal was
produced in West Virginia last year
and the new Developments going on,
both in opening new fields and en-
larging the scope and capacity of
the old ones the outlook for the
present year would indicate in all
probability an increase of 20 per
cent.
The consumption of coal in the
world, computed by the output of
the different coal producing countries
is about 500,000,000 tons and the of
ficially estimated output of the
United States is about 100000, 900
tons. The figures are suggestive
and show that we could supply the
world so far as ability to mine and
produce the coal is concerned. They
also show that West Virginia the
past year produced one twenty fifth
of the total amount of coal consumed
in the United States.
The export trade of the United
States is increasing yearly without
any effort on our part but if the
markets here should ever become
dull a great export trade could east
ly be secured. The way matters now
stands we can pay the freight on our
coal from here to English ports and
yet compete with them in their own
markets. Coal can be delivered at
Philadelphia and Chesapeake Bay
ports for 50 per ton while English
coal f. 0. b. is sold at from So to Sc
per ton. This is the condition as it
now exists but by running line of
GOLFERS to foreign ports, loaded with
coal, and returning them with car
goes, great reduction in freight
rates could be made which would al
low American coal to compete with
any coal mined At present the
best European market is Italy. This
country produces no mineral coal,
admits coal free of duty and her inn
portations amount to about 5000,
900 tons year. The export trade
to the Philippines and other recent
/ ly acquired islands should prove a
considerable factor in our export
trade. With proper attention there
is no reason why our export trade
should not in few years rival that
of Great Britain and ultimately
eclipse her. The possibility of achiev
ing such success should stimulate
producers to a greater interest in the
export trade. They should at least
( turn their attention to secure gov
ernmental aid in ship building and
commercial regulations favorable to
such a condition, not so much to en-
able them to procure new markets at
/ present, as that is hardly needed,
but as precaution for the future
The Weather.