The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-19
GREAT COAL PRODUCTION.
UNITED STATES now LEADS ALL
THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH.
At One Time Great britain Was SUI
preme in the Coal Industry, But
Has been Outstripped by Her

WASHINGTON, June 1s.-The remark
able increase in coal expectations from
the United States, coupled with the fact
that we became. in 1899, the worlds lars-
est producer of coal gives special interest
to an elaborate discussion of the world .
coal product. published by the bureau Of
statistics of the treasury department in
the April number OF the Monthly Sum
mary of Commerce AMI Finance. TX
portations Of coal from the United States
In the ten months ending with April.
were nearly 30 per cent. larger than those
Of the same months of the preceding
fiscal year and 50 per cent. larger than
those Of the corresponding months of
1895 while our total production for 1875
was not only the largest in our history.
but larger than that OF any other country
in the world.
United states in the Lead.
For the first time the United States
figures show a larger production than the
British figures for the same period. Tie
significance OF this fact cannot be over
estimated. Coal is now more than ever
the material energy of a country. the
universal aid. the factor in every thing
we do" The relative abundance or scare
ity Of coal, therefore, is the trucst inde,:
OF country's position among its nous
trial rivals. According to recent infor-
nation steamers have been chartered to
carry coal from America to st. Petersburg
and Stockholm, as well as 20 Italian.
French and German ports.
Europe Il on the wane.
While these exports may be due mainly
to the present abnormal conditions OF the
British coal market, there is no doubt
that in time this country will be called
upon to supply an ever larger part of the
coal needed ny foreign industrial coun-
tries, which, until recently. have been
drawing upon the British output. This is
the more probable since cost OF production
and prices of coal show n falling ten
dency for this country. whereas tho op-
posite holds true OF European coal pro-
ducing countries.
Increase In Production.
The rapidity with which the production
of coal has increased may be appreciated
when we consider the present volume of
that production and reflect in how recent
a time the production formed but very
small fraction of that quantity. In 1876
the total coal product of the world was
G6i, 900 600 short tons or GOA 900 100 metric
tons. tntil as late period "a 1878 the
worlds product had never been half go
great. being then only 202 o0O, go metric
tons. and not until 1868 had the world
production been as much as a third as
s,,s. f.,'9 80, 900 o,o ~. W
"oi'' W o''.y i'''v"v'V ..ie'''.
1896. The statistics OF the worlds produce
ton for still earlier periods cannot he
determined with any pretense of accur-
acy: but ON the basis Of the British
statistics from 1854. and of estimates for
earlier periods ana from such statistics
as are ootalnable from France, Germany,
belgium ana Ans'ro- hungary an approx
imauon may be made to the actual pro-
ducton. In 1850 the worlds production
OF coal was about lAeNWo metric tons.
or less than one-fourth that OF lslS AMI
much less than that of either the United
states or the United Kingdom At present.
Ten years earlier the worlds production
amounted TO only about 5000 90 metric
tons, or about two-ffteenths OF the pres.
ent worlds production and consider, bly
less than the present output of Pennsvl-
",'n' ,i .,n, ., 49,, :. h, w. M,
u.ri. 80 r., va" ,ptn,,.p
t,'e'ilo .V"a' w "o'". M 'se''" "'
."e pieSeul o"'pu'' Wn.ie turing we
tnrce-Quar'ers ol century SINCE 'S,o
"heh 'he output was aoout iGW""D
metric tons the production mas increased
$500 per cent.
Three Producing Nations.
The production Is chiefly in the hrnds
of three nations tho Amsricons the
British and the Germans During the
last thirty wears. and even earlier. the
combined output OF these three coun-
tries has averaged wear for vear ahnu,
dye-stxths OF the worlds total o,Itput'
Possessing hut about 10 per cont of the
worlds populattou. they have producsd
bout 81 nor cent Of the minernl fuel
while the remaining "a per cont Of ,hc
uorid,s lnbabitnn,s hava nrodu,ad ,,,,,
,ho,t - ror cent ~ ~ roat an,t o,.o,