New-York tribune., 1901-12-27
COAL IN THE PHILIPPINES.
AK INTERESTING REPORT TO ISSUE
FROM THE WAR DEPARTMENT.

Charlie Il. Burritt in charge OF the Mining 6u-
resu 2 Manila. has prepared a report on tle sei
ersl subject Of The Coal Measures OF the fiiiip
pines" which The Division OF Insular Afiars oi
the War Department will issue tomorrow Inc
report deals with the discovery OF coal IN nhe
Philippines development Of the coal mining III
dustry. ASSAYS ana comparisons OF PnlllpPiiie 'o
and the MacI.eod coal and railway concession
According to this report, coal was hrst dlscON-
cred in the Philippines the year lsZ'; TINS us
ccve-v was made IN the island Of Cebu, ana as
stated 5y Abella did not succeed In inspiring any
interest in the State nor in private lhdlVlouais
urtn the Journey Of the first steamships TO the
islands being announced. the superior civii gov
erHmcrt Issued in the year 1872 timely cireula'
to t7e provincial authorities requesting them TO
furnish Information regarding the coal deposits
that might Ia in their respective localities.
The first inspector of mines Of this archipelago
vas Es:d-o Saiuz de Baranda. That gentleman
diseTrbarked At Manila on December 26. 1885. and
On January . Of the year he began an active
and vigorous campaign for the enactment OF a Id"
and for the establishment Of the mining lhuus'FH
in these islands which with the proverbiai slow
ness OF the Ministry cf Colonies and her MAJ
estv's government seems have been whoHy
without effect until the year 1896. when the hISt
mining code was adopted and put into operation
The real history Of the department OF mines anu
Of the mining industry in the Philippines thefe
fore dates from 1916. The work done prior TO tha'
time n.s he considered as preliminary. The hrst
coal concession in Cebu was granted in lH"2-
The report continues:
The above notes on the original discovery Were
further increased by report Of the inspector OF
islands made to the Governor IN le4t, IN Wi'" 'e
locates he known coal deposits as follows;
Province Of caraea: Island Of f. siaIsao-
Province o AIbay: Island OF Eatan. ,., -. -.
Provinca Of Tavabaz: Mauhan and Antimonan and re
he Fsssajsn River. between the headands Of Bondoc
'i Tr6v,nce me Of Buiacan: In .he mountains OF Angat
Irovince Of anlIa3sa IN & me mop m una heen N seen in the
rnountains # Raonotan,,
This may be safely said to be the whole OF the the
heforv Of rhe discovery of coal in the Philippines
and tl5e extent Of the knowledge of the government
with reference thereto up 10 lsi4 ne I neT' & n
nler In closing hs chapter on discovery mere are
SsTspda from which we have Just quoted. that
are pertinent because Of their general bedIis
the status and condition of the mining lnGusIpg mo IN
these islands to-day. and because Of their present
suggestixe value under conait39bs nof of 1s34
row more than three centuries since the Philippines
were discovered. their mineral wealth Is yer u'l-
known However nothing is more certain.
S Greatest Obstacle that exists in this day in
order hat there may be Pe isck OF law It
falls then TO the lot of the government alone -
remove the obstacle which the non-exstence ol
again respeetfully call attention TO the above
quotations showing how IKE are Re me ne as The
mining industry is concerned II seems 10 be an l
luS5ratf0r OF that saying. t1lstoiS leief1'" ''N
constantly, but nature never
After giving detailed account from the Spanish
records of the development Of the coal fields 'he
report takes up the subject of assays ana com
Parisons, and says:
The first ASSAY az Philippine coal was maze IA
Madrid AZ the National School or Mines ~ lue
--ea~ 1S52 the samples employed for that purpose
co3i,4r from the mines of tiuila-Guila in Cebu At
4ba+ time and for many years thereafter, the oht4
faCfIities for obtaining assays or coal "eie iu |
Madrid 10 which place the samples were sem ~
MAUI Horn The with !
cut exception made from surface sdilPies am
outcToppings.
These assays follow:
oT-ArJFTCATIvE NOTE OF THE COAL OF CEBu'
Tho s.rnrles coming from GuiIa-t5ua, the River
easily with very prolonged brilliant fame they 60 hoi
notable pretudicial Quahtiiy anu
Ell form black coke little spongy ana OF some
weight. -, = -,a
From the numerous and analyses made in The
sorator Of the School is deducsd that the
which they come may
be subdiyided industriay into three SECTIONS or SUP
Tbe hest has a specific gravity ia. leaves per
cent ash per cent OF coke losing 40 per cent
The second quality: Specific gravity. 1lo 20 l22 ash.
per cent IS volatile matter IL per
orics. 4 $50
The third quality: Specific gravity. 13s to 46 ash Is
per coke sc Kolaie matter Al per cent
cai0-ics
The good coal Of Europe North America for general
rnetauTgical steamships and locomotives;
gravity l5G: ash 70 Il per cent: coke.
* O per cent: oaiorics. from 40e0 10 72eo