Evening star., 1902-09-02
OIL AGAINST !! COAL
Is 3 -.T~
a 54--
1T 4 t5--
Proposed = Texan Substitute
lie 70 e
foa Fuel Purposes.
TO BREAK A MONOPOLY
INFORMATION PREPARED BY THE
y III
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
How Prices Of Product of Anthracite
Mines May Be Kept
- - Down.


4-.----
on may prove to be the means OF break
Ing the coal monopoly in the anthracite re-
gion. A paper is now in the course of prep
aration by Mr.. Charles Willard Hayes OF
the geological survey showing the possiph-
ity of oil from the Texas field coming INTO
competition with the coal of Pennsylvania
for all fuel purposes This paper is being
prepared for publication by Mr.. Hayes atter
thorough study of conditions as they eN-
ist in Texas It will give the relative fuel
value of the Texas oil and various xmas
| of coal, especially the hard coal OF Penn
| sylvania, the mining of which has ceased
| on account of the strike and the 1mpossl-
| bility up to the present time OF securing
| any agreement between the operators anu
the miners. This will be the first authentic
publication of the government treating TINS
subject at great length. 1t is believed thal
| it will be instrumental in guiding consum-
ers of coal toward methods Tor suppiahliiis
| the use of that fuel with oil, especially d,H
| ing times when high prices are demanded
| for coal.
Complete Monopoly.
| The coal monopoly Of the anthracite
| regions is about as complete as can De
| imagined. A few square miles of Pennsyi-
! vania contain practically all the nara eoal
In the United States. There are sinai.
| amounts Of anthracite coal in Colorado ana
New Mexico and some semi-anthracite coal
in the northern part of Arkansas. bu'
these fields are so small that they are no.
regarded as factors in the supply OF nara
coal In the northwest, in the eastern part
| of Washington and oregon, and IN inaho'
| there is considerable stretch OF country
that has the possibility Of coal discoveries,
but the indications are that no coal Will be
| found there of high enough grade TO come
in competition with the anthracite region
| of PENNSYLVANIA. The geology or the Unlteo
States has been so fully developed that the
experts of the geological survey are salts
| fled there will be no discovery of anthra-
cite coal to affect the monopoly enjoyed py
the coal barons of Pennsylvania Ihey
own practically all Of it and 1t can be re-
| moved from the mines only with their con-
sent.
But their monopoly is now threatened by
| OIL Last year about 400oooo barrels Of
| oil from Texas were sold for fuel purposes
Had there been demand for the product il
is believed that four or five times thai
amount could have been supplied the mar
: kets without making any unusual demand
on the field 1t was sold for about % or q
cents a barrel. No economical method fol
refining this oil for illuminating purposes
| has been discovered. A good many oil ex
t ! perts do not look for the discovery of an!
method for refining it on any commercial
V | basis.
4 Fuel Oil.
3 At the present time every indication !
9 that the use of the Texas oil will be coutne'
> to fuel purposes.2lt is now being burned ex
clusively on most Of the railroads of tn
southwest. where 1t has an especially goo
field of usefulness because of the hig
: price of coal.
: It Is also being used for manufacturing
purposes there. What has proven practica
o BILE there is believed to be practicable Il
- other parts of the United States. and espe
u cially at all places that can be reached p
n water transportation. Bulk steamers OF 80
# 600 barrels capacity or more can deilve
d the oil from Texas ports to seacoast c!tie
of the east at very low rates. Such d.s
= | tribution of the oil Is rendered very ecc
le nomical because the oil region of Texas,
l. row developed, is at no place over fort
s. miles from the coast, and the big wells ar
but twenty miles inland. 1t extends alon
the Texas coast a distance of about ~
miles The oil Is carried to the ports b
pine lines which are comparatively inez
IL pensive to build over such short distances
The pipe lines from the Pennsylvania @
" regions to the seaooard at New YORK al
y about COO miles long, or thirty times a
II long are the existing pipe lines IN 1exa
Re to reach the gulf ports.
Mr. Hayes has estimated that this oil he
a fuel value Of at least So a barrel, con
pared with anthracite coal at So so or
a ton 1t has sold up to the present tin
q for about one-tenth of this estimate OF
fuel value The fact that the superit
a whole at profit at $1.2o a barrel, ar
N has not greatly exceeded that amount
'h price for many years, Is an indication
Or | what the price Of the Texas Oil will a
at | tnaily be on the market. The effect on Il
en- price of coal of the introduction Of this {
n | is a subject for an interesting speculate
ty at this time. The work of educating co
n surners of coal In the use Of oil has be-
in I going on for several years, but 1t has be-
a slow process, as the use Of fuel oil h
involved some difficult problems, and CO
SoI Spt~~
their works until it has been fully tri
and the economy Of Its use demonstrat
- | beyond a DOUBT
-, Will Oil Continue CheapP
a OIL being the only means for breaki
k the coal monopoly that is now known,
", yestigators have considered the question
It's the possibility Of monopolizing the supp
ch Of oil In Texas in order to keep it's pri
w. I'D to a level very near that of coal in fl
be. | value. In this, connection they have poll
&c | ed out the differences in the production
| coal and oil, and facts which have appli
ne To the industry in Pennsylvania. The &C
on deposits are regarded as known quantiti
ne ne There are comparatively few surprises
as, the coal fields. The men who own t
sep anthra cite coal fields know what they ha
lru They know Just about where the coal
~ and how much they can take from
Ia las fields. They own 1t and they do not fe
~ rivalry because OF any discovery OF OH
III, | fields.
stn If is another story in relation to the
oy The general Oil regions that have been d
aes covered are well defined, but how the
is deposited in those regions to very lal
extent deaes the powers of the greatest
experts. There have been numerous cases
which a we'll has been pumped for We;
M and has produced but two or three barr
III, Of crude oil for many years. Its own
ieo thinking !to increase his supply, has d
lay another well but few yards distant fr
and tho old one and has been rewarded will
,m- production Of Several hundred barrels
art. day, which production would gradually
ing crease, though II might continue extrem
an profitable,for years. No man has any alb
the iute hhoseus s.at Co.. nas .,aao r. s,,ht
on oe Ao"o 80 ,,hou..-o. ~. -