The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1902-03-13
THE PENNSYLVANIA ANTHRACITE
COAL FIELD.

The good or the bad condition of
the Pennsylvania anthracite coal
mining industry affects happily or un.
happily the lives of hundreds of thou
sands OF our people through all grades |
OF society, from the coal picker to the |
millionaire capitalist; and the discus
sion of this great industry is of cor
responding interest. The Third Part
Of the Twenty-second Annual Report
OF the United States Geological Sur
vey, now passing through the press,
contains the description of The
Pennsylvania Anthracite Coal Field"
by Mr.. II. II. Stock. Speaking
broadly, the anthracite coal field,
consisting of long, narrow, upland
valleys and located in east.central
Pennsylvania, may be said to be
bounded on the west by the Susque-
hanna River, on the north by the
North Branch of the Susquebanna,
and on the east by the Delaware and
Lehigh rivers. The anthracite region
lies mainly within Lackawanna,
Luzerne, Carbon, Schuylkill, and
Northumberland counties, though the
measures overlap into Wayne, Sus-
quehanna, Wyoming, Sullivan, Col
umbia, Dauphin, and Lebanon. or
the total anthracite territory, only
about 4S4 square miles are underlain
by workable coal measures; nor is
this productive area continuous, but
consists of detached basins. OF the
four main geographic divisions, the
Northern basin, including the Wyom-
ing and Lackawanna valleys, con-
tains I76 square miles. The Eastern.
middle basin has a total coal area of
about 33 square miles. The South
ern basin extends 10 miles from
Mauchchunk on the Lehigh River
west to Dauphin on the Susquehanna,
and contains I8I square miles.
The Western middle basin contains
ga square miles. This anthracite
coal field is divided for trade and
labor purposes into the Wyoming
region, or labor district No. /; the
Lehigh region, or labor district No. 7;
and the Schuylkill region, or labor
district No. 9.
1t is probable that only very
small part of the coal measures origin.
ally deposited in this region has es
capped erosion. In the report of the
Coal Waste Commission (Harrisburg)
Mr.. ID. w. Smith estimates the origl.
nal contents of the anthracite Goa
field befoie mining began at more
than Io,5oo million tons, and he
thinks that this amount of coal repre-
sents not more than per cent, pro
badly about per cent, and possibly
only per cent of the vast origina
Goa! deposit before erosion took
place. The coal beds vary in thick
ness from mere traces of coal to the
80 or 60 feet of the Mammoth bed
In the Wyoming basin of the North
erh field SI.S per cent of the tota
coal may be considered marketable
in the Eastern middle field, IS to II
per cent; in the Southern field, 7:
per cent; in the Western middle field
IS per cent. The development of The
anthracite coal field may be brie fl,
suggested by the following chronology
1902. Anthracite discovered in Wyom
ing Valley by Connecticut settlers
1900, Obadiah Gore first burned an
thracite in his blacksmith forge. 1902
Anthracite first burned in CRATE il
Philadelphia. 1872, Anthracite frs
successfully used in an iron furnace
at Philadelphia. 1923, First cargo O
anthracite shipped around Cape Coz
to Boston. IS2o-I84c, Period @
canals and navigation companies
IS4o.IooI, Period ofrallroad explota
ton. 1855, Anthracite leads char
coal IN manufacture Of fpig iron. 1887
Important development of lake an
western trade. 1900, Large numbe
individual colieres bought up b
railroads.
After protracted contest with tn
railroads, the individual operator
consolidated their interests IN IS9
with the Pennsylvania Coal Compan
and incorporated railway for them
selves; whereupon, in January 1901
the Pennsylvania Coal Company wa
bought by Messrs. Pierpont Morga
& Co., at an increase OF 752 per cen
upon the par value of the stock; thi
property was then Immediately sol
to the Erie Railroad; and thus tn
contest was closed. The mining
by "stripplng," where the coal ou
crop can be easily reached, and b
the room and pillar system tor unde
ground work. Slopes and shafts ar
the prevailing form of mine opening
Anthracite is universally mined wit
hand rotary drills and by the use (
black blasting powder, dynamite {
giant powder being sometimes use'
The reports OF the Bureau OF Mine