New-York tribune., 1902-03-03
COAL FIELDS OF UNITED STATES.
THE APPALACHIAN REGION MUCH THE
RICHEST.

RICHEST
washington March . (speciaD.-The third part
of the twenty-second annual report, 1SooOl, OF the
United States Geological Survey, dealing with COAL
OH and cement is now passing through the press.
The volume is the answer to many requests mace
"a the Geological Survey FOR information concern
ing the coal supply OF the country, and Is based
on geograp aphic, geologic and trade relations. Inc
Introductory part, by Charles willard hayes
eeoogst discusses briefly the distribution develop
T,ent production and markets Of the coal fields
OF tbs United States
The total coal areas foot up some 2so897 square
miles exclusive OF Alaska, and exclusive also OF
vast areas Of Ignite coal not strictly comparable
virb the higher grade anthracite and bituminous
Goals or this total approximately 30 per cent
is probably productive. The rank of States IN
production differs greatly from their rank IN coal
area Thus Pennsylvania, ranking seventh in coal
area was easily first in production in 1900 with
q little over 1872 O00Oo0 short tons out OF a total
production of about 24 100000 tons. The same thing
is true of the Northern Appalachian neld as
whole which third in area, ranks first in. tonnage
and value OF product, a result due 10 proximity TO
snsrket suitability Of coal fuel requirements and
relative quantity OF workable coal a square mile
OF productive area The anthracite held consists
OF several long, narrow basins in Eastern Penn
sylvania. Several small basins Of triassic rocks
in the Piedmont region of Virginia and North Caro-
lima containing an aggregate Of about 1000 square
miles. coal bearing
The Appalachian field. subdivided into northern
$50 miles TO Central Alabama, embracing portions
Of nine States, and containing approximately 70SOO
square miles of which about 70 per cent contains
workable coal The northern interior field lies
wholly within the State of Michigan, with an area
Of approximately 1000 square miles. The eastern
interior field, lying in Indiana, Illinois and Ken
tucky, has Of 5000 square miles. 1t is
estimated that about 50 per cent Of this area is
productive. The western interior and southwestern
fields form a practically continuous belt Of coal
measure rocks. extending from Northern Iowa
southwestward $50 miles TO Central Texas, and en-
bracing an of $4,000 square miles. The Rocky
Mountain fields extend from the Canadian border
souIheastward some 1,200 miles, with & maximum
breadth of 800 miles. and aggregate $3.50 square
miles The San Carlos field. Ell Paso County, Tex,
and the Eagle Pass field, extending from Uvalde
County, Tex. seventy-fve miles to the Rio Grande
and across into Mexico, properly belong 10 the
Rocky Mountain field. The Pacific Coast coal fields
have total area OF about 1000 square miles. with
1he most important deposits in Washington few
deposits in Western Oregon and in Central
and Southern California.
The Ignite coal deposits. which not treated OF
81 this series OF papers. embrace about 5000 square
miles IN Montana, the Dakotas and Wyoming; and
then in an area Of about equal extent theg s rqn IN
10 hs rSa6sr M65bP bg ra 46a 'hfn ie ~f6 Rock * S9e
35rorgb - sTiLansas ,s ToiiitIsna on and Texas
The Appalachian field presents certain well marked
types OF coal which FOR particular purposes are
vile district of the Pittsburg bed is the standard
FOR coking coal as the Pocshontas coal of West
Virginia is the standard for steam coal The north
luminous coal fair steaming coal. In the eastern
interior 1el6 the largest part is soft btuminous,
1airy good steam coal; then there is the block coal
in Indiana. and also numerous small areas OF camel
coal. vaua Die for gas making and for domestic
purposes in Kentucky. The coal of the western
makes fair steaming fuel In the southwestern
interior field the coal varies from soft bituminous
In the Rocky Mountain and Pacific fields the coal
varies from Ignite to anthracite owing TO location
ard character Of coal the Northern Appalachlan
neid controls the coal trade Of the Eastern states
railroads II competes with the interior coal fields
10 the west by way Of the Great Lakes and the
the Ohio River. The southern AppaIachlan held
supplies the South Atlantic and Gun states as iar
field will in time support large export trade 70
Central and South American ports and, after the
The markets tor the coal OF the northern and
eastern interior fields chiefly within their own
limits. and they are in more or less OF cotnpeItoIl
with the Appalachian coal and with the natufal gas
Of Ohio. Indiana and Kentucky. The western IN
terror coal field supplies its own markets and those
toward the north and west. Wnere IL must coInpete
with the Rocky Mountain fields. The southwestern
interior field has but little competition except from
fuel ell in large territory toward me south ana
west. Practically all the coal fuel used by the
Southern transcontinental railroads, as well as the
Texas roads. comes from the North Texas ana
-9ion between the Appalachian coal field and the
Rocky Mountain fields. there Is observed a genera
Shleny to the higher grade OF the Eastern coals;;
out alEo in part the generally lower WestHaINd "a
,airoad freights and TO the ease OF "es.wspa arc n
transportation. The region west or the ivolh
meridian. about half the area OF the United states
Alaska excepted contains less than 20 per cent oI
the coal fields. The development of the coal re,
sources OF Alaska is as yet in the experimental
stage Practically all the information al presenS
tsaiIs BE concerning these ALASKAN eoad hei1S S,S
should form invaluable aid in future prospect
ing and development