The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-31
THE AGE OF COAL.

The general demand for coal seems to
have increased very rapidly in recent
years, not alone--iR- the United States
but throughout the world. One. of the
most characteristic features of modern
Industrial development has been the
rise of the coal industry. Modern So
ciety relies upon coal as the fuel and
source of power, and the terms Iron
age" machine age" and age of
steam may all be translated the age
of coal''
The rapidity with which the produc-
ton of coal has increased maybe APP
preciated when the present volume of
that production is considered and when
we reflect in how recent time the pro-
duction formed but a very small frac-
ton Of that quantity. In 1901 the total
coal production of the world was $685.
$4,000 tons. Until as late a period as
1888 the worlds production had never
been half so great being only 45O,99O,OOO
tons in that year; and not until 1872 had
the worlds production been as much as
a third as large as it is at present. BY
1864 the worlds production was only
174.O00,OOO tons. or less than % per cent
of the production of 1901.
The statistics of the worlds produc-
tion for still earlier periods cannot be
determined with any pretense of accu-
racy; but the basis of the British
statistics from 1854, and of estimates
for earlier periods, and from such sta
tistics as are obtainable from France,
Germany, Belgium and Austria Hun
gary, an approximation may be made of
the actual production. In 1860 the
worlds production of coal was about
IA 100000 tons, or less than one-fifth
of the production of 1901. and consider.
abis less than the production of either
the United States or the United King
dom at present. Ten years earlier the
worlds production amounted to only
about SO million tons, about one tenth
of the present worlds production and
considerably less than thepresent output
of the single state of Pennsylvania. In
1910 the production was much smaller
still amounting to little over As million
tons or about one-seventeenth of the
present output; while during the three
quarters of a century since 1920, when
the output was about II million tons.
the production has increased about 4 500
per cent.
While the figures for the worlds pro-
duction prior to 1854 are necessarily de-
fective. owing to the absence of accu-
rate statistics for the English and
American industry they sufficiently in
dictate the immense development of the
industry during the last century.
The production of coal is chiefly In
the hands of three nations, the British,
the American and the German. During
the last 80 years and even earlier, the
combined coal output of the United
States, the United Kingdom and Ger
many hass averaged, year for year.
about fve-sixths of the coal output of
the world Possessing but tenth of
the worlds population. they have pro-
duced about SO per cent of the mineral
fuel, while the remaining so per cent of
the worlds inhabitants have produced
only about II per cent of the coal. and
even if the savage and semi barbarous
nations be disregarded. the immense
preponderance of coal production in these
countries must be conceded. To this
group might be added Belgium, which
produces and consumes more coal per
capita than any other European coun-
try except the United Kingdom, but for
the fact Of its small population placing
1t in the second rank of coal producing
countries.