Evening star., 1902-03-03
NATIONS jiCOAL AREA
PENNSYLVANIA PRODUCES HALF
OF total YIELD.
Valuable Compilation by Geological
Survey Indicates That Appalachian
Fields Rank First.

The third part OF the twenty-second an
nual report, 19oO-19O1, Of the United States
geological survey, dealing with coal, Oil
and cement, is now passing through the
press. The Introductory part, by DR..
Charles Willard Hayes, geologist, discuss
es briefly the distribution, development,
production and markets Of the coal fields
of the United States. The total coal areas
foot up some 2SO,397 sqpare miles, exclu-
siye OF Alaska, and exclusive also Of vast
areas Of Ignite coal not strictly compare
BILE with the higher grade anthracite and
bituminous Goals. OF this total area ap-
proximately IS per cent is probably pro-
ductive. 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 little over 1872 000, 600 short
tons out of total production Of about 241.-
1900 tons. The same thing Is true Of
the northern Appalachian field as a whole,
which, third in area, ranks first in tonnage
and value of product, a result due to
proximity to market, suitability of coal to
fuel requirements, and relative quantity Of
workable coal per square mile of product
I've area. The anthracite field consists of
several long, narrow basins in eastern
Pennsylvania. Several small basins Of tri-
assic rocks In the Pledmont region OF Vir-
aggregate Of about 1000 square miles, are
coal bearing.
Divided Into Coal Districts.
The Appalachian field, subdivided into
northern and southern, extends from
northern Pennsylvania $50 miles to central
Alabama, embracing portions Of nine
states and containing approx imately 7OSO0
square miles, OF which about 75 per cent
contains workable coal. The northern in
terror field lies wholly within the state OF
Michigan with an area Of approximately
II 600 square miles.
The eastern interior field lying in Indi-
ana, Illinois and Kentucky, has an area Of
$1,000 square miles. 1t is estimated that
about 55 per cent of this area is productive.
The western interior and southwestern
fillds form practically continuous belt OF
cdal measure rocks, extending from north
ern Iowa southwestward $50 miles to GEN.
tral Texas and embracing an area Of $4,000
extend from the Canadian border south
eastward some 500 miles, with q ma ximum
breadth of 500 miles. and aggregate 43,61O
square miles. The San Carlos field, Ell
Paso county, Tex, and the Eagle Pass
field, extending from Uvalde county, Tex,
seventy five miles to the Rio Grande and
across into Mexico, properly belong to the
Rocky Mountain field. The Pacific coast
coal fields have total area Of about 1 600
square miles, with the most important de-
posits in Washington, few deposits in ex-
treme western Oregon. and in central and
southern California.
The Ignite coal deposits, which are not
treated of In this series Of papers. embrace
about $1,000 square miles in Montana the
Dakotas and Wyoming; and then, in an
area Of about equal extent. they run in
narrow belt from the Georgia-Alabama
line nearly to the Mississippi, and then
west Of the Mississippi in a broader belt
from Little Rock southwestward through
Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.
Markets for American Coal.
The markets for the coal Of the northern
and eastern interior fields are chiefly with
in their own limits, and they are in more
or less of competition with the Appalach-
ian coal and with the natural gas of Ohio,
Indiana and Kentucky The western in
terror coal field supplies it's own markets
and those toward tho north and west.
where it must compete with the Rocky
mountain fields. The southwestern interior
field has but little competition except from
fuel oil in a large territory toward the
south and west Practically all the coal
fuel used by the southern transcontinental
railroads, as we'll as the Texas roads,
comes from the north Texas and Indian
territory fields.
Considering the entire region between
the Appalachian coal field and the Rocky
mountain fields, there Is observed a gen.
eral movement of the coal westward, a ten
dency due chiefly to the higher grade Of
the eastern Goals, but also in part to the
generally lower westward railroad freights
and to the ease Of westward water trans
portation. The region west of the Tooth
meridian, about half the area Of the United
States, Alaska excepted, contains less than
20 per cent Of the coal fields The develop
ment of the coal resources Of Alaska Is as
yet in the experimental stage.
Practically all the information at present
available concerning these Alaskan coal
fields Is summarized by Mr. Brooks in his
paper, which should form an invaluable
aid In future prospecting and development.
Falls Church News.
Spprial of Sfor