The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-02-24
COST OF COAL PRODUCTION.
Interesting statistics Regarding Loss
Of Life, Mining Expenses, Etcs
Tor the Year 1902.


Two facts concerning the production
of ioal that are Of melancholy interest
to the general public are brought out In
Mr.. Edward w. Parker's annual report
In tho volume of mineral resources for
1902, which is soon to be issued by the
United States geological survey. The
first is the loss of life incident to the
industry of coal mining. The second is
the steady and considerable increase in
the price of both anthracite and btu
minous coal In the last I'VE years.
The total number Of lives lost in the
coal mines OF the United States in 1902
was 1851, as compared with LAST in
1901. The total number of men injured
was 3,643 in 1901, and 3,43S in 1902, The
largest number of lives lost per 1000
employees in 1902 was in Tennessee,
where 200 men were killed by the ex-
plosions in the Nelson and Fraterville
mines. The smallest production for
each life lost in 1901 was in. the Indian
territory, where it amounted to only
1924 tons The largest production for
each life lost the same year was in
Maryland, where it came to 426,094 tons.
In 1902 the smallest production for each
life lost was 19,446 tons, in Tennessee;
and the largest was 1913, 593 tons, in In
diana.
These statistics were not collected d.
rectly by the geological survey, but were
obtained from the reports of state Of
ficials or by correspondence with the
mine inspectors or other constituted au-
thorities They are significant COM
mentary on certain subjects of disa-
greemsnt that were we'll ventilated dur
ing the strike difficulties of 1902 in the
anthracite coal regions.
A study of the tables which show
the fluctuations in the average prices
for coal that have prevailed in the sew
eral states since 1898 will cause the
heart of the average citizen to sink.
The average price at the mine for a
ton of anthracite coal of 1000 pounds
throughout the United States was $1.41
in-1S9S. $1.46 in 1899, s1.49 in 1900, $1.67
In 1901 and $1.96 in 1902. This shows
al mefeass of over 80 per cent. in the
price of anthracite coal within the last
kfveCgsars.
A still larger percentage of increase
during the last five years is shown in
the price of bituminous coal through
out the country. A short ton of btu
minous coal brought an average price
at the mine of 80 cents in 1898, or 81
cents in 1898, OF $1.O4 in 1900, of $1.05
in 1901 and $l12 in 1902. This repre-
sents an increase in price of exactly 40
per cent. in five years.
In some of the states 1t is true that
the price of coal was less in 1902 than
at some other times during the period
Of five years. In the Indian territory,
for instance, the average price of coal
is given as $1.62 in 1901, and $151 in
1902; in Oregon it also shows decline
from 1914 in 1900 to 1882 in 1901, and
$2.44 in 1902; in Texas, Utah, Wash
ington and Wyoming it was lower in
1902 than during some other years with
In the FIVE. These exceptions can be ex-
planned, however, by local conditions in
the several states, where newly devel-
oped coal beds or the use of oil as a
competing fuel may have lowered the
average price Of the coal. The main
proposition holds good: That the past
five years have witnessed general in
crease, amounting to 80 or 40 per cent,
In the average price of both anthracite
and bituminous coal. The top notch for
the price of coal in this country during
the last % years was $2.91, five cents
more than the average for 1902. That
obtained in 1881, 1882, 1883 and 1887,
but in 1889 it had fallen to $1.44. From
that time until 1901 and 1902 there was
little variation in the average price, the
year 1898, when the price rose to $1.59,
being the only noteworthy exception.