Newport weekly independent., 1904-11-04
PENNSYLVANIA ANTHRACITE
Tonnage of Last Year Exceeded by Six Million Tons That of Any
 Previous Year.

The year 1903 stands as the high water mark of prosperity in the anthracite coal trade, as the tonnag, for that year exceeded by more thar 6,OOO,0OO tons that of any previous l year, and the demand for coal was SC good as to make it possible to dispose or the product at prices which | brought a fair return to all con eerned in the industry. Some signif- cant figures in connection with the | production Of Pennsylvania anthra- cite during 1903 have been collected by MT William w. Ruley, special agent of the United States geological survey and will be included in MT. E. w. Parker's report on the produc- tion of coal in 1903, which is a regular feature of the surveys annual volume on the mineral resources of the United States.
 At the commencement of 1903 there was practically no anthracite in stock. as the amount which had been mined after the strike of 1902 had gone directly into consumption. All tha. could be mined during the first three months of 1903 was in immediate de- mand.
 With the opening of navigation and reduction in price on April 1, dealers at all points endeavored to lay in an ample supply of coal to meet their fall and winter requirements. This made brisk demand for the product dur ing the spring and summer months with the resultant accumulation of stocks in dealers hands. The early arrival of cold weather, however, and the prolonged severity of the winter created an unusually brisk demand for coal
 In connection with the large pro- duction, it is interesting to note the increase in the shipments of the small sizes of coal during 1903 over those of previous years. This is especially noteworthy on account of the opinion generally expressed at the close of the anthracite strike, that bftuminous coal had largely supplanted anthra- cite for steam purposes, and would continue to hold this trade to the exclusion of the small sizes of the lat ter product. On the contrary, how ever, the consumption of these smaller sizes of coal increased 2,468, ,694 tons in. 1903 over 1901. It would seem that the ,1nly cause which would seriously affect the prosperity of the anthracite business is the general condition oi the entire country. As long as the people at large are able to buy anthra- cite, 1t will not want market.
 It is also of interest to note an increase of Is cents in the average value per ton for coal at the mines The total production was 6S. .351 .713 tons, valued at $152 ,036,44S. The aver- age price per ton was $250; the num- Der of men employed was 15G, ,483; and the average number of days that each man worked was 206.
 Tables are given in the report which shows the production by counties for the years 1902 and 1903S also the ship- ments of anthracite and the propor- tion of sizes shipped. A tabular ar rangement of the yarious sections oj the anthracite fields IS given, with g list of ten railroads that enter the ter ritory
 The anthracite fields comprise ar area ot somewhat over 480 square miles, and are located in the eastern middle part oi the state, in the coun ties of Car oon, Columbia, Lacka wanna, Luzerne, Northumberland Schuylkill and Susquehanna. They are classf5d under three general divi slons, n1mely, the Wyoming, Lehigf and SF,huylkill regions. GeologicalIy they are divided into fields or basins whlrh are again subdivided into dis trirts.
 The Bernice field, in Sullivan coun { ty, is not included in any of these re- gions. The classification of the prod uct of this field is a matter of some contention. The fracture of the coa and some of it's characteristics art more like those of some bituminou, or semianthracite coals than stric anthracite, but on account of it's higf | percentage of fixed carbon and low percentage of moisture it is classed al anthracite by the second Pennsyl vania geological survey, and tn, product is so included in this report.