Newport daily independent., 1904-11-10
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 tonnage for that year exceeded by more than 1 6,000,000 tons that of any previous year, and the demand for coal was so good as to make it possible to dispose of the product at prices which brought fair return to all con- cerned in the industry. Some signifi- 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. B. 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 a 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 bituminous 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 2,46S, S,694 tons in 1903 over 1901. It would seem that the only 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, it will not want market.
 It is also of interest to note an increase of 15 cents in the average value per ton for coal at the mines The total production was 66,351, ,713 tons, valued at $152,036,44S. The aver age price per ton was $2.50; the num- Der of men employed was 150, ,483; and the average number. of days that each man worked was 2O6
 Tables are given in the report which shows the production by counties for the years 1902 and 1903; also the ship ments of anthracite and the propor- ton of sizes shipped. A tabular ar- rangement of the various sections of the anthracite fields is, given, with list of ten railroads that enter the ter ritory.
 The anthracite fields comprise an area of somewhat over 4SO square miles, and are located in the eastern middle part of the state, in the coun- ties of Carbon, Columbia, Lacka- wanna, Luzerne, Northumberland. Schuylkill and Susquehanna. They are classed under three general divi- sions, namely, the Wyoming, Lehigh and Schuylkill regions. Geologically they are divided into fields or basins, which are again subdivided into dis tricts.
 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 matter of some contention. The fracture of the coal and some of it's characteristics are more like those of some bituminous or semianthracite coals than strict anthracite, but on account of it's high percentage of fixed carbon and low percentage of moisture it is classed as anthracite by the second Pennsyl- vania geological survey, and the product is so included in this report.