The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-18
HISTORY OF COAL MINING.
Earliest Record of Coal Production in
Pennsylvania Was 1914.


Washington, Feb. lin early colonial
days. when every hilltop was covered
with forests. fuel was plentiful enough
above ground. and there was no need to
search for it in the bowels of the earth.
Coal mining in the United States IS,
therefore. of comparatively recent origin.
Mr. Edward W. Parker, who has made
a brief resume OF its history in his re
port on the production of Coal in 1902,
which is soon to be published by the
United States Geological Survey as part
of its annual volume on Mineral Re
sources. states that the earliest record
of coal production in the anthracite re
sion of Pennsylvania is for the year 1874
That is the chronicle Of - short tons Of
anthracite coal The most complete rec
ord Of coal production which we have
is that of the anthracite region of Penn
sylvania Shipments from there began
iG ISe0 and since that date the records
have been carefully. preserved. In the
50 years from 1914 to 1902, inclusive, the
total production of anthracite in Pennsyl-
vania has amounted TO approximately
1.554 ,2Goo00 sohrt tons
SO far as is known. the earliest pro-
duction Of bituminous coal was made
in the Richmond basin of Virginia. About
Il 900 short tons were produced in 1922
and the amount gradually increased until
1872. when il began to decline and about
the middle of the last century had al
most disappeared. About that time the
Development Of the Piedmont region be
San and for the next thirty or forty
years. practically all of Virginia's pro
duct0n came from the northern part Of
the state.
Next to those of the anthracite region
Of Pennsylvania. the most authentic re-
cords we have of coal production in the
United States are of the Cumberland
Piedmont district of Maryland and West
Virginia The first openings were made
in Maryland. and shipments began as
early as 1872.
IL Is practically certain that some hi
luminous coal was produced in Pennsyl-
vauia prior 10 1910, but this is the earliest
date on record. The total output of btu
mi1ous coal in Pennsylvania is estimated
20 have been approximately 1.25l. O0e 900
short tons making the entire production
of coal in Pennsylvania approximately
2.So5.co9 eoo short tons
Tho next eraliest statistics of coal min
ing which we have are for the state of
Illinois. It is stated that coal was mined
on the Big Muddy river in Jackson county
in 1879 but there is no record of the
amount produced. The mine was worked
by drift along outcrops in the bluffs \
aatboat was loaded with coal at this place
and shipped To New Orleans. The census
al 1880 states that coal was mined in IL
counties in Illinois and that the years
production amounted TO 16.96S tons. 1t is
calculated that the total output Of the
state has amounted TO nearly $4,000 GO
short tons 1t is Interesting in this con-
nectiou 70 remember that Father Henne-
pin noted in his journal in 1913 he existence
of a coal mine on the Illinois river, near
the site of the present Ottawa.
The first year In which any production
OF coal was recorded in Ohio was lS5S,
when the output was 1882 tons The CEN
srrs of 1870 and that of 1869 took note Of
tIe production. but FOR the years between
1870 no data are available. Since 1853 the
records are fairly accurate The total
Cut~u; of the state is estimated to have
been somewhat over 25S.25o0)0 tons.
The earliest producers among the states
west of the Mississippi river were Mis-
scuu and Iowa. The coal mining indus
;ry began there about $50
The first coal discovered On the Pacific
coast was in the state of Washington. i'm
IS The first mine was opened i'm What
com county in lS5f
California has never taken high rank
as coal producing state. hut IL comes
neXt ia order u the history Of early pro-
duction. as an output Of 6.6eo tons was re-
ported in 1851 This increased steadily
until 1874. when the maximum output OF
2l595S short tors vas attained II began
then 10 decliae rapidly. ard since 1876 the
Industry has bcen rather irregular. The
production depending uou many outside
influences.
Indiana. Kentucky Tennessee. Alabama.
and Washington was given in the census
Of 1879 bat al these states were IN
Gountedly prodaciuE coal before that time.
The total coal production for the United
States up to December 81. I9e. Is esti-
mated IT 4S53 s,3 600 short tons That
means that pyramid bult OF this ma
terial rs high as Pixies Peak G4.1S feen
would have FOR its base a rectansle ia
miles square. u the coal were spread
out over h states Of Rhode Island and
Connecticut it would cover both Of them
a foot deep