Newport daily independent., 1905-05-20
ANTHRACITE
Topnage of Last Year Exceeded by six Million Tons That of Any
 Previous Year.

 anthracite coal trade. as the tonnage for that year exceeded by more than 6,O00, 900 tons that of any previous year, and the demand for coal waS 60 good as to make 1t possible to dispose of the product at prices which brought fair return to all con- cerned in the industry. Some signid- cant figures in connection with the production of Pennsylvania anthrar cite during 1903 have bsen collected by MT. William W. Rulsy. special agent of the United States geological survey. and will be included in Nr. E. w. Parker's report on the produc- ton of coal in 1903. which is . 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 tho strike of 1902 had gons directly into consumption. All thas could be mined during the first three months q 1908 was in immediate ds. mand.
 With the opening of navigation and . rsduct ton in price on April 1. dealers It all points endeavored to Icy In an ample supply of coal to meet their fall and winter requirements. This made . brisk demand for the product dur ing tho spring and summer months. with tho rssultant accumulation o& 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 auction. 1t is interesting to note the increase in the shipments of tho small sizes of coal during 1903 over those ol previous years. This Is especially noteworthy on account of tho opinion generally expressed at the close of thu anthracite strike, that bituminoM coal had largely supplanted anthre cite for steam purposes. and wouM continue to hold this trade to tn exclusion of the small sizes of the lat. ter product On the contrary. how. ever. the consumption of these smslleR sizes of coal increased 2.46S.6 .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 u the entire country. As long aS the people at large are able to buy anthra- cite, 1t will not want a market.
 It is also of interest to note an increase of 16 cents in the average value per ton for coal at the mines The total production was 66.351,7A tons, valued at $152, ,o36,448. The aver age price per ton was g 50; Che num- Der of men, employed was 150, ,4S3; ant the average number of days that each man worked was 206.
 Tables are given in the report whioH shows the production by counties for the years 1902 and 1908; also the ship. msnts of anthracite and the propor. ton of sizes shipped. A tabular ar. rangement of the various sections o the anthracite fields Is given, with a list of ten railroads that enter the ter. ritory.
 The anthracite fields comprise an area of somewhat over 4s0 square miles. and arc located in the eastern. middle part of the state, in the coun ues of Carbon. Columbia, LackS wanna, Lulerne, Northumberland schuylkill and sussuehanna Thse are classed under three general divf- sions, namely, the Wyoming, Lehigh and Schuylkill regions. Geologically they are divided into fields or basins, which are again subdividsd into dis tricts.
 The Bernice field, in Sullivan couH- ty, is not included in any of these re- gions. The classification of the prod Hct of this field is a matter of some contention. The fracture of the coal and sonrs of it's characteristics are more like those of some bituminous or semianthracite coals than st1o: anthracite, but on account of it's high percentage of fixed carton and low percentage of moisture 1t is ciassed as anthracite by the second Pennsyl- vAnia geological survey, and the | A.