Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1906-06-02

TON 10 a Itnimumg in other words,
can American hituminOus Goals OF the
grades aiupted 10 gas manufacture,
domestic use and general industrial
purposes be dellevered IN large guam
titles at Huvre for q cost not exceeding
So per ion:
II remEins TO consider the correlation
hetween tLese conditions and the fu-
TuIe ore supply of the United States
ana ceruln European countries, as de-
scribed n The FIRST section Of the pres
eut repdT. Coal imported into France
pays a Nuty of rwenty-siX cents per
metric Ton. In respect 10 duty, freight
up the Seine 10 Paris, and other
charges american cOal would be on
the same basis as Belgian and British
coals, which come into France princi-
pally bylthat route.
The demand for foreign coal will
Increase with the gradual exhaustion
OF the French mines and the consump-
tion will b. augmented in proportion
to whatever reduction can in future
be made b. the present high cost of
fuel. Thtre are millions of tons of
good cokiag and gas Goals in the Ale
ghauy and Cumberland districts of the
United States which can be produced
with great profit al the mouth of the
mine fer an average price of 81 to S1.25
per tGn. When the railroads now
projected or under construction are
finished and in operation il should he
possible to carry Buch Goals 10 tide
water for q freight rate not much, If
anything, in excess Of 81 per ton.
When, in 1902. the project Of export
ing American coal 10 Europe was ac-
lively discussed, ii was the consensus
Of expert opinion that the successful
development of such q trade would
require the construction Of q special
class of vessels which would do for
the ocean going coal traffic what they
mad done for the ore and coal trade of
the Great Lakes. namely, steel barges
of 10000 tons burden, stanchly built,
with quarters for q crew of ten TO
fifteen men, and engine power suffi-
Gent for a speed of eight or ten knots
per hour, which would give steeraEe-
way sufficient for safe handling in all
weathers Given q feet of vessels,
with loading docks for coal along the
Chesapeake Bay OF Atlantic Coast, and
u reliable return freight. and the prob
lem of a large and expanding coal ex-
port TO Europe, which depends primar-
lily Oh an ocean freight rate not exceed
ing S1.25 to S1,50 per ton, would be
practically solved.
As return freights, the potash min
erals of Germany have been suggested,
but they are limited in quantity and
restricted by various conditions, so that
there remains but one available re-
source, and that is iron ores of Spain,
Finland and the Scandinavian PENN
sula, three countries which. together,
now mine about 14.000,0G0 tons per
annum but which, for want of cheap
and abundant fuel, smelt not more than
One-third or one-fOurth of TINT amount
The time will doubtless come when
most. if not all, European countries
will prohibit the export of native coal,
except TO their own colonies. The i'm
ported fuel supplies of France, Italy,
Spain and Scandinavia will then have
TO come mainly from beyond the At
lantic. 1t will be strange indeed if
American foresight shall fail TO recoe-
lifysts H., lin
ripen and the laws of demand and SUD-
ply will offer to American enterprise
Scientific American.