Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-08-30
UTAH'S OUTPUT OF
BLACK DIAMONDS
What Statistics Gathered by
United States Geological
Survey Show.
FOR YEAR NINETEEN SIX.
Increase over Previous Ycar---Ncw
Fields Investigated by
Engineers.

The coal production of Utah, which
had shown decreasing tendency in
1904 and 1905 felt as did the other
Rocky Mountain states, the stimulate
ing influence Of the shortage created
by the suspension of work during the
spring of 1906 In the states of the Mis-
sissippi valley. Utah's output increased
from 1921 short tons. valued at
81. 1850, in 1905, to l,772 55i short tons.
valued at $2.40S,3Sl, IN 1906, gain OF
440,l79 tons, or 80 per cent in quantity,
and S6l4,S71 or 3i.S per cent In value.
The epercentage of increase in Utah
was larger than In all the other coal
producing states. There was no material
change in price, the average for 1906
being Sl.3b per ton. against Sl.35 in
1905
The number of men employed in the
coal mines of Utah in 1905 was l,512,
against 1851 in 1905, and 1874 in 1904.
The average working time in 1906 was
2Ss days, against 247 in 1905 and 29i in
1904. Utah enjoys another distinction
in coal mining besides the largest per-
centage OF increase for the year, and
that is in having the highest average
production for each man employed. In
1906 the average production per man in
Utah was 1f27.6 tons, the nearest APP
average made in Wyoming. In 1905
Utah's average production per man was
979, against 1913 tons for Wyoming. The
average daily production for each man
In Utah In 1906 was S,92, against 1886 in
1905
The coal-mining industry of Utah was
not affected by the labor troubles IN
the spring of 1906, there having been
no strikes or suspensions at any of the
mines in the state.
According to the statistics of Mr..
Conner Thomas, state mine inspector,
there was total of % accidents in the
mines OF Utah in 1906 OF these, seven
resulted fatally, OF the non-fatal ac-
cidents, 10 We're serious and six were
of a minor character. Explosions of
gas caused four of the deaths and falls
of roof in the mining chambers the
other three. Seventeen of the injured
men were hurt by falls of roof, eight in
rooms and nine In gangways and en-
tries.
Like the other coal-producing states
of the Rocky mountain region. the coal
areas of Utah are widely distributed
The largest field and the most import
ant in respect to thickness and devel-
opment of the Goals, SO far as known
is that OF the Book cliffs, known for
merly as the Wasatch field. This field
from the Colorado line westward To
Castle Gate, near the center of the
state, and thence southwestward in the
eastern escarpment Of the Wasatch
plateau. to eastern Sewer county. It's
length in the state is about 100 miles.
Only the western half has been sur
veyed, but the total area will probably
approximate about 1000 square miles.
Next In Importance as regards
known occurrence and development
of coal is the Coalville or Weber River
field, situated in Summit County, off
the eastern flank of the Wasatch noun
tains. This field has an area of a few
square miles of available coal. The
protracted fault,ng and fitting of the
strata including the coal beds are OBJ
stacles to the extensive development
of the Coalville Goals.
other known coal areas are on Hen
rvs Fork and Ashley Creek, IN the
north eastern part of the state: on
Colob Plateau, in the southwestern
part, and in the Henry Mountains dis
trict Workable coal beds are reported
to occur at a number of places in the
northern part of the Uinta reservation
and In Uinta county, but little is known
of the extent and quality of the Goals
in these areas. According to reports
coming from the Colob and ulnta fields
it is possible that their combined areas
may equal that of Ihe Book Cliffs field
| All of the really large mining prop
critics are. in the western part of the
| Book Cliffs fell, ut SunnySiae, Castle
| Gate. Winterquarteri and Clear Creek
| in Carbon county, which produces 81
| per cent of the coal mined in the
state. These Goals. With that ut Coal
| Vile. are bituminous in character and
| of fair grade. Some OF them mako
| good coke, over $4,000 tons of the TO-
! fol prnductiOn in 1905 having been thus