The Oskaloosa herald., 1907-09-05
COAL IN IOWA IN 1905.

COAL IN IOWA IN 1906.
According to a bulletin just issued
by the Census Department, Iowa was
the only state west of the Mississippi
whose production of coal in 1906 ex
ceeded that of the preceding year
In each of the last ten years, indeed
is coal production has made some gain
over that of the year before. None
of these gains has been exceptional
but the increases have been normal
and regular, indicating steady and
healthy growth in the population and
industries of the state.
The total production for 1906
amounted to 7,266,224 short tons, hav.
ing spot value of $11 1919 55.
Compared with 1905, when the pro.
duction amounted to 6,79S,609 short
tons, valued at S10,5S6,3S the output
in 1906 exhibited an increase of 49,.
615 short tons or 60 per cent, in guam
tity, and of $1,033,O74, or 9.S per cent,
in value. The average price per ton
advanced from s1.56 to SLIGO. In the
ten years from 1896 the production has
increased S,312,196 tons, or SS.S per
cent.
The number of men employed in
the coal mines of Iowa increased from
1918 in 1905 to Is, 260 in 1906, while
the average working time increased
from 209 to 224 days. The average
production for each man employed I'm
1906 was 4762 short tons, against
449.9 in 1905. The average tonnage
per day per man was Els in 1905 and
2.13 in 1906.
The use of coal-mining machinery
has not made any material progress
in this stated During 1906 there were
"a machines employed and 1856
tons, or less than per cent of the
total output, was machine-mined. OF
the total humber of machines in use
IA were chain-breast, 8 were long-wall,
and IL were puncher shearing ma
chimes.
The suspension of operations in the
spring of 1906, pending the adjustment
of the wage scale, resulted in Iowa
in the idleness of 1863 men, or 81
per cent of the number, for an aver
age of % days.
AS in the other coal-mining states
in which operations are carried on
under agreements with the mine work
ers' union, most of the mines of Iowa
are worked on the basis of an S-hour
day, 1875 mines, employing 14,S69 men,
or 95 per cent of the total, having re-
ported hours as the length of the
working day in 1906. .
In 1905 Iowa had the lowest death
rate of all the coaEproducing states,
and in 1906 only one state, Missouri.
showed a better record. The total
number of men killed in the coal
mines of Iowa was 81 in 1906 against
"a in 1905. OF the total fatal casual
ties last year "a were due to falls of
roof in rooms, 3 were due to powder
explosions, and 10 to other causes.
There were no explosions of gas or
dust reported The death rate per
1000 was 2.42. The non-fatal accidents
numbered 116.
ut NOdl vi lO"d OSSups NhC
south-central and southwestern por-
lions of the state, comprising an area
of about 10000 square miles, of which
10000 may be considered probably
productive. The coal is of the dry,
non-co<ing bituminous variety. The
more important productive areas are:
"a The northern, including Webster,
Boone, and adjacent counties, yielding
approximately per cent of the total
output; (2) the north-central, including
Polk and Jasper counties, yielding 20
per cent of TIE odtput;"(3) the south
central, including Monroe, Wapello,
Mahaska, Marion and adjacent coun-
ties, contributing more than 50 pc:
cent of the total output; az the
southern district, including Appanoose
and Wayne counties, yielding 16 per
cent of the output
Iowa probably ranks second among
the states west of the Mississippi
river as a coal producer At the time
of taking the United States census for
1910, Iowa and Missouri were the only
states west of the river in which any
coal production was reported. Mis-
souri,, however, was credited with an
output of nearly 10000 tons for that
year. while Iowa's production was
given at 400 tons. 1t is. probable,
therefore, that Missouri's initial pro-
duction antedated that of Iowa.
An advance chapter from Mineral
Resources of the United States, Cal
endar Year 1906" on the production
of coal in 1906, by e. w. Parker, Chief
Statistician of the United States Geo
logical Survey will be ready for dis
tribution by the Survey in September.