Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-05
COAL IN MARYLAND
MORE THAN SIX MILLION DOL
LARS WORTH PRODUCED IN 'oe.

The coal production of Maryland in 1905
amounted to 5,435, 453 short TONS having
spot value of s6474, 793, exceeding the pro-
duction of 1905 by 326,914 short tons (8.4
per cent?, and reaching the highest figure
in the history of the state, according to fig
ures published by the United States geolog
ical survey. The maximum output prior to
1906 was 5,271 600 short tons, mined in 1902
when the anthracite mines of Pennsylvania
were idle account of the great strike
which made that year notable In the an
nails of coal mining. Compared with 1902
the output for 1906 exhibits an increase of
1853 S44 short TONS or little more than 3
per cent.
tirely to Allegheny and Garrett counties, in
the western part of the state, and from
this area estimated at $40 square miles,
there has been mined, up to the close of
1906 over 142G0,00O short tons Of coal
The output has not varied materially in the
last ten years, having ranged from mini
mum of 4,O24 6SS tons in 1900 to the maxi
mum of the last year, and averaging, 4,S3',-
761 short tons for each year of the decade
The restricted area of the field and the fact
that it is already we'll developed make 1t
improbable that any marked increase in
production will be obtained. The unusual
large tonnage in 1906 was due TO an extra
demand created by shortage in other states
This shortage also resulted in an advance
in price in Maryland coal from Via per ton
in 1905 to s1.19 in 1906 The total value IN
creased from s., SCI, 760 to s6,4I4, 1913, a gain
of s643, 033, or II per cent, as compared with
an increase of GA per cent in tonnage
Maximum in 1908.
The maximum value was attained in 1903
when, with product of 4s46, 1865 tons, the
value amounted to ST. 1S9, 7S4, an average of
s1.4S per ton.
The total of emDlOVed in the
coal mines of Maryland in 1905 was 6,43S
who worked an average of $50 days, against
5.94S men for an average of 80 days in
1903. The average production per man In
1906 was Sab tons, and in 1905 $3.50 tons
The daily average per man was BAL tons
IN 1865 and 3.;'S tons in 1906.
Practically all the mines in Maryland are
operated ten hours a day. Out of a total
of CABS men employed in the coal mines of
the state 6.3JS men, in torty-lve T!lnes, were
reported working ten hours q day.
The statistics relating to the use of
mining machines show that although the
number of machines in use has increased
from thirty-eight in 1904 to forty-two in
1868 and to forty-five in 1906, the amount
of ma chine mined coal decreased from 4S4,-
313 tons in 1874 to 4GS, SD tons in 1905 and
to 427 iJ3 tons in 1906
According to the report of the Maryland
geological survey, coal was discovered near
the present site of Frostburg in 1904. The
first shipment was recorded by the Cumber-
1890 some coal had teen loaded on barges
at Cumberland and fioated down the Poto-
mac to Washington This method, how
ever, SO destructive to life and was
the cause of SO much loss in coal that 1t
was soon abandoned. The first shipments
over the Chesapeake and Ohio canal from
Cumberland were made in 1850.
Maryland's "Big Vein"
Maryland and the adjoining counties in
West Virginia. which make up what is
known as the Cumberland region, consti-
tute the only districts outside of the an
thracite region of Pennsylvania where rec
ords of coal production have been kept
from the earlier years. These districts
have been commonly known as the Georges
creek Tor Cumberland) and the Piedmont
regions. The Cumberland region was
opened in 1s42. The Piedmont region
began shipping in 1853. The records of
shipments have been carefully preserved
and are published annually in the reports
of the Cumberland coal trade.
The principal coal fields of the state.
proper, are part Of an outlying basin which
extends from Somerset county, Pa,
through Allegheny county, Nd. into and
including the Piedmont and Elk Garden
regions of West Virginia. This area is sep
arated from the main Appalachian system
by a narrow barren strip: but the coal it
self, which Is known as the Big Vein of
Maryland. is correlated with the famous
Pittsburg bed A portion of the main
bed of the Appalachian area crosses the
northwestern part of Garrett county, but
only a small production is obtained from
this area in the state Of Maryland.