The San Francisco call., 1908-03-10
COAL PRODUCTION
SURPASSfS RECORD
Anthracite Region, Unaffected
by Panic, Adds to the
Figures Of 1906
Disasters, Coupled With FURRY
and Car Shortage, Cut
Bituminous Totals

WASHINGTON, March "a produc-
tion of between 45O,ooo,ooo and 4So,-
100000 short tons of coal in the United
States in 1907 is indicated by the re-
turns received thus far by the geolog-
ica1 survey, or an increase of about 10
per cent over the record breaking out
put of 1906, according to f. w. Parker,
coal expert and chief statistician of the
survey.
The most notable increase was made
in the production of Pennsylvania an
thracite, in which a gain of over 20 per
cent was recorded If the shipments re-
ported by the bureau of anthracite coal
statistics may be accepted as indicative
of the total production. The shipments
of anthracite In 1907 amounted to 67,-
lO9.393 long tons, as against 55j696,5e5
long tons in 1906. This would indicate
total production for the year of ap-
proximately 76,366,Oo0 long tons, or
about S5,S40,000 short tons.
NOT AFFECTED BY PANIC
An interesting feature in connection
with the production of anthracite in
1907 was the lack of effect on the trade
due to the panic which occurred in Oc-
tober and continued until the end OF
the year Not only did the shipments
of anthracite continue throughout this
period practically without Interrupt
ton, but the records show that the
shipments for November were larger
than those of any other November IN
the history of the trade, while those
for October were the largest recorded
for any single month in the last four
years. This condition illustrates the
extent to which anthracite has been
eliminated from industrial uses ana
shows that practically the entire pro-
duction is consumed for domestic pur-
poses.
Another interesting feature shown by
the anthracite statistics for 1907 Is the
steadying influence on the trade of the
policy adopted by the coal mining COM
panies few years ago in discounting
the prices in the spring and summer
months The shipments ranged from
5,249,946 long tons in January to o,olS'-
S5I long tons in October, and the aver
age monthly shipments We're not quite
5. 100000 tons These figures indicate
that the mines were operated with re-
markable steadin.ess from month 10
month and that the transportation was
also evenly distributed throughout the
year.
CAR SHORTAGE PREVAILS
The production of bituminous coal
cannot be estimated as closely as that
of anthracite. for. unfortunately, there
is no such reliable method of arriving at
the totals. But letters received by the
survey from a number of the larger
operators and from state officials 1nd1-
cate that the output of bituminous coal
in 1907 exceeded that of the previous
year by from to 10 per cent. The
increases We're rather unevenly dis-
tributed and were Influenced by severai
causes. In the eastern states, wnere
| ~ <pf.11 a. "a
used in coke. making and for other pur-
poses, the trade felt heavily the finan-
cial stress of the last three months OF
the year. and locally this effect was so
pronounced that increases recorded dur
ing the first nine months were to a
| large extent wiped out. Had 1T not
ben for this disturbance in financial
circles the production of bltuminous
coal in 1907 would have shown an in
crease almost comparable with the gain
in anthracite production. 1t is almost
certain that the increase would have
amounted to about Is per cent, the out
put reaching a total of between $780,
000. 900 and 100000, 900 tons. As it is,
the output probably will be about 25.-
o0O. 900 tons short of that figure.
The shortage of car supply, of which
almost constant complaint has been
heard for the last few years, continued
and owing to the demands for and high
prices paid to labor in other lines of
industry. miners and workers in the
bituninous coal mining district We're
scarce. After October. however. the
supply of both cars and labor was
plentiful AS compared with condt-
tions in 1906, the transportation facil-
tiles were somewhat improved 1t 1s
probable that If sufficient cars could
have been furnished to meet all the re-
quirements OF the producers, the out
I put would have been pushed far In ex-
cess of the requirement.
1t is not possible at this time to give
definitely the order of the producing
states, but owing to the fact that West
| Virginia was more seriously anected by
the financial furry than was it's rival
state of Illinois, 1t is not improbable
that the completed statistics Of produc-
| tion may show that Illinois has re-
| gained the second place (next to Penn
sylvania) that she lost in 1906 through
| the suspension of mining during the
spring months. and that West Virginia
once more will be third in rank.
| The closing month of the year was
/ one of the darkest in the history OF
the coal mining industry, for it wit
messed the occurrence of four separate
disasters, each in the Appalachian btu
| minous coal field. and each attended by
/ the sacrifice of many lives. The first
on the first day of the month, was an
explosion at the Naomi mine of the
United States coal company, near Pitts
burg The second wrecked mines Nos
6 and s of the Fairmont coal company
of Monongah, w. Va. The third was an
explosion of gas in the Yolande coal
and coke company's mine at Yolande
Ala, and the fourth wrecked the Darr
mine of the Pittsburg coal company
near Connellsville. Pa. Between SOC
and 500 lives were lost in these ex-
plosions, all of which occurred within
a period of three weeks.