The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-07-18
COAL IN WASHINGTON
Gain In Production, Prices, and Value,
Products For Year 1907.

Although 4 good part Of the market
for Washington coal In California has
been lost through the increased pro.
duction of fuel oil in that state Wash
mgton shared IN the general increase
in the production of coal IN 1907,
The total output tor the year was
5,oS0.s32 short tons, having Q spot
value OF $,67o.SOl, an increase Of
404,34s short tons or l2A per cent.
in quantity, and Of Sl,Tl,5oT or 29,os
per cent in value, compared with 1906
| The average price per ton advanced
from $lS0 in 1906 to 500 in 1907,
During the first ten months OF the
iyear the eoal-mining industry OF the
State was in highly satisfactory con.
lition. In November aud December,
however, owing to the financial dis
turbanccs, the output Of the mines
was curtailed about 81 percent. But
for this the production would proba'
Ibly have exceeded 100000 tons,
The number OF men employed in
the coal mines Of Washington increas.
ed from 4,s2o in 1906 to s.o+s in 1907,
and the average number of working
days increased from 200 to 273 The
only decrease shown in the statistics
of coal production in Washington in
1907 as compared with 1900 was in
the productive capacity OF the em'
ployees, the average yearly tonnage
per man having declined from 1884
tons in 1906 to 6lo tons in 1907 The
average daily production per man de.
creased from 272 to 227 tons,
Nearly all the mines OF the State
are operated on an eight hour schc-
dulc, s,S94 men out Of total Of S.94S
employed working eight hours day
in 1907
| Washing apparatus has been IN
stalled at IS plants in the State, and
the total amount OF coal washed dur.
ing 1907 was 79o0ls tons yielding
l644.0i tons OF cleaned coal and ls4,
sl4 tons OF refuse
D. c. Botting, State mine Inspector
reports that the total number Of acci-
dents in the coal mines Of Washing.
ton in 1907 was l3l. OF which 80 were
fatal. The death rate per thousand
OF employees was 600 and the number
OF tons mined for each life lost was
i02,237, This makes an unfavorable
comparison with the casualty statis-
tics for 1906 and particularly with
those for 1905 In 1906 the death rate
per thousand Of employees was $50
and the tonnage for each life lost
was 1897; in 1905 the death rate
per thousand was 273, with tonnage
of 220j7o for each life lost
The coal beds OF Washington are
found in the western and central por-
tons OF the State, and are mined in
FIVE principal Gelds-the North Puget
Sound field, including the coal mines
Of Skagit and Whatcom counties; the
South Puget Sound field, comprising
the Puget Sound basin, just east OF
Seattle; the Roslyn field, in Kittitas
County, on the eastern slope OF the
Cascade Mountains; and the South
western field, embracing the counties
of Lewis and Cowlitz.
The Goals Of Washington range
from Ignite to bituminous coking
Goals, and including some natural
coke and anthracite, The bituminous
cooking Goals of Washington are the
only coking Goals on the Pacific slope
of the United States, They are found
in the Wilkeson-Carbonado district,
lin the South Puget Sound field, and
, also in the North Puget Sound field,
but coke is now made only in the dis
trict first named The Wilkeson-Car-
bonado coal runs high in ash and Is
usually washed before coking, The
Ignite or subbituminous Goals Of
Newcastle and Renton, in the South
Puget Sound field, are generally Of
high grade and we'll suited for domes-
tic use. The steamship consumption
in the trade with Alaska and the Ori-
ent is now the most important mar
/ ket for the high-grade bituminous
Goals of Washington.
: An advance chapter Of the volume
Mineral Resources Of the United Sta
tes, calendar year, 1907, on the pro-
duction of coal, by +. w Parker, Civ
ing the statistics presented above, to-
> gether with similar facts in regard to
: the other States, will soon be pub
. lished by the United States Geologi-
-