Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-07-23
COAL IN PENNSYLVANIA
Production of Black Diamonds In the
Year 10O7-I.nrEest Recorded OUT
put md value.

put nnu value.
In The production of both anthracite
and btumirous coal. Pennsylvania in
1907 exceeded any previous annual record,
AS reported by the United states Geo
logical Survey IT. an advance chapter
of Mineral Resources OF the Unit I'd
States calendar year 1907, on tho produce
ton OF coal. prepared by r. w. Parker.
The total production was 235, 925,7 49
short tons having a spot value OF
$319 421.S26. The production OF anthra
cite was 76,432.I2l long tons equivalent
to &.604S12 short tons), having spot
value Of S16]. 6S4.056 The production Of
bituminous coal was 80. S21. 1877 short tons,
having spot value Of l55,s37,77o.
COMPARISONS OF 1906
Compared with the aggregate produce
ton of 1906, which amounted to 2oo,575,617
short tons. valued at $685. 20s. 345. the out
put in 1907 exhibits an increase Of 1850
l32 short tons or 11.6 per cent. In Quaiu-
ty and OF 572134 Sl. or 2l.S per cent. In
value. The increase in the production
OF anthracite coal was l2,7s7,4l2 long
tons equivalent to l432l ,901 short tons).
or col per cent. in quantity. and s3l 666-
362, or "a per cent, in value. In the pro-
duction OF bituminous coal the increa sc
was u 02S.23l short tons, or 1925 ger
cent. In quantity. and 25,547113, or 1851
per cent. in value.
PRICES IN 1907
The prices Of both anthracite and hi
luminous coal In Pennsylvania were
higher IN 1907 than IN 1906. The average
eli. 90
Increase OF cents. Although the guam
tty Of bitumnious coal produced was
nearly twice that of the anthracite. the
hard coal represented greater value than
the soft
ENORMOUS PRODUCTION OF THE
STATE
Until 1902 Pennsylvania produced each
year more than half the coal mined In
the United States. but since then the
States output has fallen below one
half. by reason Of the great increase
in production In other States
Pennsylvania produces more coal than
any other single State or country in the
world except Great Britain having in
1907 exceeded for the first time the pro-
duction Of Germany. Pennsylvana's
production of coal exceeds, In fact. the
combined production Of all foreign
countries except Great Britain and Ger
many.
OUTPUT OF BITCM1NOUS COAL
In the production OF hituminous coal
alone Pennsylvania far outranks any Of
the other States, the output in 1907 being
nearly three times that of Illinois, which
was the second coal-producing State
l.. tyn ndt,N-
ton of Illinois. West Virginia Ohio, and
Alabama-l45. sol, COZ short tons. One
county In the State (Cambria) showed
an increase of over 4,oOon tons. and
three others (Clearfeld. Fayette and In
dana) each increased more than 1000 100
tons. Four counties (Alleghcny, Somer-
set Washington. and Westmoreland)
showed increases OF more than loo nm
tons each. Only one county uawrence)
showed a decrease In production. and
| this loss wa. comparatively insignificant.
The combined production of Fayette and
Westmoreland counties. In which Is To-
Gated the famous Connellsville coking
district was over 5000 0oO tons an
amount larger by 7.ooo,ooo tons than the
| total OUTPUT Of Illinois. Fayette county
produced little over -, oooO 40 tons and
|
that quantity.
CONDITIONS IN BITUMINOCS DIS
TRICT
At practically all the mines in the BIZ
luminous district OF Pennsylvania there
was, during the greater part Of the year,
mn unprecedented shortage of miners
aElh other employeT. as we'll as a
marked shortage of railroad cars. It Is
| believed. however. that even II there
! had been no scarcity of miners and cars
many Of the mines would have been
compelled to run on reduced tiro, par
ticularly in central Pennsylvania as the
production has increased rapidly with
I'm the last few years that II would have
required an even greater demand than
existed in 1907 to keep all the mines run
ming to their full capacity. The increase
Of nearly rs per cent. in the production
of Cambria and Cearfeld counties and
| Of 60 per cent. in that of Indiana county
shows the extent to which the develop
mcnt In central Pennsylvania has pro-
Creased The scarcity of cars enabled
the producers to maintain prices during
| the summer at the highest level known
IN normal times and the business wal
undoubtedly the most profitable thai
Pennsylvania operators had known dur
ing summer season. With the none
tary troubles In October the demand
for coal fell off and prices NATURAL,
"slumped." the operators finding it din
cult to market any hut the highest ant
| best-known grades.
AVAILABLE SUPPLY OF COAL UN
h MINED IN PENNSYLVANIA.
i Mr.. NJ r, Campbell, of the United
States Geological Survey. estimates thu
amount OF coal originally in the an
thrac.te fields OF PENNSYLVANIA at q 900
oO0Up short tons and that In the b!
luminous fields at 1le,574 ofO,oN0 shor
tons II is said that. by the methods o
mining anthracite coal In former years
for every ton of coal mined and market
ed H. tons were either wasted or lief
in the ground as pillars for the protec
ition of the workings. so that the actua
| yield Of the beds was only about N pc
cent of the contents. This percentage q
waste has now been materially reduced
but the exhaustion to the close Of l9o
!, has probably amounted to about doubl
' the production or 400 ooo. coo short tons
4 This would leave still In the groun
! approximately 1900, ooO,Oo tons. whic
would be capable of yielding, at tn
/, rate OF ! ton Of coal lost for each to-
I mined. $500 on, ono tons. or approximate
100 times the quantity Of anthracite pro
duced in 1907.