East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-07-20

The director. OF the United States
geological survey has just prepared
the following interesting article on
the coal production of the state OF
Washington:
Although a good part of the mar
ket for Washington coal in California
has been lost through the increased
production OF fuel oil in that state,
Washington shared in the general in
crease in the production OF coal in
1907. ........
The total output for the year was
3,6S0,532 short tons. having a spot
value OF $7,679.s01, an increase Of
4O4,S4S short tops. or 1894 per cent,
in quantity. and of $1,771.367, or 29.-
9S per cent, in value. compared with
1906. The average price per ton ad-
vanced from $3.50 in 1906, to $2.0s
in 1907
During the first 10 months of the
year the coal-mining industry of the
state was in a highly satisfactory
condition. In November and Decem-
Der, however, owing to the financial
disturbances, the output of the mines
was curtalied about S3 per cent. But
for this the production would prob
ably have exceeded 4O00,00 tons.
The number of men employed in
the coal mines of Washington in
creased from 1929 in 1906 to 5945 in
1907, and the average number of
working days increased from 266 to-
27S
The only decrease shown in the
statistics of coal production in Wash
ington in 1907 as compared with
1906 was in the productive capacity
of the employees, the average yearly
tonnage per man having declined
from 1884 tons in 1906 to 619 tons
in 1907. The average daily produce
tin per man decreased from 2.72 to
2.27 tons.
Nearly all the mines of the state
are operated on an eight-hour sched-
ule, 1894 men out of a total Of 5945
employed working eight hours a day
in 1907.
Washing apparatus has been in.
stalled at 10 plants in the state, and
the total amount of coal washed dur
ing 1907 was 799,015 short tons,
yielding 644,5O1 tons of cleaned coal
and 1854 tons of refuse.
ID. c. Bottlng. state mine inspector,
reports that the total number of acci- |
dents In the coal mines of Washing |
ton in 1907 was 131, of which 80
were fatal. The death rate per thou
sand of employees were eos, and the
number of tons mined for each life |
lost was 102,2S7.
This makes an unfavorable COM
parison with the casualty statistics
for 1905, and particularly with those
for 1905. In 1906 the death rate per
thousand employees was 4.S6 and the
tonnage for each life lost was 49,
917; in 1905 the death rate per thou
sand was 2.73, with tonnage of
220,S79 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
live principal fields-the North Puget
Sound field, including the coal mines
of Skagit and Whatcom counties; the
South Puget Sound field. comprising
the mines in King and Pierce coun-
lies; the Puget Sound basin, just east
Of Seattle; the Roslyn field. in Kittitas
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 include some natural coke and
anthracite. The bitumlnous coking
Goals of Washington are the only
,oking Goals on the Pacific slope Of
The United States. They are found in
the Wilkeson-C Carbonate district. in
the South Puget Sound field, and al
80 in the North Puget sound field, but