The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-05-18
COAL MINING IN
UTAH LAST YEAR
Reports of Government Show
Increased Output and Value
of Product.

Although the monetary disturbances in
the last three months of 1907 are clearly
reflected by the statistics of the coal
mining industry in Utah, the record made
in the mines of the state during the first
nine months of the year was sufficient to
more than balance the effects of the de
preston when the coal production OF 1907
is compared with that of preceding years.
During 1896. which up to last year held
the record as the most prosperous in the
coal mining industry of the state. the
production of coal amounted to l.I2.55l
short tons. valued at s., 40S.3S. In 1907
the output reached a total of 607 short
tons, having a spot value of S2,959. l69. The
increase in production in the latter year
amounted. therefore, 10 9.oS per cent, and
the increase in value to 22.S9 per cent.
These statistics indicate that until the
effects of the panic began TO be felt in
the latter part of the year the demand
fer Utah coal had been somewhat in eX-
cess or the supply ana was accompanied
by the higher prices natural under such
conditions. The business was also most
satisfactory TO the operators in other
ways. for the product of the mines was
handled by the railroads in gratifying
manner and there were but few COM
plants of shortage of car supply.
Men Employed in Mining.
The coal mines of Utah gave employ
ment in 1907 to 2.203 men, who worked
an average of 25S days the average in
1906 having been 2SS days for 1,512 men.
The record for 1907 shows a distinct loss
in the average efficiency of the mine
workers. the production per man having
decreased from 1.l27.6 tons in 1906 TO SS4
tons in 1907 In 1908 the average prOduc-
ton per man was 219 tons. The aver
age daily production per man in Utah
in 1907 was g. 43 tons. against 1892 tons in
1906 and $50 tons in 1905.
Labor disturbances in the coal mines
Of toll bszv f.aur 4 no oct
three years In 1907 there was only one
strike. and this one which affected l4S
men, lasted but four days In 1905 and 1906
there were practically no labor disturb
ances.
J. &. Petit. who has succeeded Conner
Thomas state mine inspector. reports
that in 1907 there were fatal and 81 nom
fatal accidents In the coal mines OF
Utah OF the fatal accidents were due
10 falls of roof or coal, l was the result
OF an explosion, and resulted from
other causes. OF the non-fatal accidents
were OF serious character, 20 were
due To falls of roof or coal, to gas
dust explosions, and - TO other causes.
The death rate per thousand employees
was ga in 1907. against 4.45 in 1906
and the number OF tons mined for each
life lost was S2ieol in 1907 as against
255,222 in 1906.
Fields Are important.
The coal fields of Utah are important
and widely distributed, and grouped geo
graphically. comprise the Book cliffs.
Wasatch. Weber River. Southern Utah
and small scattered fields. The Book
Cliffs field. with its southern extension,
the Wasatch field is the largest in the
state. The cOal-bearing rocks Of this
field underlie many thousands of square
miles of the Uintah basin and outcrOp
along its southern margin in the Book
cliffs OF western Colorado and eastern
Utah. The Goals Of this field are of up
per cretaceOus age and occur in several
d vfHurr IN. IL Il
ness. The lowland at the base of the
Book Cliffs is tTaversed by the Rio
Grande Western railroad The mines at
Sunnysde Castle Gate. Winter Quarters
and Cedar Creek produce IS per cent of
the coal output of the state. The coal is
a medium grade bituminous and yields
good quality of coke, over $4,000 tons of
the total production of the state in 1907
having been used for this purpose.
The Weber River field, in the northern
part of the state, is AT present next in
Importance to the Book Cliffs field. 1t
has an area of only a few square miles.
but il is reached by a branch of the
Union Pacific railroad, and two beds.
ranging in thickness from TO IA feet are
mined at COalVilie.
The other coal fields of Utah. with the
exception Of a small area in Sanpete
county. where a thin bed is mined at
Sterling, on the Sanpete Valley railroad.
are far from railroads and are practically
undeveloped. The biologists of the United
States geological survey have investigated
many of these fields and have presented
reports on them in various publications
Of the survey, notably in Bulletins Nos.
2S5 and 3l6.
Statistics in regard TO the coal mining
Industry in the United States in 1907 are
now being prepared for publication BIZ
r. w. Parker. the coal expert and chief
statisUician of the United States geOiOg-
Zeal survey, and will appear as an ad-
vance chapter from Mineral Resources of
the United States. Calendar Year 1907,
some time In the summer of 1908