The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-10-09
REPORT ON COAL
MINING IN UTAH
Slight Increase in Death Rate
by Accident in 1903 Over
Preceding Year.
PRODUCTION FALLING OFF
AVERAGE PRICE PER TON, HOW
EVER, NoTIcEABLY HIGHER.
tspeelal to The Herald-Republican.l

Especial to The Herald-Republican)
Washington, Oct SIT costs one hu-
man life for every 23O,849 tons of coal
mined in Utah, according to statistics
included in the annual report on the
production of coal just issued by the
geological survey. This is a slightly
heavier toll upon the men who work in
the mines than was shown by the fig
ures for 1907. Last year the death rate
for every 1000 miners employed was
800, while for 1907 it was 2.72.
The first record of coal mined in Utah
that the government has was in 1870,
when $500 tons were produced. Dur
ing the next five years there is no rec
ord Of any production, but in 1876 the
output was $1,000 tons, and since then
it has grow steadily. The coal mines
of Utah have yielded a total of 20,6S3,974
tons.
Some Figures Given.
In speaking of the mining industry of
that state for 1908, the geological sur
vey's bulletin says:
Although the coal production of Utah
in 1908 decreased in sympathy with the
general falling off as compared with the
preceding year, an increase is reported
in the value of the product. The pro-
ductiOn decreased from 1,947,607 short
tons in 1907 to 1,S46,792 short tons in
1908, loss of 100,S15 short tons, or BIS
per cent. The value increased from 81
$50, 769 to 50, 1898, a gain of S159 $50, or
5.39 per cent. The average price per ton
advanced from $1.52 in 1907 to S1.69 in
1908. This increase in value and ad-
vance in price in the face of the gen.
eral financial depression appears to
have been due in part to more exacting
requirements Of consumers, in part to
inability to dispose of slack and other
lOw-grade qualities and in part to a les
sened efficiency in the productive ca
pacity of the mine workers. AS COM
pared with 1905, 1906 and 1907 the aver
age production for each man employed
in 1908 shows decided falling off. In
1905 the average daily production for
each man employed in the coal mines of
Utah was 3.96 tons. In 1906 it was 1892
tons, in 1907 it was 3.43 tons, and in
1908 it was 9.05 tons. The average pro-
ductiOn per man for the year shows an
even more marked decline. In 1905 the
average output for each man employed
was 979 tons; in 1906 it was 1,127 tons;
in 1907 it was SS4 tons, and in 1908 it
dropped to 693 tons. Practically all of
the mines in the state are operated IN
der agreements with the United Mine
Workers of America, and out of a total
of 1864 men, 1920 worked at mines Op-
Grated on the basis of an eight-hOur
day. As in the other COal-pTOducing
states of the Rocky mountain region,
the number of men employed in the
mines shows an increase, the number
Of employees increasing from 2,203 i'm
1907, to 1864 in 1905 The average num-
Der of working days decreased from 258
in 1907 to 227 in 1908. The supply of
hot T,1,
speaking, ample throughout the year,
and there was no trouble from strikes,
lOckOuts or other labor difficulties. The
latter half of the year showed a marked
Improvement over the first half and
the conditions in the metalliferous min
/ ing industry at the end of the year for
the coal mines was hopeful.
Accidents in 1908.
According to J. Z. Petit, state coal
mine inspector, there was a total of 1876
| coal mining accidents during 1905 Of
these eight were fatal and 128 non-fatal,
and of the 12S non-fatal accidents only
seventeen We're of a serious character
| There were four wives made widows
and eleven children made fatherIess by
the fatalities. Of the eight fatal acct
dents, two should not properly be in
cludeL among coal mining accidents, a
the men in these cases were crushed by
coke cars. Dust explosions were re
spOnsible for two deaths and two in
juries. Falls of roof in rooms killed
two men and injured six. Falls of rock
! IN gangways injured four men. Powder
explosions injured two, and two men
were killed and twelve injured by being
crushed by mine cars. The death rate
per thousand of employees was three.
counting the men killed by coke cars as
among the coal mining accidents. The
number of tons mined for each life lost
was 23OS
Utah Coal Areas.
The areas in Utah known to contain
workable beds of coal are estimated by
NJ. r. Campbell to aggregate 1880
square miles, while there are 1000
square miles of which little is known.
but which may contain workable beds
of coal The original contents of these
fields are estimated by Mr.. Campbell to
have been 1856 ASS, OO0, 900 short tons of
coal. The first production of coal in
Utah was reported in the census year
of 1870, when $500 short tons were
mined In 1880 the census reported a
total Of 14,74S tons, although this was
undoubtedly an underestimate. In 1890
the production had increased to 31S.15q
tons, and it reached an amount exceed
ing 100000 tons for the first time in
1900, and reached its maximum OUTPUT
of 1.947607 tons in 1907
The total production since mining be-
gan in 1870 amounted to 20.6S3.974 short
tons. Upon the basis of one ton of coal
being lost for every two tons Of coal
mined and marketed, the exhaustion to
the close of 1908 has amounted approx
mately to BIO 900 short TONS or 0016