The Daily Missoulian., 1909-01-23
Minerals.

DC Drought lnlo HARMONIOUS CO-opeTd-
ton and collaboration.
Minerals.
The mineral production of the
States for 1907 exceeded $2,000.000 900,
and contributed IS per cent of the to-
tai freight traffic Of the country The
waste in the extraction and treatment
of mineral products during the same
year was equivalent to more than
$500, 900. 600
The production for 1907 included
395, 900, 900 tons of bituminous and S5,-
OOO, 900 tons of anthracite coal, 166.000,-
600 barrels Of petroleum, 100000
tons of high grade and 1000, 900 tons
of low grade iron ore, 2,500,000 tons of
phosphate rock, and S69,000,000 pounds
| of copper The values of other min
| eral products during the same year
! included clay products, $162,000,0O0;
stone, $1,000, 900; cement, $56.0O0 900;
| natural gas, $4,000, 900; gold, 800, ,000,-
| 900; silver, $S7,OO0,OO0; lead, $4,000, 900,
and zinc. $26,OO0,00
The available and easily accessible
| supplies of coal in the United States
aggregate approximately 1,400, ,000,-
900 tons. At the present increasing
SO depleted as to approach exhaustion
before the middle Of the next century
| The known supplies of high grade
iron ores in the United States approx
| imates 3,S40,O00 900 tons, which, at the
present increasing rate of consump-
| tion cannot be expected to last be-
yond the middle of the present CEN
tury. In addition to this there are as
sumed to be $4,000, 900, 900 tons of lower
| grade iron ores, which are not avail
able for use under existing conditions
Known Supply.
| The known supply of petroleum is
estimated at $1,000, 100000 to 10000, 900,
900 barrels, distributed through six
separate fields having an aggregate
area of $500 square miles. The pro-
duction is rapidly increasing, while
the wastes and the loss through mis-.
use are enormous. The supply car
not be expected to last beyond the
middle of the present century.
| The known natural gas fields ag-
gregate an area of 5000 square miles
distributed through % states. or the
total yield from these fields during
| 1907, 400, 000, ,0O0,0 900 cubic feet, valued
at $62, 100000, were utilized, while ar
equal quantity was allowed to escape
into the air. The daily waste of nat.
ural gas--the most perfect known fue
is over ,000,000,000 cubic feet o.
enough to supply every city in the
| United States of over 100000 popula-
| ton.
Phosphate rock, used Tor fertilizer
represents the slow accumulation o.
organic matter during past ages. II
most countries it is scrupulously pre-
| served; in this country 1t is extensive
| ly exported, and largely for this rea
son it's production is increasing rapid
| ly. The original supply can not Ions
| withstand the increasing demand.
The consumption of nearly all ou
mineral products is increasing fal
more rapidly than our population. Ii
many cases the waste is increasing
more rapidly than the number of oul
people. In 1776 but a few 5ozei
pounds of iron were in use by tn,
average family; now our annuel con
| sumption is over LOO pounds per cap
ita. In 1912 no coal was used, now tn,
consumption is over five tons and tn,
waste nearly three tons per capita.
Is Increasing.
While the production of coal is in
creaslng enormously. the waste ant
loss in mining are diminishing. A
the beginning of our mineral develop
ment the coal abandoned in the min
was two or three times the amour
taken out and used. Now the min
waste averages little more than hal
the amount saved. The chief waste /
in imperfect combustion in furnace
and fire boxes. Steam \engines utiliz
on the average about eight per cen
of the thermal energy of the Goa
Internal combustion engines utiliz
less than 20 per cent, and in electri