Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1911-01-21
wAsH1NaToN's COAL TONNAGE
United States Geological Survey Report
Shows Kfttitas County to Be
Again in the Lead.

has issued a statement on coal produc-
ton in the state of Washington in
1909, which follows;
Washington is the only state west
of the Rocky mountains that rises to
any notable Importance as a coal pro
ducer. In 1909 the coal output of the
state, according to statistics collected
by the United States geological sur
vey in cooperation with the bureau
of the census, amounted to 3,576,356
short tons-an increase of 551, ALB short
tons, or 10 per cent, over 1908, and but
104, 176 tons less than the maximum
record of 1907 The value of the out
put in 1909, however, showed a phe-
nomenal gain of SO per cent over 1908
(from $780, 12 to $9,0s5,941, an in
crease of 1895, 5291, aud exceeded by
more than $1,400,OO0 the value of the
value of the slightly larger tonnage
produced in 1907.
Kittitas County Leads.
The greater part of this apparently
disproportionate increase in value was
reported from Kittitas county, the most
important coal-producing county in the
state. More than IS per cent of the
coal produced in this county is de-
rived from the mines affiliated with and
controlled by the Northern Pacific rail
way, and all of the production is taken
by the railway, none going on the open
market. The unusual increase in value
in 1909 therefore cannot be attributed
to any marked improvement in trade
conditions. 1t is to be noted, however
that in King county, which is next to
Kittitas county in quantity produced
contributing 30 per cent of the state :
total, the average price per ton ad
vanced from 1921 to 1924, and most
of the production of this county was
commercial coal. In Pierce county
the third in rank, there was a slight
decline in price, from an average Of
$2.49 a ton in 1908 to $2.46 in 1909
Until 1908 the use of machines fol-
underwriting coal had shown little
progress in the mines of Washington
attempts to produce coal mechanically
having met with Indifferent success
In 1908, however, four pick machine
were reported as having been used il
the production of 10000 short tons O.
coal; in 1909 there were 1S machine
in use, Is pick and 3 chain, and tn
machine-mined coal amounted to 1850
short tons. Twelve of the machine
in use in 1909 were post-punching'
machines adapted to steeply dipping
beds.
Washeries.
Notwithstanding the increased pro
duction in 1909, the quantity of Goa
washed was less than in 1908, bein
1,04s,177 short tons, which yielde
77S,03S tons of cleaned coal and 270
139 tons of refuse, against 1908, 81
short tons of coal washed in 1905
yielding s59,942 tons of cleaned Goa
and 23s,937 tons of refuse.
Accidents.
In a period of Is years the tots
number of deaths in the coal mine
of Washington has been only 449 an
the injuries 1859 OF the fatal acc
dents, about 80 per cent were due t
explosions, most of which were e,
plosions of gas. Some of the mine
in Washington are highly gaseous, an
the percentage of deaths from gas e;
plosions is higher than in most of tn
other states producing bituminous COZ
and is considerably above the averae
when taken for period of years. O
the other hand, the percentage {
! deaths from falls of roof or coal
smaller in Washington than in oth'
states-22.27 per cent as compare
? with an average of 47.93 in the Unite
States. d. G. Betting, state mine i
spector, reports that there were
fatal and 1856 non-fatal accidents
1909, as compared with 25 fatal al
70 non fatal in 1908. OF the fat
accidents, IA were due to gas expl
sions. The quantity of coal mined Fl
each life lost was 91,701 tons and Il
death rate per thousand 6.S1, as cor
3 pared with 133,s59 tons mined for ca,
fatality and death rate of 4.56
g 1908.