Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-01-25
WORLDS CONSUMPTION
Of BUNKER COAL

WASHINGTON, D. c. Jan. 25-T1e
suggestion that the opening of the
Panama Canal may render feasible
the establishment of great Amerd-
can station for supplying coal from
the mines Of the United States to
vessels Of the world lends interest to
an estimate prepared by the Bureau
of Statistics, Department of Com
MERGE and Labor, of the coal con-
sumption on the ocean of the world.
The statement estimates tie coal con-
sumed on the oceans of the world at
approximately IS million tons per an.
mum, valued at over $50 million dol
lars.
= An exact statement of the quantity
coal consumed by the merchant
marine and navies Of the world can
not be made. owing to the fact that
comparatively few countries state in
separate terms the quantity OF coal
supplied to vessels for their own use
or for "bunkering'" purposes. The
United States statistics show about
9 million long tons supplied to vessels
at ocean ports to be placed in their
bunkers for their own use, and the
British reports show about 20 million
long tons supplied to vessels in the
foreign trade and Ia million tons to-
vessels in the coastwise trade. This
would make for the two great coal
producing countries of the world the
United States and the United King
donna total of over 30 million tons
supplied directly to vessels for Chunk
ering" purposes. In addition to this,
however, a very considerable percent
age of the coal sent out to Great
Britain as exports" passes to ports
and stations in various parts Of the
world from whichit Is finally supplied
to ocean vessels for fuel purposes.
A paper presented before the Royal
Statistical Society of England by D.
A. Thomas, M. p. stated that:
THE great bulk of our export of
coal is for the use of steamships, and
it is within the mark to say that over
haK Of our exports are for navigation
purposes! Cardiff alone ships over q
million tons annually to Port Said,
over a million to Malta and Gibraltar,
about the same quantity to Cape
Verde and the Canaries over 3O0, 900
to Colombo, and large quantities to
Alden, practically the whole of which
goes to bunker steam vessels calling
to coal at those depots."
As the Birth exports of coal, aside
from that recorded as supplied to
vessels for fueling purposes amounted
in 1910 to over 81 million long tons,
the above quoted estimate would seem |
to justify adding to the 10000, 900 |
tons recorded a. bunker coal by the |
United Kingdom and the United !
States another 30 million as the share !
of British exports which finally be- !
come bunker coal through purchase |
for bunkering purposes at ports or !
stations to which it was originally
exported. While the Bureau Of Stats
tice is unable to state the share of
coal exports which become
vessel supplies (aside from that act
ually reported as bunker coal and
not included in the export statement) |
1t is quite probable that consider
able percentage of the coal from the |
United States which passes to the
West Indian Islands and the coast of
Mexico is used for vessel fueling. !
Add to this the more than million
tons supplied by the japanese mines
to vessels engaged in the foreign
trade, the more than 1 million tons
supplied from Australia, the nearly
million tons supplied from India,
plus the estimated consumption Of
about 3 million tons BY the navies Of :,
the world. and the Bureau of Stats
tics estimate Of an average Of 75
million tons consumed on the oceans
Of the world seems . conservative
one. Az the valuation Of the coal
exported for steaming purposes aver.
ages about $3.50 per ton, tho further
Of the value Of the coal used