The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-08-26
What the Panama Canal
and West Virginia Coal
Mean to North Corolina
(By ] o III.

Wilmington, Aug. 23.-If Mark
Twain's Connecticut Yankee, who
walked the court Of old King Arthur in
the dreamy days Of romance, couid
walk up and down the streets OF VIII
mington, and look out over the cape
Fear river, and study the map o!
North Carolina, and weigh up some OF
the Of the Atlantic slope OF
the United States that are IN reach
of this port. and measure up the pos
sibilities Of the traffic that might
come here with the shifting Of world
wide transportation lines when the
Panama canal opens, the story Of that
Connecticut Yankee in Wilmington
would beat the story Of the COnneC
cut Yankee at King Arthur's court
just as much as the magnitude OF
the commerce and industry Of the
days Of those old fellows OF the fosgy
period Of early England.
Wilmington is an old town. IL
bears the enviable distinction of being
the first port in the United States to
release the English governor and to
become a free American community.
But in spite Of its early start 1t has
been hampered by many things, and
has been slow to arrive. A prospect
is now confronting Wilmington, and
the interest Of the whole state is in
volved. If Wilmington shall come to
be a great seaport it is a North
Carolina is coming to be a great state.
for the destinieS OF a state n it's
chief city are homogeneous.
West Virginia is just across a small
tongue of Virginia from North Caro-
lima. That little tongue Of Virginia
and the big territory Of West Virginia
contain probably the finest body Of
coal in the United States. il not in the
world.
West Virginia has about two hun
dred and thirty thousand million tons
of coal in her hills. This is more than
double the amount of coal estimated
to be available in Great Britain, ever
il the British mines should go down to
a depth Of four thousand feet. 1t is
enough to run the United States for
nearly five hundred years at the pres
ent rate OF consumption, which is
about five hundred million tons a year
The figures get too big to realize
1t is easier II say that West Virginia
has about the los extensive valuable
coal field known in the world, fol
while North Dakota has more coal il
the same a be said Of Colorado and
Montana.
Emphasis is laid on this West vir
ginia coal. for 1t is possible it ma.
play a part in Wilmington's future.
West Virginia coal is Of the highes
quality among the steam, gas ant
Coking Goals OF the world. AS evi
dence of the superior quality Of tn
coal may be cited the fact that one o
the first things the big United State
Steel corporation did after getting wei
under way was to buy the Goa on
tract of West Virginia land equal t
eight by ten miles square, although
tho nnvrNnrnfinp nu-nC hrndroAC ~ ~ <
lions OF tons Of coal in Pennsylvania
and illinois
In a couple of months the first shi
goes through the Panama cana
1t is generally conceded hat the cana
will change the trend Of a large por
ton of the OF the WORLD
incidentally it may be mentioned tina
about where one ton is carried at Sc
IN a sailing vessel ten tons will go b
steamer.
When we begin to estimate by tn
millions of tons we get to a place tbs
we can not comprehend. The freigt
tonnage entering the ports Of tn
United States n the experts clearin
at h various shipping ports. will e1
coed thirty million tons coming an
and equal amount going each year..
What amount Of tonnage will US
the Pannma canal is a pure CUES
But it will be large. Several reason
assure that it will be large. The fir
is the enormous tonnage between tt
Atlantic n the Pacific. The secon
Is that the big investment in the can;
will make it profitable for traffic /
making a rate that will make it eas
for traffic TO pass that way. And oil
ers might be added, such as the deve
opment OF business because Of IL
greater chance an easy passage fro
ocean to cea will affect. The Su
canal handles nearly q million to,
q month. The tonnage Of Panau
has been estimated by the Unit,
States government which saw enous
in prospect to justify the gigAnt
expenditure to build the canal. TIL
is enough for the purpose Of tt
story.
There are two sources Of coal in Il
world for the ocean carrying vesse
One Is Great Britain. The other Is &
United States. The other great cou
tries ave but little coal, or but ind
ferently developed operations.
Twelve or fifteen years ago t