The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-06-02
ON COAL
MINING ASTOUNDING
46o, 100000 Tons Was Total
Production in Country
in 1909.
(National News Association

WASHINGTON, D. c., June Sta
tistics of coal mining in the United
States for 1909 are given in a bulletin
issued by Director Durand, of the Blu
reau of the Census, Department of
Commerce. 1t was prepared by Spec
ial Agent D. A. Morrow under the
supervision of Isaac A. Hourwich, ex-
pert special agent for mining.
The total production of coal in the
United States in 1909, in round num-
bers, was 460,000,0OO tons. The total
tonnage of bituminous coal was 379,-
100000 and the total tonnage of an
thracte S1,000,000 The mines which
made complete reports produced 45S,-
100000 tons, of which 40S, 200, 900 tons
were produced for sale or for use as
fuel, and 100000 tons (of bitumi-
nous coaD were converted into coke
at the mines, producing 100000 tops
of coke. "a few other mines with a
small production of coal-about 2,000,-
900 tons-which did not furnish full
statistics as to value, expenses, etc,
or were operated by penal institutions,
are not included in these figuresD
The total value of all products of
the industry was $577,143, 900, and the
total net expenses of coal mining and
coke manufacture at the mines were
$3.50, $4,000, of which about four-fifths
was for wages and salaries. The num-
Der of wage earners employed at the
mines with complete reports was 743,-
600.
Anthracite coal is produced almost
exclusively in a comparatively small
area in eastern Pennsylvania. The
most important bituminous field is
the Appalachian, extending from west
ern Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio
southwark as far as Alabama; the
next most important is that embracing
a large part of Illinois, southwestern
Indiana, and part of western Ken
lucky. The large areas in North Da-
kota and the Rock Mountain states
are mainly Ignite and subbituminous
coal.
Pennsylvania Prominence.
The marked pre-eminence of Penn
sylvania among the coal mining states
is shown. In 1909 Pennsylvania pro-
duced nearly half the total output of
the United States. The anthracite in
dustry was practically confined to this
state, and it's bituminous tonnage was
greater than that of any other three
states combined. Next in order were
West Virginia, Illinois and Ohio. To-
gether these four states mined 75.9
per cent of the total coal production OF
the Uuited States.
| AS showing the great development
of the coal mining industry from 1889
to 1909, the total output was 41,000,-
600 tons in 1899 and 400, 000, 900 tons
| in 1909, an increase of 319,000,00O
tons, or 225 per cent. By far the
greater part of this increase was in
the bituminous production, which rose
from 95,629,000 tons to 37S,975, 900
tons, an increase of 1858 per cent.
In Pennsylvania the increase in the
bituminous output was 101, 461 900
tons, in West Virginia 1851 tons, in
Illinois 3S,792,000 tons, and in Ohio
17,S66,OO tons, or $50 per cent, 1872
per cent, 500 per cent, ind 179 per
cent, respectively.
The average value per ton has in
creased in every region except the
Rocky Mountain, Northern Great
Plains, and Pacific Coast. For the en-
tire country the increase for btu
minous coal was from 99c in 1889 tc
$1.07 in 1909; in the Appalachian field
the most important, the average value
of bituminous coal was SIC per tor
in 1889 and 95c in 1909, and that oil
anthracite, $1.44 and $1.S4 respective
ly. In general, the increases in ave
rage values can be ascribed to higher
wages and greater cost of mine sup
plies.
Capital Invested.
The capital invested in coal mines
and the output and value If coal pro
duced were more than three times al
great in 1909 as in 1899, and the ave
rage of land controlled was more thar
four times as great. By far the great
er part of this development took place
in bituminous mining.
In general, from 1899 to 1909 botf
the average expense of production ant
the average value of coal increased