The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-08-26

Aol1u ~ 1
! coal for the last fiscal year reached
nearly sixty million tons, Of which the
largest mount to any n country
vent to Canada, but nearly ten mil
lion tons went out to Cuba, the West
Indies. Panama, and the seaboard
routes.
While the European traffic with the
Orient goes by way Of the Suez canal
or the Cape Of Good Hope. British
coal will carry the goods. That traf-
fc is on the other side of the Atlantic
n will not take much American
coal across the sea to furnish power.
But when European traffic comes
across the Atlantic TO the Panama ca
nal that traffic when it recoals at
Panama will recoal with American
coal for the continuation Of the voyage
through the Pacific.
When that traffic is bound eastward
from the mann canal it will recoal
with American coal in the canal. For
a long time, until the coal of Alaska
can develop, the traffic on h eas
side OF the Pacific ocean will be car
ried with American coal picked up at
Panama.
Panama is destined to become one
Of the great coal depots of the earth,
and the coal will have to come from
the eastern side Of thu United States,
because 1T cannot come prOfitably
from the only other available source
Of supply. h English mines on the
other side Of the Atlantic.
The coal will then be supplied prin-
cipally by the mines Of the Appala-
chan coal field, reaching from Pitts
burg down into the northern part Of
Alabama. The Pittsburg territory is
pretty we'll occupied in taking care Of
the enormous demand made on its
supplies, and the country supplied by
l tho pitt0hIrPO fiovd o1Cn rnnohoc MO
down into West Virginia for additional
fuel. Alabama is limited in it's coal,
and will not be a formidable factor in
the worlds naval supply of coal. The
far-seeing minds that projected the
> c. c. & o. road up through the corner
Of Tennessee into the little wedge of
|. Virginia that lies below West Vir-
!. ginia, passed through the open door
!. of the new Ell Dorado. and have blaz-
: ed the way into the golden land of
= North Cardinals opportunity and Will
: mington's regeneration. Wilmington
can be put on the map of coal haul
ing roads.
> Wilmington is one of the most con-
%venient ports for this enormous traf-
= fc to reach the tidewater. Norfolk is
= the other. AS I nave said. it is use
= less to try to compute the figures Of
: coal tonnage that will be necessary to
: supply the wants Of the Panama canal
traffic. This much is sure. The rail-
roads that run from the coal fields to
= the coast ann with their present ia
y cilities carry the coal that will be
needed. The mines with their present
facilities can not produce it. The
ports with their present facilities can
not dock the coal and load it on
= Ocean-going ships.
Il In Pennsylvania Is the great Penn.
~sylvania railroad, which is the bes,
equipped for hauling coal Of all the
a Buffalo,, Rochester and Pittsburg
which. however, hauls coal north to
the lakes instead Of east. The Penn
le s~yfvania road hauls coal east from 8
territory that does not press agains,
the seaboard market, for an abundan,
he market for Pennsylvania bituminou.
IL coal is found in HI Pittsburg dis
< trict and On the lakes. The Western
I'd Maryland road, a Vanderbilt road, Ii
equipping for some Goa hauling, ant
se Baltimore is building enormous dock
s. to handle the export coal traffic. TIL,
st able GAL from Pennsylvania an
,e Maryland to h coast, but much o
Id the coal in the Baltimore & Obi
field and in the Western Marylan,
oy field goes to Pittsburg and west, Will
81 much more is used locally around Bal
|. WV SASfO
IL Coming out from the West V:rgini
coal fields are the Chesapeake & Obi
m and the Norfolk & Western roads
ez neither of them a well-eQuipped Goa
rs road. both being single track. alto
IA gether both hau a great e OF Goa
ed eastward. The New Virginia railroa
yh is designed for q coal road, and Is i
tic the class with the new Ciinch6ef
at road, the promoters seeing h pros
lis lpects ahead Of them.
The Norfolk & Western. the Chesa
he peake & Ohio and the Virginia road
Is. go to Norfolk with their coal. .Th
Southern. q great railroad. goes I
n tidewater at Norfolk. but, except &c
il the difficult grades and curves owe
the mountain from the East Tenne.
he see field. does not come from a CO:
BAL field. The Clinchield. with its Ses
board Airline connection to Whining
oal ton n Norfolk. or its proposed liz
Ito Charleston, u the best desiGa&