The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-07-30
OUTPUT OF COAL
BREAKS RECORD
OVER 57O.00O,00O TONS, VALUED
AT s7eO. 900 200, MINED
IN 1918.

The production OF coal in the Unit
ed States has again broken all pre-
yious records. the output for 1918 be-
ing 57o,o4s.is5 short tons, which is
considerably more than double the
production of 10000 and, more than
eight times the production Of 1880,
according to a statement just issued
by the United States geological sur
vey, from figures compiled by Ed
ward w Parker. coal statistician.
THE value of the coal mined in 1918
is given as s760.4ss.7s5.
Compared with the previous year
the output for 1913 shows an in
crease of 35.5s1.545 teas. or nearly
7 per cent. The increased activity
indicated by these figures was well
distributed throughout the twenty
nine coal producing States. twenty
three of which showed increases and
only six decreased production, the de-
crease in one of these-Colorado-
being due solely to labor trouble. OF
those showing increase, twelve made
record yields. and Pennsylvania, the
leading coal State, broke records in
both bituminous and anthracite pro-
duction. The States which broke all
former records in coal production
were Alabama, Illinois. Kentucky,
Montana. New Mexico. Ohio, Okla
hema, Pennsylvania, Utah. Texas. Eir-
ginia and West Virginia The largest
increase in the production OF bitum-
nous coal was in Pennsylvania. where
11,9 5,729 tons was added to the
output of 1912. West Virginia show
ed the second largest gain, 4,522.-
295 tons, and Kentucky the third
largest gain. 3,126,0T9 tons, which
was also the largest percentage of
increase, amounting to 10 per cent, OF
all the important coal producing
States. Indiana was fourth, Illinois
fifth. Ohio sixth, and Alabama sew
enth. While the total increase was
very large as figured in tons the per-
eentage Is what may be considered
normal and indicative of healthy in
dustrial activity throughout the coun-
try.
Coal mining. like all other indus
tries In the Ohio valley States. was
seriously interfered with by the great
foods during the spring OF 1913. and
Mr.. Parker estimates that from five
to ten million tons of coal would have
been added to the years output but
for this disaster, With no evident
fluctuations in the demand by the
blast furnaces, steel works and other
manufacturing industries. the demand
for coal for those purposes shows on
ly a normal increase. The continued
decrease in the use Of fuel oil in the
mid continent oil field and the strike
in the Colorado coal mines resulted
in an increased output of coal in the
Central and Southwestern States
With a few exceptions notably in
Illinois, Indiana and Oklahoma. val
ues ranged higher than in former
years so that from the producers
standpoint the conditions in 1913 were
fairly satisfactory.
The development OF our coal min
ing industry with reference to popu-
lation presents some interesting COM
PARSONS. In 1850 the coal output
was 7,o1S.181 tons. or o.3 ton for
each Of the 23.19I,876 Inhabitants;
in 1880 the population had increased
to about 1000 900 and the produc-
ton of coal to about 10000 tons;
an average OF LAP tons per capita
At the close OF the nineteenth century
the population was 6,303,3S7, an IN
crease Of a little over so per cent as
compared with 1880. while the pro-
duction of coal had increased nearly
400 per cent in the same period and
averaged $50 tons for each person.
In 1918 the per capita production was
figured at $50 tons. In addition to
this increase in the consumption or
coal the use in recent years of pc
troleum and natural gas should also
be considered.
The coal mines of the country gave
employment in 1918 to an army or
nearly three-quarters of a million
men-747 644. The average number
of days worked by the bituminous
miners in 1913 was 232, against 223
in 1912. while the average time made
in the anthracite mines in 1913 was
the best on record~-257 days for each
man The. average production per
miner in the bituminous mines In
creased from $50 tons in 1912 to S3s
tons in 1913, both being record break
ing averages, while anthracite miners
increased their average from 4S5
tons in 1912 to 532 tons In 1913.