The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-07-28
COAL BREAKS ALL RECORDS.

COAL BREAKS ALL RECORDS.
The production of coal in the Unit
ed States has again broken all previ-
Gus records, the output for 1913 being
570,o4S, 125 short tons, which Is con-
siderably more than double the pro-
duction OF 1900 and more than eight
times the production OF 1880, accord
ing to a statement just issued by the
United States Geological Survey,
from figures compiled by Edward w.
Parker, coal statIstician. The valus
of the coal mined in 1913 is given as
s76.o4sS,7s5.
Compared with the previous year
the output for 1913 shows an increase
OF 35,5S1,545 tons. or nearly per
cent The increased activity Indicated
by these figures was well distributed
throughout the 90 coal-producing
states. % of which showed increases
and only decreased production. the
decrease in one of these-Colorado-
being due solely 90 labor trouble. OF
those showing increase, y made. rec
ord yields, and Pennsylvania. the
leading coal state, broke records in
both bituminous and anthracite pro-
ducticn The states which broke all
former records in coal production
were Alabama, Illinois. Kentucky,
Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Okla
homa. Pennsylvania. Texas, Utah, Viz
lginia and West Virginia. The lar
gest increase in the production of BIZ
luminous coal was in Pennsylvania,
where 11,915,729 tons was addec to
the output of 1912 West Virginia
showed the second largest gain, 1922,
| 295 tons. and Kentucky the third lar
gest gain, 3.126.07s tons. which was
also the largest percentage OF IN
crease, 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
centage 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
floods during the spring of 1913. and
Mr.. Parker estimates that from to
10 million tons Of coal would have
been added to the years output but
for this disaster With no violent
fluctuations in the demand by the
bl. st furnaces. steel works. and other
manufa curing industries, the demand
for coal for those purposes shows
only a normal increase The con
tinued decrease in the use OF fuel OF
in the mid-continent oil field and the
strike in the Colorado coal mines re
/ suited in an increased output OF Goa
in the central and southwestern
states With a few exceptions. not
! ably in Illinois. Indiana. .and Okla
homa. values RANGED higher than n
former normal years, so that from the
, producers standpoint the conditions
in 1913 were fairly satisfactory.
The development OF our coal-mininf
: industry with reference to population
presents some interesting compari
sons. In 1850 the coal output was Z.
: o1S,1S1 tons. or % tons for each Of
the 2S.191,ST6 inhabitants; IN 1850 tbs
population had Increased TO about
$4,000. 600 and the production OF Goa
! to about Il 100000 tons:' an average
of 142 tons per capita. At the Gloss
/ OF the nineteenth century the popula
ton was 76.3aS.3S7, an increase OF E
little over so per cent as compared
. with 1850. while the production o.
coal had increased nearly 400 per CEN
In the same period ans averaSed SIS;
tons for each person. In 1918 the pei
capita production was figured at SIS;
tons. In addition to this increase in
: the consumption OF coal the use II
: recent years OF petroleum and natural
gas should also Re considered.
The coal mines OF the country gavs
} employment in 1913 TO an army Of
: nearly three-duartars OF a million ner
fist. The average number Of
days worke+ by the bituminous min
/ ers IN 1918 was $50. against 223 il
} 1912. while the average time made il
the anthracite mines in 1913 was the
best on record-257 days for each
. man The average production pei
miner in the biruminous mines in
creased from 500 tons IN 1912 TO SIS
tons in 1918, both being reco-dbreak
ing averages. while anthracite miner:
. increased their AVERAGE from .S5 ton:
IN 1912 TO SO tons IN 1913.