The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1914-01-09
EASTERN KENTUCKY
COAL AS ARGUMENT
Bankers Of Louisville Use U. S. Geo.
logical Report in Their Fight.

Washington, Dec. 21.--Arguments
for the establishment of regional
reserve bank in Louisville are strik-
ingly, if unconseiously, presented in
the report of the United States Geo.
logical Survey of the production of
nonmetallic minerals in Kentucky in
|, 1912. How the State teens with Goa
coke, limestone, spar, natural gas
and various other valuable yields of
the soil; how Eastern Kentucky has
developed during the past year; how
Kentucky broke the worlds coal
record-all those things are told in
the huge volume of over 1900 pages
FOne of the most remarkable state
ments is that detailing how East
err Kentucky coal mines, in 1912
for the first time, exceeded the yield
of those in Western Kentucky. The
survey experts declare that the
western field will never regain the
ascendancy.
1t is tale OF hundreds of mill
lions of dollars having been taken
cut of Kentucky earth in 1912 and
forecast of billions more. The fol-
lowing tells the story in condensed
form:
191l-Total quantity, 14,049,703;
total value, $14.0OS,45S; average
price per ton, CSC.
1912-Total quantity, 16,490,521;
total value, $16,S54,207; average
price per ton, $1.O2.
Rank of Kentucky-Fif in coal
production; seventh in coal value
in 1912.
In speaking of Kentucky as coal
State the survey says in part:
Kentucky is the only one of the
coal producing States which has
within its borders areas belonging
to any two of the great coal fields.
The eastern counties Of the State
are underlain by the coal beds OF
of the great Appalachian Mountain
system, extending entirely across -he
State in northeast-southwest di-
rection, while the southern limits of
the central or eastern interior field
are found in the more northern
counties of the western part of the
State. The total area underlain by
coal in the eastern counties of Ken
tucky is estimated at 1920 square
miles, and the coal-bearing areas in
/ the western part of the State are
estimated to contain 6,400 square
miles, or somewhat more than one
half of that of the eastern part. Up
to the close of 1911 the larger part
of the production of the State had
been from the western district, but
as a result of extensive develop-
ments in Harlan, Johnson, Letcher
and Pike counties, the larger part
of the coal production in 1912 was
from the eastern part of the State.
There is little probability of the
western district again gaining the
ascendancy.
The production of coal in Ken
tucky established a new record in
1912 with total of 16,490,521 short
tons, an increase of 2,440,S1S tons,
or ia per cent. over 1911, and of
1,S67,202 tons over the maximum
output of 1910. The value increased
$2,S45,749, or 20.S per cent. from
$14,00S,45S in 1911 to $16,S54,2O7
in 1912.
Kentucky participated in the gem
eral advance in prices, the average
value per ton being $102 in 1912
against 80 cents in 1911 The in
creased production in 1912 was due
chiefly to the new development in
Eastern Kentucky, for although the
western counties exhibited gain in
the eastern part of the State was
1,7sS,031 tons or over 100000 tom
more than the gain in the western
counties. Moreover, the western dis I
trict did not reach by over 100000 /
tons the record made in 1910, while
in the eastern counties the gain
over 1910 was nearly 2,340,000 tons
"The principal increase In 1912
were In Harlan-co. (314.532 tons,) |
Pike (269,465 tons,) Bell (197,569 I
tons,) Floyd (195,S91 tons,) and
Johnson-co. (130,766 tons.) In the
eastern district, and in Hopkins
(S93,092,) Webster (294,0lS tons,) |
and Muhlenber-co. (124,S44 tons,)
in the western district. McCreary
county, In the eastern district show
cd gain OF 543,So7 tons. its en-
tire production in 1912. but this is
a new county carved out OF Pulaski.
Wayne and Whitley counties, all OF