Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-11-15
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~ Eae1Ic 0eea7 40
and through the farms of the great

and through the farms of the great
! central valley.
During my stay nj Conception 7 have
! investigated the opportunities for
! American coal by way of the canal
The best coal mines of Chile are sit
unted not far from here on Coronel
Bay. The coal lies about the bay and
extends far out under the ocean. The
seam is about five feet thick, and the
rock above is so compact that the
water does not scep through Indeed.
! the submarine tunnels are SO clean
that one could walk through them in
evening clothes without danger. The
mines are equipped with modern ma
chincry. They are lighted with cleo
| tricity and the coal la carried out on
electric ears. The amount now being
mined IL about loo tons per day.
! and the total output runs into the hum
/ dredS of thousands of tons per year.
The supply of coal furnished by the
l.ota mines does not begin to fill
! Chilc's demands. The country is now
! using more than. twice as much conl
! as II produces, and 1t has heen export
| ing one-half of its supply from Aus
| tralia and England The state rail-
ways now use 100000 tons per annum,
! and practically all of the smelling
coal comes from Australia. | under
stand there are other extensive de-
posts In the province Of Arauco south
| VI N'ouSepSlOll, IIt lHeN-tu;tNt recentlN
! discovered coal near Punta Arenas, ut
the Strait of Magellan, Petroleum
and natural gas are known to exist
! 500 miles south OF Valparaiso, and
| that in region not far from the
steel works ut Corral. by means OF
| the cannl our coal from the gulf and
South Atlantic States ought to have
q great market here. and coal might
| form the return freight for the nj
,rates and other minerals that from
now on Will be shipped north through
| the canal to- our country
IL was these Lota coal mines that
| formed the foundation Of the great
| Cousino fortune, still one of the larg-
| cst of Chile. For several generations
II had been known that coal existed
| not far from Conception and ii was mt
the time that Madison was President
! Ihnt an American named Whcclwright,
| who nut the first steamers on the
| Southern Pacific. tried TO utilize these
! deposits for his ships. 1t was not until
$50, however that they proved to he
| OF any value, when they were bought
f! by Don Matias Cousino.
| The coal is not a very good steam
ing coal. but II does well for smelling.
Cousino established smelling works
near the mines and began to develop
! tho coal properties. He did so well
| that In one year his net receipts were
! more than Sl.200.000, and in time he
| rulu up flp business lie established
| the town of Lola. which has 10000
| people. including the most Of the 5000
men who arc employed in the mines.
! The town has good homes. Il church. n
hospital. free doctors and a plaza for
| recreation.
/ When Don Cousino died his widow
| WAS said to be the richest woman in
| tho world and her income was over
! 100000 a year. She had not only
| the coal mines, but silver mines and
copper mines. bonds and stocks galore.
! She had also large hacienda near
| Santiago and fine home In that city.
! She gave to the pablo the Cousino
| lark. which is the chief pleasure
! ground OF the Chilean capital, and she
! made herself famous also-for her palace
| and park ut Lota, not far from her
| mines. i have visited both places.
| They are wonders Of landscape garden
! irg, that at Lota having many pic
| turesque effects OF both land and sea.
The canal should also give an out
! let 10. the lumber of our Southern
| States into all the Pacific coast coun-
! tries. Chile has a large forest region
| but tho woods do not compare with
ours and tho country Is NOW import
ing about $4,000. 0o0"fe OF lumber per
| annum. The most OF this comes from
| California. Oregon and Washington,
and II has TO go long way farther
TO reach the canal than would the
lumber Of our Gulf States. Indeed, the
! increased distance would probably