COAL - Clpdigital.org

48 THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
HISTORY OF AMERICAN COAL.
A chart that has a historical as well as a sta­
tistical value has just been published by the United
States geological survey. It shows the pro­
duction of coal in the United States from 1814, the
date of the earliest record, to the close of 1904.
The figures are arranged by states and by years
in the order in which the states began to produce
coal. The production of the entire country dur­
ing that period of 91 years is shown to have
amounted to the enormous total of 5,577.210,577
short tons. This includes the production for
1904, which is estimated at 351.196,953 short tons,
the figures for 1904 being preliminary and subject
to final revision later in the year.
Pennsylvania has not only the largest produc
tion of any of the coal-producing states, but it was
the first state of which there is any accurate record
of production. The first coal shipped in the
United States was from the Richmond basin in
Virginia. In 1814, when an output of 22 tons is
recorded to Pennsylvania's credit, it was easier
to hew down a forest tree than to sink a shaft,
and the coal mining industry was not needed to
support a thousand manufacturing industries.
The earliest production of bituminous coal was
made in the Richmond basin of Virginia in the
latter part of the eighteenth century. The first
recorded output was in 1S22, when 54,000 short
tons were produced. The production of this region
increased steadily until 1832, when it began
to decline. By the middle of the last century it
had almost disappeared. In 1855 began the development
of the Piedmont region, which at that
time belonged to Virginia.
The early records of Pennsylvania bituminous
production are deficient. The earliest date of
which we have any record is the census for 1840,
although it is practically certain that some bituminous
coal was produced in Pennsylvania before
that year.
Next to the records of anthracite mining in
Pennsylvania and of bituminous mining in the
Richmond basin, in Virginia, the earliest statistics
of coal mining which we have are for Illinois.
The first record found for this state is that coal
was mined in Jackson county in 1810.
Although some coal was undoubtedly produced
in Ohio prior to 1838. that is the first year in which
any production was recorded. The output for
that year was 119,952 tons.
Among the states west of the Mississippi river
the earliest production reported is in Missouri and
Iowa. By the census of 1840 Missouri is credited
with an output of 9,971 short tons and Iowa with
360 short tons. It is probable that very little
coal was mined in either of these states before
that time, and it may be considered that the industry
began at that date.
The first coal discovered on the Pacific coast was
found in the state of Washington in 1852. The
first mine was opened in Whatcom county in 1854.
Although California has never taken high rank
as a coal producing state, it comes next in order
in the history of early production, an output of
6,620 tons being reported in 1861. The maximum
output of the state—215,253 short tons—was at­
tained in 1874.
HARDSHIPS OF THE GERMAN MINER.
The executive committee of the striking mineis
in Germany issued an address to the German pub­
lic, in which it defends its position and called attention
to some of the hardships which the German
miners suffer. The following statements
were included in the address: "In the year 1885.
out of every 1,000 miners working in the Ruhr
coal district, 75 met with accidental injuries. In
the year 1903 the numlier of injured had increased
to 147 per 1,000 miners. In 1S96, of every 100
miners, 51 took sick. In 1903 the number had increased
to 71 per cent. In 1865 a miner in the
Ruhr district became a full invalid (totally unfit
for work) at the age of 50, and in 1903 he had
reached that state of incapacity at the age of 44.
The net profit per ton of coal has increased from
33 pfennigs (7.S5 cents) in 1885 to 1.04 marks
(24.75 cents) in 1903. The 682,000,000 marks
($102,316,000) received from coal mining gave a
surplus of 125,000,000 marks ($29,750,000) above
cost."
Special Home-Seekers' Excursions via
Pennsylvania Lines.
Anyone contemplating a trip west may take
advantage of the reduced fares for the special
Home-seekers' excursions via Pennsylvania Lines
to points in Colorado. Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota,
Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, the Dakotas,
Oregon, Washington, Texas and other sections in
the west and in all the states of the south. Stopover
privileges permit travelers to investigate
business openings. These tickets will be on sale
certain dates during the summer. Detailed information
as to fares, through time, etc., will be
freely furnished upon application to J. K. Dillon,
District Passenger Agent, 515 Park building, Pittsburgh,
Pa. lM
Sunday in Wheeling.
Leave Pittsburgh in the morning; return in the
evening, over Pennsylvania Lines. 8.20 a. m. train
Central time from Pittsburgh Union Station has
parlor car. Returning parlor car train leaves
Wheeling 2.55 p. m., arrives Pittsburgh 5.05 p. m.