In South America, coal, probably of the carboniferous age, is found in the Brazilian province of Sao Pedro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catharine, and in the neighboring state of Uruguay. The largest area is that known as the Candiota coal-field, which is exposed for about 50 m. in the valley of the river of the same name. The sections exposed show five scams from 9 to 25 ft. each, or in all about 65 ft. of coal. Other basins are known at San Sepe, and San Jeronima, on the Jacaluthay river. The latter is the only point at which mines are worked, as the C., though thinner than that other localities mentioned, is situated within the reach of navigable waters, needing a land carriage of only 8 m. to the river.
On the w. coast of South America cretaceous coal is worked at Lota in Chili, and at Sandy Point in the straits of Magellan. In Peru both secondary and carboniferous coid is known at various points in the interior, the former occupying a position on the first rise of the Andes, while the latter occurs in higher ground, and at a greater distance from the coast. Good coal is also found at many points in the Santa valley. Much • of the Peruvian coal has undergone considerable disturbance and metamorphism sub sequent to its deposition. At Porton, 45 in. e. of Truxillo, a ridge of coal-bearing sand stones has been changed into a hard quartzite, with an interstratified scam of anthra cite in it nearly vertical position. The coal is remarkable as containing a large amount of sulphur.
The annual production of coal throughout the world was roughly estimated for 1874 at tons, including about 17,000,000 tons of lignite and C. from forma
tions newer than the coal-measures of Europe. Nearly one half of the total was raised in Great Britain. Excluding lignite the figures arc as follows: Tons. Tons.
Great Britain 125,000,000 Russia........ .......... 1,000,000 United States 48,000,000 Spain... 750,000 Germany 35,000,000 India 700,000 France 17,500,000 Other Europe..... ..... 125.000 Belgium 17,000,000 British N. America 750,000 ....... 4,700,000 Chili 200,000 New S. Wales 1,300,000 Australia 50,000 In America the first C. discovered was by father Hennepin, near what is now Ottawa. Ill. The first mining of C. was in 1813. when five boat-loads of flinty C. were floated down the Lehigh river and sold in Philadelphia for $21 per ton. The fuel of the period. was almost entirely of wood, Liverpool C. being a rare luxury. As late as 1821 only 22.122 tons of C. (Liverpool) were imported into the United States. The first regular, shipments of C. from the Pennsylvania mines began in 1820. The C. industry of Pennsylvania has reached enormous proportions, the annual product being valued at over $50,000,000. Besides more than 20,000,000 tons of anthracite C. there arc mined in Pennsylvania near 10,000,000 tons of bituminous C. per annum. Of bituminous C. the states of Ohio and Illinois produce the next most extensive yield, each about 3,000,000• tons annually. In 1870, there were 1566 collieries in the United States, employing 92,454 hands, and invested capital to the amount of $110,000,000. In 1820, the total C. pro duct of Pennsylvania was less than 2,000 tons. It is now more than 30,000,000 tons per annum. Sec ANTHRACITE.