COAL. Coal is the most widely distributed mineral and is far in advance of any other in the annual value of its output. It is regularly mined in thirty States. (For localization of coal areas, see article Com—) The area of the coal fields, not including those occurring in the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Coast States, is about 220.000 square miles. Of this only a small portion consists of the anthracite variety, which is almost wholly confined to the middle eastern portion of Pennsylvania. Authorities have not attempted to estimate the probable duration of the supply of bituminous coal, but it has been estimated that the anthracite would last. at the present rate of consumption one hun dred years. Bituminous coal mining began regu larly in 1750. while anthracite mining did not begin until fifty years later. The production of each was very small for a number of years. The rapid growth of the industry did not begin until after the Civil War. From the following table it will be seen that the output of bituminous coal has doubled for each decade since 1870. The out put of anthracite was five times as great at the end of that period as at the beginning. The total production of coal in short. tons in 1S70 was 33,003.315: in 1850, 73,647,997; in 1890. 150.073, 011: in 1900, 293.298,516. The following table shows, in short tons, the production of coal in the ten leading States in the years 1370, 1SSO, 1890, and 1901.
lu 1800 Great Britain produced six and one half times as much coal as the United States. In 1899 it was surpassed for the first time by the United States, and in 1901 the United States led by 42.790,730 tons. American coal is more
easily mined than the coal of most and the product sells at the pit cheaper than pit coal sells in any other part of the world. The total value of bituminous coal in 1001 was $236, 201,899, and of anthracite $112.504,020. It will be seen from the above table that the Appalachian region has contributed the bulk of the product. In spite of the enormous absolute gain in Pennsylvania. its relative importance has declined. West Virginia and Alabama are two of the fastest developing coal-mining States. The greater development of the Appalachian re gion is not due to the greater abundance of re sources, although the quality of the Eastern prod uct is generally superior to that of the West. It is due rather to convenience to the market. The thickly populated region to the north and east of Pennsylvania is without coal, and a large part of the anthracite product is consumed in that region for household purposes. Pennsyl vania is also the most convenient coal-produeing State so far as nearness to the industrial centre of the country is concerned, and a large part of its product is consumed in its own large iron manufacturing and railroad estab lishments. Its proximity to the shipping facili ties of the Ohio River early gave it a command over the markets reached by. the Ohio and Mis sissippi waterways. The want of a local market and the lack of railroad facilities have been against the development of the southern Appa lachian coal region.