The coal trade of England is one of great magnitude. The coal exported from the Uni ted Kingdom to foreign countries in 1849 amounted to 2,730,507 tons. The coal brought to London in the same year amounted to 3,380,786 tons. Of the quantity brought to London, about two-fifths are shipped at the Tyne, and nearly the whole of the remaining three-fifths at the Durham ports. Of the coal sent to foreign countries, about 600,000 tons, or more than one-fifth of the whole, is sent to France : our next best customers being Germany and Prussia, who together take about 450,000 tons.
The great towns of Lancashire, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, and Staffordshire, are supplied by canals or by land-carriage from collieries in the respective counties here enumerated. It has been estimated that the iron-works of Great Britain, most of which are situated in spots were coal is found, require every year, for smelting the ore and converting the raw material into bars, plates, &c., nearly seven millions of tons. There is good reason for believing that the annual consumption of coal within the United Kingdom is not far short of 35,000,000 tons. In 1841 the num ber of persons in Great Britain employed in Coalmines was 118,233. In Durham there were in that year, on an exact enumeration, more persons employed under ground in coal mines than in cultivating the surface.
Coal and the collieries will not be neglected at the forthcoming Exhibition of Industry.
The coal-owners of Northumberland and Dur ham have deputed to a number of intelligent colliery viewers the preparation of a map of the coal district, showing the extent and out crop of the different coal-beds, together with the faults and other remarkable interruptions —a section of a coal-field, from and to given points, north and south, and a similar section from east to west—a model in pieces showing the structure of a given portion of the coal field—a synopsis of the coal-seams in illus tration of the map and sections—a collection of the fossils found in the coal-strata—work ing plan of a colliery, exhibiting the system of working and ventilation—a model showing the system of ventilation—specimens of the strata properly arranged—materials, &c., em ployed in coal-mining—models of machinery, underground railways, engines, shafts, lamps, loading machinery, drops, cte.
A block of coal, of gigantic dimensions, has been raised from Hange Colliery, near Tipton, to be sent to the Exhibition. It is six feet high by eighteen feet in circumference, and weighs about five tons. It is supposed to be the greatest weight ever attempted to be drawn out of a coal-mine in one piece ; and it is also a general opinion that no coal-field in Great Britain could yield such a large mass, except the 30 foot seam of South Staffordshire. The specimen is said to be remarkably fine, bright, and clear.