and to call attention to the fact that this is the most desirable element in such irons, if an iron without chilling tendencies is sought. If introduced into the pig-iron during its reduction in the blastfurnace, as silicon is now introduced, none of the evils referred to would be encountered. A misconception seems to prevail as to the use of aluminum, even if it were not attended with the practical difficulties referred to. It is not to gray, but to white iron, or iron low in silicon, that aluminum can be added with advantage. Any addition of aluminum to irons already made gray by silicon, and consequently weak, would cause a further separation of graphite, and consequently make the iron grayer and weaker. While silicon and aluminum work together to make iron gray, yet if the silicon be left out and aluminum used instead, the iron will be grayer, stronger and softer than if silicon were the agent. We do not advocate the addition of anything to pig-iron unless it be unavoidable. Purchase pig-iron that will of itself, or when mixed with other brands, make such castings as are desired without any doctoring. If irons can be found that are made gray by aluminum, such irons would be very desirable for the making of thin castings where strength as well as softness is desired. THE COAL-TRADE AND MINERS' WAGES IN THE UNITED STATES FOR THE YEAR 1888. BY CHARLES ALBERT ASHBURNER, ASSISTANT IN CHARGE OF COAL STATISTICS, U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, PITTSBURgh, pa. (Colorado Meeting, June, 1889.) THE coal-fields of the United States have been variously classified as to their geographical positions. In 1887 I proposed slight changes to the classification generally used, for more convenient description of our coal-fields in my report on the statistical history of coal in the States during 1886 for the United States Geological Survey. This new classification seems to meet all practical requirements and has been generally adopted. The coal-areas are grouped in two divisions-the anthracite division and the bituminous division. The anthracite division, in a commercial sense, may be said to include the anthracite districts of Pennsylvania alone, although small amounts of anthracite are mined in Colorado and have been mined in Arkansas. In the New England basin the original coalbeds have been metamorphosed into graphite and graphitic coal, which have special uses, although not classified by the coal-trade as anthracite. The bituminous division includes the following coal-fields: (1) The Triassic field, embracing the coal-beds of the Triassic or New Red Sandstone formation in the Richmond basin in Virginia, and in the coal-basins along the Deep and Dan rivers in North Carolina. (2) The Appalachian field, which extends from the State of New York on the north to the State of Alabama on the south, having a length northeast and southwest of over 900 miles, and a width ranging from 30 to 180 miles. (3) The Northern field, which is confined exclusively to the central part of Michigan. (4) The Central field, embracing the coal-areas in Indiana, Illinois and Western Kentucky. (5) The Western field, including the coal-areas west of the Mississippi river, south of the forty-third parallel of north latitude and east of the Rocky Mountains. (6) The Rocky Mountain field, containing the coal-areas in the States and Territories lying along the Rocky Mountains. (7) The Pacific Coast field, embracing the coal-districts of Washington Territory, Oregon and California. The table on page 124 contains the approximate areas of these coalfields, as far as it has been possible to estimate them from the maps of government geological surveys, with the total product of each, in short tons of 2000 pounds (exclusive of colliery consumption), during the calendar years of 1887 and 1888 respectively. COAL-PRODUCT IN 1888. The total product of all kinds of commercial coal in 1888 was 142,037,735 short tons (increase over 1887, 18,022,480 tons), valued at the mines at $204,221,990 (increase, $30,625,994). This may be divided into: (1) Pennsylvania anthracite, 43,922,897 short tons (increase, 4,416,642 short tons), or 39,216,873 long tons, including 38,145,718 long tons shipped by the railroads and canals, and reported by their statistician, Mr. John H. Jones, and 1,071,155 long tons sold to the local trade at the mines, valued at $85,649,649 (increase, $6,284,405). (2) All other coals, including bituminous, brown coal, lignite, small lots of anthracite produced in Colorado and Arkansas, and 4000 tons of graphitic coal mined in Rhode Island, amounting in the aggregate to 98,114,838 short tons (increase, 13,655,833 tons), valued at $118,572,341 (increase, $24,406,589). The colliery consumption of the individual mines varies from The Coal-Fields of the U. S., their Areas and Product in (a) Including lignite, brown coal, and scattering lots of anthracite, not included under that head. nothing to 8 per cent. of the total output of the mines, being greatest at special Pennsylvania anthracite mines, and lowest at those bituminous mines where the coal-bed lies nearly horizontal, and where no steam-power or ventilating furnaces are used. The averages for the different States vary from 2 to 6 per cent., the minimum average being in the Pennsylvania bituminous, and the maximum average being in the Pennsylvania anthracite region. The total output of the mines, including the colliery consumption, On March 1, 1889, the United States Geological Survey published a brief preliminary report showing the total product of coal in each State and Territory, with corresponding spot values. These provisional figures, which I made up from incomplete returns and estimates, were as follows: Total product, including colliery consumption, 145,363,744 short tons; spot value, $208,129,806. The final results, made up from complete returns received up to June 15th, show an increase over the preliminary estimates of 3,295,658 short tons and $3,388,018 spot value for the entire product of the United States. THE COAL-TRADE DURING 1888. The growth in the coal-trade of the United States during the year 1888 was not generally so notable as during the previous year, either in the increased tonnage or the increased value, although the growth in special localities was greater than had ever before been realized. During 1888 there were 13,655,833 short tons more coal shipped from the mines to market than during the previous year, as against 13,523,266 tons increase in 1887 over 1886. The tonnage increase in 1887 and 1888, therefore, was practically the same, yet the per cent. of increase in 1887 was greater than in 1888. The increase in the spot value of shipments during 1888 was $24,406,589, while in the previous year the increase in spot value was only $18,676,123. When the coal sold to the local trade around the mines and used for mining is taken into account, the increase in the total product during 1888 was 18,683,845 short tons, and the increased value was $28,960,987 as against 17,232,154 short tons and $27,956,661 spot value for the previous year. The most notable increase anywhere in the United States was in Pennsylvania, and especially in Allegheny county, in the bituminous region; the increase in the anthracite region was also very great, showing an excess over 1887 of 4,416,642 short tons, or 3,943,431 long tons; the total product of the anthracite region being sold at an increase of $6,284,405 over the value of the total sales for 1887. This increase in the anthracite regions of Pennsylvania is all the more notable, when it is remembered that one of the most disastrous strikes which has ever taken place in any of the mining regions in America occurred in the anthracite region during the early months of the year. With the exception of Georgia and Indiana, more coal was produced in each State and Territory during 1888 than during the previous year, and the value of the product was greater during the latter year in every district,* with the exception of Georgia. The spot value of anthracite coal per ton at the mouth of the mine during 1888 is estimated to be 6 cents lower than during the previous year, while in the bituminous regions of Pennsylvania there was an increase in the value of 5 cents per ton. In most of the other districts the spot value of the coal during 1888 ranged from 3 to 11 cents per ton more than during 1887. The advantages of anthracite coal for domestic consumption are becoming every year more apparent, and the areas over which the Pennsylvania and Colorado anthracites are distributed are rapidly increasing, while consumption in old areas is growing from the natural growth in population. In no way is this fact better realized than by the increased popularity which the capital stocks of the anthracite-producing companies is attaining among conservative capi talists. The Engineering and Mining Journal,† in speaking of the anthracite stocks at the opening of 1889, says: "Upon Wall Street the term 'coal stocks' is usually applied to the leading anthracite stocks. During the year under review this group has been very prominent in the speculative arena, and holders of these stocks have more cause for congratulation than the holders of any other group of stocks represented at the New York Stock Exchange. During 1887, the tendency of the prices of these stocks was downward, while in 1888 the tendency was upward, and in some cases higher prices were attained than have been recorded for years past. The improvement in the prices of these stocks was not evenly divided-Reading, Lehigh Valley and Lehigh Coal and Navigation were adversely affected by a long strike at their mines, while the other stocks were favorably affected by the same cause. Owing to this strike, * No account is taken here of Rhode Island and Idaho. |