coal trade bulletin - Clpdigital.org

30 THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
for domestic coal following an influx of settlers
into the state.
The reports from Wyoming indicate satisfactory
and harmonious labor conditions and slightly in­
creased demands for coal for railroad, manufactur­
ing, and domestic use. The trade was also stimulated
by the labor troubles in Colorado.
In Utah the production increased about 5 per
cent, over the 3,016,149 tons moved in 1912, partly
because of normal growth and partly owing to in­
creased demand from California for domestic fuel.
On the Pacific coast coal is now used practical­
ly for household purposes only, and the consumption
of coal in 1913 was about the same as in 1912.
In the San Francisco market the use of fuel oil
for generating steam has displaced that of coal.
The coal trade of San Francisco has been largely
supplied by British Columbia, but on May 1, 1913,
a strike was begun at the British Columbia mines
and all shipments to the San Francisco market
ceased. On account of this strike rail shipments
of coal from Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico were
considerably increased, and some shipments were
made by water from Puget Sound, Australia, and
Japan.
The production in Maryland was not materially
different from that of the preceding year, approximating
5,000,000 short tons, and as the "big vein"
of Maryland is approaching exhaustion in many
of the larger operations, any material increase in
the output of the state is not to be expected.
In Virginia and in West Virginia the output of
coal in 1913 was from 5 to 10 per cent, in excess
of that in 1912. Labor troubles in the Cabin
Creek and Paint Creek districts of the Kanawha
field were settled during the early part of the
year. The supply of labor in West Virginia, as in
Pennsylvania, was not equal to the demand, a
condition which tended to restrict the production
so that at times the railroads were in a position
to handle considerably larger tonnages than the
mines were able to furnish.
In Alabama and Tennessee the production of
coal was from 3 to 5 per cent, greater in 1913 than
in 1912 and was somewhat evenly distributed
throughout the entire year. Market conditions
showed some improvement in 1913 over 1912.
The production of coal in eastern Kentucky
showed a material increase over that of 1912.
The United States Coal Co. recently filed with
the Public Service commission of Ohio, a report
showing that from Sept. 13, 1912, to Sept. 13, 1913,
there had not been a single fatal accident at its
Bradley and Plum Run mines and but 13 employes
had lost one month's employment on account of
injuries sustained in the mines during the same
period of time.
COAL MINE FATALITIES IN OCTOBER.
The reports received by the U. S. Bureau of
Mines from state mine inspectors show that there
were 449 men killed in and about the coal mines
in the United States during October, 1913, as com­
pared with 203 during the same month of 1912.
In making comparisons with 1912, however, it
should be borne in mind that reports for 1913 have
not been received from California, Georgia and
Oregon, states in which there is no inspection ser­
vice. Kentucky is not included in October, as the
operators are allowed 60 days by law to report
accidents to the state inspector.
An explosion on Oct. 22 at Stag Cation mine No.
2, Dawson, N. M., resulted in the death of 263 men.
men.
Fatalities at coal mines during the first 10
months of 1912 and 1913:
2,008 2,292
1912. 1913.
January 252 214
February 213 200
March 360 194
April 81 278
May 150 199
June 170 181
July 193 178
August 211 233
September 175 166
October 203 449
The total fatalities during the first in months
of 1913 were 2,292 as compared with 2,008 for the
same period in 1912, as shown in the accompany­
ing table. Deducting the 54 fatalities that are
charged to the above named states during the first
10 months of 1912, for which there are no com­
parable figures for 1913, the figures become 2,292
fatalities for the first 10 months of 1913 and 1,954
fatalities for the corresponding months of 1912.
The actual gain in fatalities during the first 10
months of the year is 33S. The principal in­
creases in fatalities over the corresponding period
of 1912 were as follows, by causes: Falls of roof,
111; gas and dust explosions, 161; mine cars and
locomotives, 49; suffocation from mine gases, 11;
total, 332. These increases are partly offset by
the following reductions: Falls of face or pillar
coal, 36; shaft accidents, 7; mine fires, 7; surface
machinery, 4; total 54,
What is believed to be an immense lignite coal
field has been discovered in the eastern portion of
Brown county, Tex., and more than 1,000 acres
have been leased by Rice Stewart and G. S. Wil­
son. The field is located midway between Blan­
ket and Zephyr and about equally distant from
the Frisco and Santa Fe railroads.