The following paper, by Chief Mine Inspector J. W. Paul, Esq., is full of statistical and general information relating to the coal area and coal operations of West Virginia. It is up to date, and fuller than anything ever published on the subject. The facts will be found extremely valuable to those seeking information about West Virginia coal and coal lands.
WEST VIRGINIA COAL AND COKE – 1900.
Official figures for the year ending June 30, by James W. Paul. Chief Mine Inspector.
Charleston, W. Va. December 27th. 1900
To those interested in the material growth of West Virginia it may be to their interest to have placed before them the statistics which pertain to the industry which is, each day extending the fame and adding to the wealth, progress and greatness of our State.
Coal is our king; lumber our queen. The queen may die but our king shall live to see the fuel of her majesty’s kingdom a mere ash heap. So long as solid fuel is used for the liberation of heat units, this State will be a leading factor in supplying the product which adds to the commercial greatness of all nations.
For the past twenty-five years the average annual increase in the production of coal in the State has been 547,538 net tons. The increase for the past two years has been over a million tons each year and the indications are that this same increase may prevail for several years. Only twice in twenty-five years has the State’s production failed to increase over the previous year’s – in 1876 and 1895.
The decrease in 1895 under 1894 of 239,790 tons may be accounted for by reason of the extraordinary stimulus given our trade in 1894 during which year there was a strike at the coal mines in the adjoining States but which had little following in this State.
The following table will show the production of coal in the State, by counties, for 1897 to 1900 inclusive. Tons of 2,240 pounds.
Fiscal Year Ending June 30th.
Counties 1897 1898 1899 1900
Barbour 31,658 48,600 63,275 73,041
Brooke 42,198 56,793 63,176 61,396
Hancock 33,838 42,870 39,440 47,013
Harrison 221,249 271,554 413,150 647,430
Marion 1,368,682 1,639,625 2,392,983 2,925,907
Marshall 162,396 165,874 233,800 242,176
Mineral 537,169 510,757 554,286 562,667
Monongalia 31,288 68,867 56,793 82,148
Ohio 95,578 96,912 119,960 96,610
Preston 120,211 169,044 277,173 403,610
Taylor 178,397 190,532 249,103 376,030
Tucker 647,666 831,497 490,038 1,098,874
Randolph 31,975 103,207
Kanawha 1,042,745 1,213,116 1,293,068 1,456,890
Mason 111,535 109,204 106,867 85,367
Putnam 131,522 128,851 164,004 203,449
Fayette 2,993,061 3,960,266 4,446,469 4,547,002
Raleigh 63,701 79,315 93,370 68,360
Mingo 267,789 383,280 350,294 466,695
McDowell 2,617,917 3,183,529 3,516,668 4,142,102
Mercer 873,300 1,004,379 1,144,258 1,046,937
Small Mines 133,920 140,000 150,000 150,000
Totals 11,705,829 14,294,865 16,250,150 18,886,911
FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH
COUNTY 1897 1898 1899 1900
Barbour 31,658 48,600 63,275 73,041
Brooke 42,198 56,793 63,176 61,396
Hancock 33,838 42,870 39,440 47,013
Harrison 221,249 271,554 413,150 647,430
Marion 1,368,682 1,639,625 2,392,983 2,925,907
Marshall 162,396 165,874 232,800 242,176
Mineral 537,169 510,757 554,286 562,667
Monongalia 31,288 68,867 56,793 82,148
Ohio 95,578 96,942 119,960 96,610
Preston 120,211 169,044 277,173 403,610
Taylor 178,397 190,532 249,103 376,030
Tucker 647,666 831,497 490,038 1,098,874
Randolph 31,975 103,207
Kanawha 1,012,745 1,213,116 1,293,068 1,456,890
Mason 111,535 109,204 106,867 85,367
Putnam 131,522 128,851 164,004 203,449
Fayette 2,993,061 3,960,266 4,446,469 4,547,002
Raleigh 63,701 79,315 93,370 68,360
Mingo 267,789 383,280 350,294 466,695
McDowell 2,617,917 3,183,529 3,516,668 4,142,102
Mercer 873,300 1,004,379 114,238 1,046,937
Small Mines 133,920 140,000 150,000 15,000
Totals 11,705,829 14,294,865 16,250,150 18,886,911
1897 1898 1899 1900
No. of days worked at the mines 197 214 240 261
No. men employed 21,422 23,262 25,408 28,017
Price paid miners per ton 33.26 cts 33.94 cts 36.15 cts 41.06 cts
Miner's yearly wages $276.89 $322.15 $376.40 $507.09
Selling price, coal per ton 70.03 cts 65.95 cts 63.19 cts 75.00 cts
Selling price, coke per ton $1.25 $1.14 $1.25 $1.75
Production of coke (ton of 2,000 lbs)1,374,497 1,742,256 1,950,179 2,496,106
In 1890 the State produced 7,394,654 tons of coal of 2,000 pounds, and in 1900 21,513,340 tons. While the entire production of the State was, in 1890 then considered enormous we now have two counties, Fayette and McDowell, producing 9,731,796 tons. This is within 6,959 tons of the entire State’s production in 1892.
The resort to the use of mining machines is on the increase. The number of machines in use in the State and the tons of coal produced is given below:
INCREASE OF 1900 OVER 1897.
Days worked 64 or 32.4 percent gain
Men employed 6595 or 36.1 percent gain
Price per ton paid miners 7.86 cts or 23.6 percent gain
Miners’ yearly wages $230.29 or 83.1 percent gain
Production of Coal (tons of 2,000 lbs) 8,042.842 or 61.3 percent gain
Production of Coke (tons of 2,000 lbs) 1,121,610, or 81.6 percent gain
DETAILS OF COAL PRODUCTION IN 1900, BY COUNTIES
COUNTIES NO. OF MINES LOADED FOR SHIPMENT LOCAL TRADE AND TENANTS USED AT MINES MADE INTO COKE TOTAL PRODUCTION SELLING PRICE PER TON AT MINES DAYS WORKED TOTAL EMPLOYES
Barbour 6 56,057 361 577 16,946 73,041 0.75 207 382
Brooke 3 58,199 13,107 90 63,196 .89 288 118
Hancock 4 3,571 13,335 107 17,012 .95 218 64
Harrison 25 644,579 1,772 2,887 25,192 617,126 .84 249 1,222
Marion 23 2,397,342 17,831 11,659 496,075 2,925,907 .79 312 3,062
Marshall 4 226,563 13,305 2,308 242,176 .74 223 312
Mineral 7 560,208 1,923 536 562,667 301 580
Monongalia 2 51,991 306 29,851 82,148 .60 248 107
Ohio 4 92,907 2,175 1,525 96,610 .75 304 174
Preston 12 329,979 2,681 2,050 68,900 103,610 1.08 270 502
Taylor 6 373,394 1,657 979 376,030 .67 239 537
Tucker 9 610,255 4,802 10,336 143,581 1,098,574 1.10 307 1,459
Randolph 3 95,173 2,732 598 4,704 103,207 .67 253 136
Kanawha 63 1,380,770 23,139 6,463 46,878 1,456,890 .93 222 2,797
Mason 8 38,033 34,488 13,146 85,367 .89 189 292
Putnam 3 200,070 2,679 700 203,449 .70 226 467
Fayette 86 3,724,377 46,819 19,758 756,048 4,547,662 .78 247 7,931
Raleigh 3 46,575 1,000 572 20,213 68,360 .82 176 188
Mingo 12 447,645 17,540 2,110 466,695 .76 240 754
McDowell 33 2,557,140 22,959 200,000 1,542,033 4,142,102 .68 260 5,514
Mercer 9 726 483 6,321 883 813,250 .67 1 297
TOTALS 325 14,752,423 263,635 99,824 3,621,029 18,736,911 0.75 261 28,017
1897 1898 1899 1900
No. of Machines 55 96 141 241
tons of Coal produced by machines 600,418 1,070,293 1,733,279 2,537,611
Total production of State 11,705,829 14,294,865 16,250,150 18,886,911
Percentage of machine coal 0.0543 0.075 0.106 0.134
The large number of deaths for 1900, being 133, is the result of the Red Ash mine explosion in which 46 persons were killed.
Since 1893 the production of coal in the State has increased over 100 per cent., at present individual corporations are mining more coal than the entire State produced in 1882, when the production was 2,240,000 short tons.
Twenty-two counties contributed the production accounted for and there as are many more counties in which coal mining might be conducted with profit.
During the past year many new mines have been opened, especially in Harrison. Fayette, Preston, Marion, Barbour and Randolph. Main installations of mining plants are under contemplation and many of the older mining plants have undergone expensive and elaborate improvements.
With a continuation of the present demand for coal the future of the mining industry in the State is almost beyond contemplation. To transport the coal from the mines in the State requires 91 railroad trains each working day each hauling 30 cars of 30 tons capacity, or 2,754 cars of 30 tons capacity each day the mines are active.
A conservative estimate of the production of coal for the calendar year 1900 may he placed at 22,000,000 short tons.
It is a mistaken idea that all of the good coals of the State are under operation or that they are owned by existing coal companies. Much valuable coal property may be had throughout the State at prices per acre ranging from five to one hundred dollars. Only exceptionally well located tracts command one hundred dollars, the ruling price being fifteen to thirty and forty dollars per acre. The majority of the coals in the State are above the valleys and may be mined by a drift opening. There are about 400 coal openings in the State from which coal is mined and shipped, and of these only seven are shafts. The deposits of coal are practically horizontal and infrequently have over four or five per cent dip.
METHODS OF MINING.
Little, if any has been written upon the methods in use in the mining of the coal deposits in West Virginia. The impression may prevail in parts out of the State that the coal is mined in a careless and unsystematic manner. This is true only in so far as it applies to the very old mines which were opened as long as 30 or 40 years ago; and these are principally mines of little importance at the present. A number of valuable coal tracts have been lost by reason of the lack of system in developing the coal. The mines of the present a different condition. The majority of the mines in the State are of large area and are large producers. They are developed in a systematic plan which has for its purpose the extraction of the greater percentage of the coal: the mining of the coal with the least expense; the safety of the mine and a system of ventilation and drainage that will render the mine the best sanitation.
The customary plan adopted in the opening of a mine for the purpose of developing a coal property is first, to prepare a map of the property showing the property lines, outcroppings of the coal, location of all streams and houses and the elevation of the crop line. This furnishes the basis for a working plan of the mine. Second, if the property is so situated with reference to the railroad as to permit of the property being opened at the lowest part it is most desirable, however, if the coal has its highest tidal elevation near the only available point of attack then a system of headings should he driven toward the lowest point, or a system of headings should be driven from the lowest point in the direction of the main opening, or the heading’s may be simultaneously driven to meet each other. This may only be done in case the coal is above the valleys and has an outcropping.
The importance of having this opening at the lowest point will appeal to any practical mine man as it will afford a drainage for the mine which is of the greatest importance, thus saving the expense of hauling the water out of the mine in water cars, or the use of pumps which are always the source of much expense.
The plan of the mine may be compared to the plan of the streets, avenues, and alleys of a city. A well planned mine conforms to a well planned city and a badly planned mine may well be compared to a city with streets and alleys running in all directions and in much confusion.
The system which is adopted by the operators who are desirous of the best results generally develop their mine by advancing two parallel headings, driven with the coal, about 20 to 50 feet apart.
At intervals of 75 to 100 feet a cross cut is made connecting these headings. These two headings are called the main heading and airways. It is customary to erect a fan 10 to 20 feet in diameter at the outlet of one of these headings.
The one becomes the main intake and the other the main return for the air current.
At a point about 300 feet from the drift mouth lateral headings will be driven at right angles to the main heading. These are called crosss entries, butt headings or first right, first left, etc.
The cross entries are driven about 15 to 30 feet apart and are connected by a cross cut about every 600 or 100 feet for ventilation. If the coal bed is practically horizontal rooms will be turned off these entries both to the right and to the left.
The rooms may be 250 or 300 feet long and as wide as the nature of the roof will admit, usually 15 to 30 feet. A pillar of 6 to 30 feet is left between the rooms, if the conditions are favorable these pillars are withdrawn after the rooms have been extended their proper length.
The cross entries are extended to the limits of the property and when the rooms are completed on them and the room pillars removed the entry pillars are withdrawn. This process of removing pillars is frequently called “robbing pillars,” and is a legitimate vocation.
The cross entries are excavated in pairs or sets. These sets of cross entries are turned off the main headings at intervals of 300 to 500 feet. This distance is governed by the grades in the mine, the amount of water encountered, the condition of the roof and the texture and nature of the floor.
In some of the mines in the State so much as 85 to 95 per cent of the coal is taken from the mine, while there are others which secure no more than 50 or 60 per cent, of the coal.
It is well worthy of comment that those mines in the State which have the most accurate maps secure the largest percentage of the coal.
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