11,071 tons from England, and about the same quantity from France, in the year prior to 1847. The manufacture of iron has advanced so rapidly that there were more tons produced from the furnaces of a single province, Hainault, in 1846, than in the entire kingdom of Belgium, only five years before. Increased Exportation of Bituminous Coal from Belgium, chiefly to France.-Advance from 621,560 tons in 1830, to 1,356,973 in 1846, 118 per cent. in sixteen years. Upwards of 1,700,000 tons in 1847. = In the fifty-eight years from 1787 to 1845, the exportation of coa. from Belgium into France increased twenty-seven fold, or 2708 per cent. That to the Low Countries, in the seven years between 1835 and 1842, advanced nineteen fold. To other countries no advance. Increased annual Consumption of Coal in Belgium.—Advance from 2,162,000 tons in 1830, to 2,670,000 in 1840. The domestic consumption in 1847 was probably upwards of 4,000,000 tons. HOLLAND. The quantity of coal received from England has increased sixty-seven per cent. in the ten years between 1831 and 1841, since which it has diminished forty-eight per cent. in 1845. That from Belgium has augmented 1940 per cent. in the seven years from 1835 to 1842. There is a large increase from the Prussian provinces. KINGDOM OF PRUSSIA.-Increased Importation of Bituminous Coal.-Advance, 154 per cent. in twenty-six years; from 1832 to 1844, 112 per cent. in twelve years. Increased Importation of Coal from England.-From 15,956 tons in 1831, to 184,487 tons in 1845, about ten fold, or 1050 per cent., in fourteen years. RHENISH PROVINCES OF PRUSSIA.-Exportation to France.-From 27,500 tons in 1820, to 237,200 in 1845; 777 per cent. increase in 25 years. In the fifty-eight years from 1787 to 1845, the exportation into France advanced twenty-three fold, or 2322 per cent. increase. Increased production of Bituminous Coal in the provinces of the Lower Rhine-Saarbrück.-From 233,000 English tons in 1817, to 700,000 tons in 1844,200 per cent. in twenty-seven years. WESTPHALIA.—Increased production of Coal.-From 370,268 English tons in 1819, to 1,200,000 in 1844, 224 per cent. = PRUSSIAN SILESIA.-Increased production of Bituminous Coal.From 285,000 English tons in 1817, to 850,000 tons in 1844, 200 per cent. in twenty-seven years. = PRUSSIAN SAXONY.-Has doubled her production in twenty-one years. HANSE TOWNS.-Increased Importation of Coal from Great Britain. From 26,500 tons in 1789, to 227,539 tons in 1845,759 per cent. in fifty-six years. See Zollverein. DENMARK.-Increased Importation from Great Britain.-From 61,392 tons in 1828, to 168,153 tons in 1845,170 per cent. in seventeen years. NORWAY. Increased Importation of Bituminous Coal from England. From 3,771 tons in 1831, to 15,894 tons in 1841. SWEDEN.-From Great Britain.-Increase from 6,150 tons in 1831, to 26,941 tons in 1841. RUSSIA. Increased Importation of Bituminous Coal from Eng land. = From 42,061 tons in 1835, to 150,422 tons in 1845, 257 per cent. From 2,316 tons in 1810, to 150,422 tons in 1845, 1150 per cent. in twenty-five years. From 1820, to 150,422 tons in 1845,= 7400 per cent. in twenty-eight years. HUNGARY.-Increased production of Bituminous Coal.-From 1823 (average of ten years) 14,500 tons, to 33,076 tons in 1845; 207 per cent. in twenty-three years. BOHEMIA.-Increased consumption of Coal in Prague in ten years. -From 10,000 French tonnes in 1830, to 24,000 in 1839. Production.-Advanced from 122,000 tons in 1832, to 340,000 tons in 1845,170 per cent. in thirteen years. AUSTRIA.-Increased production of coal in the empire, from 1838 to 1846, 216 per cent. Increased consumption of Coal in Vienna in ten years.-From 3000 French tonnes in 1830, to 10,000 in 1839. Upper and Lower Austria increased production 47 per cent. in four years, from 1830 to 1834. Increased production of combustibles in the Austrian Empire, from 209,000 tons in 1832, to 700,000 tons in 1846,-234 per cent. in fourteen years. GERMAN STATES.-Prussian or German Custom-house LeagueThe Deutsche Zollverein.-Increased importation from Great Britain, from 44,033 tons in 1831, to 227,539 tons in 1845, being 417 per cent. in fourteen years. General exportation from the Zollverein.-218,440 tons in 1834, to 349,150 tons in 1843, being 60 per cent. in nine years. General movement of coals in the states of the German Association -from 282,760 tons in 1834, to 605,900 in 1843, 111 per cent. of increase in nine years. SPAIN. Notwithstanding our inability to illustrate with precision the mining statistics of Spain, we must not overlook the fact that it seems destined to become one of the most valuable of the continental coal-producing countries. In superficial area, the Asturian coal-field is probably not exceeded by any other on the continent, and as regards the number and quality of its coal seams, it is no less distinguished, although it is one of the latest brought into operation. Great expectations have been formed as to the national value of this district, and much enterprise has already been attracted to the development of its important mineral resources; especially those of bituminous coal and iron ore. The coal business is comparatively in its infancy, but promises a rapid progress in future. Thus the amount shipped coastwise from the port of Gijon, in 1842, was 14,100 tons, and in 1844 was 41,400 tons. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.-Imported Coal.-The only countries from which coal ever finds its way into the United States, are Great Britain and British America, and the contributions from thence appear to be annually diminishing. For a time there was an increasing foreign importation; viz. from 22,123 tons in 1821, to 181,551 tons in 1839. By the operation of the American tariff, this advance was not only checked, but a retrograde movement was produced, so as in 1843 to amount to only 41,163 tons, by the United States returns. By the last annual return, that for 1847, the entry of foreign coals, whether from Europe or from British America, was 148,021 tons; of which from 12,000 to 15,000 tons were re-exported, for the service of the English steamships. 1850, 180,439 tons were imported into the United States; 1853, 231,508. INCREASED PRODUCTION OF AMERICAN COAL AND ANTHRACITE. Bituminous Coal.-We have already indicated that we possess no authentic data for determining the progressive production of this description of fuel in the United States. Such informal details as have reached us, will appear in the proper place; and we can only remark here that the rate of increase is evidently very rapid. Anthracite. Of this important combustible we shall have much to say, and we possess abundant testimony upon which to found our calculations. The production of anthracite may be said to be entirely confined to the State of Pennsylvania, which possesses a numerous and interesting group of coal basins of various sizes and characters. Our returns show that the consumption of anthracite,-in other words, the coal trade,-commenced with 365 tons in the year 1820; that the production reached 48,047 tons in 1837; that it had increased to 881,026 tons in 1837, and advanced to three millions of tons in 1847; without including much that is consumed on the spot, in the mining districts, or in the interior of the country. The increased production, therefore, was, in the first ten years, viz., from 1827 to 1837, 1735 per cent.; in the second ten years, viz., from 1837 to 1847, 240 per cent.; and in the twenty years previous to 1848, that is, from 1827 to 1847, 6150 per cent. We introduce another view of this subject, which exhibits this accelerated increase in the consumption of anthracite, perhaps, with yet greater perspicuity. The amount which was periodically forwarded to market, exclusive of the consumption in and near the places of production and which has not been estimated, is as follows: *Aggregate in the 21 years from 1820 to 1840, in clusive, In the succeeding 7 years to 1847, inclusive, Total furnished from the commencement, From 1848 to 1853, inclusive, Total furnished from the commencement, 6,847,172 tons. 12,371,961 "6 19,219,133 tons.. 23,841,358 tons. 43,060,491 " With this we terminate our compendium of the coal statistics, into whose details we shall enter at large further on: our immediate object being that of showing the rapid increase in the annual production of coal, all over the globe, within the last quarter of a century. PRODUCTION OF IRON. We have already exhibited in the diagram form, the superficial areas of the principal coal producing countries of the world, and also the squares of the coal production of the same countries, in the year 1845. We are induced to occupy a small space here, by a similar mode of illustration in regard to the production of iron, in the same year, by the chief manufacturing countries. In the preparation of the materials forming this volume, we never contemplated to devote any part of it to the subject of iron. The statistics of coal, which we undertook to elucidate, seemed to promise a task of quite sufficient magnitude to keep us in full occupation. Nevertheless, we have found that the rapid advancement of the coal trade was so intimately connected with the contemporaneous process of the iron manufacture, that we have, almost unconsciously, been led out of our prescribed path; and having collected some interesting results by the way, we give them insertion in their appropriate places. We now only propose in this place, to introduce a diagram showing the condition, as to production, of the iron manufactory or smelting, in the year 1845, the latest year in which we could obtain a series of contemporary returns. The respective proportions are as follows: 1. Great Britain, 2. United States, 3. France, 2,200,000 502,000 448,000 * R. R. Report. "During the ten months ending Nov. 5, 1853, Great Britain exported $75,000,000 worth of iron, and by far the largest portion was taken by the United States. Of pig-iron, the United States received 57,000 tons, and Holland, which comes next upon the list, took 13,000. Of bar, bolt and rod-iron, the United States took 263,530 tons, or nearly six times as much as Canada, which received the next largest amount."* From the London Chronicle. |