Note 107 — Chapter XV
Reading edition
In the year 1829 the value of the mineral produce of Europe, including Asiatic Russia, but exclusive of manganese, amounted to—
Gold and Silver £1,943,000
Other metals 28,519,000
Salts 7,640,000
Combustibles 18,050,000
Total £56,148,000
England contributed more than half this amount, namely,—
Silver £28,500
Copper 1,369,000
Iron 11,292,000
Lead 760,000
Tin 536,000
Salts 756,250
Vitriol 33,600
Alum 33,000
Coal 13,000,000
Total £28,716,750
—nearly £29,000,000 sterling.—John Taylor, Esq., on the Cornish Mines.
At present there are 34,000,000 of tons of coals consumed in Great Britain annually, besides the quantity exported to our colonies and to foreign countries, amounting to nearly 2,000,000 of tons. 8,000,000 of tons are consumed in our iron-foundries alone. Between 500,000 and 600,000 tons are used in making gas.
The iron made in Britain in 1844 amounted to 1,400,000 tons. Iron is now applied to many uses instead of timber, especially in ship-building: between the years 1830 and 1847, 150 iron vessels were launched in Britain. 25 of the steamships of the East India Company are of iron.
The produce of our copper-mines has increased threefold within the last 60 years. The quantity of tin has also increased from our own mines, and also from the extensive importation of that metal from Banca, where the country yielding stream-tin extends from 7° N. lat. to 3° S. lat. The yearly produce amounts to 300 tons of pure metal.—“Progress of the Nation, in its Social and Commercial Relations, since the beginning of the Nineteenth Century,” by G. R. Porter, Esq., 2d edition.
In France there are 62 coal-mines, which yielded 3,410,200 tons in 1841, and in 1838 the 12 iron districts in that country yielded to the value of 4,975,424l.
The British coal and metal imported into France amounted to 1,222,228l.—Progress of the Nation.
Belgium is next to Britain as a European coal country. In Britain the coalfields occupy one-twentieth part of the area of the country—in Belgium one twenty-second part—in France one two hundred and tenth part of its area.
The quantity of coal raised in one year is, according to “The Statistics of Germany,” by R. Valpy, Esq.—
In Britain 347,000,000 tons
Belgium 4,000,000
France 3,783,000
Germany 3,000,000
[The following table exhibits the quantity and value of coal produced, in the six principal coal countries in the world, in the year 1845:—
Order in 1845. Countries. Square miles of Coal formations. Tons of Fuel raised in the year 1845. Relative parts of 1000. Official estimated value at the places of production.
United States Dollars. English Sterling.
1 Great Britain 11,859 31,500,000 642 $45,738,000 £9,450,000
2 Belgium 518 4,960,077 101 7,689,900 1,660,000
3 United States 133,132 4,400,000 89 6,650,000 1,373,963
4 France 1,719 4,141,617 84 7,663,000 1,603,106
5 Prussian States Not defined 3,500,000 70 4,122,945 856,370
6 Austrian States Not defined 659,340 14 800,000 165,290
Total 49,161,034 1000 72,663,845 15,108,729
The coal trade appears to be increasing in all parts of the world.
There are no authentic data from which the increasing production of bituminous coal in the United States can be exactly deduced, but what we have show that it is very rapid. 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.
In the year 1820, the anthracite coal trade commenced with 365 tons; in 1827 it reached 48,047 tons; in 1837, 881,026 tons, and advanced to 3,000,000 tons in 1847.
The following table exhibits the production of smelted or manufactured iron in different countries in the year 1845:—
1. Great Britain 2,200,000
2. United States 502,000
3. France 448,000
4. Russia 400,000
5. Zollverein, or Prussian States 300,000
6. Austria 190,000
7. Belgium 150,000
8. Sweden 145,000
9. Spain (in 1841) 26,000
10. All other European countries 50,000
4,411,000
The rapid increase in the number of railroads and locomotive engines, and the number of steam vessels employed in commerce, augments the demand, proportionally, for iron and fuel.
At the commencement of 1847, the length of railroad completed and partly finished in the principal countries of Europe and America was 20,000 miles, only a few thousand miles less than the entire circumference of the globe.][108]