for mining purposes. According to estimates prepared by Mr. D. B. Dowling, of the Geological Survey of Canada, the known area underlain by workable coal beds in Canada is 29,957 square miles. The coal fields may be divided, for the sake of convenience in classification, into four main divisions, as follows (See Plate XVI). (1) The eastern division, containing the bituminous coal fields of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. (2) The central or interior division, containing the lignites of Manitoba and Saskatchewan and the lignites, bituminous and anthracite coal fields of Alberta and the eastern Rocky Mountain region. (3) The Pacific Coast and the Western mountains division, containing the semi-anthracite and bituminous fields of Vancouver Island; the bituminous coal fields of the interior of British Columbia and the lignites of Yukon. (4) The northern division, containing the lignites of the ArcticMackenzie basin. The coal areas of the different provinces and the estimated quantity of coal therein are shown in the following table: Totals 7,500 19,582 400,000,000 44,530,000,000 32,000,000 20,000,000,000 20,000,000,000 60,002,000,000 104,932,000,000 314,000,000 38,976,000,000 850,000,000 914,000,000 500,000,000 500,000,000 29,957 452,000,000 89,609,000,000 81,996,000,000 172,057,000,000 The coal mining industry of Canada has developed at a very rapid rate. In 1874, the earliest year for which there is a reliable record, the production was 1,063,742 tons. Twelve years later, in 1886, it had doubled; after twelve years in 1898 the production had again doubled, 4,173,108 tons of coal being produced. From 1898, the production rose more rapidly, and in six years the production was again doubled, amounting to 8,254,595 tons in 1904. In 1908, the production was 10,886,311 tons, showing an increase of about 2,500,000 tons over 1904. This rate of increase is somewhat lower than for the previous few years on account of both 1907 and 1908 being unfavourable to the coal mining industry. While British Columbia and Alberta showed an increased production in 1909, the pro duction of all Canada showed a decrease of 384,836 tons, due to the decreased production of Nova Scotia, owing to labour troubles. In 1910, the production increased to 12,796,512 tons. PRODUCTION OF THE WORLD.-The principal coal-producing countries of the world are: the United States, Great Britain, Germany, AustriaHungary, France, Russia and Finland, Japan, Canada and New South Wales. The world's production has increased from 222,248,430 tons in 1868 to 1,167,941,188 tons in 1908, or about four hundred per cent. The production in 1908 (Plate XVII) was as follows: Germany shows the greatest increase in production in the four years ending 1908, namely, 45,500,000 tons, Great Britain and the United States. coming next with increases of 28,500,000 and 23,000,000 tons respectively. British India is the greatest coal producer of the Empire, outside of Great Britain, Australia being second, and Canada a close third. The output of India is increasing at a much faster rate than that of any of "A ton is a short ton of 2000 lbs. b Mineral Resources of the United States, 1908. |