76 



The Uses of Wood in Mining 



Mining finds its great importance as a basic industry upon which 

 the entire structure of manufacturing depends for fuel to furnish power, 

 heat, and light, which are equally essential for domestic consumption. 

 Hence the relation of wood-supplies to this industry has an importance 

 much greater than if measured solely by the quantity of wood required 

 in the mining processes. 



In Illinois this importance is increased by the fact that 95.2 per 

 cent of the entire mining output of the state is in the form of fuel, of 

 which bituminous coal comprises 77.7 per cent, and petroleum 17.5 per 

 cent. The residual output of 4.8 per cent is made up of limestone 2 

 per cent, sandstone 7/10 per cent, and other materials 2 per cent. 



The production of bituminous coal, according to the reports of the 

 Department of Mines and Minerals, in short tons of 2000 lbs. for the 

 last seven years is as follows : 



Tons 



1916 63,673,530 



1917 78,983,527 



1918 89,979,469 



1919 75,099,784 



1920 73,920,653 



1921 80.121.948 



1922 63.376,827 



Average 75,007,962 



Illinois ranks fourth in the value of all mining products and third 

 in the production of coal, the value of the latter alone in 1919 being 

 $138,767,835. For the year ending June 30, 1921, the number of em- 

 ployes in coal mines was 95,763 and the sum of $80,309,689 was paid 

 out in wages. Illinois coal-mine operators control 799. OGO acres of land, 

 of which 754,235 acres is classed as coal land, and 44,825 acres as timber 

 and other lands. 



The use of wood is essential to the production of coal at reason- 

 able costs. Coal-mining requires large quantities of small timbers in 

 the round, leading to very close and economical utilization of timber 

 crops and of the contents of trees as contrasted with the waste incidental 

 to cutting for saw-timber only. Supplies of local timber on which 

 freight charges are moderate permit the utilization and later abandon- 

 ment of timbering in mines, without the excessive costs which would 



