130 THE ADDRESSES, LECTURES, ETC., OF 



THE COAL AEEAS AND ANNUAL COAL PEODUCTION OF THE 

 GLOBE. 



Area in Square Production in 



Miles. 1874. Tons. 



Great Britain ... . . . 11,900 125,070,000 



Germany . . . ... 1,800 46,658,000 



United States 192,000 50,000,000 



France 1,800 17,060,000 



Belgium 900 14,670,000 



Austria . 1,800 12,280,000 



Russia 11,000 1,392,000 



Nova Scotia, and adjoining Provinces . 18,000 1,052,000 



Spain 3,000 580,000 



Other Countries 28,000 5,000,000 



270,200 274,262,000 



This table shows roughly that the tobal area of the discovered coal- 

 fields of the world amount to 270,000 square miles. 



It also appears that the total coal deposits of Great Britain 

 compare favourably with those of other European countries ; but 

 that both in the United States and in British North America, there 

 exist deposits of extraordinary magnitude, which seem to promise 

 a great future for the New World. 



According to the report of the Coal Commissioners, published 

 in 1871, there were then 90,207 million tons of coal available in 

 Great Britain, at depths not greater than 4,000 feet, and in seams 

 not less than 1 foot thick, besides a quantity of concealed coal 

 estimated at 56,273 millions of tons, making a total of 146,480 

 millions. Since that period, there have been raised 600 millions 

 of tons up to the close of 1875, leaving 145,880 millions of tons, 

 which, at the present rate of consumption of nearly 132 millions 

 of tons annually, would last 1,100 years. Statistics show that 

 during the last 20 years there has been a mean annual increase in 

 the output of about 3-^ millions of tons, and a calculation made 

 at this rate would give 250 years as the life of our coalfields. 



In comparing, however, the above rate of increase with that of 

 population and manufactures, it will be found that the additional 

 coal consumption has not nearly kept pace with the increased 

 demand for the effects of heat, the difference being ascribable to 



