Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 78, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 June 1901 — American Coal the Best. [ARTICLE]

American Coal the Best.

“Ever since I was a boy I have been reminded of tbe old story about ‘copying coals to Newcastle,’ whenever I performed unnecessary tasks,” said Richard Harker of Newcastle-on-Tyue, England, In the lobby of the Shoreham last night. “To carry coals to Newcastle was supposed to be as futile a task as trying to sweep back the waves on the seashore. I have lived to see coals carried to Newcastle, however, and, being an Englishman, it grieves me to say that the coals in question came all the way from America. “Within the last few years an enormous amount of coal has been shipped from Norfolk, Va. r to various parts of England. Some oi it went to Portsmouth, to the naval station there, and many tons were sent to Newcastle. We have better facilities for handling coal there than any other place in the United Kingdom. For many years it has been the center of the coal mining industry of oux country and consequently the arrangements and appliances for shipping fuel to various parts of the country are away ahead of those of other towns. “The coal that comes from, the western portion of the State of Virginia—soft coal, I mean—is the finest fuel for steamships that is mined anywhere in the world- I The coal seems to produce more steam from a small quantity than any I have seen. It is now used extensively on the vessels of the British navy and from what I saw a week ago in Norfolk and Newport News I should judge that the shipment must amount to millions of tons per year.”—Washington Times.