Pennsylvania Cleans Up Its Anthracite Fields

At the turn of the century, 90% of the energy output in the United States was generated by coal, and Pennsylvania was the ranking producer of this fuel. With the huge resources of easily accessible coal found by its early settlers, the Commonwealth was the nation's chief powerhouse for nearly 100 years. In 1928 alone, Pennsylvania mined a billion dollars' worth of coal-or enough to fill a train reaching more than twice around the world at the State's latitude. Coal constituted nearly 67% of the freight of Pennsylvania and was responsible for the State's $4-billion iron and steel industry. Pennsylvania was slow to take up its position as the greatest coal-producing state in the union, but the knowledge of its coal assets was not slow in accumulating. In fact, long before the white man arrived, the Indians were aware that many of the hills were underlain by black stones that would burn. But awareness was not enough. The early Pennsylvania settlers confined themselves to the southeastern corner of the State and had little need or concern for resources further inland.