History of anthracite coal mining in Pennsylvania in 1807 (Latzko, 3). In 1810, 350 tons of anthracite was mined in Pennsylvania. The use of anthracite coal was restricted due to the difficulties in transporting it efficiently, and the industry was still small and undeveloped (Latzko, 3). The War of 1812 against Great Britain increased the usage of anthracite coal. Prior to the war, citizens of the nation’s urban centers such as New York and Philadelphia received most of their coal fuel needs from Britain and Virginia’s bituminous coal supplies (Dublin, Licht, 12). During the war the British blockade of American ports severely limited the supply of British
Anthracite times been futile, and several such combustion areas exist today. The existence of an underground combustion site can sometimes be identified in the winter where fallen snow is seen to be melted by the warmth conducted from below. Proposals for harnessing this heat as geothermal energy have not been successful. A vein of anthracite that caught fire in Centralia, Pennsylvania in 1962 has been burning ever since, turning the once-thriving borough into a ghost town. Among current producers, Russia, China and Ukraine have the largest estimated recoverable reserves of anthracite. Other countries with substantial reserves include Vietnam and North Korea.