The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-05-04
Coal and Other Minerals at Col
umbia City.

the COLUMBIA River, IN COlumDla
county, Oregon, is the town site
known as Columbia City. A digni
fed name for so unpretentious an APP
pearing place, but quite in keeping
with the expectations Of those whose
destinies have been cast with the
town. Here is very good steam
saw mill, commodious school house.
stores, dwellings and wharves, in fact
very good beginning for Colum-
bia River city. The location is one
of the most eligible on the river, be-
ing about 70 miles from the mouth,
and practically at the head of naviga
ton for the heaviest draft vessels that
cross the bar. The St. Helens bar,
one of the most prominent obstruc-
tons in the river below Vancouver,
lies about one mile above this place.
The distance is about II miles over
an easy grade from Columbia City to
Washington county. a projected
line of railroad was once surveyed
from that county to this point on the
river and the route pronounced prac-
ticable All this and more may be
said of the location of Columbia City,
but the object of this article is to af
ford little information in regard to
the coal and other minerals which
have been found at this place.
Several years ago, when II. c. Vic
tor and others were attempting to in
fuse new life into the town of St. Hell
ems, iron ore-equal In quality to that
of the Oswego mine-was found in
the mountains five miles southwest of
town. 1t was worked somewhat, and
the mine, called ''Victor's Iron Nine"
has ever since been one of the fea-
lures of that section of country. Ev-
licences of iron ore are found all along
this spur or range of low mountains,
down as far as Deer Island. This
iron ore and other indications sug-
gested the presence of coal in these
mountains, and after some prospect
ing the article was found. The out
groupings of the coal vein were found
about three-quarters of a mile from
the river, just beyond the northwest
boundary of the town. At this point
a tunnel has been worked into the
vein about 40 feet, and several tons
of the coal extracted. The strata is
II feet thick, with a pitch of about
half an inch to the foot. This point
is 250 feet above the level OF the river.
Out-croppings of coal have been
found all along this mountain for
distance Of six or seven miles. indi-
eating that the article is here in great
quantities. Although nothing but
out-croppings have been developed,
experts have pronounced it equal in
quality to the Seattle coal, and some
call 1t better. Bergman & Doyle,
VINO are extensive San Francisco
dealers and agents for the Seattle
Company, pronounce it superior to
the coal produced by the.Seattle mine.
1t has been carefully analysed by re-
liable assayers and pronounced good.
1t burns readily, has been tried in the
blacksmith's forge, and as good weld
ing done with it as could be desired.
We have some specimens on exhibit
ton at the INDEPENDENT office which
can be inspected by anybody who
has curiosity for such things. From
the immense bed Of iron ore which is
Supposed to surmount the whole o
this coal bed, ore has been taken
SO pure that it could be hammered
out in a blacksmith shop. A fine
quality of stone coal has also been
found hear this place. Specimens
have been examined and pronounced
the genuine article.