, 1883-01-12
Coal Mines In the Sound Region.

Coal Mines IN the Sound Region.
POUiGad StaHGdrd,l
From Alaska to Southern Oregon
there seems to be one vast coal field
along the coast and ON the Islands
opposite to it. We have read for
many years of coal mines on Vancou
ver's Island, from whence shipments
are still constantly made. Belling-
ham Bay was for many years the
scene of mining operations, and the
coal deposits were found Immediately
on the bay, 50 as to be shipped direct
from the mine. But that coal proved
of inferior quality, and when better
coal came i'll competition with it, it
was abandoned. The mines at Coos
Bay at one time attracted close atten
ton, but that coal was rather inferior;
the miners are turning off less than
heretofore, three mines being still
kept in operation.
The study of the coal deposits must
be very attractive to a person yersed
in mining lore The most plausible
theory is, that at Il period before man
was ON the earth there was wonder
full growth of vegetable substances,
such as tree ferns and tropical plants
that attained gigantic proportions in
steaming atmosphere. The earth
was cooling down to its present con
dition, and was preparing great stores
of mineral wealth for man to use
when he should appear. These for
ests were each year supplanted by
newer growth, and the fibre and sub
stance thus accumulated through ages
was afterwards submerged and cov-
cred deep with sands swept into the
sea by the erosion going on all over
the land. Imagine that we had mil
lions of years when forests were
growing to form coal beds and were
then submerged to be overlaid with
strata Of sand. Upheavels and de
pressions were constant in the long
ages when the earth's crust was
scarcely cool, and was certainly thin.
Those deep vegetable or woody beds
were subjected to great pressure and
became carbonized deposits. There
are sections in the United States
where you can bore down thousand
feet and continually pass through
coal. We recall this much familiar
philosophy to give the reader a chance
to study the processes of nature.
The mountains were made by up
heavals from the bed of the sea. ii
the world were level, it would be I'M
der water hundreds of feet Internal
forces and pressure Of water acting
from within and without have caused
the earth's crust to upheaye, and we
now find the coal beds that have been
for ages under the sea forming part
of the foothills and mountains. So
the coal deposits we refer to as occu-
pying the shore line of Alaska, Wash
ington and Oregon We're no doubt
created.
The mine at Newcastle has one vein
ten feet thick of solid, shining coal
that is jet black and fairly gIitters.
This was left by the upheaval at a
pitch of 3S degrees, and is descended
by an incline, They go down a ways
and then work in at the side and
break down all the coal above. a
good workman may easily mine five
tons a day Of this coal. 1t is sent up
the incline to the bunkers, which are
immense s'r)ng buildings for loading
coal. The Car is dumped at the top
of this, and as the coal slides down
an incline it is screened into three
sizes. Coal bunkers are so made that
coal oncc thrown in them is taken
care Of by the law OF grayitation.
The building is built on the side Of
the mountain, and has the slope of
the mountain. Coal is put III at the
top, and cars are loaded Us they pass
below.
The coal at Newcastle is Ignite,
which is a more recent formation than
the best bituminous and anthracite
Goals.