Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1888-03-31
SAND COULEE COAL FIELDS.


citicism of the Sand Coulee coal, by pc
sons who know nothing about it, or
those who seem to be governed mostly /
envy or jealousy, that we deem it advisab
to present to our readers few facts col
corning this remarkable coal field.
The first important investigation of tn
coal was made by Professors Pumpell
and Eldridge, six years ago, when the
reported it as true coal of singh heatin
power" Two years later, some Mime
apolis men commenced examining tn
coal by driving series Of prospect tun
nels for distance Of mile and a hal
along McGitfin Coulee, the tunnels rang
ing from 25 feet to 200 feet in length
and showing a thickness OF coal at al
points of 10 feet to II feet During thi
period of prospecting by the Minneapoli
men, the coal was thoroughly examined
and tested with the most gratifying re
suits, by several eastern men of large ex
perience in bitiminous coal fields.
Perhaps the most thorough and salts
factory reports made at that or any sub
sequent time, upon the Sand Coulee coal
was that of Prof. Newbury of the Colum-
bia School of Mines, who pronounced
this, as did Prof. Pumpelly, true bitumin-
GUS coal, and of great value for coking
and steam purposes. He dwelt at great
length upon the enormous value Of this
coal for industrial purposes, not only, to
Great Falls, but to all Montana.
1t was reserved, however, for the Mon
tana Central railroad, under the vigorous
policy of Colonel Broadwater, to give
this coal field investigation so thorough,
as to its extent and quality, that there
could possibly remain no doubt whatever
in regard to it. This work was prosecuted
for two years, by means Of
tunnels and by artesianl machinery, and
over an area of at least % square miles.
The result of Mr.. Broadwater's work was
a complete demonstration not only Of the
immense quantity OF coalin this district,
but also of its superior quality.
Before negotiations were opened by
Anton Eilers and his associates, for estab-
fishing extensive reduction works at this
place, chemist and metallurgist from Mr.
Eilers' works in Pueblo, Colorado, was
sent here to examine among other things,
he coal of Sand Coulee, and it was per-
laps upon this report entirely, that Mr.
Eilers decided to buildTthe mammouth
works already begun at Great Falls. At |
nearly the same time that the Pueblo |
chemist examined the Sand Coulee. coal
vt the mines, there arrived here from
New York, man. thoroughly practical
md one occupying a high position in the
ield Of science,-we refer to Professor
was sent here to investi
gate the Sand Coulee coal. After exam
ming the several tunnels carefully, Pro
essor Douglass sampled the different
'oal strata with great care. After retur
ng to the east he sent to Paris Gibson the |
GLOWING assays:
"The bright brittle coal taken from the
nd of the drift in the Humphry mine con-
aims:
!, ), "uoi 49, .''......'.. per ctAt
'lxed carbon. ............ 6O.U7 per cent
Ash. ....... ..1O.5 per cent |
"This coal makes hard coke with me-
alic lustre.
"The seam of dull or steam coal con-
aims:
Water. go. northumberland per cent
lxed carbon. .......... 10 per cent
Ash. .......... 17.5 per cent
"This coal does not coke"
The reader will please note the large !
er cent of fixed carbon in the steam coal,
f any other coal in Montana Except the |
'elt creek coaD contains as much heat
ng power to the ton, we would like to |
now where it is. The celebrated Rock
prings coal, of Wyoming, contains only
5 per cent of carbon, and the Rocky
'ork coal from 30 to 55 per- cent The
ssts made by General Manager Shelby of |
he Montana Central railway on the loco-
motives of that road, prove beyond any
uestion, that for steam purposes the
and Coulee coal has no superior if it has
n equal among the best Of western BIZ
luminous Goals. The master of the fuel
apartment of the Manitoba railway after
esting the Sand Coulee coal thoroughly.
lated that he had burned great variety
Goals from Nova Scotia to Montana
nd that he regarded the Sand Coulee,
oal among the very best he had ever used
Or locomotive purposes. H. stated that
burned with steady flame, that it
ielded but little smoke and that it left
10 clinkers.
The existence of this vast field of choice |
oal in the heart of Montana should
ause everybody to rejoice, and no one
tut the man who hates himself and his
COUNTRY, will attempt to belittle its pres
mt Importance and its value to succeed |
ng generations.