Omaha daily bee., 1889-10-28
COAL FIELDS IN ALASKA.
A New source of Wealth Opened in
the North.

the North.
The United States revenue cutter Rush,
which recently arrived here from Behring
sea, placed in the warehouses OF the Alaska
Commercial company at Oonalaska 2,400
sealskins taken during the cruise from SIX
different contraband sealers overhauled in
Behring sea. writes a Sitka, Alaska, corre-
spondent of the New York Times. Some of
these vessels carried American colors aud
others were British vessels. the Black Dia-
mond among the rest, which made its escape
with her prize master, John Hankinson. The
sealsklns, after being deposited in the ware
house at OOunlaska, were receipted for by
the deputy United States marshal at that
point and they will remain there until next
summer.
In the meantime they have pe9n lipeled in
81 4 different lots of parcels for condemDa-
tion in the district court, and unless the own
ers of the skins put in claims therefor they
will be ordered to be sold at public sale. In
the seizure of vessels and sealskihs in 1887,
scandal arose out Of the ordering of the
skins to be sold here, and suit is now pend
ing by the United States against former
deputy collector of customs for several thou
sand dollars alleged to have been received
Dy him in a corrupt combination and con-
spiracy, which resulted in having an order
made for the sale of the seizures here, and
competition prevented The evidence clearly
shows that one check OF LOO was paid to
him in furthcrance of the conspiracy by Ger
tain spectators Of Victoria who are beyond
the jurisdiction OF the courts of the United
States In the disposition of the seizures of
1889 the court will .endeayor to prevent
repetition of scandalous combination such
as existed here in the case Of the seizure Of
1887
That year about one-third of the seizures
were solo under the order of the court, IN
san Francisco, and the government got
| fair market price for Lhe SKINS. The order
of the court in the case of the seizures of 1889
| VIII be that the skins be sold in San Fran
| cisco at public auction, This can not take
place until next year some time, because the
| last steamer to OonalasKa for the season has
| gone, and the authorities here will have to
| wait until the first steamers cun go in there
| next year and bring them out
None of the SealsKins taken in this contra
| band trade equal III market value those
| taken on the Seal islands. In the latter case
| the animals are driven off from the rOokeries
| to the killing grounds, where they are dis
| patched with clubs, and in that way no
! injury is done to the pelt, while, on the other
| hand, all the skins taken by c0ntraband seal
ers; or even by the natives along the coast of
| Alaska, are captured in the water by killing
| the animals with shotguns, rifles aud ar
rows, and often by small bombs or hand
| grenades The method in killing the animals
| Impairs the value of the pelt as compared
| with the market value of SKINS taken by the
| Alaska Commercial company on the Seal
| islands.
| Many pup sealskins are included in the in
| ventores of those captured from contraband
| sealers. AS there Is 40 opportunity for
| lection IN cohtraband sealing, many OF the
| skins are inferior in fur.
Some important coal discoveries have
been made during this summers cruise of
the Rush. large deposit of excellent coal
| has been found on the north side OF Unga
| island, one Of the Shumigan group. This
| discovery was made through private enter
! prise, and the original prospector has been
| all summer with three men developing the
] mine. The vein indicates thickness of ten
| feet, and the coal, as tested, discloses an ex-
cellent quality of steam coal. large BODY
| of Ignite was discovered on one Of the
| neghboring Islands OF the same group. but
| It's value Is greatly impaired for steam coal
| by the fact that it IS so saturated with water
| that 1t can not be used to any great advan-
tage until thoroughly dried after being
| mined. AT Unga island, however, the coal
| IS OF great value. The discovery is about
| mile inland from the Behring sea side
| of the island. To reach a water front
| on the other side of the island will require
| tramway about twelve miles long, VIII ch
| wiA not be difficult TO construct. The ap-
| proaches OF Unga Island on the Behring Sea
| side are exceedingly diffcult and perilous
| TO navigation.
| Capital has been enlisted for the construc-
| tion of the necessary tramway to get the
| coal to the coast, and when that enterprise is
| fully inaugurated IL will be OF great benefit
TO the entire Pacific coast states. Naval off
| GERS report the quality of the coal as equal to
| that of the Wellington mines or Vancouver
| Island, now used by all steam vessels, public
| and private, from Puget Sound 10 Behring
| Sea- The Alaska Commercial company alone
l consumes thousands OF tons OF Wellington