The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-29
Park County Coal Beds.

The coal beds of Park county are numer-
ous. extensive and carry the best qualities
of coking and dry Goals. Some of these
mines, AZ the Cokedsle, the Horn, Bear
Greek, and Rocky Fork. have been worked
for years and the coke and Goals they pro-
ducs ind . ready sale in our reduction
works. on our railroads and in our city
markets.
Coksdale has one OF the most extensive
coal mines in Park county and the largest
cokinR plant in Montana. There are three
beds OF coal on the property, which have
been traced along the mountains for some
six miles, and are known to 10 the same
coal as that worked near Timherline in
Gallatin county. and ths coal Ia doubtless
continuous from Coksdale to the Timber
limo mines. The mining. washing and
cokinR fixtures At this establishment are
very complete. The works ars we'll man
aged. and a branch railroad makes the
transportation easy and efficient.
Trail Creek mines show seven successive
beds of COZ. at Bynum's. which is seven
miles from the Park Branch railroad.
These beds are twelve feet, six feet. five
feet, seven feet, four feet five feet and five
Trail creek to over the divide. At Maxey's
three OF ,he beds are opened; 80 also at
Magnison's and at the Mountain
house. Al Vogle and Bugler's and
At Hodson's, four miles over on west
Trail creek, the coal bed opened measures
seven feet in thickness, and contains coal
possessing the same cha aoteristios az the
Chestnut coal on the Northern Pacific road
in Gailatin county.
The Horr coal mines are in the foothills
of tho Cinnabar mountains on the park
railroad. These mines produce an excellent
coking GOAL, have forty coke ovens which
produce from fifty to sixty tons of excel
lent coke per diem.
The Cinnibar coal mines are on the east
side OF the Yellowstone near Cinnibar
where the coal bed has BEEN so opened as &c
CHOW an extensive deposit of ooking coal.
This coal has been used in the gas works a
Helena. II it Was understood somf
months since that coke ovens would b.
erected at these mines.
Park coal. A coal bed has been OPENED
and worked to some extent in the bench
land on the east side Of Gardiner river j,
the National park.
The Rocky Fork coal field probably con
tains more workable coal than any othe
equal area of coal beds in this or any q
the adjoining Rtateg. Though this Goa
field has not been fully explored, it i
known to extsnd to the mountsins tw
miles west of Red Lodge TO the valley o
Clark's Fork east fully sixteen miles an
five miles north and south.
This area contains seventeen beds of Goa
on Rocky Fork in sections 22, ~ and "a. O
township Z. south and 20 east.
Four other beds of coal are exposed Il
Sec. 36, 7. IS, Il. q E., and SEQ. 81 and 3:
T, Z. Il. p e. varying in thickness fror
four to six feet.
Still south and east of these on Bear cree
and about six miles sast-southesst OF Re
Lodge and in the same coal field are five sue
cessivs beds of coal. The lowest is Ave to.
thick and overlaid by 200 feet of sandstone
and shaiss. Next shove il a bed of coal for
feet thick. and above ii forty fee. of sand
stone. On this sandstone Is a coal be-
nine fest thick, ovsrlsid by 200 feet of SAN
stones, shales and olays. On these re
about six feet Of coal having about 100 fe
OF sandstone and shslss. On these shal
rest 4 fifth bed of coal our feet THO
Above this hftk bed of workable coal Il
about 300 feet of sandstonss. shales Al
.clays which contain several thin beis
coal. G. C., SWALLOW.