The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-06-30
The State of Washington Has the
Largest Supply.
ATLANTIC STATES NOT IN IT
Workable Veins Are known to Exist IN
Eighteen out of the Thirty-Four
CountIes-I ,OOO, 900 Acres.

The magnitude of the coal deposits in
the state of Washington is little. real
lied, even among her own citizens. Not
all the Atlantic states combined contain
such supply. Workable veins are
known to exist in eighteen out of the
thirty-four counties, and they cover an
area of more than 100000 acres. The
coal ranges in character from camel to
semi-anthracite, through all grades of
domestic, gas, steaming, coking and
8 nithing Goals. With the exception of
the Rosiyn mines in Klttitas county, the
productive measures lie west of the
Cascade range, although the Methow
valley promises great mines when de-
veloped. They are all Ignite and BIZ
luminous. Anthracite has been found
In the OlYmpics and in the Cascades,
and there is is fine deposit at the base
of Mount Rainier. These, however,
have not been developed sufficiently to
judge of their values. The Ignite
measures extend from British Columbia
on the north to the Columbia river, and
east from Puget sound fifteen miles.
The area covered is estimated at $780,,
600 acres. Less than 2 per cent of all
this territory has been worked, although
about per cent of 1t is owned by COM
panles prepared to open up veins as
soon as the market is ready for the out
put. Many hundred acres are held by
prospectors who lack the money to de-
yelop their claims
OF the mines already in operation the
New Castle, owned by the oregon I'm
provement company, lies p miles from
Seattle and consists of four veins, the
shallowest of which is three feet and
the deepest twelve feet. The coal is
excellent for steaming purposes. The
Gilman mine, AZ miles from Seattle, is
now working two of its FIVE veins. The
output is high grade Ignite, with small
streaks of bituminous. The Cedar
Mountain mine is working two veins,
one of them over IL feet in depth. At
Franklin the coal is of Of a semi-bitum-
inous character, the deposit being of a
somewhat older geological formation.
The same is true of the Black Diamond
mines, 30 miles from Seattle. This
mine employs about 500 men and its
capacity is estimated at / 1000 tons per
day.
The Skagit county mines bid fair to be
of more immense value in the near fu.
ture. The preliminary tests made by
the Yorktown indicated that this coal
is the best for steaming purposes on the
sound. 1t also makes a very superior
coke. The bituminous measures Join
the Ignite on the east and extend to the
Cascade range, The veins are so twisted
that it is impossible to determine their
number. The Carbon River group is
developed more than the others, four
veins being worked, the product high
grade gas and steam coal. Twelve miles
north is the Raging River group, con
sisting of eight veins, four of which are
being worked. The Roslyn mines are
1875 miles east from Seattle. Their vein;
lie nearly horizontal, near the surface
and cover an area of 1000 acres. The
mines have been in operation since 1866
Over 1000 men are employed, and the
daily output is about $500 tons bitumi
nous lump coal, well adapted to domes
tic and steaming purposes. The frs
discovery of coal in Washington wa
made n 1852, at Bellingham Bay, but nj
export of importance was made unit
1870. Last year over million and ;
quarter tons were marketed, which fo
a season of depression is not bad show
ing. The Washington coal veins arr
easier mined than those of the eastern
states on account of the angles at whicl
they dip, allowing them to be opene,
by tunnels, and saving the expense 0
hosting the output. Timber for bunk
ers, etc., is cheap and abundant; waite
for washers is 60 be found everywhere
This, of course, has great bearing o.
the values of the measures. It seem
only a question of time before Wash
ington will be the largest coal produC
ing district in the United States, an
probably the largest in the world.