The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-01-17
COAL MINING.
And the Coal Resources of Washington
An Exhaustive, Paper.

COAL MINING.
And the Coal Resources of Washington
An Exhaustive Paper.
It. 3. Corey, formerly superintendent
Of the Oregon Improvement Company's
mines, presented to the convention in the
following paper probably the best and
most carefully prepared article on this i'm
portant subject ever written:
In writing an article on this subject I
find that the time given me is so limited
that shall be compelled to draw largely
from former paper written by my
self and published some three years
ago in the Illinois Mining Insti-
tute Journal 1t would be a very
difficult task to go into a detailed
statement of the various Goals found in
this state, owing to the diversified condi-
ton Of the coal beds; in fact, doubt very
much if there is any state in the Union
where there is such a variety of coal.
There has already been found coal from
the lowest grade of Ignite to the highest
grade of anthracite. AS yet the coal in
dustry Of this state Is only in its infancy.
Hardly a month passes but what new dis
coveries are made, and some Of them con-
sGered valuable. Most of the discoveries
so far have been made by accident rather
than by any preconceived plan Of pros
pecting.
COElluSllCiIlS dI Tie WGSlGTIf pOTlIOn OIL
the state, the veins as exposed show hard
ly anything but woody matter; but, as we
go east to the Cascade mountains, the
coal increases in richness until we find a
very good quality Of anthracite.
It is also true as we approach the Cas-
cades the strata are more irregular, in
fact in the bituminous districts there
seems to be no regularity whatever, but
the strata being more or less broken up
with anticlinals and synclinals. East of
the mountains the veins run a great deal
more regularly and the angle Of the dip is
not so great.
Commencing at the northwestern part
of the state, there are three or four seams
Of high grade bitur1inous coal and a few
liGnite seams. The coal measures are all
urGerlain with clay schists and metamor-
phic states, and this fact shows that they
are in an upheaval; the coal measures,
consequently, are in very disturbed con-
dition. The coal does not run regularly,
but what is known as ''pockety;" that is,
the seams pinch to nothing or thicken to
abnormal size. The seam nearest the
schists, which Is sometimes only two or
three feet from them, are richest In car
bon and lowest in moisture, the higher
ones gradually losing carbon as they re-
cede from the schists. and those on the
Skagit river yield a coke equal to any
made in the United States.
This coal district is in the region Of
Skagit river, Lake Whatcom and Nook
sack river and extends almost almost to
the Canadian line. The dips are from 50
degrees to vertical. Around Lake What
com to the northwest, Skagit river, south
west, and at Nooksack river the dip is
very changeable, although in general
terms it may be said to be north or south,
depending on which slope of the great
anticlinal and synclinal folds the seams
are exposed. The area of this section is
al oI1t 2f0 miles The coal around
Hamilton on the Skagit river, is very rich
in carbon. There are four distinct seams,
dipping at an angle of about As degrees.
There are also here large seams of iron
ore which are exposed to view on the
Skagit river. For miles south Of this there
are strong indications Of coal, and some
very good veins have already been dis
covered. Around Hamilton the coal seams
a-e more regular than in any part Of the
field in the northwestern part Of the state.
At Jennings, which is west of Hamilton,
are two or more seams of coal. Quite a
number Of coke ovens have BEEN erected,
about one-third of the output being made
into coke, and an excellent coke it makes
too, which, as l have before stated, Is
equal to any in the United States. This
coke being so near the iron ore will be
accessible for smelling iron. The coal
veins run from thirty feet to one foot in
thickness and dip at various angles. North
and west of Jennings is the Blue Canyon
coal mine, which is located on the eastern
shore of Lake Whatcom. The vein varies
from twenty feet to one foot, and has not
the coking qualities of the Skagit coal,
buc is a good gas coal; dips northwest 30
degrees. The seam rests on the clay
states, which are soft and swell, causing
considerable trouble in mining.
The company operating at this place has
expended large sums of money in erecting
bunkers and a large boat to transfer rail-
khn lab Of no n
the mountain, to railroad which carries
the coal to New Whatcom. From thence
it Is conveyed to the coast towns by ships.
New Whatcom is located on Bellngham
bay. Near this bay the first coal in this
state was discovered and mined for the
Hudson Bay Company's steamers some
forty years ago. The vein Is from ten to
twelve feet in thickness, and is found in
the upper measures Of the cretaceous; 1t is
a Ignite, and is not underlain by meta
morphic states. It dips to- the northwest.
On the west side Of Lake Whatcom there
are several small seams Of coal, but not in
sufficient quantities to make them work.
able. South Of this Is Chuckanut bay,
where the coal measures crop out for
miles, showing an enormous thickness, but
no veins as yet have been discovered which
are considered to be Of any value. The
measures end abruptly in the northwest
corner of Skagit county. Going north of
sequently no exposures are to be seen. The
coal on the Noolzsack river Is all high
grade but the seams are thin. The produc-
tive part of this field is nearly all on the
eastern range. or nearest to the noun
tains. All through almost the entire north
western part of Skagit county the country
is very mountainous and broken, and is
densely covered with timber, fir, cedar and
henlock-the finest in the world.
Farther west, near Port Townsend, coal
measures are to be seen, and several small
seams Of coal, but as yet nothing to JUS
tify starting plant
In Snohomish county there have been
several veins discovered. but from the best
information have no developments have
been made to Justify an opinion as to their
worth.
Next is King county, which is the largest
Ind most developed coal field in the state.
There are two classes Of coal in this coun-
ty, one high grade Of Ignite. which has
an area of about 120 square miles; the other
bituminous, which covers about 300
square miles. They no doubt belong to
the cretaceous epoch, the lignites being in
the upper and the bdtuminous being in the
lower; the bituminous coal lying in closer
proximity to igneous agencies, which by
their heat and pressure have driven off
volatile gases and moisture, resulting in a
higher grade OF coal. For this reason the
quality of bituminous coal is improved as