The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-11
Il New Coal Hrea
Must Be Faced
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
II II Asst and undeveloped coal deposits
MI Will be thrown open to the world
MI when the Crows Nest Pass rail-
VI road. now constructing, is COM
pleted. The new line connects the
transcontinental system, crossing the
great plains of the Canadian Northwest
with the valley that lies between the
Rocky Mountains on the east and the
Selkirks on the west. One need only con-
slider the area of these deposits, the
breadth of the seams and the quality of
the coal, 70 understand that the output
from the new fields will have an appre-
ciable influence on the markets of the
whole continent. According to DR.. Sell
wyn, former director of the Geological
Survey of Canada, the Western fields
contain 49,952D00 tons of coal per square
mile, and the area. with coal deposits ex-
piored up to the present, consists of about
$50 square miles DR.. Selwyn was noted
for his conservative estimates. but if even
fraction of the coal which he consid-
ers available be mined from the Crows
Nest Pass coal fields, the worlds supply
of fuel will be greatly increased.
The coal area is in the southern part
of the country known as East Kootenay.
1t was in West Kootenay that great min
ing excitement prevailed during 1896 and
1897, American miners gathering verit-
able harvest of wealth for their enter
prise in exploring and opening that re-
sion. The whole Kootenay district is be-
yond the Northwest territories. extending
some 800 miles north of the international
boundary East KoOtenay alone Is about
two-thrds the size of the kingdom of
Greece. Now that a railroad Is being
pushed through this terra incosnita a
period of great development is anticl-
pated. Fhe coal fields are sixty miles
Of 40.
ity to Crows Nest Pass. 1t is not un-
likely that In the near future a network
of American railways, like those in West
Kootenay, tapping the mining region for
the benefit of the Great Notthern and
Northern Pacific. will traverse the east
ern section.
The discovery of the deposits occurred
during the early eighties. Workmen were
cutting a rough trail suitable for pack
trains, through the Crows Nest Pass.
There were few prospectors in British
Columbia at that time, but since the wild
rush to Cariboo I'm lS49 and to Wild Horse
Creek in East Kootenay nearly half a
century ago, trappers and Indians have
handed down from father to son ana
from camp to camp traditions OF lost
mines and rich gold veins. The very air
of the regions where placer mining once
existed seems infected with mysterious
and enchanting possibilities of stumbling
on some wonderful discovery. The men
constructing the trail were fun of these
old stories, and thrilling miners yarns
were spun over the nightly camp fires
All were, as usual, prepared for any kind
OF discovery; and when one constructor
found in the bed of creek black sand,
rich in what he thought pure gold, great
was the excitement. The smouldering
hopes, that blazed out so suddenly, were
quickly quenched; For ON examination
the black sand proved to be coal erosions,
or rubbings from upper seams, washed
down the valley by mountain streams.