Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1900-12-22
FUEL IN THE ARCTIC.
Discovery and Projected Operation of
Coal Mines in SpitzberEcn.

TO obtain fuel from the Arctic regions
seems almost paradox, but our Berlin
correspondent informs us this morning
that good seams of coal have been found
on the western side of Spitzbergen, and
are to be worked ON the srsrostaimproved
business principles. That carboniferous
rocks existed in the island has been
known for some time, but during the pas:
summer experts were dispatched from
Norway to ascertain whether the mineral
was sufficiently abundant and accessible
TO be worth working. Their reports are
most favorable. Good furnace coal has
been found in Green Harbor, ON the
.-.s2lILA side of the entrance of the Ice
EJord, which pierceS so deeply into the
western flank of the principal island that
the latter is almost cut up into three
parts by the meeting of inlets from Oppo-
site coasts. AT another place in the
same ford three of the seams are from
d to y feet thick, and, as they are above
sea level, must crop out at the surface.
The larger and eastern part of Spitzber-
gen is more or less Il plateau, and the
strata are horizontal, ranging from the
period anterior to the carboniferous TO
that in which our chalk was deposited.
Inc western part is mountainous and
consists of older crystalline rocks, but
npllfted portions of these sedimentary
strata here and there rest upon them,
10 10 tue CASE WneTp THESE SPhInS nave
been discovered. In such circumstances
the fields are likely to be limited in ex-
tent, and the seams may be tilted at
high angles, or broken up by faults
Still, as the coal can be worked by aditS
its accessibility and the consequent econ
omy in labor will be a compensation
These discoveries make it highly proba-
BILE that larger and perhaps richer fields
exist i'll the eastern part of the island
hnWnVnr UID hn IL
reached. The effect, direct or indirect
of the gulf stream opens the west coast
of SpltZbergen in summer, but the other
is more difficult of approach.
1t is stated that even in the sheltered
Ice Fjord thu coal cannot be shipped d-
rectly from the land, and the piers must
be removed before winter, during parts
of which work will have to be suspended.
But when the coal has been followed for
some little distance from the surface
there will be nothing to prevent the min
ers from going on even to December.
The ground. no doubt is permanently
frozen for a considerable depth, but the
temperature will rise steadily as the dis
lance from the surface increases, and
will be uniform. After a while the mine
will be more comfortable than any house.
As it is, the party will winter in the
island from the first, and the longer they
can work the more healthy they will be.
Dul : lItHDSTSeu udN not De lIle only
Arctic island in which coal occurs,
though perhaps it is the most favorable
for commercial purposes. The fuel may
be found in Franz Josef Land beds full
of fossil plants occur near Ezra harbOr-
of later date, indeed. but in rocks which
elsewhere occasionally produce coal.
From \Ovaia Zemlya Col. Fieiden
brought back specimens of limeStones
which experts assigned to an age very
near that of our English coal beds. and
other localities could readily be named
But these masses of fossil vegetable mat
ter indicate curious changes in the eli
mate. Nowadays nothing bigger than
the Stunted polar willow grows in Spitz-
bergen. Even in the extreme north of
Norway the hardy birch is dwarfed.
Ye; these ancient plants formerly almost
rivaled forest trees. and the change was
late in coming. \ temperate climate eX-
listed as far north as the SEVENTEEN paral-
lei. and in Greenland beds of brown coal
were formed even in the tertiary era. Al
that time the plane. the magnolia and
the vine HouriShed in the latitude OF
Disco hay-London Standard.