New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-12-16
COAL IN THE FAR NORTH.
,rs DISCOVERY on DISCO ISLAND IN
1873 BY AN AMERICAN EXPEDIZ,oN.
!. ,he Eallor ID - TrIbune.

- the Editor OF The Tribune.
sr: The editorial published in ysur paper yester-
ssy upon the coal outeroppings about seventeen
s.ass along Chighih Bay. Alaska. referred TO the
-s,ent discovery OF coal in Green Harbor. Spitz-
s..reen and the one OF several years ago on the
800 OF Disco Greenland. The latter dis
.overed and worked by an officer OF the United
states Navy, one Of those who went 20 the Arctic
an fSs IN connection with the POlaris search eN-
.sl,ion and an associate with Commander De
5o1e and Lieutenant Charles W. Chip upon their
ersf poar cruise. IL is possible that the Disco
coal may never become Of marked commercial
I,sfre but IL has already proved Of great benefit
20 exploring expeditions. sealers and the Esqui-
rosus The report on the Disco coal 10 the Navy
renartment was made by Lieutenant Henry T.
phoades who had associated with him Ensign
xeeler and a half-dozen sailors from the United
sts-es cruiser Juniata the relief ship sent north
10 search for the Polaris party, and it is incor-
narrated in the Report OF the Navy for 1873. The
folowing extracts from that report may add in
terest to the subject Of coal discoveries in the
polar ATTITUDES:
Is nearly twenty -four hour day in that latitude
enabling the party 10 work through the twenty
tbe coast arrived II our coal mine, about six
miles from NJarasusuk (ninety miles from God
harn where We left The snip with our steam
iaunch a small settlement or hunting station
We went on mo 20 of snS 6ut hTe
and a half feet IN thickness running longitudinaly
rrfrf
IRON the beach. and about one hundred feet above
hieh water mark. On top Of this vein OF coal were
tbick smother of black plate clay about three feet
f6ick and another Of sand about six feet in thick
, ,,s ~ the coal was very hard to disiodge and
occupied al least one-third OF our time in working
At a. m on the 9th inst. we commenced prac-
tical work after We had hoisted the American en-
sien on the peak Of the mountain and named our
gfen tons OF coal and piled ii on the beach ready
far fHnl no q
barees 10 work through the ice should arrive. The
toes we used. which proved efficient and sufficient
- ne zine being were an electric battery with
primers used as bombs. & dozen common pickaNes.
a half-dozeu chisel bars and dozen shovels. The
and the coal carried 10 the beach in bags made
we divided our party into two separate gangs and
worked upon two separate veins. the veins being
veins noticed that the coal assumed biacker
men. and some Jumps We're sprlnkled with small
particles Of rosin. The veins also grew thicker be
ing at this time over three feet IN thickness al
though we had gone only about four feet into the
vein longitudinally
Further along in the report LIEUTENANT Rhoades
speaks OF the OF this cosl in the furnaces. He
says
The expenditure OF fuel to heat the double guam
ssio. and which stood at a low temperature. was
necessarily greater than it would have been could
built TO use. We were unable 10 perform
any careful experiments with the coal on the trip.
but the following observations Of its steaming
qualities made by me most respectfully submit:
The coal when taken out Of the mines chiefly
IN Jumps. but Il is friaoe in its structure that
about half OF IL broke into small particles while
transporting II TO the launch from the mine. 1t is
comparatively easy 10 ignite, II burns freely, and
forms very little clinker. ] found that the small
particles burned nearly well the Jumps. BY
weight 7 should Judge that IL required about one
fourth OF this coal consumed in any given
time produce effect equal TO the best Welsh
coal Il is bituminous in its nature; II produces
very little smoke. Of hrownish color; requires
very little labor in stocking, and the best results
obtained from a thick and level IRE.
During leisure time prospected the i'm
mediate vicinity and disclosed several other veins
each Of which indicated good coal and quantities
Of IL. The coal Is easily mined that our force
Of twenty-one people could have removed and car
ried the beach at least one hundred tons within
five DAYS with the tools that We used
Lieutenant Rhoades in another report spoke OF
how his party skirted the shores along the fjords
and around IN the waigat. straits. drilling here
and there and blowing out the frozen earth, until
they reached the point where the coal was found.
he found several fossil plants while mining, and
these were proof Of curious changes IN the climate
and other plants in ages past, but In 1913 nothing
bigger than the stunteo willow could be found
growing north OF HolsteinbOrgs and this only in
matches here and there. In the item noting the
that likely larger and perhaps richer veins would
Ne found 70 exist. The larger and eastern part OF
Splizbergen IS more less plateau. and the coal
strata horizontal The veins on Disco Island
were also found TO be horizontal. but they are an
the hills for there Is very little fat land rocks
eef 5000 feet high, runs across the island, and
the mountains on the mainland across the Waigat
would seem 10 be 2 continuation OF the range.
Washington, ID. 9. Dec. T. 1900. A NJ B.