Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-08
When Alaska was a HOtbed.

h recently reported discovery of Ignite n bituminous coal in Alaska.
while showing that the mineral. resources of that territory are more varied
occur in much higher ATTITUDES, n also along the Pacific coast from, South
en California to British Columbia. These latter have been utilized to only Il
limited extent thus far partly because the coal is n some instances of in
Terror quahtE, partly because faculties for reaching q nharKet ar uequat
nd partly, N doubt, because the requisite capital was not thconin For
these reasons. I'M of which are of a temporary nature. the outpu in Cali
Oregon and Washington las never been equal to the demand. a
land. This state of things of course. lis exceedingly unfortunate. The rapidly
growing steam omnerc O. the Pacific, together With the requirements of
the railways manufacture AM household in hat part thu country. creates
a growing need for domestic supply of good fuel Hence my nouncemen
like tina ofla week possesses a high degree of interest for the region be-
ypnd he Rockies. i5
The oucrop at chignik bay has been traced for seventeen niles, d the
veins range in thickness from four and a half to nine feet o how great
a depth they extend has OF yt been ascertained. he natural outlet of the
district is or the south side o the Alaska peninsula. 1t is said nat a vel
sheltered harbor ma be found within five miles of the deposits. And mas
much as Chispk bay is in a comparatively low latitude, the climate should
favor a continuance of mining and shipping operations through a consider
able pat of the year if once Undertaken The locality is fully 500 miles fur
Their south han Disco, reenland where's coal has long been known to exist
and l5oom miles further outh than the colr recently found lin spitabergen. Here
shall demonstrate hat TIL quality and extent of the Chgmk coal justify
mining it o a large seae, thu event will prove of great industrial impor-
ance ~
Not the least interesting feature # the discovery is he fresh testimony
and within the Arctic circle. The 1uxuriant vegetation which gay rise to he
great coal measures is believed to ave been dependent upon a tropical or
more han tropical warmth, as we'll as the presence of a II enormous amount
Of arbonc acid in the Atmosphere There's are indications hat the magnolia
and vine hourHhed in the vicinity of Disco otemporaneousy viii the for
that elephants were abundant in Siberia or tina water lilies thrived within
eight degrees of the Pole They all bearw witness. as does hisn new from the
life once enjoyed in extremely high attudes. and which probably endured
log enough to facilitate the migration Of primitive Ia iron continent to
continent
The particular geological strata with which he Chignik Goa is associated
are 10 specified in the press dispatches. The basis for calculating the II
tiuuity of the deposits is lacking Therefore. Still he majortyo of such forma-
tons in other parts of the world clearly belongs to the carboniferous era.
the great Appalachian coal fields. In exceptional casesc coal is found in triaAc.
cretaceous and yer tertiary rocks. which are more recent. u wen if me
should halveo " ouartert thu chronological esinat just given. he would stH1
be confronted with a result which it axe the imagination to grasp-New
York Tribune. #=a