New-York tribune., 1902-03-29
THE SOUTHWESTERN COAL FIELD.
QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF DEPOSITS
RIVALRY WITH OIL AS FUEL.

ical Survey now in press The Indian Territory
coal field is directly connected with the Kansas
coal field on the north and the Arkansas field on
lhe east The northern part and the extreme west
ern part are undeveloped and little known. The
held includes a small part Of Eastern Oklahoma,
the western hair Of the Cherokee the whole OF the
Creek. the northeastern corner of the Chickasaw
and the northern third Of the Choctaw nation. and
has an area Of approximately 20OO0 square miles.
There beds OF coal in the Indian Ter
rttory coal field thick enough 10 be commercially
workable, besides others which may be locally OF
workable thickness
The Hartshorne Goals lie in the southern part OF
the field, eastward from near Wiburtou in two
beds. between four and five feet thick The coal
makes good coke. The Atoka coal bed. in the Le
high district, Is nearly four feet thick, but Is not
Of as high grade the Hartshorne coal in the
eastern part of the field. II Is not known TO occur
west Of the Choctaw- Chickasaw line. The Pan
anna coal bed runs westward from the State line by
way Of Doubleday. Adkins and Panama mines 70
point north Of Sansbois Mountain. The Panama
coal varies form three 10 six feet thick The
MCAlester coal appears IN three districts in
!outhern part Of this field. The first is between
the vicinity OF WburtOn AMI III" Arkansas State
line. the second between Hartshorne and the vicin-
ity CT McAIester and the third near Savanna.
This coal is mined most extensively at Carbon.
Dow. Anderson. Krebs and McAlester. and varies
in these mines between three and four feet IN
thickness The coal IS successfully coked and
ranks a high grade bituminous coal In the
savanna ulStrict pTODaDly less IMAM zen square
miles can be successfully mined. The coal IS here
about four feet thick and OF the same grade as
at McAlester. The LehEh coal bed is extensively
mined az Lehigh and CoalRate. in the southwestern
OF the field and covers an area FOR convenient
mining Of approximately thirry-hve square miles.
II IS extensively used for locomotive fuel. The
Cavanal coal in the southern part OF the field.
around the base OF CavanaI Mountain. is mined
near tavanal station and three miles Of Wis
ter. where Il is about three feet thick IS also
In ryUo he'd
Of workable thickness in the east end OF CavanaI
Mountain, each bed occupying about sixty square
miles Of area. The beds are between three and FIVE
feet thick The mining is chiefly at wittevile. and
the coal is good steam producing fuel
Commercial coal mining in the Indian Territory
began near McAlester with the location Of the
Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad. IN ls72 Min
ing began at Savanna and Lehgh in 1881 The
Frisco road, the Memphis and Choctaw. and the
Kansas City Southern have developed the coal in
dustry OF the Territory. A small coal bearing area
lies south OF Ardmore In the Chickasaw Nation.
Only one coal bed. from twenty 70 forty inches
thick. is reported. Coal was mined and shipped
from the mine around 1890 and mining then
abandoned. Recently mining has been begun again.
The Arkansas coal field runs IN the basin OF the
Arkansas River. seventy-hve miles eastward from
the State line. narrowing from hfty twenty-five
miles. between the southern foothills OF the Boston
Mountains and the northern ridges Of the OuaChttd
Mountains. The two main beds OF Arkansas coal
known the Huntington coal, from three 10
six feet thick. the western division. and the
Spadra coal. three and four feet thick fla
the eastern division. The mining operations are IN
Sebastian, Logan. Franklin, Crawford. Johnson and
Pope counties at Jenny Lind Hackett. Hunting
ton. Montana Spadra and elsewhere. and the coal
produced IS bituminous semi -bituminous and semi
anthracite good for steam coIdng and domestic
Extensive mining began first in the eastern part
Of this field along the Little Rock and Fort Smith
road, in Pope Johnson and Franklin counties with
rosq lh'o the %estfSh par O6 6ne Tfacsatt d
Memphis and Choctaw road opened other districts
~ me oIori ~ F3iyer VaIIev between Iampasas
and Concho counties. uQrthward 70 Red River, IN
ffty miles IN length, with an average width Of
The productive portion T. divided by the watershed
the Brazos coal field and the Colorado coal field.
There three extensive beds Of coal IN the North
No = No and the Chafin bed No / is mined at
T3ridgenort in Wise Count. at Rock Creek in
Western Parker County, at strawn. in Palo Pinto.
varies from about fourteen inches to twenty-eight
inches in thickness The coal Is strongly oitumi-
nous. The ChafhD bed ABOUT twenty inches thIck.
mined east Of Waldrfp, near the Colorado
ton prevented the successful development OF the
mine. The outcrop Of coal bed No. runs from
man. callahan. Eastland. stephens, Young and
Jack to Bowie. in Montague County two hundred
all eight of the counties through which II passes II
IS worked for commercial purposes only at the
tions near Bowie, In Montague and Cisco, in East
land County. have ceased. It varies from twelve 10
forty-two inches in thickness. -,.-..,,.,
either cOked or used for gas making successfully
they are good steam Goals and for domestic pur-
40gs market chiefly toward the south II comes
IN competition with the western interior field, IN
ieTinr and 4pDaiachian felds along the Mssssppi
River. An Important and growing factor in the de-
this field IS felt IN the competition
offered bv the petroleum Of Southern Texas and
semi -bituminous and anthracite coal of the Arkan-
sas field finds a ready market as far northward as
Terrtory field goes north into Kansas and Missouri
A larger proportion supplies southern Arkansas
southwest to the Texas markets A large proper
ton Of the output ~ the NoTthern Texas heid Is
southern Texas The Southern Pacific road depends
almost wholly upon the Texas field for fuel entirely
IN 1900 the southwestern Geld produced sos 273
$40 243 tons produced by the Indian Territory and
per cent for manufacturing fuel 30 per cent for
domestic fuel and IS s3 tons Of the Indian Territory
mines in twelve counties produced 3 39o6273 tons IN
1900, and the estimated capacity OF siXty-9ne OF
1893 sl4 tons In 1880 Arkansas produced l77s tons
i27sl7 tons in 1900 the Indian Territory produced
s22 2ss tons. Arkansas So - - s45 tons and Texas
Shipments of this coal to market are entirely by
Ta 2nd tR 6nS9P Four roads feacS the Ind
ian Territory feId-the Missouri Kansas and Texas,
GboctaW and the Kansas city Southern (extendng
10 the GuIf. The three last named roads supply
Texas field is intersected by six roads five Of which
transport Goa Gun. CoI2raa9 ana santa re
Wells and Northwestern the Chicago. Rock Island
and Texas and the Fort Worth and Denver city
roads.
she LOST NOTHING BY IT.