The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-03-24
TELLS OF COAL
LANDS IN UTAH
Geological Surveys Report on
Rocky Mountain Fields.
MARKETS FOR 1T AT HOME
ONLY SMALL PORTION sHIPPED
CIT OF THIS STATE.
MARKETS FOR 1T AT HOME

llSn statement IN reference 70
the Rocky mountain coal fields. their
location, extent. etc, by L. S. Storrs,
and through the courtesy Of Dr. Thorn
Of the survey the following advance
abstract is given:
The coal fields of the Rocky noun
tam region occupy a belt along the
eastern base of the main range, ex-
tending southwark from the Canadian
boundary fully 1000 miles, through
Montana, Wyoming, Colorado a8d New
Mexico. The cOal-bearing formations
are not continuous throughout this
/ belt, but occupy about 60 per cent OF
the distance. Another less extensive
belt of coal fields occurs along the
western base of the Rocky mountain
range in Wyoming Utah, Colorado and
New Mexico.
The magnitude Of the aggregate area
of these fields is as yet scarcely ap-
preciated Owing to the lack of geo
! logical information regarding much of
/ this region the areas of many of the
fields. as well as the amount of coal
Thich they contain, are known only
approximately.
/ The areas of the coal bearing rocks
y Utah have received less atten-
lion than in most of the other states
/ of the Rocky mountain region. Such
J exploration as has been done has been
/ limitSd almost entirely to the areas
/ along the existing lines of transporta
/ ton and only at isolated localities
/ even in those areas. Hence it is inn
possible to estimate the probably pro-
/ ductive area of the state with any de
/ gree of accuracy. The horizons at
/ which seams OF workable thickness
/ have been discovered occur in several
| of the cretaceous formations, as well
as in a small area. of the Wasatch
/ EoCene. The better grades Of fuel are
/ found in the Laramie formation, al
though there are areas within the state
in which the Bear river, Montana, and
4 Colorado formations contain coal beds
of workable thickness.
The character Of the coal from the
/ producing mines is nearly all semi
/ bituminous. none Of the small areas OF
! Ignite being worked. There is a small
quantity of coke produced but its
1 structure is not equal TO that of coke
/ produced in the Colorado field on the
western slope of the Rocky mountains.
Scope Of the Utah Markets.
Most Of the markets reached by the
! Utah Goals are within the limits of the
state, namely, Salt Lake, Ogden, Provo,
Park City. and the various mining
towns A small portion of the coal
from the Pleasant Valley mines IS
shipped to the San Francisco market,
where it compares very favorably with
the Goals from Washington and Brit
ish Columbia.
Wasatch Field.-The outcropplng
southern edge of this field extends
eastward from the Wasatch mountains
l to the Colorado line The field forms
the western end of the Green river ba--
sin. of which the Grand river field OF
Colorado forms the eastern end. The
western portion of the field extends
along the base Of the Wasatch noun
tains for a distance Of sixty miles. the
outcrop then turns southeast follow
ing along the edge Of the monoclina
ridge of the Roam and Book cltffs' j
distance Of $40 miles to the COLORADO
line. This line Of steep cliffs marks the
southern margin of the field from
which the coal bearing rocks extend
northward to the Uintah mountains.
There are three producing districts III
this field namely: Sunnysider situated
near the center Of the southern mar
Gin. Castle Gate at the point Wher5
the outcrop swings to the east, an,
! pleasant Valley, at its Southwestern
extremity The small area on AshleS
creek on the northern border. IS s.
remote that it cannot be considered a.
! q productive district the small amour
z of coal mined being for local use. In
I Laramie measures throughout the a
satch field are about 12OO feet thlch
. and the coal beds thus far dlscoVere'
are near the base of that formation.
District Yet Undeveloped.
Only a single coal bed is worked il
q each of the districts, and not enough
b prospecting has been done to deter
mine whether or not it is the sam
. beds in All the mines. The workings Il
the western district have Develops
from four to eight feet Of coal, Will
z in the Sunnyside district, eighty mile
to the east. there is thickness o
: twelve feet.
q The product from the Pleasant Val
{ lev and Sunnyside districts IS semi
= bituminous. that from Pleasant va
q lev being the better grade The prod
r - fror7 the Castle Gate district is
: colzing coal. although the coke pro
= duced i'm the ordinary beehive ovens u
u NOT of the best as to structure BEN
e large proportion of the produC
y from, the mines of these districts
= ,7ead nv the railroad companies Tor Il
e con7otive fuel a part of that troI
tn pleasant Valley district reaches IN
I. markets. as far west as San Francisco
y tbe ~est being used 10 supply the HON
N markets. sr,a
= Ashley Creek Area.-There is a sIla
~ a.-roe,,re of Laramie beds of undeteI
r. mined extent along the northern Ooi "
:. os fine basin. the coal OutcrOpplng alOh
I, The vest side of Ashley creek. The be
a onened. ranges from three to six feet
~ thickness. and contains FAR grde
- sar,,i- bituminous coal. Owing TO IN
- distance from the railroads. the on
= value of this area at present hes
- the supply of fuel for the settlers
~oalville Field.-This field is locate
- near the southwestern corner OF Wy
ming. fifty miles northeast from "a
= Lake. Il consists of a narrow area
- the coal-bearing rocks of the Be-
= river formation, extending noItiea
IT, and southwest along the base OF OF
III the eastern SPURS of the WasatC
mountains. The beds have an incin,
IN ton of about Il degrees to the noru
e. west. the portion adjacent TO the moul
r. fsins being badly broken. There al
ss two beds of workable thickness in q
IN Yneaeiires-one Of four feet the 9th
~ | from eight 10 twelve feet thick. IT
l1i coal is bituminous. but of an inferi'
al grade The principal market IS y
h mining camp. Park City since Il
n nroduct cannot compete with the fue
from the Pleasant Valley district
the Salt Lake market There are fl
producing mines in the field.
lg Transportation Facilities Needed.
n Provo Canyon Area small area
81 coal-bearing rocks of undetermined a
ne outcrops in Provo canyon short di
nj lance from the town of Provo. Co
ne siderable development work has be
ed done at various times. but nothing
err ! economic value has yet been disco