The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-01
new COLORADO RAILROAD
DAVID III. MOFFAT'S LINE PASSES
THROUGH A RICHLY MINERAL
lied REGION.
Vast Coal Fields i'm ROutt County Now
Opening Up-Colorado's Anthracite
and Bitumfnous Goals Compared
with Pennsylvania's-Eas and
West Freight Assured.
ecial to the indianapolis Journal.

DENVER, sept. U.-Ine new DehNei'
Northwestern & Pacific Railroad, to be
built through northwestern Colorado, which
in a former dispatch was shown to open
up a vast mineralized country, will also
tap extensive coal fields.
At Coal Creek, jefferson county, on the
line of the new railroad. few miles from
Denver is an immense body of high-class
Ignite coal, being the nearest deposit OF
the kind to Denver. Explorations with The
drill have disclosed four fat veins of coal
at different depths, from nearly 600 feet
to more than 600 feet beneath the surface
One of these blanket veins is twelve feet
thick and another seven and half feet
thick. The coal will be mined through
shafts, work upon which has already be-
gun.
In Middle Park, Grand county, within
easy reach of the new railroad, is large
area of fine COAL 1t has been opened up
only in the most primitive way for local
use. When properly opened up. by way of
the new railroad, 1t will find an ever-in-
creasing local market in Grand county. and
can also be laid down in Denver at CON-
peting prices.
Henry Denman. Colorado state inspec-
tor Of coal mines, in his official biennial re-
port for 1S99-l9o0 gives the accessible area
of the Yampa coal field in Routt county
which will be tapped by the new railroad
as 44O square miles. with an available gross
tonnage of 1851 100000. He says that the
amount of the wealth contained in the I'M
developed coal deposits Of Routt county is
beyond the comprehension of the casual
observer.
AS an illustration he takes one particular
tract of twelve hundred acres in extent
eighteen miles northwest of Steamboat
Springs. In this tract there are four work.
able seams, viz, Nos. 1. 2, and 4. No. is
seven feet thick, of bituminous coal, free
from any impurities No. 2 is eleven feet
thick. of bituminous coal. No. is eight
feet thick, of semi-anthracite coal. No. 4,
which is the bottom seam. is fourteen feet
thick and first-class anthracite.
Mr.. Denman further says that assuming
that only three-fourths of such twelve-hun-
dred-acre tract is underlaid with a four
teen-foot anthracite seam 17.434.00O tons
could be extracted. which at 50 a ton at the
mine would net $52,272.O0O for the anthra-
cite seam alone, irrespective of seams Nos.
], and 3. The aggregate thickness of the
strata between Nos. l and seams is forty
feet. The seams have a uniform pitch of
twenty degrees with good roof
AS twelve hundred acres. the size of this
particular tract is less than two square
miles, and the estimated coal area of this
Yampa coal field alone is 40 square miles
any attempt to figure out the possible tom
mage and value of these particular coal de-
posts would simply result in figures which
could not be fully grasped or realized.
Professor Lakes. who for many years &C.
cupied the chair of geology at the Colorado
State School of Mines, speaking of the
plateau about twenty-five miles northwest
of Steamboat Springs, says that almost the
entire plateau Is underlaid by a number of
coal seams of more than average grade in
character and quality. The quantity of coal
is practically unlimited. 1t is safe to say
there is at least twenty-five feet thickness
of excellent coal. some of il anthracite, I'M
DERIVING the whole area. Fifty feet would
not be an exaggerated estimate 1t is prob
ably the largest area of this particular va
riety of coal in Colorado or west of the
Mississippi. The Importance and value of
the anthracite feature, so rare in Colorado
and the West, cannot be too strongly en-
phaszed, as the supply hitherto of Colo
RADIO anthracite Is drawn from very small
and restricted area near Crested Butte.
Gunnison county, and, so far, from one
mine only In all cases Professor Lakes
found the Routt county anthracite coal TO
be hard. firm and compact. breaking into
large shining blocks. Fragments that have
lain for years on the surface showed no
signs of Stacking, proving it to be capable
of being carried in stock for an indefinite
time without deterioration. Outside the an
thracite, Professor Lake pronounces the
other coal to be adapted to domestic, cox
ing and blacksmithing purposes. He also
says that the plateau covering these par
ticular coal beds is about twenty-five miles
in extent.
The high quality of these Routt county
anthracite and bituminous Goals is shown
by the following comparison Of the analysis
with those of the anthracite and bitumin-
Gus Goals of Pennsylvania:
ANTIJR ACTTE