The Washington times., 1902-03-17
COAL Fields OF THE
ROCKIES EXTENSIVE
Magnitude of Area Scarcely
Appreciated.
VALUABLE FOR MANY USES
History of Its Development q Review of
Progress-No Parallel in tie United
States-Transportatioa Lines Factor.

The magnitude of the aggregate area
of the Rocky Mountain coal fields is as
yet scarcely appreciated. AS described
by MIR. L. s. Storrs in part Of the
Twenty-seccnd Annual Report Of the
United States Geological Survey" now in
press, they occupy about 60 per cent CT
the length of a belt along the eastern
base of the main range, extending south
ward from the Canadian boundary fully
1000 miles through Montana, Wyoming,
Colorado, and New Mexico.
Another less extensive belt occurs along
the western base of the Rocky Mountain
range in Wyoming, Utah, Colorado. and
New Mexico. Between these two belts,
in the park region, are numerous isolated
basins.
In addition TO these generally bitumi-
nous fields, large areas of the plains CT
Montana Wyoming, and the Daketas are
also underlain by coal, usually Ignite, but
valuable for local use.
According TO the latest estimates, the
areas of the coal-bearing formations in
the six States and one Territory of the
Rocky Mountains are. for anthracite, BIZ
luminous, and lignitic- bituminous coal.
1850 square miles. ard for Ignite, 55, 500
square miles.
Development of Trade.
The history of the development Of the
various coal fields % the Rocky Noun
tains is essentially the history OF the gen
eral development Of the region, which has
no parallel elsewhere in the United States,
and in which, in the case of the West
ern interior coal field. the great trans
portaticn lines have been the determining
factor.
The Colorado coal fields are the only
ones for which fairly accurate estimate
of worka Bile coal beds and available coal
can be given. A conservative estimate
places the workable beds at about so per
cent Of the total Is 100 square miles of
coal- bearing area, and the available coal
at nearly $4,000 nilliCu tons. The Colo
raJo fields have been divided into three
groups-the eastern, the park, and the
western.
The Goals of Wyoming, lying largely in
the plains region. are of lower grade,
on the whole than the mountain Goals of
coal nor any workable anthracite has yet
been found within its linlits. though the
product from its mines finds ready mar
ket along the line of the Union Pacific
Railroad. In the Black Hills district,
Crook County, there are two workable
veins.
Much Of the coal is used for locomotive
fuel. The Carbon district, the Hanna dis
trict, the Rawlins district. all In Carbon
County, and all touching or crossing the
Union Pacific line, is semi-bituminous and
good for steam and domestic purposes.
The three productive districts OF ROCKY
Springs are Black Butte Point OF Rocks,
and Rock Springs.
A large undeveioped area extends for
thirty miles north and south OF the rail-
road. The coal is semi-bituminous and
an excellent domestic fuel. The Hams
Fork district produces semi-bituminous
and lignitic Goals. The Almy district, a
few miles west of the Hams Fork district.
In Uinta County, but on the Union Pacific
line, has one workable seam of high
grade lignitic.
The Henrys Fork district, extending
along the Wyoming-Utah boundary south
of Rock Springs. has only one workable
coal bed as yet discovered. The Teton
district, unexplored and practically in
accessible, is in Fremont County. The
Sublette district begins about twelve
miles west of the Hams Fork district in
Uinta County. and extends northwest into
Idaho. The coal is semi-coking. The Big
Horn Basin district extends from the
State line in Fremont County southwark
ninety-five miles to the Owl Creek Noun
tains.
Some development has taken place In
the northwestern, central and southern
parts of the Basin. The coal is of a fair
lignitic. The Wind River district lies in
the central part of the State in Fremont
County. The coal is semi -bitum!nous.
The Powder River district. some $3.50
square miles, east Of the Big Horn range,
has plenty of ligni:ic coal OF low efIi-
cheney as fuel, but affording a limitless
supply for the settlers of this treeless
plain region.
Coal Fields of New Mexico.
The coal fields OF New Mexico lie chief
ly In the porthern part of the Territory.
Only those parts adjacent to railroads
have been thoroughly explored. The great
value of these fields is in their proximity
TO an extensive region in Arizona, Texas,
Southern California. and Mexico in which
very little coal of value has been found.
The areas OF the coal-bearing rocks in
Utah have been SO little explored that
the probable productive area of the State
cannot be accurately estimated. The coal
from the producing mines is nearly all
semi -bituminous. The Wasatch district
extends for sixty miles in Sanpete, EN-
cry and Wasatch Co lnties. along the base
of the Wasatch Mountains. thence east
ward 140 miles past the Roam Cliffs TO
tine Colorado line. and thence north
through Uinta County to the Uinta Noun
tains Sunnyside and Castle Gate, in En-
cry Countrq. and Pleasant Valley, in San
pete. are the producing centres.
The coal of North Dakota is Ignite,
and disintegrates so rapidly upon expos
ure that II must be used very soon after
leaving the mine. In many places il is
only necessary to scrape of the surface
in order to quarry the coal.
The coal fields OF Eastern Montana ex-
tend into Northern Dakota, covering its
southwestern portion as far as Emmons.
Burleigh. and Mclean Counties. on the
eastern side of the Missouri. The prin-
cipal mines In this field are at Lehigh, in
Burleigh County. and Sims, in Horton
County. on the line OF the Northern Pa
cifc and at wilton and Washburn, thirty
miles north Of Bismarck, on the Bis