Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1904-05-14
NEVADA'S GREAT
COAL FIELDS.
Prof. Spur Reports Favor
ably on the Prospects.
A Good COking Coal and Consider.
able Supply Indicated With
Dip Of Strata.

The occurrence of coal within the
the desert region of Nevada. even if
it is not of superior quality, is of
great interest on account of the
scarcity. and high price of all fuel
and other means Of securing machine
power here.
LoCATIoN.-At the north end of
the Silver Peak range, in Esmeralda
county, just south of the road be-
tween Silver Peak and Candelaria.
Bulletin No, 225 Of the U. S.
Geological Survey contains a report
by J. f. Spur on the above. Prof.
Spur states that the coal beds oc-
cur on Tertiary sa~ndstones, shales
and volcanic tufts that contain fresh
water shells and Tertiary plants.
These sediments abut abruptly on
the south against a massive cliff of
rhyolite, probably Of Tertiary age. Be
tween the rhyolite on the south and
the sediments on the north Is a heavy
fault running in an east-west direc-
tion. The coal-bearing beds dip to
the northeast at comparatively slight
angles, but the dip increases as the
fault is neared, and in the immediate
vicinity Of the fault the beds acquire
a reversed dip and constitute a local
anticline running parallel to the line
Of displacement.
The coal Of this district was dis.
covered by VIM. Grozenger Of Candle
laria IN 1898 and the outcrops Of the
seams are now continuously located.
Some OF these seams extend for a
distance Of 5000 and 1900 feet in out
crop in a northwest-southeas direc-
ton. OF the four known principal
seams No. | seems TO be relatively
poor and small and as exposed in the
outcrop, Of little value. No. 2 seam
IS ia coal shale and Is several feet
thick but openings show the coal to
be thin bedded occurring in connec-
tion with beds OF rhyolite tuff, there
is also a good deal Of slate parting or
bone present. No. 3 seam is also in
coal shale and is Of better quality
and thicker than No. =. No. 1 seam
which lies in sandstone close TO the
fault shows six to eight feet Of coal
q much better quality than the
upper seams. II is used as a forge
coal and affords a coke.
An analysis Of a general sample OF
seam No. 4, taken from a picked
block eight inches thick, gave mois.
ture 0.94 per cent, volabile matter
81 30 per cent, fixed carbon ~. 90
per cent, ash 1905 per cent. Coke
good As this analysis was made
after the sample had been lying ex.
posed to the air about six months il
determined the important fact tina
it does not slack on exposure. II
also shows a light bituminous Goa.
Slightly poorer than that Of Colorado
and but for the larger amount of ash
comparable with some Of the higt
class Pennsylvania Goals, 1t is d
fairly good steaming coal and an ex
cellent gas coal,
All these seams of coal must ex
tend a considerable distance to the
north with the dip of the strata, ant
q considerable supply is thus indi
Gated. In conclusion, il may be re
iterated, that these Goals in genera
are undoubtedly light and of poor
quality. Nevertheless, a poor fue
may be better than none in a region
like this, where there is very littlt
wood supply, no water power ant
where transportation is very ex
pensive. If a sufficient supply o
The brilliant light bituminous Goa
could be developed it would probabl,
be directly available for fuel. AL
these Goals contain a large percent
age of volatile matter, and the ga
which they contain might be sepa
rated and profitably used for fuel.
Since the above report, which bear
no date but was probably compile,
last fall, local interest in these Goa
deposits has been greatly i%ntensiie,
ny three leading points which ar