Graham guardian., 1904-01-29
ARIZONA COAL.
A Valuable Description Of the Deer
Creek Fields BY United States
Geological Surveyor,


A study of the earth's crust
would incline one to the belief that
the law of compensation found a
place in Natures earliest econo
mics. 1t frequently happens that
those parts of the country richest
iu precious metals are lacking in
/ the prosaic minerals which alone
can render them available. Like
the mother Of the famous "Rug-
gleses," who with fine impartiality
decided that those who had hand
kercbiefs couldn't have neckties,
so the old Mother Earth seems TO
have felt that those districts which
had gold and silver and copper
were sufficiently blessed and
shouldn't have coal. A few choice
spots may have been her favored
exceptions, but the rule holds good
with enough frequency to embar-
rass the operations of mere man in
several notable instances. One
such has recently claimed the at
tention of Mr.. M R. Campbell of
the United States geological sur
vey, who has been making pre-
liminary examination of the Deer
Creek coal fields.
This field is of comparatively
small extent, and the coal beds are
thin, but they may have consider
able economic importance, as the
field lies within easy reach of the
great copper camps of Arizona,
the development of which depends
in large measure upon the sup
ply of a moderately cheap fuel
The importance of this inquiry
may be appreciated from the fact
that wood is difficult to obtain at
prices which range from s8 to sl1
cord, that coal ofaverage quality
retails from S6 to SIS ton, and
that coke for the copper smelters
costs from S12 to $50 a ton, de-
pending upon the distance from
the main lines of transportation.
i, These facts give to the Deer Creek
coal field a positive prospective
value greatly beyond what it
would have were it located in
Colorado or near the great coal
fields of the eastern states.
The Deer Creek coal field lies
about S5 miles northeast of Tucson
and just east of the junction of the
San Pedro and Gila rivers. The
field has at present no railroad
connection with the outside world
but when the line that is now
building up the Gila river above
Florence is completed, it will be
in reach of most of the large towns
and of the great copper producing
centers of the region.
The field has an approximate
length of 10 miles and a known
breadth of or 6 miles, with The
possibility that the coal may bC
present farther to the southwest
than is now known, making The
breadth about equal to the length
of the field.
The coal has been we'll prospect
ed in the eastern, or upper felC
and several beds have been recog.
nized, but it seems probable that
in this portion of the basin the
rocks are closely folded. resulting
in a duplication of the out crops Of
the coal beds. In the middle and
lower fields of the basin, where
the structure is not so complicated
the principal coal beds are two in
number and show on both sides ol
; the basin, dipping toward its cen
ter. Measurements obtained on
shafts sunk on the two outerop'
give thickness which runs from
"a to 30 inches.
Some questions have been raised
regarding the geologic age of these
coal beds, but fossils found in the
associated rock show that they
are Cretaceous. The coal usually
occurs near the base of the Gre
taeeous sandstone and shales, and
: within thirty feet of the upper car
boniierous limestone, upon which
the younger rock rests uncomfort
ably. Above the coal bearing
rocks, which attain a thickness Of
several hundred feet, is a great
mass of andesite lava, which came
out as surface flow. The amount
! of this lava is not known, but in
the center of the basin it probably
attains thickness of 1000 feet.
The composition ofthe coal from
the lower field has not been deter
mined with accuracy, but rough
, tests have been made which show
, that it is a bituminous coking Goa
that the volatile hydrocarbons run
from 23 to SO per cent and that thu
, ash ranges from 36 to so per cent
-Republican.
Cured After Suffering Ten Years.