The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-07-24
MONTANA COAL RESOURCES.

The fuel problem is a subject OF such
Importance to the people Of Montana,
that an investigation of the coal re-
sources of the state by federal officials
| will be of genera! interest. A bulletin
issued by the United States geological
survey the program OF such
an invests ation, the announcement
being to this effect:
The coal OF Montana are
extensive, but the coal varies greatly
in quality. Many of the fields con-
tanning the lower grades have been
but little prospected and their extent
and value are largely unknown. Mines
have been opened by the railway and
copper smelling interests in fields car.
rying coal OF the better grades, and
the portions of the areas that lie near
the railroad are fairly we'll known.
In planning work in this state it
seemed desirable first to examine the
little known fields, although the coal
or Ignite which they contain is prob
ably OF much less Importance at the
present time than the coking Goals
along the railway line. 1t is planned
to send Ave large parties into this
state.
One Of the parties under the direction
Of r. w. Stone, will begin work at
about the point where the new line OF
the Burlington road crosses Mussel-
shell river and carry it westward and
southwa ard along the rim Of the great
basin of coal bearing rock whose cen.
ter is marked by the Crazy mountains.
This work will be extended to the Nor.
thern Pacific railway west of Living.
ston il time permits.
A second party, under the direction
of w. r. Calvert, will begin work
about 50 miles east Of Great Falls, on
the north side of the Little Belt
Mountains. in the southern extension
OF the Great Falls coal field. This
field will be traversed southwark as
far as the Goals are OF workable value,
and then the region to the east, in the
| vicinity ofLewistown, will be e amined.
Particular attention will be given to
the coal Of this region, and q study Of
the underground waters will be car.
| ried on in connection with the investi.
CATION Of the coal.
A third party under the direction
of l.. H. Woolsey, will begin work
near Billings and carry it northward
along the northern extension OF the
Bridger field as far Is Musselshell
River, and then eastward into the
Bull Mountain coal field, lying be.
tween Musselshell and Yellowstone
rivers northeast Of Billings. Accord.
ing to report this field is comparative
ly small, but the coal is of high grade
and the field therefore promises to be
Of great value.
These three parties, as we'll as two
others in the Bighorn basin Of
Wyoming, will be under the general
supervision of c.. A. Fisher. whose
headquarters for the summer will be
at Billings, Montana.
A fourth party, under the direction
of A. J. Collier, will examine and map
the region from Miles City southwark
for a distance of 80 or 40 miles and
eastward at least to Powder river.
The coal in this field is of low grade,
almost a Ignite, but it is of consider
able local Importance and may be Of
much more value in the future, 1t
will be particularly valuable if the
gas producer and gas engine come in
to general use, since it has been de-
moustrated at the fuel testing plant OF
the Geological Survey at St. Louis
that low-grade Ignite, when used in
the producer, yields results as good
as or better than some Of the best
West Virginia steam coal under an
ordinary type OF boiler.
A fifth party, under the direction O
A. c.. Leonard and Carl D. Smith,
!, will examine the region from Glendivt
eastward, along the Northern Pacific
Hallway to Medora in North Dakota
The Ignite in this region is of ever
lower grade than that a. Miles City
: but it is the only fuel there available
!, and consequently is of much local i'm
. portance.
THE INSURANCE TRUST.