The copper era., 1908-03-05
North arizona Coal Lands.


vey issued last week a report on the
coal fields of southwestern Utah and
northwestern Arizona. This coal has
been known since 1854, when the first
mine was opened in Utah. The re-
moteness of the field from any large
market has restricted its utilization
to the supply of local demands Tor
which the officials say it has long
been important The construction
of the San Pedro, Los Angeles ana
Salt Lake railroad has brought trans
portation facilities within thirty-five
miles of the important outcrops, and
A branch line from this road to the
principal mines could easily be built.
Such railroad lines are said to have
been surveyed, but no construction
work has been done.
The structure of the region is such
that some of the coal crops out in
PERCEPTIONS cliffs bordering the
plateau, 300 feet or more above the
plains to the west, and some OF it is
exposed at the bottoms of the can
yons and near the level of the plains.
For this reason a knowledge of the
geography, the stratigraphy and the
structure of the region is essential to
A proper estimate of the value of the
coal land. With the purpose OF
gaining such knowledge, Willis I,
Lee, one of the biologists of the
United States Geological survey
made a reconnaissance survey of this
Iron county field two years ago visit
ing the principal coal openings, sam
ping the coal, and determining the
position of the various coal-bearing
rocks. A brief preliminary report or
this work has Just been published by
the survey and contains the results
of the government investigation o
coal, Ignite and peat deposits. Thi
report may be obtained tree of charge
by applying to the director of thu
survey in Washington.
But little prospecting has beef
done in the Iron county field, partl.
because coal has been used only il
crop, and partly because it is expose,
at the. surface at so many point
along the outcrop. The workable Goa
of the plateau is probably all at tn
same horizon, though thin seams oc
cur here and there at several hori
IONS. Mr.. Lee calls special attention
to the thin bed of limestone, contain
ING many fossils known as "scre'
smelts," which lies about 100 fee
above the coal and is used by pros
pectors as a guide in locating tn
= coal bed. Several prospects hav
been located in this way where th
coal was covered with slide rock.
The first coke ovens in souther
Utah were built near one of tn
mines of this region, and early Sc
tiers used the coke for smelling iror
but reports differ as to coking quail
ties of the coal from different part
of the field.
The proximity of this coal field
deposits of iron ore in the Iron moul
tains will doubtless prove most in
portant factor in its future deyeloT
ment. The ore is too remote frol
existing shelters to be pro6tabl
utilized at the present time, but til
iron properties are rapidly being a
quired by large operators and wi
eventually be productive. 1t is poss
BILE that the coal might be used fl
smelling the iron ore near the mine
The New Harmony coal, particular
which is 'semi-anthracite, may prov
satisfactory for this purpose if it CO
be obtained sufficiently free from il
purities. This coal differs from II
other Goals of the region in its pc;
ton in the lowlands west of II
plateau in several beds of workab
thickness.
Aai ~