Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-01-30
United States Geological Survey
Gives Out Report on Re-
cent Investigations.
DEPOSITS COVER A VAST AREA
Coal Found in Almost Inexhaustiblc
Quantity--EStimatcs on
Tonnage.

The Book Clims coal held is part OF
an immense basin in western Colorado
and eastern Titan around which the
outcrop of coal-bearing rocks can be
traced for more than 500 miles. on
the southwest, from the vicinity of
Mount HiICard. Utah. northward to
Castlesate, the coal measures form the
eastern escarpment of the Wasatch
plateau Thence they trend southeast
ward to Grand river constituting in
the Book cliffs the southern rim of
the Uinta basin. Beyond Grand river
the coal measures continue eastward,
forming the southern base of Grand
Mesa and extending to the vicinity of
Crested Butte From that place the
outcrop trends northward and crossing
Grand river again In the vicinity of
Newcastle, continues northward along
the Grand Hogback to the Danforth
hills. Thence the coal measures turn
westward and outcrop along the south
ern flank OF the Ulnta mountains. This
great coal Held has been but partially
prospected and mines are in operation
at only a few localities. but enough of
the area has been explored 10 prove
that that IL is one of the most important
coal reserves of the Rocky mountains.
Coal has long been known to be pres
ent IN the Book Cliffs The geology of
the region was first studied by Mr.. A.
c. Pcale OF the Hayden survey. i'm 1876
The field is mentioned by Mr. Il. c.
Hills in his report on the Goal Fields
of Colorado" and by Mr.. l.. S. Storrs
in his paper on the Rocky Mountain
al he ~ N4ts Arstf, Il oh h.tg
also referred to part of the area and has
described the Book Cliff mines. But the
coal was not examined in detail until
1905. when Mr. j. A. Taft of the United
States geological survey, studied the
western part OF the field from the vi
entity of Sunnyside to Castlegate, Utah,
and its southern continuation along
the escarpent Of the Wasatch plateau.
In the summer of 1906 another party
from the national survey, consisting OF
Messrs. G.. b. Richardson. w. d Neal.
l.. ] Pepperberg and G. d. Perrin,
made a reconnaissance survey of the
eastern part of the Book Cliffs field
from the point where Mr.. Taffs work
terminated to Grand river, Colo. and a
brief report on this survey, prepared
by Mr.. Richardson, who was the geolo-
gist in charge, has just been published
In bulletin No. 3lG, which forms part II
of the United States geological surveys
Contributions to Economic Geology.
1906" The more detailed report OF
which this is an abstract will soon be
published.
The Book cliffs extend from Grand
River. Colorado. to Helper, Utah, AT
the east edge OF the Wasatch plateau.
They occupy a belt from one mile to
10 miles wide, in which the elevation
rises from 1900 to 5000 feet
A close estimate cannot be made OF
the total amount of coal available be-
cause of incomplete knowledge OF the
field A rough approximation may be
reached, however. by assuming that
the practical limit of the field Is six
miles back from the outcrop and that
the total thickness of the coal may be
represented by a single bed feet thick
extending throughout the area The
latter figure introduces an element of
much uncertainty, inasmuch as the
Goals have not been continuously
traced. But on the above basis the
area contains about LOO square miles
of coal land. $50 of which are in Colo
RADIO, A cubic foot of coal of 1.3 spe-
cific gravity weighs 81 .25 pounds. and n
square mile OF such coal one foot thick
contains l,l32,544 short tons. On the
above assumption, therefore, the total
amount is over S,007 0S6 600 tons: deduct
ing one-fourth for waste in mining
leaves about 6,005. 0OO0 900 tons These fig-
ures are of little more value than to ex-
press the fact that the field contains
an Immense coal reserve.