Gilpin observer., 1908-04-02
NEWS FROM THE MINES and MILLS
Coal Fields In Northwe stern Colorado.


(Report by the Geological Survey.)
The coal fields of the Danforth Hills
and Grand Hogback, in northwestern
Colorado. were studied during the
summer Of 1906 by a party of geolo-
gists from the United States Geolog-
ical Survey, and the report Of the chief
of the party, Mr.. HOyt s. Gale, appears
in Bulletin No. 316, which forms Part
III OF the Surveys Contributions to
Economic Geology, 1906" The territory
described by Mr.. Gale is only a small
part OF a much larger field, the Colo
rado portion Of which has frequently
been referred to as the Grand River
coal field.
The Danforth Hills field lies north
OF White River, west of the White
River Plateau, south of Axial Basin,
and east of the valley of Strawberry
Creek and its extension toward the
north. This valley is fixed as the west
ern limit to the coal field because the
coal-bearing rocks dipping in that d.
rection pass beneath it to a depth so
great that they can not be considered
workable beyond this line. The Grand
Hogback is a long ridge lying mainly
between Grand and White rivers, con-
tanning relatively narrow belt Of the
outcropping coal strata that form the
southern extension of the Danforth
Hills field. 1t crosses White River
near Meeker. in Rio Blanco county, ex
tends due south from this point for
about twenty miles, and then southeast
for similar distance, and crosses
Grand river at the town of Newcastle.
westward extension from the Dan
forth Hills coal field north of White
River lies along the southern fianks of
the Yampa Plateau. or Blue Mountain,
as it is locally called, reaching across
the state line into Utah, beyond which
comparatively little is known of the
district as coal field.
The valley of Grand River is the
principal route by which travel and
commerce reach northwestern and
western Colorado from the east, and
is now the route of the only railroads
in Colorado that approach the fields
described by Mr.. Gale. A branch of
the Denver Northwestern and Pacific
railway, now under construction from
Middle Park by way of Gore Canyon
across to the Yampa Valley, is COM
pleted as far as kremmling and grad
ing has been finished between that
point and Steamboat Springs. If con-
structed down Yampa river this road
will open up large coal field; but
even then a great part of the Danforth
Hills and lower White River coal fields
will be almost as far removed from
transportation routes as they are at
present from the railroads on Grand
river.
The only noteworthy commercial de-
velopments within the field of Mr..
Gales report are those at Newcastle
and east and southeast of that point,
all of which are reached by branch
lines from the railroads on Grand
river. Among these are the Newcastle.
South Canyon, Black Diamond, Poca-
hontas. Midland. Sunlight, Spring
Gulch. and Coalbasin mines.
The coal-bearing strata of this field
attain a thickness of approximately
mile and many beds of valuable coal
are found in one position or another
within this mass. though both the total
number and the thickness of the in
dividual beds vary from place to place.
Samples of the Goals collected from
different parts of the field were exam
ined at the fuel-testing laboratory of
the Geological Survey at St. Louis.
These analyses Indicate u good grade
of bituminous coal. The coal occur
ring north of White River is appar-
emily similar to that in the western
part of the Yampa field. and this dis
trict comprises most of the available
coal in the fields described by Mr..
Gale. The coal occurring south of
White River is shown by the tests to
be of somewhat higher grade than any
hitherto examined from the northwest
ern part of the state. with the eXcep-
ton of the anthracite found locally in
Rontt county. The Improvement in the
quality of the coal toward the south in
the Grand River region. as shown by
the analysis. may be due. in part, to
the more extensive developments in
those districts, most of the samples
being obtained from a much greater
depth and consisting perhaps. of fresh
er coal: but a marked regional change
in the character OF the coal seems also
TO be indicated
Mr.. Gales report. which may be
obtained free of charge by applying to
the director Of the Geological Survey.
Washington. ID. c.. describes the geo.
logy OF the coal-bearing rocks and the
extent of the coal beds. and gives de-
tailed descriptions of the mines and
prospects. 1t is illustrated by a geo
logic map of the area. A more com.
plete report containing n detailed con-
toured map of the coal fields will be
published later as bulletin of the
Survey.