The daily sentinel., 1908-01-30

| The Book Cliffs coal fields is part
of an immense basin In western
Colorado and eastern Utah around
which the outcrop of coa1-bearing
rocks can be traced for more than
500 miles. On the southwest, from
the vicinity of Mount Hilgard, Utah.
northward to Castle Gate. the coal
ment of the Wasatch plateau. Thence
they trend southeastward to Grand
river, constituting in the Book Cliffs
the southern rim of the Uintah BASIN
Beyond Grand river the coal meas
ures 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, cross
ing Grand river again in the vicinity
of Newcastle, continues snorthward
along the Grand hogback to the Dam
forth hills. Thence the coal meas
ures turn westward and outcrop
along the southern flank of the Uin-
tab mountains. This great coal field
has been partially prospectei and
mines are In operation at only few
localities, but enough of the area has
been explored to prove that 1t is one
of the most important coal reserves
of the Rocky mountains.
Coal has long been known to be
present in the Book cliffs. The geo.
logy of the region was first studied
by A. G. Peale, OF the Hayden Sur
vey, In 1876. The field Is mentioned
by r. c. Hills in his report on the
Goal Fields of Colorado" and by
l.. s. Storrs In his paper on the
Rocky Mountain Coal Fields"
Arthur Lakes has also referred to
part OF the area and has described
the Book Cliff mines. But the coal
was mot examined In detail until
1905, when j. A. Taft. of the Unitel
States geological survey, studied the
western part of the field from the
vicinity of Sunnyside to Castle Gate.
Utah. and its southern continuation
along the escarpment of the Wasatch
plateau.
Belt One to Ten Miles Wide.
In the summer of 1906 another
party from the national survey, con-
sisting of Messrs. G.. b. Richardson.
w. d. Neal. L. ]. Pepperberg and C.
D. Perrin, made a reconnaissance
survey of the eastern part of the
Book Cliffs field from the point
where Mr.. Taff's work terminated to
Grand river, Colorado, and brief
report on this survey. prepared by
Mr.. Richardson, who was the geo.
logist in charge. has Just been pub
lished In Bulletin No. 316, which
forms Part II of the surveys Con
tributions to Economic Geology,
1906" The more detailed report Of
which this is an abstract will soon
be published.
The Book Cliffs extend from the
Grand river. Colorado to Helper.
Utah, at the east edge of the Wa
satch plateau. They occupy belt
from one mile to ten miles wide. in
which the elevation rises from 1000
to 5000 feet. In places the rise is
abrupt. in one sharp. precipitous
slope, but usually 1t Is accomplished
by series OF cliffs and Intervening
benches. The rocks composing the
cliffs are alternating beds Of sand
stone and shale, lying almost flat,
and the edges of the strata exposed
in the cliffs have the appearance of
the leaves of a book when lying on
one side: hence the name. In the
area discussed by Mr.. Richardson the
cliffs extend In an S-shaped belt
from Palisades to sunnyside.
En Many Seams of Coal.
Coal OF commercial Importance
occurs at number of horizons. but
no single bed has been traced con-
tinuously for more than few miles
In one locality several beds are pres
ent. while in other places only one or
1.-TWO have been found. The thickness
ranges from twenty-one feet down
TO mere films of carbonaceous mat
ter Analyses made at the fuel-test-
ing plant of the survey at st. Louis,
by F.. NJ. Stanton. the chief chemist.
Indicate that these Goals are medium
grade bituminous and compare fav-
orabiy with the product from the
Rocky mountain region and the
Mississippi valley.
No systematic tests of the cooking
qualities of the Goals have been
made Attempts to coke the Cameo
and Palisades Goals have thus far
met with but poor success; but on
the other hand, the coal from the
Sunnyside mine, at the west end of
the area described by Mr.. Richard
son. ia coked. Attention is called to
the fact, however, that the coking Of
a given coal depends largely on the
methods used. Goals that have been
considered non-coiing have been
coked under proper treatment.
Billions of Tons Available.
A close estimate can not be made
of the total amount OF coal available
because Of incomplete knowledge OF
1.-The field. A rough approximation
may be reached. however. by assum-
ling that the practical limit of the
field Is six miles back from the out.
crop and that the total thickness oi