St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-09-24

field vary in quality from sub-bitu-
minous to a semi-bituminous, with
some anthracite, and are included in
folded and faulted Tertiary (EoceneO
shales, sandstones, and some con-
glomerates, aggregating 5000 feet in
thickness.
The coal beds vary from to SO
feet in thickness, and the total area
known to be underlain by coal ag-
gregates 461s square miles. However,
as much of the field is covered by
gravels and none of it has been sur
veyed in detail, the coal bearing area
may be much larger. The total area
of what may prove to be coal bear
ing rocks is approximately 900 square
miles. Up to the present time there
has been no means of transporting
this coal to market, SO that no mining
has been done, but many beds have
been opened in prospecting.
The anthracite from Matanuska and
Bering rivers has no equivalent on the
Pacific coast, and it compares favor
ably with the Pennsylvania anthra-
cite. 1t ought to be put into the San
Francisco and other Pacific coast mar
kets at cost far below that of east
ern coal, in which case it should have
no difficulty in entirely supplanting
the latter.
The Bering river semi-anthracite
and part of the semi-bituminous coal
from Matanuska is also better than
anything that is being mined In the
west. These Goals are the equivalent
of the Pocahontas, New River. and
Georges Creek Goals of the east, and
are eminently adapted for use on war
ships and for other purposes for which
a high grade, pure, "smokeless" steam
ing coal is required, and for these pur-
poses will command a considerably
higher price than any coal now being
mined on the Pacific coast, or If Of
fered at equal prices. should read
fly drive the latter from the market.
Part of these Goals will produce
an excellent quality Of coke-better,
in fact Except possibly in content OF
phosphorus, regarding which no data
are available), than coke which can
be produced from any of the Wash
ington or Vancouver island Goals, and
equal to the coke from Crows Nest
pass. If an important smelter indus
try grows up in Alaska, as now seems
possible, the Alaska coking Goals
should have the advantage, both OF
quality and of transportation.
Mining developments in the Boring
river cold fields of the Controller bay
region and in the Matanuska coal
fields of the Cook inlet region have
been practically confined to surveys
for patents, assessment work, and
trail building. The most important
features are connected with the prob
lem of railway construction.
No patents for coal land have YET
been granted.
The value of these high grade fuels
of Alaska probably exceeds that Of
the gold deposits, and the exploita
ton of these coal fields is of the great
est Importance to the entire western
seaboard of the continent. These Goals
will furnish not only the high grade
steam Goals needed for various indus
tries, but also the coke for metallur
gical enterprises. If the iron ores
of the territory prove valuable, the
west coast may yet be supplied from
this source with the raw materials
for the manufacture of iron and steel
In any event, the copper shelters cal
be provided with coke Of a higf
grade.
The Goals from other known Alasks
fields than these are SO situated o.
are of such quality that they can fint
markets only where excessive rate: