The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1911-02-24

Ouly lOCdl. IL Is dltOSoLu0T pFOUdUlS
that the larger areas of metamor-
phosism have been produced by q
crystal folding which was the cause
of excessive heat and thus both heat
and pressure are the same results of
the same action and were sufficient
to metamorphose the softer into the
harder froms of coal. Another i'm
portant factor in the alteration of
these Goals is to be found in the lith-
illogical condition of the rock layers
Immediately surrounding the coal,
especially the one which overlies the
coal seams. The vital Importance,
so Mr.. Campbell thinks, is the thick
ness, structure and perousity of the
rock beds. This is true in order that
the gases driven off in the alteration
of the coal may have an opportunity
to escape. The most important action
in the alteration of this vegetable
series is found in its carbonination.
Many Ignite Goals do not contain
more than one-fourth carbon. A good
grade of bituminous sometimes poss-
es as much as three-fourth carbon,
while anthracite contains ninety to
ninety-tive per cent. of carbon. This
factor Of rock character then, may be
largely responsible for the difference
existing between the carboniferous
found in the broken and cracked and
porus Paleozoic beds and in some re-
cent Goals which lie in between the
almost homogeneous and impervious
clay and shale beds of ths Cretaceous
and Tertiary Ages.
The distribution of coal may be
discussed under two great heads,
first, it's geological occurrence and,
secondly, it's geographical distribu-
ton. AS has been intimated, our
greatest coal seams are found, doubt
less, in the carboniferous age of the
Paleozoic Era. Far above the carbon
ferrous are found extensive beds OF
coal in the Cretaceous Age of the Me-
zoic Era and still more recently are
the Tertiary seams of the Cenozoic
Era in the Goals of Dakota which be-
long to the more later formation.
AS to geographical distribution, we
have in the United States:
/. The Appalachian Coal Field,
containing about 10000 square miles.
2. The Central Coal Field, con-
tanning about $4,000 square miles.
3. The Michigan Coal Fileds, con-
tanning about 10000 square miles.
4. The Western Coal Fields, con-
tanning about 100000 square miles
5. The Rocky Mountain Coal
Fields, containing about 100000
square miles.
All this without counting the coal
of. Alaska which has not been COM
pletely surveyed, nor do we know its
entire area. 1t is we'll for US to
know that in America, there are at
least 100000 square miles of coal
fields. This is all the more interest
ing to us when we stop to examine
the coal areas of the entire European
Continent.
1. Great Britain, approximately
5000 square miles.
2. Germany, approximately 5000
square miles.
3. France, approximately, $500
square miles.
4. Austria-Hungary, approximate
~ 5000 square miles.
S. Belgium, approximately 500
square miles.
8. Spain, approximately 500
square miles.
Should we add to this the entire
coal fields of Russia, we would then
not have over one-tenth of the coal
field area which we posses in the I'm
ted States.
Just how much of the territory
" Alaska will add to our total we
IRE not as yet certain. However, we
10 not know that the United States
Geological Survey has carefully map
led at least 10000 acres of the finest
oal found any where in North Amer
ca outside of the State of Pennsyl-
anita. Alaska has at present two
veil known coal fields. first, the Ber-
ng River field, containing, We do
Tot know how much, but at least 3d.
100 acres have been carefully ex-
amined. This area is twenty-five
miles in from the tidewater and is
in the Controller Bay region. The
coal in this region lies in great, pure
coal seams from five to thirty feet
in thickness and how deep the coal
may extend is not yet known. The
second coal field of Alaska is the
Matamuska region, 1875 miles from
Resurrection Bay. While there is
not as much fine Anthracite coal in