Valdez daily prospector., 1913-05-17
CORDOVA |S }. HANDED BUNK
Alleges the Alaskan of That City, Says Men Mining Boring Coal
 Favor Matanuska.

uoNd -AldShull 'I 4hdJ ioli pi iAoo the following, alleging that the coal from Boring fields was doc tored to give the field near Cor dova a black eye and to assist the Matanuska coal fields. The article
 follows:
 Gossip with reference to the coal scandal last summer at the
 Boring River coal fields was re- vivcd yesterday by reason of the presence in our midst of one of
 the men who was on the ground to watch the mining from the Cunningham claims, of which he was in charge. Roger Sammy con-
 tends that from the start there was conflict between the navy de-
 partment, that was in charge of
 this expedition, and one or two employees secured from the Bu-
 reau of Mines and Sumner B. |Smith, mine inspector for Alas ka. Dr.. Downey, a physician in
 the navy department, was pay
 master and the man on the
 ground with full authority. He
 had for his foreman Mr. Wil- Hams, who was supposed to be practical mining man, and who
 was suggested by Dr. Holmes for
 the place. Sumner Smith was
 supposed to be "present" because
 of orders received from the In terior department. 'He had no au- |thority in connection with the ex-
 petition, but people of katalla contend that no move was made by Williams without first con- suIting Smith.
 When the Cunningham claims were reached it was decided to take the eight or nine hundred . tons of coal that the navy depart ment required for testing pur- poses from that property. sammy contends that instead of entering the tunnels and taking from the seams of high grade coal exposed, inspector smith advised follow ing smaller seams and mining what the men employed there re- garded as an inferior quality. The work went on and Mr.. Downey presumed that he was getting a fair average of the fuel as il was brought lu light and placed in sacks. It was finally re ported tu him that 353 tons had been properly sacked and was ready tu be transported [" Stlli- water. from which point it was t" be brought about i6 miles t" the sea. Arrangements were made for the overland haul and then the party returned to katalla in October, and on November 3 final ly sailed on the Yukon for Seat tie.
 After returning to Washington, as the story goes, Dr. Downey icaught on to the fact that he had been duped, and an investigation
 followed, showing to the depart ment that not seven hundred tons
 had been mined, and that much of it was slack and of inferior quality, the good grade having
 been deliberately overlooked by
 orders of Smith and Williams. The fact brought out indicated
 that the latter two were prejudice led in favor of the Matanuska coal and, that they were not desirous
 of making a good showing of the
 Boring River fuel.
 Dr. Dawney returned from Philadelphia few days ago and is
 now at Katalla awaiting the rise of the water to take barges up
 the river to Saltwater. These lighters each hold 15 tons, and
 will be taken~up-the river by gas
 oline launches, that have a ca ipacity of 75-horse power. It is stated that it is the intention of the Doctor to have all the coal ex-
 amined and re-sacked, with the possibility that from one-third to
 one half will be rejected, because |of it's worthlessness, that would |give false idea of the real val |ue of the Boring River coal. This twill result in more delay and may cause the cruiser Maryland to be held in California for several weeks yet. She is to take the coal aboard and give it a test for steaming purposes.