The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-02-20

Inc TWO EOfmHtIO0S.
The Fort Union is a fresh water for
tied in a largo lake or lakes. and is
composed of clay shales. alternating
with s~andstones, and containing many
beds Of Ignite. 1t Is remarkably uni
form in color, composition M ap-
pearance throughout. tho region. Z The
prevailing color is either a light ash
grey or yellow. but in places the beds
are almost white. The Fort Union
formation everywhere contains num-
Icrous beds of Ignite coal.
The Lance formation has a wide dis
ltribution in North Dakota and east
ern Montana, as we'll as in parts of
South Dakota and Wyoming. The
Largest area in North Dakota is in the
lsouth-central part of the state. A
smaller area Is found in the south
western corner Of the state. In Nor
ton county this formation is found to
consist OF three members; an upper
sandstone about 100 feet thick, a mid
die member composed. of dark shales
with a few sandstone layers and hav-
ing a thickness of 200 to ESQ feet, and
Il lower division made up OF shales
and sandstones in alternating layers.
This latter member has a thickness Of
$50 feet or over, and the maximum
thickness Of the entire Lance forma-
ton Is not far from 700 feet in this
Iregion.
In southern Billings county, partic-
ularly in the vicinity Of Yule, and at
several points in Morton county.
workable beds of Ignite are found in
the Lance formation, but throughout
most of its area the latter is barren
OF coal with the exception of thin
seams only a few inches thick. In
the Fort Union formation. on the 9TH
ler hand. M rarely finds an outcrop
where several hundred feet of strata
are exposed that does not contain at
least one or more coal beds. These
range from top to bottom Of the for
nation. and do not appear to be con-
tined to amy particular horizon or
horizons.
Late Investigations Show MAGNITUDE,
1t was formerly supposed that the
Ignite beds were not Of great extent
and covered but comparatively small
areas. one seam thinning u and be-
ing replaced by others at q different
horizon. But the detailed work of
the past few years has shown that
some of the individual coal beds COW
er large areas. One, with a thickness
varying from 5 to 16 feet. ha a known
extent Of twenty miles in II direc-
ton and twenty-five In another, with
an area of at least 500 square miles.
and probably much greater. Another
bed OF coal was traced Sc miles north
and south and "a miles cast and west.
and while its known area as shown
from outcrops is nearly 900 square
miles. 1t undoubtedly has an extent
OF 1000 to 1900 square miles. This
lcoalbed. which has q thickness n
Ing from 9 to Is feet and over, has
been largely burned out or removed
by erosion, but still underlies a mum.
Der OF townships.
The Ignite coal beds of the state
vary IN thickness from less than an
inch to 35 feet. a bed of the latter
tnickncss occurring on Sand creek. in
southern Billings county. Several
beds 20 feet thick arc known. and
seams 6, s and 10 feet thick are COM
mon.
., During the past six or eight years
the North Dalkota Geological Survey,
much OF the time In corporation with
the United States Geological Survey.
has studied in more Or less detail the
coal fields of Billings. Morton and
Mckenz counties and has gathered
much valuable information regarding
them. In Morton county. with the cx-
Geptlon of a 5-foot coal bed in the
liz tlRnltc SoAlnA
are In the lower 400 to 500 feet of the
Fort Union. In the northern part Of
the county there are at least six coal
oeds. namely, two at Sims. two at
New Salem. three about Glen Jjllin.
u Two of them probably the same as
those at New Salem, and at least ono
pig the vicinity of Hebron. The lis-
mite seam now being mined at Sims ia
the lowest Of the six coal heds. and
the n near Hebron is the highest,
Billings Has II Mines.
/. Inc numbt of workable coal beds
IN Btllings county Is known to be at
least II, not all of them being present
at any one point, but some occurring
IN n locality II some in another,
They are distributed through from
1000 to 1900 feet of strata and range
from 4 to So feet In thickness. The
aggregate thickness of the coal in
these 81 beds in 1871 feet.
|, IN .Mckenzic county there are at
least 5 u beds, ranging in thickness
from 3 IL to IL feet and several Of
them covering many townships. They
are distributed through a thickness Of
700 feet OF strata, or from the level
OF the Little Missouri river to the tops
OF the high buttes. Some Of the upper
ones have burned out extensively or
AoNC 1SSu cIuueu ONCF IUrG0 areas.
SHOW Wood Grain.
h coal Of North Dakota ia most.
ly a brown Ignite with a decidedly
woody structure. exhibiting clearly
the grain Of the wood and having Inc
toughness of that material. It breaks
or splits readily along the grain hut is
broken with difficulty in any other d.
Ircction. Portions OF flattened trunks
or branches are often found in the
beds. bearing a close resemblance to
the original wood except for tho
brown color. The same bed il fire.
qucntly more woody in some portions
than others. being made up Of alter
mating layers Of tough brown Ignite
and black. lustrous. brittle material.
On exposure to the air the Ignite loses
part OF its moisture. which ia freauent-
~ as high as 35 or 40 per cent, begins
to crack. and finally breaks up into
small pieces.
Many of the coal beds have burned
out over large areas and there are
few which have wholly escaped burn
ing. Some were doubtless set on fire
by man: others may have caught from
prairie fires. hut II seems probable
that spontaneous combustion has been
tho chief cause.
Rurn for Thousands OF Years.
This burning Of the coal bede has