Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-11-08
ALASKA COAL VEINS
FIFTY FEET THICK
Geologist Says Supply Win
Last Hundreds of Years.
MAILS EVERY SIX MONTHS
AT VERY HEAVY COST.

United States Commissioner Marsh
Has Spent Twenty Years In the
North Exploring An Area One.
Third the Size of the United States
Enormous Masses Of Coal and 9th.
er Minerals.
S. J. Marsh. United States commits
sioner of the fourth judicial district
of Alaska, covering an area larger
than the state of New York. gave an
account Of the actual conditions of a
country one.third the size OF the
United States and, according to him,
the future source OF her wealth. Mr..
Marsh is in Washington, to make an
official report, For 30 years he has
been a resident of Alaska.
Mr.. Marsh declares the people OF
the United States, as a whole, have
only a limited idea of the real great.
ness Of Alaska and her future posi-.
bilities. He says the popular belief
that the country is a land of snow
and ice is incorrect; that there
are sections where frost has never
been known to touch and which are
of the highest fertility.
Explores entire Northwest.
Since 1910 the commissioner has
mapped out and explored practically
the entire northeast section of the
country, as far north as the Arctic
Ocean, for the United States Govern
ment On one trip he journeyed 200
days without even seeing so much as
dog. 1t was while travelling
through the country that he CHANGED
to cross certain parts of the coal
repositories, never before visited, he
said, by white man.
There is more coal in Alaska than
the entire United States had when it
first started" he said last night 'The
grades are of the highest kinds, both
bitu1ninous and anthracite, and con,
tain not the slightest trace of sui
phnr, which quality cannot be over
estimated to those who are familiar
with the mineral The quantities are
practically unlimited and would last
this country Several hundred years
to come. even if the present supply
were at once cut off,
According to Mr. Marsh there are
foar principal coal banks. The larg-
est, at the north Of the Endicotte
Mountains between latitude 6S and
SO, and extending from Cape Lisbon
to point S75 miles East, is the larg-
est in the world, and it alone would
be more than sufficient to put to rout
the ideas of the most Apessimistic
persons that coal some hundreds Of
years hence will be almost extinct.
"The Endicotte deposit is one con-
tinuous mass, practically unbroken.
1t is from IL to 35 miles wide and
contains dozens of veins so feet thick
Of the purest type. Up to the pres
emit, have been the only person who
has crossed the belt at Colville Riv-
err, Chipp River, on the coast line at
Cape Lisbon, and at the eastern end
of the Sovanukto River"
Mr.. Marsh says he took 200 sam
pies in these sections and found no
trace Of sulphur. To the south, he
says. there is another belt of pure
anthracite Out of 3S samples, he
found 70 per cent pure carbon. The
coal, he says, crops out along the
rivers in great masses.
In addition to this, Mr.. Marsh says,
natives from remote sections have
come into camp with samples of the
best grades of petroleum he ever
saw. According to them, the oil flow
ed out of the rocks of its own accord.
They called it water that burned"
Alaska "New America"
Speaking of the climatic conditions
of the country, he said, "The world
has not the slightest conception of
the possibilities of Alaska. 1t is a
new America. There are parts in the
South where the frost never touched.
This is due to the Japanese current.
Everything grows. In other parts
there are three months OF the finest
growing weather with continuous
daylight. Here produce grows un|
ceasingly and is of the highest quail
ity.