Douglas Island news., 1914-04-15
Boring River Coal

There is a marked difference between the positive statement or Secretary of the Navy Daniels and the reports of the several geologists who have visited the Boring river coal fields during the past several years. Secretary Daniels declares, according to Washington dis patches, that exhaustive tests have demonstrated that Beling river coal is unfit for use as naval fuel, while the geologists claim that there is very little, if any, difference between the Northern fuel and the best coal to be found in the United States. We do not question the honesty of Secretary Dan iels. We believe that he is a friend of Alaska and is as anxious to see our coal "make good" as we are. But there is the possibility that be has been im- posed upon, and the circumstances surrounding at least one of the recent tests under the supervision ot the navy justify the suspicion that we have not received a square deal, says the Fair banks Times.
 The United States geological survey issued report in 1908 describing the Boring river coal region in detail. The report was compiled by G. c. Martin, who visited the field personally for the purpose of making an examination of Che lodges and gathering data. The report contains mass of h.ures and tables "lrom which it may be seen" to use the words of Mr. Martin, "tbat the Boring river anthracite has no equiya lent among the coals now being mined on the Pacific coast, and that it com pares favorabiy with Pennsylvania au- thracite. It ought to be put into the San Frat ci. co and other Pacific coast markets at a cost far below that of Easteiu coal, in which case it shouli have u0 difficulty iu entirely supplant- ing the latter.
 "The Boring river semibitumiuous is also better than anything that is mined in the West. These coals are the equivalent of the Pocabontas, New River and Georges Creek cOals of the East, and are eminently adapted for use on warships and for other purposes for which a high grade, pure, smoke lessn steaming coal is required, and for these purposes will command a consid- srable higher price than any coal that is now being mined on the Pacific coast, or if offered at equal prices, should readily drive tbe latter from the markets"
 Mir. Martin undoubtedly knew what he was talking about, for he based his conclusions upon tests made by the government At that time there ap- peared to be no question about the value of the coal for steaming pur pos es, although it was recognized that some difficulty might be experienced on account of "faulting" aud excessive water and gas.
 "No one who knows anything about the quality of the coal that was mined by the government expedition in the Boring river field is surprised at the statement that the coal did not meas. ure up to expectations" declared one of the men who helped mine the coal, after he had learned the outcome of the tests on the cruiser Maryland. uThe coal mined consisted to a large extent of rocks and dirt. The whole business from start to finish was hasco.n
 In the face of such statements, Alas kans would be justified in demanding that further tests be made before a final verdict is rendered against the Boring river coal. Our coal is one of our chief assets, and while Boring river is only one of several fields, it is i'm portant to us that it be tested honestly. If the Boring river coal is underrated, an attempt might also be made to dis credit the Matanuska coal