The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-07-24

WILL INVESTIGATE THE
NORTH DAKOTA COAL
Geological Survey and State Univers.
tty are Now at Work-Survey Will
Continue Until Fall.
The North Dakota geological survey
and the State University school Of
mines began the investigation about
July l Of the Ignite deposits and the
Ignite Of the state with view of de-
termining the feasibility of starting
state-owned mines under the act pass
ed by the last session Of the North Da-
kota legislature.
This investigation will last two and
q half months, until the university
school opens next fall. It will be con-
Quoted by the survey and the school
of mines working toward the solution
of different problems. The survey
will have corps of at least three men
in the Ignite fields locating and map
ping deposits and determining their
extent and accessibility by transporta-
ton to markets. The school of mines
will have some men in the field gath
ering samples of the coal for analysis
and laboratory force at the univer-
sity analyzing these samples with the
view of finding the deposits of best
coal. The joint work Of the survey
and school of mines is aimed to find
the very best and most accessible de-
posts combined with the very best
quality of coal for the basis of the new
state owned mines.
This information was given out by
DR.. j. A. Leonard, director of the state
geological survey, from his office at
the university.
To Determine Feasibility.
The entire investigation will be con-
Quoted on the basis Of commercial pos
sibilities. Deposits will be located and
mapped and examined and samples
from them will be tested only in cases
where such deposits are favorably To-
Gated on or near railroads and trans
portation and other commercial factors
are favorable.
The investigation will have nothing
to do with the academic question Of
public versus private ownership. Il
is designed to find the best paying coal
mine proposition on state-owned land
that can be found in the allotted space
Of time and with the forces thatwill
be employed. If commercial PROPOSE
tions are outlined that competent pri-
vate corporations would be glad to
develop and operate, the industrial
board will regard the report as favor
able and will proceed to develop state
owned coal mines. tis DE,':t'2l
ate.Owned Land 9!pcw
A verv favorable feature in connecl
ton with the contemplated state mines
is the fact that the state will not have
to buy any coal lands. Billions Of tons
Of coal are embedded on the vast state
owned tracts. AS soon as the report
is made the state can pitch it's tents on
the choice territory and go to work
shovelling and shipping coal.
In addition to vast uncounted tracts
in this region unappropriated, the
present state laws grant to the farm
ers in the coal region only surface
rights. The vast deposits underground
still belong to the state where they
have not been definitely acquired by
mining companies, which is Of small
Importance, compared to the enormous
coal areas. In addition the state owns
outright through the schools, sections
16 and Sc, in each township, or 10
per cent of the land. The university
also owns large tracts in the coal
country. Since the coal practically
underlies the whole western part of
the state, the state itself has enough
coal land and underground coal rights
to supply the entire country with lig-
mite for several generations.
Estimates of the amount of coal
stored in the North Dakota coal fields
furnished by DR.. Leonard far trans
cend the estimates that have been
given out and published recently. DIR.
Leonard worked with the United
States geological survey in this state
before he took charge Of the state geo.
logical survey. He said today that
the United States survey estimates
that there are 500 billion tons Of coal
in the North Dakota Ignite fields. Re-
ports have tonnage at six billion. DR..
DR.. Leonard is convinced that the
United States biologists are right and
that the tonnage is at least 500 bill
lions.
This is practically an inexhaustible
supply. 1t makes North Dakota the
greatest coal state in the union. Other
states approach no where near this
enormous tonnage.
This staggering amount Of coal is
deposited in $4,000 square miles Of ter
ritory covering almost the entire west
ern half Of the state.
Ignite Has Great Future.
"A great future awaits North Dakota
as a result Of the Investigations about
to be launched and the public enter.
prises that will grow from it, thinks
DR.. Leonard. Ignite is . useful COM
mercisl coal that would make its way
into the markets under ordinary con
ditions and pay good profit on top Of
operating and transportation expenses.
hut under conditions that are rapidly
developing in the realm Of fuel pro-
duction and consumption, Ignite just
IS 1t is mined is bound to become in
creasingly important and valuable.
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