The Alaska daily empire., 1921-02-12
SENATOR GIVES BOOST TO WORK
 OF COMMISSION
E. B. Collins Reviews Coal Development-Railroado of
 Great Value to Alaska.


 than casual study of the work it Las already done and is doing l can only say that it is doing big and wonderful work, declared Senator F.. B. Collins, of Fairbanks, who arrived in Juneau yesterday on the Northwestern. Senator Collins came uut over the Alaska Railway, was seYeral days in Anchorage where he went over the entire Alaskan En- yineering establishment and visited Gnd inspected the coal mines at both Eska and Chickaloon.
 T do not say that the Commis- sion has done it's work perfectly, There are, of course, some small things that natuarlly come up that could be criticized but I do say that there is no ground for serious criti- elem and it certainly does deserve the highest praise for the work it is doing and has completed up to date" he declared. What it will mean eventually for the Territory not even the most optimistic has any real idea of
 COal MluullS AuuuoAJ'
 As an illustration of what have in mind" said Senator Collins, "oue has but to view the coal min ing industry now beginning to be- opened up from Interior Alaska toI the fields near Anchorage. Be2ln- ming at Fairbanks where lignite coal is being used with entire sat-
 nrp St ll In-I ing coal is being landed, l saw the industry in it's infant stages. Coal at Fairbanks costs us $10 per ton delivered in our bins. We are not using it in the mining industry for the reason that the coal mines have not yet been developed to the stage where they can furnish the necessary fuel Coal at Anchorage which is a better grade than that mined in the Interior, l understand sells in car load lots for $11 per ton. itt..
 HeaIy River Mine.
 The only operating mine for commercial uses in the Interior is at Healy, a construction town al the confluence of the Nenana and HeaIv rivers. The vein lies under , the tracks of the Alaska Railway It is operated by the Healy River Coal, Corporation which has opened ,lp on a nine-foot vein of high grade Ignite and is furnishing fuel for the Alaskan Engineering Com mission and to the towns of Nenana and Fairbanks. It supplies the camps through the Nenana Canyon as far as Jack River. few miles up Healy River the company mas another lease on ground facing the river where massive 30-foot veins of Ignite are exposed to the sur face. The company's output has been curtailed by development op- crations and by shortage of rolling stock on the railroad caused by the demands on rolling stock for con- etruction purposes. Both of these drawbacks will be overcome shortly.
 Coal for Camps.
 Prom Jack Rive" 70 south Of Broad Pass at Sullivan's Roadhouse wood is still used as fuel. Near Sullivan's, however, the Commission is mining Ignite which furnishes the camps from there to the end Of ftcel with fuel for all purposes From the end of Steel at the north ern end of the Southern Division coal is obtained ct the Commissions s mine at Eela where 120 men are employed.
 At Eska there is world of coal for commercial purposes and use by the Commission. Under Supt. Sum ner Smith, this mine Is being de- vclopcd into a big proposition. A tunnel has been driven back 5000 . feet into the face of the hill and developed upward. Outcropplngs show all along the top of the hill and there are all indications that the veins continue below the tunnel.
 Navy Developments.
 At ChickalOOn the Navy Coal Commission under Chairman Com mander C. o. Bowling is carrying out a work of syst ematic develop ment that is wonderful. Sumner Smith is also superintendent of this work In addition to the usual 19ine buildings, dormitories, bunk houses, hospital. and messhouses, the Commission has erected a mine rescue station and i chemical re- search bureau. Charlie Spaulding, another oldtimer of the Interior is foreman of the work which consists of exploration and development. Faults have been encountered, as was to be expected, but in no case Las the vein been lost or rinched out. From the 300 foot level to the surface it has been developed and they are developing now from the 6O0-foot level 10 connect with the workings at the 300-foot level At present there is approximately 5O0,OO0 tons of the finest quality of steaming coal in sight. No at tempt is being made to produce any rizaabIa ouantfty of coal but use is