The Cordova daily times., 1922-03-06
PAST YEAR IS
 BIGGEST FOR
 ALASKA COAL
Production In 1921 Ex- ceeded Any Previous Time, Says Territorial Mine Inspector.

AVAAAAC JAAA0k1OSlOIs
 "The Alaska coal production of 1921 exceeded that of all other years, pro- ducing 76,2S5 tons valued at $467 ,994,"I said B. w. Dyer, federal mine inspec- tor, with headquarters at Anchorage and who is now in Juneau but will re- turn to Cordova on the next boat to visit the Boring River coal field at Ka- talla.
 "The larger part of this production was in the Matanuska field The de- veloping of the coal lands of the Ter ritory has been comparatively slow, due to the faulted and irregular condi- tfons existing in the higher grade coals, to many companies attempting to develop the fields with insufficient capital, to the present small local mar ket adjoining the field and the diffi- culties attached to transporting coal to the states and towns in Alaska at considerable distance from the mines which involves water transportation.
 BIG DEVELOPMENT "The most marked development dur ing the year is that of the Healy River Coal Corporation, Evan Jones Coal Company and the Alaska Navy Coal Commission. The first mine is in the Nenana field-producing liz mite coal; the Jones mine is in the Matanuska field, producing bitumin- ous coal and the Alaska Navy Coal Commission also is in the Matanuska field, developing semi-bituminous coal suitable for naval purposes.
 MATANUSkA FIELD
 "The Matanuska coal fields is gen orally divided into two parts; the lower field is the bituminous coals and the upper field the semi-bitum inous coals. Development has been carried on in both divisions of the field during the past year.
 "In the lower field are the mines Of the Alaskan. Engineering Commission at Eska, the Evan Jones Coal Com pany at Jonesville, the Baxter Coal Company and two other companies de- veloping at Moose Creek.
 'In the upper part of the Matanuska field are the two mines of the Alaska Navy Coal Commission; one at Chick aloon and the other at Coal Creek, | four miles south of Chickaloon.
 EVAN JONES MINE
 '"The Evan Jones Coal Company made by far the greatest strides of any i private coal operative in Alaska dur ing 1921. Developing was started in September, 1920. and by December a , $50 foot crosscut had opened four coal beds. Coal from the development ends was hauled during January, Febru- ary, March and part of April, one and one quarter miles to the railroad.
 "From May until the last of Sep tember very little work was done on the coal During this time rail road spur was completed to the mine. With the completion of the spur de- yelopment was again started and about 50 tons of coal mined per day until January. 1922, when the output was in- creased to 100 tons per day.
 Besides underground development, camp and tipple has been construct ed. Also trestle 500 feet long from the mine to the tipple and many other improvements have been made on the property. z. Louzaac of Anchorage. and formerly of Juneau is heavily in terested in the property.
 EskA MINE CLOSED
 "The first nine months of this year the Eska mine was operated and A. 900 tons of coal produced. The first of October the mine was closed and had been opened up by February 1, 1922. The closing of the mine was due to the large amount of coal stored. This being a government mine all coal is used in construction, mainte- nance ond operation of the government railroad.
 During the nine months the mine was operated 3,200 feet of develop ment work was done. A good sized camp has been erected and hotel erected. The camp accommodates 100 men and nothing is lacking except