The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-01-17
TETON COAL AREA
REPORT PUBLISHED
SHOW DEPOSITS
UNSURPASSED IN WEST FOR
INDUSTRIAL USE.

With reports indicating that devel-
opment work is being proposed in the
Teton coal fields, the state bureau of
mines and geology is making public
some salient features from the un-
published report on the area made by
George Watkin Evans, of Seattle, con-
sulting mining engineer, who investi-
gated the possibilities of the field for
the bureau. For several years Mr..
Evans was consulting coal mining
engineer for the United States bureau
of mines in investigating the Mantan-
uska and Controller Bay fields in
Alaska Later he was engaged to
supervise the mining of test ship
ments from Alaska fields for the navy
department and isS now consulting
engineer for various large railroad cor
porations in examining coal sup
plies.
Investigation by Mr. Evans and
other authorities on coal deposits have
proven that the Teton area deposits
are of a quality which equals if not
surpasses that of any other field in
the west It's use, however, will be
confined largely to industrial pur-
poses, due to its extreme friability.
The low ash content is also an i'm
portant feature of the Teton beds.
Tonnage Reaches 100000.
Although no reliable estimate on
probable tonnage of the field can be
made. Mr.. Evans in his report sug-'
gests that the total tonnage of the
three larger beds should reach ap-
proximately eleven million tons.
"The beds have been traced along
their strike for about two miles and
assuming that they continue along
- IL
be a square mile of coal area in each
bed. No one is justified in assuming
that this amount of coal has been
proved in the district, but the eleven
million tons is given as the probable
Future Investigations might
result in the total tonnage being found
greater"
The production of the area so far
is estimated at about 10000 tons
Analysis of the coal show that the
general quality is excellent compar-
ing favorably with the larger produc-
ing sections of the country.
No Larger Size Quantity.
1T might be found that the coal
within these beds is very
friable and will not produce any
quantity of the larger sizes,' says the
report of Mr.. Evans, and further
more, it is probable that the domes-
tic market tributary to this field will
be so exacting that only the larger
sizes can be marketed successfully.
Successful development and oper-
alton of these fields will require care
ful management and a thorough un-
lerstanding of the engineering prob
ems attending coal operations with
N field that has coal beds pitched
1t high angles and in which the coal
S more or less friable and the forma-
ion disturbed by faulting.
IF this field is properly developed,
t should produce fuel at a less cost
% the cities and towns of that part
If Idaho, and in this manner stimu-
ate further industrial development
With this increased development there
should be an increasing market pro-
vided for the coal. However, the
,reat problem at present is the mar
zet for the -S1aller sizes at good
)riceS"
Seams Dip Vertically.
Development and operating prob
ems will no doubt have their origin
n the almost vertical dip of the coal
eams, the liability, and the possi-
,ility of excessive faulting at depth.
Although the coal is of excellent
luality and one of the lowest ash
oals in the country says Dean
thomson, director of the state bureau,
n supp1ementing the report, there is
title doubt but that it's friability will
make it prohibitive for domestic use.
Iany of the larger chunks fall to
,ieces when kicked and it is believed
hat this condition will extend through
ut the depth.
The greatest use will probably be
S dust or fine coal in industrial pro-
esses. The c1oseness to the Wyom-
ne oil fields opens new possibility
n the manufacture of coaloildal,
uel used on battleships. This con-
lists of a suspension of fine coal in
rude oil and the Teton product would
e excellent for this purpose. There
5 also a possibility that the finer
roduct could be used advantageously
4 the manufacture of briquets Sugar
efineries of southern Idaho should
1so be possible market for the fine
oa1"