Part 7

Somewhat similar coal is found on Raging River, but where opened, so much slate was interleaved with the coal that washing would be necessary before use. More will be said hereafter with regard to these coals; but the remark may be repeated here in respect to the entire Puget Sound basin, that much additional examination is necessary before its coals will be fully understood. The variations in character of these are not owing entirely, or even chiefly, to their relative ages, but also to the conditions to which they have been subjected, especially in respect to heat. This metamorphic agency has acted not only in the body of the Cascade Mountains, but all through the coal-fields, where faults, flexures, and intrusive rocks have occasioned changes in the original condition of the coal-beds, giving results along the whole scale of metamorphism from lignite to anthracite.

[Sidenote: Analyses of Washington Territory coals.]

I here introduce (on the opposite page) a table of analyses made in Washington City from representative samples of Washington Territory coals and lignites selected by Mr. Bailey Willis during the examination which he made of this field for the Census Bureau, and found in Vol. XV. of the Census Reports.

THE COLLIERIES.

I will now give some account of the principal coal seams which have been worked in Washington Territory, namely, those in the field lying east and southeast of Puget Sound; and in so doing I shall add to my own knowledge all information from any reliable sources. Unfortunately, the sources of information are few.

[Sidenote: Authorities.]

In the Report of Bailey Willis to Professor Pumpelly for the Census Bureau, we have the best account extant of the Carbon River and Green River basins. Mr. Willis spent three years in his examination, assisted by topographical engineers. He made numerous trial-pits and borings with diamond drill, and forwarded samples to Washington City for analysis. Mr. F. H. Whitworth, of Seattle, accompanied me in my excursions, and prepared maps which are filed herewith. Mr. Whitworth has probably more practical knowledge of the Puget Sound coal basin than any one else. A small volume on the Pacific coal field was prepared some years ago by Mr. W. A. Goodyear. And Governor Squire's lucid and intelligent reports contain valuable information upon the coal, and all the other interests of Washington Territory. Governor Semple has also, in his Report for 1887, given us the latest official information.

ANALYSES OF REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLES OF WASHINGTON TERRITORY COALS AND LIGNITES.

Key for Sites: A Miles City, Dakota. B Newcastle, Washington Territory. C Vein (?) G. R. C. D Vein 33, G. R. C. E Vein (?), G. R. C. F Vein xviii. G. R. C. G Vein ix. G. R. C. H Vein vi. G. R. C. I Vein iii. G. R. C. J Upper Yakima River, Wash'n Ter. K Carbon Station, Wyoming Territory. L Rock Springs, Wyoming Territory. M Wingate Vein, Carbonado. N Vein cxxiii. W. C. O Vein xviii. W. C. P Vein v. W. C. Q Vein i. W. C. R Vein lviii. B. B. C. S Vein xliv. B. B. C. T Vein _d_, Carbon River, W. C. U Skagit River, Washington Territory. V Raton, New Mexico. W El Moro, New Mexico.

Abbreviations for final row (Coke): Wls Worthless Exc Excellent B&F Black and Friable Ra Poor Rather Poor

======================+=============================+=================+ | LIGNITES. | BITUMINOUS | BITUMINOUS | | | LIGNITES. | COALS. | +-----+-----+-----------------+-----------------+ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | A | B | J | K | L | U | V | W | ----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ Original Sample No. | 79 | 24 | -- | -- | -- | 76 | -- | -- ----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ Moisture |14.10| 4.16| 0.80| 8.10| 7.00| 1.17| 2.0 | 1.66| Volatile Hydro-Carbons|36.95|44.84|36.02|34.70|36.81|14.40|37.1 |34.48| Fixed Carbon |35.76|43.86|28.48|51.65|54.46|64.56|51.6 |60.08| Ash |13.19| 7.14|28.23| 5.55| 1.73|19.87| 9.3 | 3.78| F. C.--V. H. C. | 0.97| 0.98| 1.48| 1.48| 1.23| 4.48| 1.39| 1.74| | | | | | | | | | Coke | None| None| Fair| ----| ----| Ra | Good| Good| | | | | | | Poor| | | ======================+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+

======================+=========================================+ | LIGNITES. | +-----+-----+-----------------+-----------+ | Green River Field, Washington Ter. | |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ Original Sample No. | 59 | 56 | 50 | 27 | 42 | 43 | 45 | ----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ Moisture | 7.27| 9.98| 8.68| 2.50| 4.82| 3.34| 3.24| Volatile Hydro-Carbons|36.02|40.63|35.90|45.71|42.02|39.39|39.52| Fixed Carbon |28.48|41.07|47.07|48.37|37.12|41.49|48.39| Ash |28.23| 8.32| 8.35| 3.42|16.04|15.78| 9.85| F. C.--V. H. C. | 0.79| 1.01| 1.31| 1.06| 0.88| 1.05| 1.22| | | | | | | | | Coke | None| None| None| Poor| None| None| Wls | | | | | | [B] | [C] | | ======================+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+

[B] Produced fragile coke in field test. [C] Produced fragile coke in field test.

======================+===============================================+ | BITUMINOUS COALS. | +-----------------------------------------------+ | Wilkeson Field, Washington Territory. | +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----------+ | | | | | Altered by| | | | | | | | Intrusive | | | | | | | | Rocks. | | | | | | | +-----+-----+ | | | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | ----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ Original Sample No. | 12 | 125 | 17 | 64 | 37 | 136 | 135 | 68 | ----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ Moisture | 1.80| 3.98| 1.33| 1.16| 1.54| 0.61| 0.44| 2.56| Volatile Hydro-Carbons|42.27|28.64|25.88|29.09|28.17|29.58| 5.84| 8.43| Fixed Carbon |52.11|54.10|60.67|60.38|59.70|56.18|73.98|83.27| Ash | 3.82|13.28|12.12| 9.37|10.59|13.63|19.74| 5.74| F. C.--V. H. C. | 1.23| 1.88| 2.34| 2.07| 2.12| 1.89|12.67| 9.87| | | | | | | | | | Coke | Very| None| Exc | Exc | Poor| B&F | None| None| | good| [D] | | | [E] | | | | ======================+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+

[D] Produced first-class coke in field test. [E] Produced first-class coke in field test.

NOTE.--G. R. C.--Green River column. W. C.--Wilkeson column. B. B. C.--Busy Brook column.

[Sidenote: The different mines.]

In my brief sketches, I shall group the coal-beds as follows: _a_, Carbon River Group; _b_, the Green River Group; _c_, Cedar River Group; _d_, the Squak, Raging River, and Snoqualmie Groups; _e_, the Yakima and Wenatchie Group; _f_, Bellingham Bay, Skagit River, etc.; _g_, British Columbia Group.

[Sidenote: Anthracite, coking and gas coals.]

_a. Carbon River Group._--These beds lie on South Prairie Creek and Carbon River, tributaries of the Puyallup River. Anthracite coal in thin beds is reported high up on Carbon River, near the base of Mount Ranier; the result of metamorphism. Also undeveloped outcrops of soft coal at numerous points on the same river. There are, however, only three collieries at work in this group. One is called the Carbonado mines, which are on the Carbon River. Three miles north, a little east, are the famous Wilkeson mines; and two miles northwest of Wilkeson, are the South Prairie mines, on South Prairie Creek. (See Map.)

These coal-beds stand at high angles (fifty degrees and upwards), and dip in different directions. At Carbonado, there are four seams in pairs, separated by Carbon River, two of which dip to the south, and two to the north. At the South Prairie mines there are two seams, one of which dips to the east, and the other to the west. At Wilkeson there are three seams, all of which dip to the west. Mr. Willis interprets this coal-field as being a dome-like anticlinal, with compressed and crumpled sides, whose major axis runs nearly north and south. The Wilkeson and South Prairie mines are on the line of the major axis, whilst the Carbonado mines are in a group of subordinate short folds lying south of the main line. The anticline extends to Nisqually River, and shows two other coal areas south of Carbon River, the coal of which is said to resemble the Wilkeson coal.

The Carbon River coal-field first having been almost engulphed by volcanic uplifts and overflows, and almost buried by glacial drift, is now visible only in narrow strips along creeks, and at intervals along the Carbon River.

Owing probably to the heating of its beds, we find in this little field the coal which stands highest in reputation for coking and heating qualities. There are some differences in the coal at the three mines. That at South Prairie was sold chiefly for making gas. The best of the Wilkeson coal is made into coke, and is in demand beyond the supply. The price is $7.00 a ton at the ovens. The entire product of the Carbonado mines is said to go to the Central Pacific Railway. It is impossible to say what may be under the Drift; but, to all appearance, the amount of coal here is not large, and the beds are sadly faulted, and pitch deep into the ground.

[Sidenote: The Common Point, equidistant between Tacoma and Seattle.]

_b. The Green River Group._--I include in this group the Black Diamond and Franklin collieries, the Kirke or Moss Bay Company mines, and the Sugar Loaf Mountain beds. This, as well as the Carbon River field, is nearly equidistant from Tacoma and Seattle, being about thirty miles in a right line from each place. The Carbon River basin is geologically associated with Mount Ranier; the Green River basin with the outliers or foot ridges of the Cascade Mountains. The latter are much more approachable than the former. At the east edge of this field, the Northern Pacific Railroad emerges from the Cascade Mountains, having come down the cañon of Green River. This point is known as "The Common Point," because the cities of Tacoma and Seattle are about equally distant, and the routes afford equally good grades from this point.

The narrow gauge road from Seattle now comes to the Franklin mines, and by continuing it a few miles to connect with the Northern Pacific there would be railroad connection to Seattle as well as to Tacoma. The river here cuts through the Coal Measures, leaving the less valuable part of the field on the south side. The area of this field is roughly estimated at fifty square miles. It contains all, or nearly all, the grades of coal from lignite to bituminous; the variety of coal depending upon the degree of local disturbance. As a rule, so long as the coal is not crushed, the more pitched and flexed the rocks, the better the coal; which fact indemnifies the miner for extra expense in mining. Here, the tendency is for the seams to become steeper and more broken from west to east; _i.e._, as they approach the foot-hills of the Cascade Mountains. The strata in Lizard Mountain on the south side, however, form an exception. Here the strata are nearly horizontal.

[Sidenote: Franklin and Black Diamond mines.]

The Franklin mines are on the north bank of Green River and at the south edge of what has been known as the McKay basin, and the Black Diamond mines are on, or near, the north edge of the same small, oval synclinal basin. From this basin the dips become steeper toward the mountain, where Kirke's beds stand at a high angle. On the west edge of the Green River basin, say a mile west of Franklin, there is an outcrop of lignite. The coal of the Franklin and Black Diamond mines is bituminous lignite. The Kirke coal, or at least part of it, as judged by the eye, may be called bituminous coal, though not so much deoxidized as the Wilkeson. The coals mined in this basin are firm, black and shiny; they burn freely, and make but little dust. They have not, however, so far as tested, the heating power or coking qualities of the Wilkeson coal. Two seams are worked at Franklin, and three at Black Diamond. All of the seams worked are above four feet. A number of volcanic dikes and flows are found in and around this basin.

[Sidenote: The Kirke or Moss Bay Company (English) mines.]

The Kirke or Moss Bay Company mines are six miles east of Franklin, and within a mile of Green River. They lie against the mountain. The strike of the mountain is northwest. The coal beds dip toward the mountain at a high angle. There are five seams of from five to fifteen feet in thickness; one of them (No. 2) may be said to be over forty-seven feet in thickness, though not all good coal, as the details given below will show. The top of the outcrops above sea-level are as follows:

FEET. No. 1 970 No. 2 1,160 No. 3 1,350 No. 4 1,461 No. 5 1,513

Some places on the outcrop rise much higher. The base of the mountain is about five hundred feet above sea-level. No shipping has been done from here. A gang of miners was at work opening the beds, with the special view of testing their coking qualities in order to be used, if practicable, by the Moss Bay Company for smelting the steel ores of the Cascade Mountains.

The only seam well opened when I was there (Nov. 17th and 18th) was No. 3, which is a large bed and shows an excellent quality of bituminous coal. The bed shows the side and end (or "tooth") structure. The coal is very black and moderately lustrous, and breaks readily into small rectangles of less than an inch. Its coking qualities have not been tested. Nos. 4 and 5 are said to be softer and more powdery, and may possibly be better for coke than No. 3. They have an available thickness of about ten feet each. The details of No. 3 are as follows:

Roof, Black Shale. FT. INS. Coal 0 9 Bone 1 6 Coal 0 7 Hard Slate 2 0 Coal 0 8 Bone 0 2 Coal 0 5 Bone 0 1 Coal 1 2 Soft Parting 0 1/2 Coal 1 0 Bone and Coal 0 7 Coal 1 0 Bone 0 1 Coal 1 3 Bone 0 1/4 Coal 0 5 Bone 0 1/2 Coal 0 7 Bone and Coal 1 8 Coal 0 4-1/2 Bone 0 1 Coal 0 7 Sandstone bottom. ----------- Total 15 ft. 3/4 ins.

There is a natural exposure of No. 2, the "Big Seam," which I saw on the mountain-side above the miners' camp, and took the following details:

No. 2, Big Seam, descending. FT. INS. Coal 1 2 Bone 0 2-1/2 Coal 0 5 Bone 0 4 Coal 1 4 Bone 0 1-1/2 Coal 1 0 Bone 0 1/4 Coal 0 8 Bone 0 1-1/2 Coal 0 7 Bone 0 1 Nigger-head and Coal 0 6 Bone 0 1-1/2 Coal 1 8 Bone 0 1/4 Coal 2 0 Bone 0 4 Coal 1 10 Bone 0 1 Coal 0 7 Bone 0 1-1/2 Coal 1 0 Bone 0 1/4 Coal 1 2 Bone 0 2-1/2 Coal 0 6 Bone 0 1-1/2 Coal 0 3 Bone 0 1/4 Coal 1 3 Bone 0 1/4 Coal 1 8 Shale 0 1-1/2 Coal 0 6 Bone 0 4 Impure Bituminous Matter 21 5-3/4 Coal, clean and good 5 6 ----------- Total 47 ft. 6 ins.

The Kirke mines are sixteen miles from Salal Prairie, and two miles from the Northern Pacific Railroad at the Common Point. The route has been surveyed by the Northern Pacific Railroad.

Adjoining the Kirke, or Moss Bay Company property, is a section of coal land (No. 34) on Sugar Loaf Mountain, owned by parties in Seattle, who offer it at $50,000. There are a number of seams on the property, but I could examine only one which had been opened near the foot of the mountain. It is a good seam of bituminous coal, of the same character with the Kirke coal. I took the following details:

Sandstone Roof. FT. INS. Coal 1 6 Soft Shale 0 1/4 Coal 0 2 Soft Clay 0 1/4 Coal 0 1 Soft Material, mining. 1 2 Coal 0 6-1/2 Slate 0 1/4 Coal 1 0 Bone 0 1/2 Coal 0 10 Bone 0 1/2 Coal 0 5 Bone 0 1/2 Coal 0 7 Bone 0 1 Coal 0 4-1/2 Bone 0 2-1/2 Coal 1 4 Hard Slate Floor. ---------- Total 8 ft. 5-3/4 ins.

_c. The Cedar River Group._--This group consists of the Cedar River mines, nineteen miles from Seattle by rail, the Renton and Talbot mines, ten miles, and the Newcastle, eighteen miles. These coals are in the same river basin, and are all high grade lignites.

[Sidenote: Cedar River mines.]

The first shipment made from the Cedar River mines was in July, 1884. There are two good seams here, one of which measures eleven feet. The outcrop curves from a south to a southwest strike. The dip is 20° toward the east.

[Sidenote: Talbot and Renton mines.]

The Talbot and Renton mines, ten miles from Seattle, are on the same seam, but, owing to faults and other causes, they have not been worked of late. The seam is seven to nine feet of good coal, resembling the Newcastle, but has a bad roof, and soon reaches water. The dip is to the southeast at the grade of 10° to 25°. The outcrop curves as at Cedar Mountain. This always bodes trouble.

[Sidenote: Newcastle Mine.]

The principal mine in this basin is the Newcastle, from which more coal by far has been mined than from any other. Its present annual output is equaled only by the Carbonado mines, which are pressed to their full capacity by the Central Pacific Railroad. The Newcastle coal is a high grade lignite, of firm texture, shining black color, and angular fracture. It is not a coking coal, but has a wide and established reputation for grate, stove, and boiler uses. It is the typical "Seattle" coal, and is sold chiefly in Oregon and California. (To-day, owing to scarcity, it would bring $25 per ton in Los Angeles). It has not the heating power of bituminous coal, but it is greatly superior to many of the lignitic coals. Many difficulties have been met with in the mining at Newcastle, the most of which seem to have been owing to the necessity for mining on the down grade, or fall of the coal; and the mines being now 1,000 feet deep.

I was twice at these mines, but, owing to the just previous destruction of the hoisting machinery, I could not make an examination.

An additional difficulty was that the mine had taken fire.

[Sidenote: Cost of mining.]

The cost of mining at Newcastle has ranged from 85 cents to $1.50 per ton, averaging about $1.10.

[Sidenote: Large production.]

According to Governor Squire, in 1884, the beds mined at Newcastle were, beginning at the lowest, 14 feet, 10 feet, and 5 feet in thickness. The dip is 30° to 40° northward, and the trend north 80° west. Governor Semple gives the following as the output of the Newcastle mines from June 30, 1878, to June 30, 1887:

1879 127,381 1880 128,853 1881 149,602 1882 158,340 1883 218,742 1884 149,948 1885 149,050 1886 85,561 1887 140,701 --------- Total 1,308,178

Average per year 145,353