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.
[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO GILMAN COAL MINE ON THE LINE OF THE SEATTLE,
LAKE SHORE AND EASTERN RAILWAY.]
[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.)
[Illustration: MAP OF WILKESON COALFIELD]
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