COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT. SURVEY WORK ON COAL DURING 1905. By MARIOS .R..CAMPBELL. GENERAL STATEMENT. Coal is by far the most valuable mineral product of the United States. According to the statistics of production for 1904, a the four mineral-products which stand highest in the list of values ars as follows: Mineral products of highest value in United States, .1.904- Coal................................................................... 3444,810,288 Pig iron................................................................ 233,025,000 Copper................................................................. 105,629,845 Petroleum.............................................................. 101,170,4G6 Although in 1904 the production of coal was not quite equal to that of the preceding year, greater activity than in any previous year was manifest throughout the country in prospecting and developing new fields, and in efforts to determine better methods of utilization. This was largely due to the establishment of a coal-testing plant at St. Louis, for which Congress appropriated the sum of $60,000. The interest taken in this work by coal oper­ ators, coal consumers, and the general public shows plainly that the people are keenly alive to anything that tends to the cheaper production and the better utilization of the fuels of the country. The immediate results obtained during 1904 resulted in an appropriation for 1905 amount­ ing to $202,000 for the continuation of the coal-testing work, and incidentally an increase was made in the appropriation for geologic work of the Survey, with the express provision that this increase should bo used in the investigation of the fuel resources of the country. In order to carry out the intention of Congress, a committee was appointed by the Director of the United States Geolological Survey to consider the best methods of exploit­ ing the fuel resources of the country, and also methods for their better utilization. This committee consists of Dr. C. W. Hayes, geologist in charge of geology; Prof. J. A. Holmes, superintendent of the coal-testing plant; Mr. E. W. Parker, statistician, and Mr. M. R. Campbell, geologist. The members of this committee represent the varied phases of fuel work carried on by the Geological Survey, and their office is to advise and direct the work so as to cover the entire ground of geologic occurrence, utilization, and statistics of production. GEOLOGIC WORK OF 1905. The geologic work on the coals was placed under the general direction of the writer, and plans were at once made, for the continuation of systematic detailed work in the old and well-known coal fields of the East and of special reconnaissance surveys in the western fields. Pennsylvania. In the eastern part of the United States geologic work was earned on as usual in the bituminous-coal field of Pennsylvania, in cooperation with the State authori­ ties. Under this arrangement three 15-ininute quadrangles, the Newcastle, Claysville, a Mineral Resources U. S. for 1904, U. S. Geol. Survey, 1905, pp. 32, 33. 203 204 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC , GEOLOGY, 1905. and Punxsutawney, covering a territory of about 750 square miles, were surveyed by George'H. Ashley, who was assisted by Frank W. De Wolf, Frederick B. Peck, and M. J. Munn. In this region the coals arc fairly well known and little information regarding new ssams or new territory was developed. The object of the work was to determine the exact correlation of th.e various bads, the extent of the workable areas, and the geologic structure of the field. The latter was psrhaps the most important object, since it not only has a direct bearing on the commercial development of the coal, but also on the accumu­ lation of oil and gas, for which this region is particularly noted. Kentucky. In northeastern Kentucky the Kenova quadrangle was thoroughly investi­ gated by W. C. Phalen, under the direction of G. H. Ashley, and the geologic relations of the coal beds were studied and mapped with considerable detail. The area examined is embraced in a 30-minute quadrangle, and covers approximately 950 square miles. In this region the main object of the work was to trace the outcrop and to correlate the various coal and clay beds, also to determine the thickness and extent of the workable parts of the beds and the general structure of the region. Alabama. In the southern Appalachians work of a similar detailed character was carried on by Charles Butts in the coal field near the city of Birmingham. In this region one 30-minute quadrangle in the vicinity of Birmingham was mapped, with the exception of the. southeast corner. The territory examined lay mostly in the Big Warrior coal field, and the coal ssams were very carefully examined and plotted on the map. Correlations were made and also accurate determinations of the extent and quality of the workable coal. No work was done in the coal fields of the Mississippi Valley during the past year. New Mexico-Colorado. In the Rocky Mountain region a number of parties were at work making reconnaissance surveys of some of the little-known coal fields. In southern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico F. C. Schrader, assisted by M. K. Shaler, made a reconnais­ sance examination of about 2,050 square miles of territory. This party began operations at Durango, Colo., following the outcrop of the coal-bearing rocks to the east and south into the Mount Taylor region of New Mexico, and then swinging to the west and following in a general way the outcrop of the coal beds to Gallup, N. M., where there are several large mines in operation. For a number of years this field has been attracting attention and numerous railroad surveys have been made across it, presumably with the intention of developing its coal resources, but so far little practical development has occurred, except in the vicinity of Gallup, on the Santa Fe Railway, and around Durango and Mouero, on the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. During the past year a branch of the latter system has been built south from Durango to San Juan River, affording access to a very import­ ant part of this coal field. The work done by Schrader's party consisted in determining the areal distribution of the coals, correlating the beds worked at the various points, and deter­ mining the geologic horizons at which the coal occurs. Colorado. In the northwestern part of Colorado the Yampa or Routt County coal field has likewise attracted great attention for a number of years. Surveys have been made into the region by the Union Pacific Railroad and the Burlington System, but up to the present time no line has been constructed, and consequently the field has remained in an undeveloped condition. Recently public attention has been directed to this field through the building of the Denver, Northwestern and Pacific Railroad from Denver into Middle Park and its projection to the west down Yampa Valley. In order to meet the demand for reliable information regarding the coal of the Yampa field, a careful reconnaissance survey was made byN. M. Fenneman and H. S. Gale, assisted by R. C. Alien. A very detailed reconnaissance examination was made of a territory covering about 1,200 square miles along Yampa River, from a few miles below Steamboat Springs to the small village of Lay, near the center of the county. The feature of this field that has attracted the most attention is the occurrence of anthracite in the northern part, and some controversy has been carried on regarding the extent and value ofv these deposits. Considerable time was spent in an examination of this small anthracite area, in the hope that sufficient evidence might be obtained to determine its extent and commercial value, but owing to the broken condition WORK ON COAL. 205 of the coal-bearing rocks and the presence of considerable intrusive material, a great amount of surface wash, and a heavy covering of timber, it was almost impossible to determine the area! extent of metamorphism without thorough prospecting with the drill. There is no doubt that a good quality of anthracite occurs in this area, but until prospecting has been done there is great uncertainty regarding its geographic extent. The local character of the metamorphism of the coal makes it seem, doubtful whether this area will ever be of very great commercial importance, b:it the field as a whole is undoubtedly very important, since there are a number of thick seams of good bituminous coal throughout its extent. This alone will amply repay development. Beyond the territory covered by this reconnais­ sance the coals areligniticandof much poorer grade than they are in the territory surveyed. North Dakota-Montana". 1\\ view of the rather extraordinary results obtained at the coal-testing plant in making producer gas from brown lignite of North Dakota, it seemed desirable to determine more fully than heretofore the extent of such deposits in North Dakota and eastern Montana. For this purpose A. G. Leonard, assisted by Innis Ward and H. L. McDonald, made an examination of the country along Little Missouri River, from the crossing of the Northern Pacific Railway into South Dakota. They also examined the territory west of the Little Missouri between that and Yellowstoue River and up the latter stream as far as Miles City, obtaining a large amount of information on the occurrence of workable beds of lignite arid the general question of correlation with other parts of the field. In this region there are some thick beds of lignite, but they occur as lenticular masses, frequently having an area of only a few square miles and sometimes only a few acres. They are so common, however, that almost every section contains a bed of workable thick­ ness.