A Report on Washington TerritoryRuffner, William Henry
History
A Report on Washington Territory
Ruffner, William Henry
Washington (State)
Washington Mines, on one of the upper branches of Squak Creek, show the
outcroppings of three seams of lignite coal, dipping S. of W. I did not
visit this place, but was informed that a company, known as the
Washington Coal Company, was engaged in cutting these seams; but I am
not informed as to what are their prospects.
[Sidenote: Raging River coals.]
The Raging River Coals. Six miles east of Gilman Mines, where the
railroad enters the Raging River Valley, is found another group of coal
seams, older than the Squak coals, and perhaps corresponding in age with
the Franklin and Black Diamond coals, though apparently more bituminous
than they. Raging River is about twelve miles long, and the railroad
first approaches it about midway its length. There are indications of
local metamorphism, if not intrusion, visible in the rocks between Squak
Creek and Raging River, and this is further indicated by an outcrop of
anthracite at the north end of the coal seams, within a mile of the
road. Mr. Whitworth represents this anthracite seam as five feet thick,
but crushed and fragile. Its structure is laminated, and it breaks into
small cubes. He spoke, also, of another seam of anthracite high up on
Raging River, three feet thick, with three inches slate six inches from
the top. He mined in on this for thirty feet without observing any
change. The outcrop of this group of coal seams extends from near the
line of the railroad, up the west side of the valley, parallel with the
river, and about a mile from it, and lying in high hills. This coal
property is also owned by the Seattle Coal and Iron Company. The
principal mining camp is near the head of the valley, ten miles above
Falls City, six miles above the line of railway. Here I saw the coal
seams, which had been uncovered without having been cut into
sufficiently to determine fully their character. One seam is open in a
ravine, half way up the mountain, but most of them near the top, at an
elevation of about 800 feet above the river. There are at least six
seams, and if the one on the mountain side be a different seam, there
are seven. The coal generally is of good quality: bituminous, with
cubical fracture; but its value is greatly diminished by numerous slate
partings, and some of the seams are too thin for profitable mining. The
dip is to the southwest at high angles: about eighty degrees on the
mountain side--less in the top seams.
[Sidenote: Details.]
The seam on the mountain side showed a total thickness of seven feet
with sandstone over and under; but of this there was only about 2 feet 8
inches of good coal in a body, and the rest coal and slate interleaved.
Near the top of the mountain there are six seams open near a rivulet,
and quite near together. Reaching the top of the mountain, I found the
upper opening (geologically the under opening), No. 1, to contain about
two feet of good black coal, with one slate parting of an inch thick.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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