THE 



POPULAR SCIENCE 



MONTHLY 



NOVEMBER, 1911 



THE BERIXG BIVER COAL FIELD, ALASKA 1 



By GEORGE F. KAY 



PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGY, STATE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA 



Introduction* 



THE Bering River coal field lies a few miles inland from the north 

 shore of Controller Bay, an indentation of the Pacific coast about 

 1,200 miles from Seattle. In this field are the Cunningham claims 

 which received much publicity in connection with the Pinchot-Ballinger 

 controversy. . Much of the coal area is within the drainage basin of the 

 Bering River. To the north of the field is the Martin River glacier 

 with the lofty, snow-capped Chugach range of mountains beyond ; to the 

 east of the field and extending for many miles is the Bering Piedmont 

 glacier. 



The coal field is accessible by launch and small boat from the village 

 of Katalla, a calling port for passenger steamships. From Seattle to 

 Katalla by Avay of the " inside passage " is a voyage of seven or eight 

 days ; to Cordova, by the " outside passage " and thence to Katalla is a 

 voyage of about five days. 



Xo railroad has yet been built into the coal field, although several 

 surveys have been made and some construction work has been done. 

 Until a railroad has been completed and shipment has been made pos- 

 sible from the coast, the field will remain undeveloped. The chief diffi- 

 culty in providing transportation facilities is the lack of good harbors 

 on Controller Bay and adjacent parts of the coast. The waters are 

 shallow and the coast storm swept. Many thousands of dollars have al- 

 ready been expended in an endeavor to form sheltered harbors, but it 

 can scarcely be said that the efforts, thus far, have been successful. 

 However, a deep water channel extending into Controller Bay and pro- 

 tected by islands from the ocean storms has recently been mapped by 

 the Coast Survey. It would seem from present evidence tbat when a 



1 Sometimes named the Controller Bay Field or the Katalla Field. 



vol. lxxix. — 29. 



