296 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA 



There is yet known only one workable bed of coal in the Koos Bay coal 

 region ; that on the north of the Bay is undoubtedly the same as the Eastport 

 and Newport mines to the South. A thin stratum of coal was reported as 

 pierced about seventy-five feet above the main bed. Nevertheless, the coal field 

 about Kooa Bay is extensive, reaching from the coast ten or twelve mines inland ; 

 south to the Coquiile River and probably fifteen or twenty miles inland ; and 

 northward probably to the Umpquah, coal of good quality being reported on 

 the North (Jmpquah east of the coast range. From the nature of the country, 

 however, the part of this broad area covered with coal of good quality and work- 

 able thickness is comparatively small. From the small depth of water on the 

 bars of the rivers and harbors, only vessels drawing ten or twelve feet can 

 be employed as colliers, and this combined with other causes lead us to the 

 conclusion that for many years it will not be profitable to work coal not in 

 proximity to the shores of Koos Bay. This workable coal bed consists of two 

 strata, each from two to two and a half feet in thickness and separated by a stra- 

 tum of clay rock from six to twelve inches thick : above the upper layer of coal is 

 another stratum of rather hard clay rock from twelve to eighteen inches thick ; 

 and over this another stratum of coal of nearly equal thickness ; but this is not 

 worked, although good, because the clay rock forms the better roof for the 

 mine. 



The quality of the Koos Bay coal is better than that of the Diablo mines for 

 some purposes, and for others is inferior. Fur domestic purposes it burns freer. 

 For steam purposes it is not quite equal to the Diablo coal, apparently owing 

 to its larger percentage of water. But recent government experiments exhibit 

 no difference in the steam-producing qualities of the two coals. 



The texture of the wood from which the Koos Bay coal was formed is often 

 more beautifully preserved than in the Diablo coal, and this with other facts 

 point to its more recent formation. 



Mr. Goodyear made an examination of the auriferous sand and gravel hills 

 that border the sea north of the Coquiile. For a mile inland these low rolling 

 hills are covered with a scanty growth of grass and scattering trees, and front 

 the sea in a continuous line of bluff ranging from 50 to 100 feet in elevation. 

 These sands from four or five miles north of the Coquiile were formerly extensive- 

 ly worked for gold, and are reported to have been very rich; the working was 

 chiefly with the shovel and long-tom. The gold was uniformly fine, no nuggets 

 or even large grains having been found, and much gold was lost, so that the 

 sands were successfully worked over six or seven times. Certain parts of the 

 beach were reported fabulously rich, the productive stratum was a layer of 

 "black sand," magnetic oxide of iron, from one to two feet in thickness, and 

 the gold was found as far out as the sea would permit of exploration. The 

 " color " was found throughout the sand hills. 



Mr. Goodyear noted evidences of the oscillation of the elevation of the coast 

 line ; at one place in the sands of the beach the stump of a tree six to seven feet in 

 diameter, evidently rooted where it grew, the wood partially carbonized, fibre 

 brown and soft, though still rather tough and exactly resembling in character 

 the woody fibre iua bed of incipient lignite two or three feet thick, which crops 



