THE NORTHERN PACIFIC ROUTE. 93 
The town of Electric was established and extensive coal mines 
were opened at this place a number of years ago by the Montana 
Coal & Coke Co. Some of the mines were opened 
Electric. directly back of the town and some near the town 
Elevation 5.185 feet. byt on the other side of the mountain, and the 
St. Paul 1,057 miles. : P 
coal was brought to the tipple by an aerial tramway. 
The coal is of excellent quality, apparently having been improved 
by the heat of igneous intrusions or by the intense pressures devel- 
oped when the rocks were thrown into the great folds that are so - 
apparent to-day, but the cost and difficulties of mining caused the 
undertaking to be abandoned.' 
At Electric station Electric Peak (elevation 11,000 feet), one of 
the highest mountains in the vicinity, may be seen on the right. The 
peak was so named because of a severe electric storm during its 
ascent by members of the Hayden Survey in 1872. One of the men 
was severely shocked, and all the others experienced prickly sensa- 
tions as if they were receiving the discharge from an electric machine. 
The station and coal field took their names from the mountain. 
_1 The coal beds in this field are prob- | sills of igneous rocks as to be scarcely 
ably the same as those mined in the | identifiable. As shown by the map 
Trail Creek field and at Bridger, near | (sheet 15) and the section (fig. 14), the 
Red Lodge, and formerly mined exten- | rocks are nearly flat in the southern part 
sively at Cokedale, west of Livingston, | of the block, but are sharply upturned at 
but the coal of the Electric field is | the north end, forming Cinnabar Moun- 
probably the best in Montana. The coal | tain. The great block of strata consti- 
eds occur near the base of the Montana | tuting the coal field is bounded on all 
formation, probably in the Eagle sand- | sides by faults, and within this block 
® 
Devils Stide 
See > cs ff 
Sy iy: 
= eae ee ae + + +4 Cu. } ag, tain: Miant 
* ? 
PIGUHL Lt ast > 
stone. The coal field consists of a great | another and small block has been broken 
block of the earth’s crust, containing not | from the larger mass and dropped about 
only the Cretaceous coal-bearing rocks | 1,000 feet. The smaller block contains 
but also all the older formations known | the coal mine directly : back of the 
in the region. This block of strata | town of Electric. Practically all the 
extends from Cinnabar Mountain (Yel- | coal mined in this field was coked, the 
lowstone River) on the north to Electric | market being chiefly the smelters at 
Peak on the south, but in the south end | Butte and Anaconda. : The b ting 
the formation is so altered by dikes and | of the coal is 12,2701 
