﻿COMPOSTELA-DANAO COAL FIELD. 383 



The forest of Mounts Uguis and Donga. — Mount Donga is really a foothill of 

 the higher mountain or ridge called Uguis. The upper slopes and tops of these 

 mountains are fairly well wooded and have suffered less from cutting than 

 the other mountains. This is due to the fact that they are farther from 

 Danao and that their steep slopes, covered with huge volcanic bowlders, make 

 logging extremely difficult and in places impossible. However, mine timbers 

 could be cut on these slopes and skidded out by hand at a considerable expense. 

 It is probable that timber could be imported from other islands at less expense 

 than it could be secured on this mountain, except in famine years when the people 

 work very cheaply. 



Uguis and Donga have a fair sprinkling of narra, bagtican, amaga, lanete 

 and dungon among the many inferior species which are also present. 



The forest of the Sacsac River. — An extensive virgin forest exists across the 

 main divide of the island and tributary to the Balamban River, containing large 

 trees of lauan, sambulauan, quia-quia, narra, pili, bagtican and other timber 

 species. Bejuco (rattan) also grows in this forest in fair abundance. At present 

 the forest is inaccessible from the east, but it is barely possible that at great ex- 

 pense, yet not a- prohibitive one, a road could be made up the Uguis stream and 

 across the divide by which this timber could be brought to the Danao River and 

 thus to the mines. 



Cutting rules, copies of which have been sent to the three licensees, are based 

 on the following facts and conclusions: 



( 1 ) In these forests it is possible to secure only a small part of the necessary 

 mine timber from first-group trees. 



(2) There are some species of the lower groups which will serve fairly well, 

 especially for temporary work. 



(3) The cutting of small trees of the first and second groups in these forests 

 will exterminate those species. 



(4) It will be necessary to import timber from other regions for the proper, 

 future development of the mines. 



(5) The future development of the mines will double the demand for timber. 



(6) The trees at present being cut are small with an average diameter of not 

 more than 25 centimeters. 



(7) The forests, especially those of Licos, Pulgason and Manghilao, are in 

 very poor condition. 



Use of timber in the coal mines. — Timber was used in former times and is 

 needed at present in the form of ties for the tramway leading from Camansi to 

 Danao and as posts, caps and lagging for the tunnels. The company which 

 operated the mines in Spanish times used mostly the most durable timber of the 

 first group such as molave and tindalo, both for the tramway and for the 

 tunnels. 



Old timbers of the Compostela mines. — Most of the timbers were placed in 

 these mines in the years 1895 and 1896. They consist for the greater part of 

 molave, tindalo, yacal and narra, with a few of the inferior or little known 

 species which grow in the neighborhood. The lagging was made of poles of datilis 

 or caballero. Some of the old tunnels are now being cleared out and new timbers 

 put in where the old ones are no longer serviceable. Up to the present time not 

 more than 40 per cent of the old posts and caps have been removed in the 

 Enrique Abel la tunnel. Many of the molave timbers are perfectly sound after 

 about twelve years of service. The following specimen sections were taken from 

 some of the old timbers at the ends where they were in contact with the soil. 



No. 1. — Pagsagon post, sound with the exception of about one centimeter on 

 the outside ami one bad knot which had weakened the post. 



