collier.] COAL KESOURCES OF THE YUKON BASIN. 277 
their geographic position, beginning at the international boundary 
and going down the river. 
UPPER YUKON PROVINCE. 
Mission Creek and Seventymile River. — A small basin of coal-bearing 
rocks, 7 or 8 miles in width, lies near Mission Creek, 12 miles below 
the international boundary. The beds are of Kenai age and the coals 
are probably lignites. Twenty-five miles below, on Seventymile 
River, is another small basin of Kenai rocks from which coal has been 
reported, but nothing of economic importance has as yet been devel- 
oped at either of these localities. 
Washington Creek. — On Washington Creek, which enters the Yukon 
from the south, about 82 miles below the international boundary, there 
is a large area of coal-bearing rocks which is probably a part of a long 
basin or series of basins lying south of the Yukon and including the 
coal-bearing formations on Seventymile River, Bonanza Creek, and 
Coal Creek. No fossils were obtained in the Washington Creek coal 
basin, but an Upper Eocene age is inferred from the lithologic character 
of the sandstone, the mode of occurrence of the coal beds, and the 
character of the coal. In all these respects this coal basin resembles 
that at Cliff Creek, in Canadian territory, from which Eocene fossils 
were obtained. The coal here occurs in a formation consisting of alter- 
nating beds of lignite, clay, and carbonaceous shale, resembling that 
at Cliff Creek. In this formation seams of clear coal above 5 feet in 
thickness occur. The coal is a high-grade lignite, having an average 
fuel ratio of about 1 and a water content of from 10 to 15 per cent. 
The ash in samples analyzed varies from 2 to 4 per cent, and the sul- 
phur is less than three-tenths of 1 per cent. Wherever they have 
been opened the coal beds of the Washington Creek Basin show no 
evidence of faulting, and the coal is not crushed, but can be obtained 
in large pieces which "check" but do not break up readily on expo- 
sure to the air. Coal beds have been opened in this basin at localities 
several miles apart, showing that they have considerable extent. 
Where these beds have been prospected the dips vary from 35° to 45°. 
The relief of the basin is low, and probably the greater part of the 
coal lies below drainage level, so that pumping will be necessary if 
the mines are worked. 
This coal has not been mined on a commercial scale. The develop- 
ment in evidence consists of a tunnel 65 feet long and a slope 106 feet 
long. Other workings were of a temporary nature and have caved 
in. A good winter trail has been opened from the coal beds to the 
Yukon River, and last winter 5 tons of coal were sledded to the Yukon 
for a steam test on a river steamer. This is reported to have given 
entire satisfaction. A railroad 10 to 12 miles in length will be required 
to bring this coal to the Yukon. 
Bonanza and Coal creeks. — A similar basin is reported on Bonanza 
