36 COAL RESOURCES OF THE YUKON. [no. 218. 
sledded to the Yukon, to be burned on river steamers or transported 
to the Dawson market. Owing to the irregularity of the coal deposit 
and the consequent uncertainty of the supply, and to the expense of 
mining, it was abandoned several years ago. During the summer of 
1902 one man was prospecting and attempting to relocate the coal bed. 
This coal is of better quality than that of any other mine of the region, 
except for the large percentage of sulphur, but the disturbed condition 
of the seam makes it doubtful whether it can be worked at a prolit. 
EAMPART PROVINCE. 
Under this heading the coal deposits of the Yukon between the flats 
and the mouth of the Melozi rt will be considered. 
Below Circle the Yukon for 200 miles meanders by numerous chan- 
nels through a broad lowland known as the Yukon Flats. It then 
enters a more constricted portion of its valley, known as the Ramparts, 
which it leaves again at the mouth of the Tanana. Below the mouth 
of the Tanana the Yukon Valley broadens out. Within the flats the 
Yukon receives, from the north and east, Porcupine, Chandlar, and 
Dall rivers, and from the south, Birch Creek and Beaver Creek, besides 
many small streams. Below the flats, Ray River, Salt Creek, Sheflin 
Creek, Tozi (Tozikakat) River, and Melozi River are tributary to the 
Yukon from the north, and Hess Creek, Minook Creek, and Tanana 
River from the south. 
The important settlements within this province are Rampart, the 
distributing point for a large placer-mining region, and Tanana, where 
the United States military post, Fort Gibbon, is located. During the 
summer of 1902 the United States Army maintained a telegraph line 
from St. Michael to Rampart. Telegraph stations were distributed 
along the river between these points at intervals of 40 miles. 
One of the first attempts to mine coal on the Yukon was made about 
'2~) miles above the present town of Rampart, on the site of what is 
now known as the Drew mine. Attempts to open coal mines have 
been made on Minook Creek near Rampart, on the Yukon 2 miles 
below Rampart, and on the Yukon 30 miles below Tanana. 
Coal has been found on Dall River, which enters the Yukon at 
the lower end of the flats, and is reported by prospectors from Salt 
Creek, which enters the Yukon 20 miles below Dall River. Extensive 
coal beds also occur on Cantwell River, a southern tributary of the 
Tanana, about 100 miles south of Rampart. Several areas of sand- 
stone correlated with the Kenai occur along the Yukon in this province 
in which coal has not yet been -discovered. 
The coal which has been developed in the Rampart province occurs 
" This river is known in Alaska as the Melozikakat. Melozi is here used in accordance with flic 
decision of U. S. National Board on Geographic Names, "kakat" being merely a native name for 
river. 
