MARKETS FOR ALASKA COAL 
25 
The following quotations will show the relative values of various coals in comparison 
th petroleum: 
rests have proved that 1 pound of California petroleum used on a passenger locomol ive evapora ted 
96 pounds of water from and at 212° F., as compared with 7.1 I pounds of watei under like conditions 
porated by 1 pound of Comox bituminous coal, or 4 barrels of oil did the work of 1 ton of coal. This 
rather below the results attained by other tests, which in many cases showed that from 3| to 3. 1 . bar- 
s of petroleum did the work of ! ton of coal." 
umber of barrels of petroleum equivalent to 1 ton of various axils and value of coals /ni- 
ton, as compared with petroleum at $1 per barrel.® 
< >ne pound of eombustibli 
p-oleum 15° to 18°Baume... 
rdifT lump, Wales 
pe Breton, Canada 
maimo, British Columbia 
operative, British Columbia,. 
eta, Washington. . .-. 
rbon Hill, Washington 
Pounds of 
water evapo 
rated at 212° 
F. per pound 
o! combus- 
tible. 
16.0 
10.0 
9. 2 
7.3 
8.9 
7.6 
7.6 
Barrels of 
petroleum 
required to 
do the same 
amount of 
evaporation 
as 1 ton of 
coal. 
4.0 
3.7 
2.9 
3.6 
3.0 
Cost of coal 
per ton to 
equal petro- 
leum at $1 
per barrel. 
Less 10 per 
eelll owing to 
the greater 
economy in 
handling 
petroleum. 
s i . ( II I 
3.70 
2.00 
3. 60 
3.00 
3J)() 
.|3. 60 
3.33 
2. til 
3.21 
2. 711 
2. 70 
tOliphant, F. IL, The production of petroleum in 1903: Mineral Resources U. S. for 1903, U. S. Geol. 
rvey, 1904, p. 685. 
The following estimates have been gathered from various sources: 
Equivalent in petroleum of 1 ton of various coals. 
cahontas coal. 
Barrels 
petroleum. 
orges Creek coal. 4. 3 
ttsburg coal 4.3 
maimo coal . . 3.2 
rbon Hill coal. 
2.7 
There is some variation in the values given. This may be ascribed in part to differences 
quality of the coal in different parts of the same field, in part to differences in the effi- 
sney of the boilers, in part to differences in fuel value of various petroleums, and in part 
errors. 
There is, however, no doubt that a large part of the Bering River and Matanuska coal 
of such high grade that a ton of it will equal at least 4 barrels and probably 4./) barrels 
California oil. The lower grade Alaska bituminous coals should stand in the ratio of 1 
ti of coal to 2.6 or 3.6 barrels of petroleum. One ton of tin 1 better Alaska lignites is proba- 
y equal to 2.5 or 3 barrels of petroleum. The poorer lignites should give a ratio of I ton 
2 or 2.5 barrels. 
These figures are all based on the relative efficiency of coal and petroleum when used 
th a steam engine. The values representing the relative efficiency of these fuels when 
ed with a gas engine, ^ or for direct heat (as in roasting or smelting, or in a stove), might 
very different. 
RELATIVE PRICES. 
It is impossible for the writer to make any definite estimate of the cost of producing and 
ipping Alaska coal. It would seem, however, that it should not be much in excess of 
e cost in many other western mining districts. It is reasonable to assume that with 
fOliphant, F. H., The production of petroleum in 1901: Mineral Resources U. S. for 1901, U. S. Geol. 
rvey, 1902, p. 583. 
> See Preliminary report on the operations of the coal-testing plant, etc.: Bull. (J. S. Geol. Survey No. 
L, 1905, pp. 16, 17, 85-120. 
