76 ALASKAN MINERAL RESOURCES IN 1905. 
surface is sufficiently firm to stand handling. In some of the stream beds llioro are numer- 
ous pieces of anthracite which are firm and hard, indicating either that these pieces earned 
from fresh exposures, where the coal was not softened and broken up by frost and other' 
weathering, or that there are beds which are better than those which have been prospected. 
An opening driven to a sufficient depth on one of the beds would settle this question. 
The semibituminous coals which possess the property of coking are not so seriously 
affected by the tendency to crush, for, as has already been pointed out, they will probably 
be used in part for the manufacture of coke, and when used as steam or other heating coal 
they will fuse and form a solid mass as soon as put in the furnace. 
Steep dips do not make mining impossible or even excessively costly. They introduce 
no mining problems which have not already been successfully met in other fields. 
The possible overturned folds and the faults introduce problems the scope of which can 
perhaps be determined only by exploration of the seams in depth. It seems probable that 
there are areas within the field in which, because of these difficulties, the coal can not be 
successfully mined. These must be determined by careful surface prospect ing, followed by 
either Inning or tunneling ;it critical points. The anthracite held is especially liable to he 
affected by these difficulties, which, on the other hand, will be compensated for, in part, at 
least, by the greater value of the coal. 
Variability in thickness of the seams, especially of the thicker ones, may be considered an 
ever-present problem, the exact magnitude of which can be determined only by under- 
ground exploration. It is the current belief in the region that the seams will assume con- 
stant thicknesses and attitudes as soon a- they are followed under a heavy cover of ove living 
rock. Such is not necessarily the case. The swellings and pinchings of the coal do not 
depend on the nature of the surface of the ground, hut on the mode of formation of the coal 
bed and on the structure of the rocks. Faults or breaks in the coal, pockets, and squeeze! 
are just as liable to be found under the center of a uniform plateau as on the edges of can- 
70ns, and musf be determined by the position of the rocks in solid outcrop or by boring or 
tunneling, and not by the character of the surface of the ground. It is certain that they 
will always be a serious problem in mining in this region: hut, on the otherhand.it is likely j 
that they will in large degree he compensated for by numerous areas of excessively thick 
beds and by the high fuel value of the coal. 
It is probable that underground water will be encountered in large amounts, due to the 
abundance of surface water and the deep fracturing of the rocks. Fortunately, there is a 
large amount of coal above the general drainage level, so it will not be necessary to resort to 
shafting for a long time. Consequently the water, although it may be very annoying, will 
not add materially to the expense of mining. 
Gas has been encountered in several of the longer tunnels and will have to be considered 
a factor in the cost of mining. It w ill probably be necessary to resort both to very careful 
ventilation and to the use of safety lamps. Some legislative provision should be made for 
this before mining begins. 
TRANSPORTATION AND MARKETS. 
There will be no market for the Bering River coal, except in a limited way for fuel and 
blacksmit h coal at the oil wells, until shipping facilities are provided. Four plans have been 
considered for shipping the coal. The first (or oldest) involves the building of from 23 to 
35 miles of railroad and the construction of long wharves to deep water in ('out roller Bay. 
The second includes wharves on deep water near Katalla, and from 20 to 35 miles of railroad 
to reach the coal. The third plan is to use a harbor on Prince William Sound (probably at 
Cordova Bay) which can he reached (see PI. XII) by about 85 miles of road from the 
nearest coal, by way of the Shepherd Creek Valley and the 350-fool pass leading northwest 
from Lake ( harlotte toward the Copper River drainage. A fourth plan is to build the rail- 
road to shoal water on Controller Bay or Bering River and transfer the coal by shallow- 
draft barges to wharves or anchorage on deep, sheltered water. 
