GREAT   DIVIDE   BASIN    COAL   FIELD,    WYOMING.  241 
is  being  consumed  on  the  ranches  of  the  Sweetwater  Valley.  In  sec 
27,  T.  28  X.,  R.  90  W.,  a  shaft  4  feet  square  has  been  sunk  for  about 
40  feet  down  a  vertical  coal  bed  of  Laramie  age  5  feet  thick,  but  it  is 
now  abandoned  and  is  caving  in.  In  sec.  20,  T.  26  N.,  R.  90  W., 
coal  has  been  mined  from  a  bed  in  the  undifferentiated  Tertiary  for 
use  at  the  Lost  Soldier  stage  station,  but  the  mine  is  now  abandoned 
and  caved. 
FUTURE  DEVELOPMENT. 
Several  conditions  will  influence  the  future  development  of  the  coal 
of  the  area,  They  are  (1)  accessibility,  (2)  water  supply,  (3)  timber 
supply,  and  (4)  market. 
ACCESSIBILITY. 
The  coal  of  this  region  is  readily  accessible.  The  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  borders  the  field  on  the  south,  and  branch  lines  from  it 
could  easily  be  constructed  to  any  part  of  the  field.  By  the  con- 
struction of  a  railroad  from  Knobs  northward  along  Separation 
Flats  all  the  coal  on  the  east  side  of  the  field  as  far  as  the  gap 
between  Whisky  Peak  and  the  Ferris  Mountains  could  be  easily 
reached.  In  case  a  railroad  should  be  built  along  the  line  sur- 
veyed by  the  Nebraska,  Wyoming  and  Western  in  Tps.  24  and 
25  N.,  the  coals  of  the  east-central  portion  of  the  region  would  be 
easily  accessible.  A  preliminary  survey  has  also  been  made  up  the 
valley  of  the  Sweetwater.  If  this  line  is  constructed  in  the  near 
future,  as  it  seems  reasonable  to  believe,  the  coals  of  the  Muddy 
Creek  region  will  be  the  nearest  to  the  railroad  in  central  Wyoming 
and  will  be  in  great  demand. 
WATER  SUPPLY. 
The  scarcity  of  water  throughout  the  field  has  considerable  bear- 
ing on  the  economic  development  of  the  coal.  Water  may  probably 
be  obtained  in  any  part  of  the  field  by  drilling  to  relatively  shallow 
depths,  but  the  water  so  obtained  may  be  highly  alkaline  and 
unsuitable  both  for  steam  and  domestic  purposes,  unless  some 
means  is  adopted  for  the  precipitation  of  the  salts.  Artesian  wells 
have  been  drilled  at  several  stations  between  Rawlins  and  Tipton 
by  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  Company.  In  nearly  all  of  them 
water  was  obtained  within  600  feet  of  the  surface,  but  it  was  too 
alkaline  for  use  in  the  locomotives.  At  Riner  water  is  pumped 
from  a  1,600-foot  artesian  well  and  also  from  a  1 ,  100-fool  well 
drilled  at  Old  Fillmore  and  connected  with  Riner  by  a  pipe  line. 
Water  from  these  wells  is  used  to  supplement  the  supply  brought 
in  the  tenders  and  water  cars  from  Wamsutter  and  Rawlins.  At 
Wamsutter  water  is  obtained  from  a  depth  of  1,300  feet  in  a  1,600- 
foot  well.  The  water  from  all  three  of  these  wells  is  strongly  alka- 
71497— Bull.  341—09 16 
