TAF*\]  COAL   WORK    IN   INDIAN   TERRITORY.  389 
ranges  between  2|  and  4  feet,  and  it  contains  a  thin  parting  of  bony 
coal.  At  the  Adkins  mine,  northwest  of  Cameron,  the  coal  averages 
4  feet  and  contains  no  shaly  impurities.  At  Panama  it  varies  but 
little  above  and  below  4  feet  in  thickness  and  is  of  equally  high 
grade,  Near  the  junction  of  the  Kansas  City  Southern  and  the  Fort 
Smith  and  Western  railroads  prospects  show  the  coal  to  be  3  feet 
10  inches  thick  and  of  good  quality.  Farther  west,  near  Milton,  it 
varies  between  4  and  7  feet,  but  is  divided  into  two  benches  by  a 
variable  parting  of  shale  near  the  middle.  At  McCurtain  the  coal 
varies  in  thickness  from  3|  to  5  feet,  and  contains  usually  a  thin 
parting  of  shale.  Near  Ward,  in  the  northwest  side  of  the  Spiro 
basin,  the  coal  is  4|  feet  thick  and  contains  a  thin  shale  near  the 
center.  In  quality  the  coal  probably  varies  slightly,  as  does  the 
Hartshorne  coal  at  the  southern  border  of  the  field.  The  analyses 
of  the  coal  from  the  Panama  mine,  as  indicated  in  the  table  above, 
show  it  to  be  of  a  higher  grade  than  any  thus  far  tested  in  the  Indian 
Territory  field. 
McAlester  coal. — This  coal  occurs  1,200  feet  stratigraphically  above 
the  Hartshorne  coal,  and  outcrops  parallel  with  it  south  of  Sansbois 
and  Cavanal  mountains,  west  of  the  St.  Louis  and  San  Francisco 
Railroad.  Being  higher  in  the  coal-bearing  series,  it  has  greater 
length  of  outcrop  and  is  generally  more  advantageously  disposed 
structurally,  so  that  relatively  larger  areas  can  be  successfully  mined. 
The  bed  where  estimated  to  be  of  workable  thickness  has  ah  outcrop 
length  of  more  than  200  miles  in  the  southern  part  of  the  Indian 
Territory  field.  At  the  west  end  of  the  field,  near  McAlester  and 
Lehigh,  the  coal  will  average  a  little  above  4J  feet  in  thickness. 
Eastward  the  bed  decreases  gradually  to  about  3  feet  at  Dow  and 
at  Carbon.  From  Carbon  eastward  coal  has  been  prospected  in  a 
number  of  places  and  has  been  developed  in  a  small  way  at  Panola 
Switch,  5  miles  east  of  Wilburton,  at  Redoak,  Hughes,  and  at  Fan- 
shaw.  At  these  places  there  are  two  beds  in  the  horizon  of  the  Mc- 
Alester coal,  separated  by  (>0  feet  of  shale.  At  Panola  switch  one 
of  the  beds  has  4  feet  2  inches  of  coal,  but  contains  thin  shale  part- 
ings. At  Redoak  the  beds  are  2  feet  6  inches  and  3  feet  in  thickness 
and  at  Hughes  one  of  the  beds  has  been  mined,  showing  a  section 
of  2  feet  10  inches.  At  Fanshaw  they  are  1  foot  8  inches  and  2  feet 
2  inches  thick.  Farther  east  this  coal  is  considered  to  be  of  no 
economic  value  at  the  present  time. 
The  coal  in  the  Stigler  basin,  near  the  month  of  Canadian  River, 
occurs  in  the  stratigraphic  position  of  the  McAlester  bed  and 
is  presumed  to  be  its  northern  extension.  This  coal  is  known  by 
prospect  in  both  sides  of  the  basin,  and  has  been  mined  for  local  con- 
umption  west  of  Tamaha,- west  of  Stigler,  and  near  Wliitefield.  The 
same  coal  has  been  mined  for  local  use  northeast  of  Cartersville, 
