YAMPA    COAL    FIELD,    COLORADO.  235 
Craig  district. — Near  Craig  arc  two  openings  on  seams  presumably  of  the  upper  coal 
roup,  namely,  the  Walker  bank  (U)  and  the  Kimberly  hank  (T).  The  Walker  hank  is 
n  the  south  side  of  the  river,  about  4  miles  southeast  of  Craig.  The  seam  measures  8  feel , 
Jnd  possibly  more,  of  apparently  good  solid  eoal.  The  coal  breaks  out  in  cubical  joint 
locks  and  is  without  partings.  This  b  ink  was  opened  sixteen  years  ago,  and  is  usually 
forked  during  the  winter  season.  Another  scam,  exposed  about  25  feet  lower  down,  is 
jpparently  about  4  feet  thick. 
The  Kimberly  bank  (T)  is  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  and  about  2  miles  east  of  Craig, 
[ear  the  stage  road.  The  seam  measured  8  feet  of  solid  coal  and  is  probably  slightly 
picker,  as  neither  roof  nor  floor  was  exposed.  It  dips  14°  N.  and  has  been  opened  by  a 
ttope  starting  from  the  surface  outcrop.  The  coal  is  much  weathered  near  the  entrance, 
|ut  distinctly  improves  in  quality  toward  the  end  of  the  150-foot  slope. 
!  Lay  district. — Westward  from  the  mouth  of  Williams  Fork  the  intervals  between  the 
Bveral  coal  groups  decrease  notably.  A  short  distance  east  of  Lay  the  coals  of  the  three 
roups  are  embraced  within  a  vertical  range  of  800  feet.  The  middle  and  upper  groups 
h  this  locality  have  been  prospected  but  little.  Near  Lay  post-office,  within  a  vertical 
ange  of  250  feet,  three  coal  seams  have  been  opened  whose  aggregate  thickness  is  41  feet, 
in  additional  4-foot  seam  is  believed  to  exist  within  the  same  range  and  a  10-foot  seam 
0  feet  higher,  making  in  all  55  feet  of  coal  within  a  range  of  320  feet. 
An  entry  in  the  lowest  seam  (called  the  Sweeney  tunnel)  exposes  7  feet  10  inches  of  coal, 
eparated  into  two  nearly  equal  parts  by  a  12-inch  streak  of  bone.  Beneath  a  thick  layer 
jf  bone  now  used  as  the  floor  of  the  mine  another  bench  of  good  coal  4  feet  thick  is  reported. 
)ne  hundred  feet  above  the  Sweeney  seam  is  the  so-called  Peacock  seam.  Here  are  9  feet 
f  coal,  unfortunately  covered  by  a  poor  roof  of  clay.  A  4-inch  layer  of  bone  appears 
[ear  the  top,  and  locally  another  is  found  near  the  bottom.  The  coal  is  otherwise  clear, 
right,  and  very  tough.  One  hundred  feet  higher  is  a  double  seam  containing  20  feet  3 
aches  of  coal,  divided  into  two  nearly  equal  parts  by  a  15-inch  layer  of  shale.  Postmaster 
G.  Wallihan,  of  Lay,  the  local  representative  of  the  Wisconsin  Fuel  and  Mining  Com- 
pany, has  driven  a  broad  tunnel  about  200  feet  into  the  lower  part  of  this  seam.  Black- 
mith's  coal  is  sent  from  this  mine  as  far  as  Hayden,  a  distance  of  45  miles.  Simple  tests 
lade  by  Mr.  Wallihan  lead  to  the  hope  that  this  will  prove  to  be  a  good  coking  coal. 
WOLF  CREEK  AND  ANTHRACITE  RANGE. 
The  rocks  and  coal  in  this  district  outcrop  in  a  belt  of  general  north-south  direction, 
xtending  from  Grassy  Gap,  on  the  west  side  of  Twenty  mile  Park,  to  the  flanks  of  Sand 
fountain,  on  the  east  side  of  California  Park,  a  distance  of  about  25  miles.  The  Coal 
rleasures  dip  toward  the  west  and  pass  beneath  the  black  shale  that  forms  the  rolling 
>rairie  land  of  Hayden  Valley.  This  district  includes  the  coals  both  north  and  south  of 
fampa  River,  where  the  three  groups  cross  in  the  canyon  above  Hayden.  On  the  north 
ide  of  Yampa  River  these  are  known  as  the  Wolf  Creek  coals.  North  of  Wolf  Mountain 
his  district  includes  the  various  coal  properties  of  Anthracite  Range. 
Wolf  Creek  Valley. — Wolf  Creek  drains  to  the  south  from  Wolf  Mountain  and  joins 
fampa  River  7  miles  above  Hayden.  In  its  upper  course  it  flows  in  a  steep,  narrow 
any  on  through  the  massive  sandstones  that  underlie  the  coal  groups.  Below  this  canyon 
t  cuts  diagonally  across  the  outcrop  of  the  lower  coal  group  and  these  coals  are  well  exposed 
n  a  number  of  prospect  drifts.  One  entry,  about  40  feet  in,  showed  a  face  of  4  feet  2 
nches  of  good  coal  under  a  shale  roof.  Below  this  the  stream  bed  follows  near  the  out- 
crop of  the  middle  coal  group  for  about  4  miles  and  these  coals  are  well  exposed  in  a  num- 
jer  of  recent  openings.  On  Yampa  River,  opposite  the  mouth  of  Wolf  Creek,  openings 
lave  been  made  on  three  seams  of  the  middle  group,  which  serve  as  a  good  typical  section 
}f  the  group  for  this  vicinity.  The  uppermost  seam  measures  2\  feet  at  its  outcrop. 
Under  this  are  about  70  feet  of  sandstone  and  shale,  and  then  the  coal  known  as  the  Wadge 
jeam,  which  measured  8  feet  3  inches  of  clean,  bright  coal,  without  parting.     This  coal 
