spurk.]  COAL    DEPOSITS,   ESMERALDA    COUNTY,   NEV.  291 
unpublished  manuscript  of    Mr.    H.   W.   Turner,   of  the  Geological 
Survey,  is  as  follows  :a 
Analysis  of  coal  from  Elder-Morgan  mine,  Esmeralda  County,  Nev. 
Per  cent. 
Moisture 3.  53 
Volatile  combustible  material 31.  71 
Fixed  carbon 35.  95 
Ash 28.81 
Total _ 100.  00 
Sulphur 1. 05 
This  analysis,  according  to  the  writer's  best  information,  seems  to  be 
of  coal  from  seam  No.  2. 
Outlook  for  development. — These  prospects  have  been  bonded  several 
times,  the  last  time  by  the  Tonopah  Mining  Company.  The  chief 
prospecting  has  been  done  on  the  upper  seams.  The  coal  as  developed 
is  of  so  light  a  nature  and  contains  so  large  a  proportion  of  ash  that 
the  enterprise  has  alwa}rs  been  abandoned.  It  seems,  however,  that 
the  lowest  seam  (No.  4),  whose  outcrop  is  limited  and  broken  near 
the  fault,  but  whose  underground  extent  must  be  great,  has  been 
neglected  in  prospecting,  and  possibly  this  may  be  found  to  be  avail- 
able as  fuel.  Inasmuch  as  the  beds  underlying  this  seam  are  not 
exposed,  on  account  of  the  fault,  it  is  possible  that  still  other  seams 
may  occur  beneath  it.  All  these  seams  of  coal  must  extend  a  consid- 
erable distance  to  the  north  with  the  dip  of  the  strata,  and  a  consider- 
able suppty  is  thus  indicated. 
Similar  Tertiaiy  strata  exist  in  the  Monte  Cristo  Mountains  to  the 
north,  in  the  same  general  line  with  the  Silver  Peak  Range.  These 
mountains  have  not  been  explored  by  geologists,  but  prospectors  have 
located  coal  seams  in  them  and  brought  away  specimens,  some  of 
which  are  dull  and  evidently  full  of  ash,  while  some  are  brilliant 
looking,  light,  bituminous  coals,  allied  to  lignite,  and  are  claimed  to 
be  good  coking  coals.  It  is  reported  that  the  seams  in  these  moun- 
tains are  considerably  broken  by  faulting.  Within  the  field  at  the 
north  end  of  the  Silver  Peak  Range,  just  described,  there  has  also  been 
probably  a  moderate  amount  of  faulting,  which  would  complicate  any 
possible  future  work.  It  is  possible  that  the  failure  to  trace  the  known 
coal  seams  along  their  strike  any  farther  than  has  been  done  is  due  to 
the  action  of  northeast  faults. 
Probable  value. — In  conclusion  it  may  be  reiterated  that  these  coals 
in  general  are  undoubtedly  light  and  of  poor  quality.  Nevertheless, 
a  poor  fuel  may  be  better  than  none  in  a  region  like  this,  where  there 
is  very  little  wood  supply,  no  water  power,  and  where  transportation 
« Dr.  W.  F.  Hillebrand,  of   the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  who  made  this  analysis,  notes  that  the 
coke  is  coherent,  but  not  much  swelled. 
