Show COAL MEASURES OF Government Makes Report on the Carbon County Field Reid The coal field on the western edge of at the tho th Rocky mountains in Wyoming just CAst CiSt of ot the great Grand Gran River field was Wad surveyed during the lIum summer of ot by a party Darty of ot government geologists and amI a arc rc jort lort on the work has just been issued by bythe bythe bythe the United States geological survey as a chapter chater In bulletin No which forms Part II of ot Contributions to Economic Geology 1006 The Thc Mea trea studied lies at the point where the Rocky mountain ranges depart from their heir course so o characteristic In Colorado and swing westward across Wyoming to the Yellowstone national park parI At this point of change of direction tion the mountains are broken Into a number of dome and uplifts of greater or less extent and of ot considerable variation In trend and the coal area of or Carbon county Is thus a topographic and geologic basin with an average altitude between and feet teet almost completely rimmed by uplifts ranging rangin in elevation from to more than feet teet The North Platte river liver crosses the area surveyed west of its center its principal tributary within the district being the Medicine which drains the northeastern quarter of at the field The surveying party consisted of ot V A C Veatch in charge Max W Ball Max A and Spencer R It Logan A large number of coal samples were col cal collected and forwarded to the tho plant lant of or the survey at St at Louis Louts and sub to analysis The results of ot these analyses are ore incorporated In the report First t Discoveries in 1843 1643 Coal was discovered in this area by Fremont In 1843 1813 on Platte Flatte river near the mouth of Sage creek at a j point now known as Coal Bluffs In 1856 1656 Lieutenant F T Bryan of the topographic corps of the United States army surveyed a road from Fort RIley RUey to Bridger pass He was accompanied by H Engelman geologist and they reported coal not only on Platte river but north of ot the present village of Elk Mountain near Medicine Bow river Bryan reports that on Aug 18 1856 they camped for a few tew days on an island in Platte river rive to rest the animals and burn coal for the forge forse The coal beds opened at this time were mined in a desultory way by emigrants and by the Overland Stage company whose stage ran across the southern portion of this territory from the summer of IS until a short time aft after after after er the completion of at the Union Pacific railroad Regarding Regard ng the commercial development of the coal in this region George Geor e R Black superintendent of the Union Pacific Coal company compan states Early Day Operations The first mines opened In Carbon county counts Wyoming and worked ex extent extent tent w wrt rt opened by this company In at and near nar the town of Carbon the tho last laston lasterie one erie on abandoned in 1902 There were s ven of them While the coal is not of the best it Is certain that the mines in tat fiat vicinity would still be working had hadnot hadnot not the main line of ot the Union Pacific railroad passing through Carbon been va vae e and taken farther to the north wh rl r it passes through the Hanna coal The mines at Dana Carbon county were open in 18 9 and abandoned In 1891 1831 on ona ona a tf f the coal sparking too badly for lo emotive use The Hanna mines were opened in 1880 and are atil sUI lin un operation Th i coals OAS of this field range from poor to h s bituminous They are as a arule rule lule bright ht brittle and The best oats coals in the area are found In the formation called by Ute life geologists the which contains also the high of the field In Routt county Colorado The natural commercial market for coals from this section of Wyoming Is Hm urn id I d on the east by Omaha on the west westby bj by b Rawlins on the north by b the Black hills lulls and on the south by Denver The western outlet is jg today blocked to a large degree by the coals of Sweetwater and tinta inta counties At Den Denier Denor ier Var or the tho Carbon county coals come com Into competition with the Colorado coats coa at Omaha with those of the Interior basin asin and at the tho Black hills lulls with the Newcastle and Sheridan coals The development of the deposits in the ranges surrounding the basin may create a con considerable considerable considerable local loal demand for this coal |