NEW COAL FIELDS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 143670, 14 December 1911, Page 3

NEW COAL FIELDS.

The report) of the discovery in the north of Britisli Columbia of a largo lied of anthracite, or smokeless coal, has reached London, and was generally confirmed by a telegram from tho Minister of Mines in that Canadian province. As the Minister of Minos is the Hon. R. M’Bride, Premier of the province, there is good reason for accepting the substantial accuracy of tho news, though the extent of tho coal field has yet to he ascertained. Tho telegram reads: “Immense body of anthracite coal exist,- at the head wafers of the Skccna, about 150 miles north of Hazclton. TV■ t ,ve locations on it of eight years’ a ■ Li g. Serious development by Hue© ompanies has been carried out tvs sec son. James M’Evov, formerly of lhe Geological Survey and later of flow’s Nest, reports that ho has developed at least three work aWe seams of anthracite coal. Tho field is very important; its evieut not yet known. Four hundred square miles have been staked out.” Should it be large the discovery will he of extreme importance te British Columbia. So far only soft coal has been dh'-overed there, with the exception of a seam of anthracite worked at Crow’s Nest, which lies in the extreme south-east of tho province. Tho new coal field is situated only ISO miles north of the main line, of the Grand Trunk Transcontinental Railway, and if it fulfils hopes will provide shipping using the new port of Prince Rupert with a supply of smokeless fuel.