The Anthracite Rush in Naches Pass
A new coal discovery near the mountains promises to be the most extensive field on the Pacific Coast.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
North Yakima, Aug. 9. A party reached here today from the Naches Pass with a bottle of coal oil in the crude state, which represents a find of which they will at present say very little, but a company has been formed which will soon develop the matter. It is learned definitely that the find is in the Naches Pass. The anthracite coal find in the Naches Pass has been far enough developed to demonstrate that it consists of an immense deposit. It is definitely reported today that the coal field is more extensive than was at first supposed. Parties are pouring in from every direction to secure claims. Well-defined claims are traceable for long distances, and it is without doubt the most extensive coal field on the coast. The formation of the country where this coal is located is different from most of the finds yet made on the Pacific Coast, in that the accompanying strata is unbroken and undisturbed.
“Parties are pouring in from every direction to secure claims.”
While Washington's coal boom eventually shifted and waned, the dream of tapping into the Cascades' 'immense' mineral wealth was a core component of the state's early economic identity. Today, Naches Pass is better known for its recreational trails and its status as a critical mountain corridor, a far cry from the industrial excitement that once drew prospectors there in 1889.
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