"A very important and interesting experiment was recently made for the purpose of testing the comparative value of the red and the white ash coals for domestic purposes. Two rooms of nearly the same size, and having the same temperature, were selected to ascertain how many pounds of each kind would be required to heat them to a temperature of 65 degrees, during a period of 15 hours, when the temperature out of doors at 9 A. M. was at ten degrees below the freezing point. Two days were occupied in the trial, so that the red and the white ash coals might be used in alternate rooms. Fires were made at 9 A. M., and continued until 12 P. M. Two thermometers (one in each room) were suspended at the greatest distance from the grates, and the temperature was carefully registered every hour. The result was as follows: "Thirty-one pounds each day of the Schuylkill red-ash coal gave a mean temperature of 64 degrees; and thirty-seven pounds each day of the whiteash, taken from a vein of high repute in the Lehigh region, gave a mean temperature of 63 degrees; - making 2,000 pounds of the red-ash to be equal to 2,387 pounds of the white; or red-ash coal at $5.50 per ton to be equal to white-ash at $4.61.” * Table I. gives a comparative view of the areas of coal lands, and the production in 1845 of the six principal producing countries. As to the area of coal formations in France, it is to be remarked, that the area of the "concessions," or grants made for working, is all that is given. The amount of coal produced includes 152,900 tons of lignite or brown coal in France, and over 700,000 tons in Prussia. The fourth column gives the relative parts in 1,000 produced by each country. Table II. gives an analysis of different kinds of coal, arranged more particularly to show the adaptation of each variety to the manufacture of iron. The difference in the amount of carbon, volatile matter, and ashes is very striking between the bituminous coals and anthracite. Anthracite has now been successfully introduced in the manufacture of iron in Pennsylvania and in South Wales. In 1842, but four furnaces used this coal in Pennsylvania. In 1846, nearly one third of all the iron manufactured in that State was made by anthracite, as may be seen by the following statement: ‡*Taylor, Introduction, p. lx. † Ibid., Introduction, p. xx. 1 Ibid., p. 135. In Swansea Valley, South Wales, there were, in 1847, 23 furnaces using anthracite, producing annually 59,800 tons, while ten years before there were but three or four furnaces. A, Coals which cannot be employed in iron works in the crude state, B, Coals which cement less in the fire, and which it is practicable to use raw in furnaces worked with heated air. C, Chiefly for illuminating gas. Rogers, 66 88 5 7.5 4.0 90.7 7.0 2.3 85.0 10 0 5.0 92.0 6.0 2.0 Voskressensky, 94.2 *Taylor, Introduction, p. i. Table III. shows the specific gravity of a great variety of coals. The third column gives the weight per cubic yard of solid coal,—not of coal in its marketable state. It is observable that the specific gravity of any coal increases as the quantity of bitumen decreases. It is also observable of the Pennsylvania coals, that the specific gravity increases in going from west to east.* It may here be stated, that this table has been somewhat condensed from Mr. Taylor's. Some of the other tables from the same author have been slightly altered; though it has not been thought necessary to specify these alterations in every case. Table IV. is taken from Professor Walter R. Johnson's Report to the Navy Department of the United States, on American Coals, as given by Mr. Taylor. This table gives important information relative to the evaporative power of various coals under the same bulk. "In steam navigation,” says Professor Johnson, "bulk, as well as weight, demands attention; and a difference of twenty per cent., which experiment shows to exist between the highest and the lowest average weight of a cubic foot of different coals, assumes a value of no little magnitude. This is obviously true, since, if other things be equal, the length of a voyage must depend on the amount of evaporative power afforded by the fuel which can be stowed in the bunkers of a steamer, always of limited capacity." * Taylor, Introduction, p. lviii. TABLE IV. Adaptation of different Varieties of Coal to the Purposes of Steam Navigation. Classification of Coals in the order of evaporative power under equal bulks, to which is added the relative numerical rank of the same coals under equal weights, also in the order of their specific gravity, and of their marketable weight. Pounds of steam from 2120, produc ed by one cubic foot of each Coal. In the order of evaporative pow- In the order of their specific the marketable state. Saine Coals. 566.21 000 1 29 21 Anth'ite, white-ash, 556.1 .982 7 red-ash, 545.7 .964 3 white-ash, 540.8 .955 4 Dry bituminous, 535.6 .946 6 Dry free burning, 524.8 .927 9 Moderately bitum., 517.0 913 2 515.9 .911 10 Free burn'g bitum., 512.7 .906 12 66 1 11 13 21 23 12 Anth'ite, white-ash, 505.5 .893 15 66 500.0 .883 18 4 Pennsylvania, 3 Moderately bitum., 493.3 .871 24 486.9 .860 14 Mixed, 66 66 Mixed, Anth'ite,white-ash. 494.0 .872 23 Near Richm'd., Va., Bituminous, 481.1 .850 25 478.7 .845 19 Anth'ite, white-ash 477.7 .844 8 262 19 30 22 66 Fat bituminous, 66 408.7 .722 22 35 384.1 .678 36 378.9 .669 37 19 375.4 .663 38 353.8 .625 42 350.2 .618 39 18 348.8 .616 41 36 37 36 England, Scotland, Indiana, 347.4 .614 40 33 41 44 98.6 .175 43 40 There are some discrepancies between the columns. Thus, in the last column, the numbers 7 and 18 are not found, and the numbers 44 and 45 are found, though not in the first column. Table V. is also taken from Professor Johnson's Report. Forty-two different kinds of coal were the subjects of experiment, and this table exhibits the relative rank of six principal varieties of bituminous coal. freedom from tendency to form clinker, evaporative power of the combustible matter, 681818LL Cunard's. Mining As- Nova Scotia or Pictou. Cape Breton or 25-5~~ Queen's Run. Virginia, Chesterfield. TRENERU Liverpool. 2 29 30 39 33 37 41 40 13 13 24 16 19 30 36 23 40 maximum evaporative power under given bulks, 30 23 36 10 32 33 "" maximum rapidity of evaporation, 24 27 1 10 In Table VI. shows the importations of coal from Great Britain, British America, and all other places, into the United States. Mr. Taylor has three tables on this subject, from which this table is compiled. It is impossible to reconcile the discrepancies which these tables contain. 1843, for instance, one table gives the gross importation as stated below; another makes it 75,103 tons; yet opposite to this is given the gross value as $116,312, and the value per ton as $2.83, evidently contradictory state Table VII. is taken from the American Railroad Journal. It exhibits the production of Pennsylvania anthracite from the beginning of the trade in 1820 to 1849, and shows how rapidly this fuel, at first despised as worthless, has risen to its present important position among the products of American industry. The column of totals, after the year 1834, includes, besides the product of the five localities in the table, a considerable amount from Pine Grove and Lyken's Valley. * Taylor, p. 124. † Ibid., pp. 12–14. 1 Vol. V. p. 198, and Vol. VI. p. 37. |