The Sun.
London, England, 1839-12-09 00:00:00

APPLICATION OF ANTHRACITE

TO STEAM NAVIGATION.

The Western portion of the coal district of South
Wales consists almost entirely of anthracite or stone-
coal. The best anthracite contains 95 per cent. of car-
bon, and as it is entirely free from bituminous matter, it
burns without producing either smoke or gas. It has
up to the present time been unfortunately impossible to
apply this smokeless fuel to manufacturing purposes,
because when thrown upon a fire it cracks and flies
about, and in many instances extinguishes the fire al-
together. It must be obvious that could this fuel be
rendered available it possesses many and great
advantages over bituminous coal, more particularly in
' its applicability to steam navigation, and accordingly
scientific men have from time to time turned their at-
tention to the subject, and at length a method has been
discovered, by which anthracite may be rendered avail-
able for the performance of every engineering operation
for which bituminous coal and coke have hitherto beer
employed. The gentleman to whom the public are in-
debted for this most important discovery, is Mr. John
Player, a scientific engineer, connected with the anthra-
cite district in South Wales. This gentleman dis-
covered that by heating anthracite to a temperature
exceeding 212 before placing it on the fire, decrepita
tion was entirely prevented, and he has accordingly
invented a furnace for the purpose of burning anthra-
cite. In this furnace the anthracite is placed in a fun-
nel, in shape somewhat resembling a lime kiln, whict,
funnel passing through the boiler, obtains heat from the
boiling water contained therein ; and as the base of the
open funnel rests upon the fire, the heat from the fire
also ascends through it, and assists in gradually raising I
the anthracite to the required temperature, and thus
prepares it for use. Now, as the anthracite burns en-
tirely away without producing any clinkers, and as by
means of this funnel the fire feeds itself, stoking is ren-
dered unnecessary. A steam boat called the Anthra
cite, fitted up upon Mr. Player's plan, and burning
nothing but anthracite, has been navigating the Theme,
for some few weeks, so that the great question as to the
possibility of anthracite being applied to the purposes of
steam navigation is for ever set at rest. Its superiority
must be obvious when we state that, in addition to its
smokelessr,ess, it has been ascertained that one ton of
anthracite possesses a steam-generating power equal to a
ton and a quarter of bituminous coal, or a ton of the
finest coke. Now, as a ton of coke costs 395. and a too
and a quarter of bituminous coal 345., whilst a ton of
anthracite in London costs only 275., its superiority
in a pecuniary point of view alone must be obvious.
We joined a party in an experimental trip down the
river, on Saturday, on board the Anthracite, and are
happy in being able to bear testimony to her immense su-
periority. Whilst other steamers were ever and anon,
vomiting forth dense clouds of black smoke, to the an-
' noyance of their passengers and of the inhabitants of
the banks of the liver, not a vestige of smoke appeared

from the chimney of the Anthracite, and when in pass •
ing underneath the bridges her chimney was lowered.
not a particle of soot fed out, although the fires had not
been extinguished since the previous Monday. In fact,
neither stokers nor sweeps are necessary on board those
vessels in which anthracite is empkyed, in the manner
recommended by Mr. Player.