New-York daily tribune., 1845-02-15
AMERICAN GOALS FOR STEAMBOATS,.

A highly valuable series of experiments on The
evaporative power and other useful properties OF
American Goals, was instituted by the Navy De-
partment under Judge Upshur in 1913, and has been
conducted with great industry, science and success,
by Professor Walter r. Johnson. Their highly va
liable results are embodied in Report of the Navy
Department, forming document of 6G0 pages, TOR
which we are indebted TO Hon. Wa L. DAYTON,
ofN.J The inquiry was rendered necessary by
the complaints made against the qualities of Goals
Droeured for the Naval service. While the highest
prices were paid for fuel, the efficiency of our
steam vessels was sometimes impaired by IFS lnte-
nor quality, and the large proportion OF It's lmpnrl-
ties This evil need longer exist, for the expert
ments here recorded establish the precise value et
each species Of coal for steam navigation as well as
for The working of iron the production OF illumna-
ting gas, and ether useful purposes.
The question of the value ofCoalsfor the purpose
of generating steam is Of course mainly dependent
on their heating power; l. e. on the weight OF was
ter which given weight OF Coal, burned under a
given evaporating vessel, can convert into steam,
while undergoing combustion. But beside this
should be taken into the account Tie weight Of a
given bulk Of each Coal the quantity OF flame
with which il burns; the amount and character OF
its combus,ible nsredients lis facility or difficulty
OF ignition the perfection Of the combustion /; the
concentration or dfusibilty Of It's heat; It's proper
ton OF humidity and of sulphur, and It's consequent
liability 10 spontaneous combustion It's tendency
TO agglutinste or 10 dIslnte2rate the amount of
solid matter which passes off in smoke; and the
amount and character of the incombusilbIe ingrc-
dents left behind.
All these points have been carefully tested in
more than forty varieties of Coal and table POI (or
there are so many contains the Goals classified in
the different ways III reference 10 these various al
tributes For the purposes OF steam nawSdt,cn the
most important arrangement Is that IN which the
names Of the Goals arc arranged in the order OF
their epdporatire po,rer unda cquoi tulks. We copy
the frst twenty-four of these the first being the
mos, efficient, and the following ones diminishing
gradually in order SO that the last has fcurfts OF
the power of the first.
!. Atkinson and TempIemau's; 2. Beaver Meadow sore
No. 5; 3. Peach Mountain; 4. Forest Improvement s.
Easby's Coal In store; Ncwiork Gud Maryland Mining
Company I, GUMS Run {. Blossburg 9. Nefr i Cum
bcrland; TO- Easbys and Smiths II. Beaver Meadow
81 pc No 3; r. Beaver Meadow (Navy Yard); 49, Nix
iurc. IS Cumberland and as Beaver Meadow; IL. Le
high: Is Lycoming Greek l6. Cambria County, IL. Mix
turc, Is Midlothian and i5 Beaver Meadow IS. Bars
Deep lun 10 Lackaw 10 NertnsS II. D.uptn and
Susquehanna 81, Lykens Valley %. rictou (Ncw ior)
2t. Midlothian (averagc)
With thus evaporative power under equal bulks
should, however, be combined the relative freedom
from clinker, the maximum rapidity OF action, and
the Quicliness OF ignition, which are also OF be
for,nd III these tables.
highly gratifying result of these experiments is
the proof that the iorcgn biunirous eoais OF New
castle Liverpool, ,Scotlsnd, Pctou and Sidney Goals
which constitute the present reliance of the great
lines Atlantic iu.ly equallcd. or rather
supposed in strength blythe analogous Goals CT East
en Virginia; that they are decidedly surpassed by
all the free burning Goals o Maryland and Perm
sylyania; and that an equally decided advaniagen in
steam-genereting power is enjoyed by the an,lra-
cites the foreign ceals tried, whether we con-
slider them under equal weights or equal bulks
Such are some of the valuable results of this in-
ciden,al and. by TIE way, Governmental assistance
Of Science. They will give an increased efficiency
and economy TO the operations OF our steaIn-navv
sufficient TO manifold repay the cost OF the ex1er-
meni, while general science and It's dependent arts
will reap from them s, more widely extended
benefits.