Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-05-24
COAL IN CHINA.

! IA China the system Of Mining, and the prizes
of Coai, and iabor IN its production and trans
PorfGion TO Pekin. BY RIcHARD c. TAYLOR
Philadelphia.
We have the recent Of the sailing from
hence Of vessel containing 306 tons OF Pennsy anhra
cite destined for Hong Kong, in China Some very natural
speculaons have arisen from this circumstances, TO the
probability of that remote country furnishing market fol
American anthracite Asno details accompany the statement
alluded to. not in possession Of amy material facts
whereby estimate be formed OF the probable
the undertaking commercial and not sure
but the coal may have been employed for convenience merely
i as ballast. fG1 gf
In the East Indies various dspos of European coal have
been established, for the service OF the British
steamers This fuel for the most part, it is understood,
sists OF the anhraous and partially bumnous Goals of South
Wales, Of obtained ut great expense appears that
900 tons of English COAL at eghage OF about R2 per
ton annually imported into Bombay, for the Companys
steamers Bamnous Goals have been derived from much less
distant among which the Burdwan coal field in the
vicinity of Calcutta may be named. Mcrgui Island also in
the Bay of Bengal has lately furnished steam coal
Singapore. The steamships the China seas during the
with that vast country, supplied from these various
] sources tsf5
/ do propose discuss the protabsncss, otherwise
Of Chinese market for American anthracite. But MS
during the process of collecting statistical information for
proposed volume he geological and geographical dist
button of coal and other mineral combustbies notes
reached Of interesting character which generally
accessible to the majority of readers with relation TO the Chi
coal fields has struck that portion of these Details
in abridged FORM might be just acceptable particularly
the intercourse with that country the increase.
venture to omit for the prossnt the authorities for the
facts shall have to communicate reservng them in detail
for the volume adyered to. must nevertheless, be pre-
missed that the Jesuit Fathers the French Missionaries who
permitted to reside at Pekn during the 18th and pre-
ceng centuries indebted for details Of the highest
tere alone this subject but many other objects
philosophical inquiry in that little known region.
is probable that coal discovered and
II is mentioned by noble traveller Of the 18th century
Astounding throughout the whole province of "Cathay Of
which Pekin is the capital swhee certain black
dug out Of the mountains which stones burn when kndlcd
and keep alive for long me and used by many persons
notwithstanding the abundance of wood"
The good missionaries fully capable of describing the
Goals which supplied TO Pek, since they there erected
furnace stove in which they expermened the properties
of those combusbes particularly with reference to the o
domestic and for the warming of apartments and
the purposes of their laboratory. @s
Among the people of Pekin three kinds in
L. That employed by the backsmiths Il yields fame
than the other qualities fierce, but subject de-
crepitate in the fires which account probably the black
smiths use It pounded in minute PARTICLES.
q harder and stronger COAL used for culinary purposes
giving flame than the other sorts employed is
less quickly consumed and leaves esiduum Of gray ashes
There several gradaons of these The best hard
break, of fine gran deep black color song the hands
less than the others II sometimes sufficiently siceous to
give fire with steel. Others have very grain,
easily broken and make bright fire. leaving reddish ash
Another species crackes decrepates when first placed
the fire and falls down. almost entirely scales which close
the passage of the air, and stfe the fire.
g. soft eeby burning COAL giving out less heat than the
second class consuming more quickly breaks with greater
facility and in general Of deeper black than the pre-
vousy mentioned 1t is commonly this description which,
being mixed with coal dust and fourth part Of clay is
poyed to form artificial and economical fuel This, being
moulded in the form of bricks and balls sold in the shops
of Pekin Wagon loads of coal dust brought that city
for this sole purpose.
The coal merchants have also an intermediate quality be-
tween the classes and 3.
We this place recte the numerous details which
furnished by these intelligent Fathers Suffice to add,
that nearly the whole Of the properties and applications
now in everyday in the United States and familiar
all They fact the natural results suggested by quail
ties possessed in by the combusbes Of pas
of the globe Even the modern method Of warming all
the apartments Of dwellings, which view the result
of superior practical and scientific investigation, use
with very little DEVIATION centuries ago by the Chinese
Many patented artificial fuel compound both in Europe and
America has been in practical operation in China at least
thousand years. Ar@a
4. Anthracite Another description of coal Astounding
about thirty leagues from Pekn, but which then in
such general there the other kinds, called by the
Chinese Chc-an. Che n stone, but tan the
they give wood charcoal Therefore, according the
genius OF the Chinese language this compound word signifies
substance resembling having the properties of
stone and charcoal There be little difficulty here, in
recognising the variety of coa which, in day, has bsen
denominated anthracite, compound word Of similar meaning
The Chinese glance coal forms remarkable exception to
the unfavorabe conclusion prevailing against Oriental coal
and according to recent authority than those before
cited deserves rank the head Of the list in respect of its
purity COKE although in specific gravity does not come
up to the character Of the Pennsylvania Welsh fuels nei
her has the spongy texture which contributes much to the
glowing combustion Of the latter.
So late 1910 Russian officer has described the coal for
nations Of the Interior occupying the western mountain
range Of China in such abundance that space Of half
league cannot be raversed without meeting with rich strata
The art Of mining is yet in its infancy among the Chinese
notwithstanding which, coal is thought to be at moderate
price in the capital Anthracite in the range
Of mountains at about days journey, thirty miles only
from Pekn The coal formation is largely developed, in
which thick beds of coal They appear be of va
qualities Some of this coal occurring in shae BEDS
singuary dccomposed, and its particles have little cohe
sion that they almost reduced to state Of powder Be
meath these coal shaes beds of erugnous sandstone and
below those another SERIES consisting Of much richer
seams OF coal than the upper group.
In this range also both horizontal and vertical beds
OF congomeate accompanied by of COAL which have
the congomerate for the roof and dore greensboro for the
floor As might be expected this coal very much resembles
anthracite IL IS shining OF compact texture, difficult TO ig
nitc does not fame in burning give out any smoke It's
substance entirely homogeneous Every thing respecting
leads to the belief that there had been great development
Of heat at the period of its formation subsequently The
horizontal coal beds the most important and valuable and
denomnated large but greater thickness than three
and half feet is quoted The blacksmhs and those who
work in copper prefer this coal of the intense heat
| which it gives out.
Throughout the whole OF this mountain range may be
nnaly the oucrops of this combusbe where they
have never, yet, been touched by the hand Of
In those parts Of China where wood very DEAR coal is
worked great scale for the Pckn market but the process
Of mining very little understood by those people, who excel
| in the preparation of charcoal
Coal in other parts Of China.
The Missionaries and others inform coal alum
dant in every province Of China that there is, perhaps
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