Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1853-02-17
From the n. Y. Tribune.
Geology.
BY DIR. ANTIsELL.

The second lecture by Dr.. ANT1sELL, on
Geology, was delivered on " ednesday even
ing, at SIuyvesent Institute. Ii was not large
Iy attended, bnt WAS Instructive aud interest
ing. The subject was the Coal formations
Of the Earth He remarked upon their na-
ture, locations, extent, qualities aud the man
ner In which II Is believed they were formed.
He spoke for more than an hour, and Illustra-
ted his subject at several points by number
of diagrams and coiored maps. We have
room but for glance a. MS lecture. There
Is lIttle doubt mat every piece Of coal Is a
piece of tree. This Conclusion is arrived at
by various experiments. w hen coal or wood
Is burned, ashes OF similar kinds are the re-
suit. Coal inspected by means Of micro
scope Is found u have cells the same as wood.
" oOd immersed In water or buried in the
ground turns black, aud becomes more like
coal the longer II SO remains. All Coal Is
from W oOG. 1t IS sometimes found thou
sand feet from the surface of the Earth, COW
cred by layers Of rock. thIs mineral Is wide
ly distributed. No Continent but Africa IS
free from il, and so little Is known Of lhat
Continent, that It cannot be positively said
tha. coal does not exist there. In the south
ern portion of Europe and IN Great Britain II
Is quite abundant, and It Is found IN Sweden.
II Is found also in Asia aud in many of the
this than on any other Continent. II extends
from New Brunswick to the Gulf OF Mexico,
and from the Allegheny Mountains to Van
couver's Island. Near the Aileghany Noun
tains Is the largest coal formation in the
world. Il is about $50 miles III length by
about 200 miles IN width. Ii contains about
G3, 900 square miles the second bed IN ex-
tent is that known as the Illinois coal field
50 called because a great portion Of II IS In
the territory Of that State. 1t contains $4,000
square miles. The third Is in Michigan, ex
tending from lake 10 lake, and Is fifteen thou
sand square miles IN extent. There are small
beds ia other sections. The quantity OF
coal in England bears no comparison IN guam
tity to thai IN the United States. There Is
more coal deposited on this continent, SO far
as is known, thau ia all other parts Of the
world. Six millions tuns of coal are yearly
raised in the United States. In Eugls
thirty-fye millions are annually mined, and
the beds in that country are not so easily
worked as are those in this country. There
shafts are settled al great depths, with pumps
TO keep the mines dry. In this country the
coal veins are nearer horizontal. I he Lehigh
and MonongaheIa coal beds especially are
so feasible for working that coal IS mined at
4 cents per tun. Il is transported al about
50 ID per tun. The balance of tE- price paid
can be accounted TOR Dy OIi5Iudl price Ia 1HC
bed and the profits of dealers. The lecturer
noticed some pecuIiarlies of the manner Of
the deposits of coal. Il is ascertained that
vegetable matter has drfted down from the
highlands TO the ocean, and been covered up BY
denosits of sand from coal. Fish are found
above and below these coal formations. The
lecturer also spoke of the more rapid growth
Of vegetables at the period In the creation at
which these coal formations took place. But
now such changes have taken place IN the
temperature, and such publication has oc-
CURED in the atmosphere, that the growth does
but little more than keep pace with the de
cay constantly going on 10 the vegetable king
dom He remarked, also, upon the different
qualities of coai, and exhibited samples OF
several of the finer kinds. No coal Is now
being formed. owing to the change OF climate
and the publication Of the atmosphere, as
above stated. The lecturer stated the theory
of Geology, concerning the appearance OF the
earth at the time these formations were gong
on. The continent of America was ocean,
and the Atlantic Ocean was principally IS
lands. The islands of the Pacific were more
numerous. and larger than at present. After
some further remarks upon ths remarkable
condition Of the globe when coal was formed,
the lecture closed amid considerable applause.