Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-12-24
Paper Ne. :. Illustrated NTH " Nap.l
Richmond o. Tide-watsr Coal Field Coke, Natural
AMI Artilcial-Iron.

As We before observed. the Southern portion
Of this coal field contains no mineral char
coal" or natural coke. properly speaking
Small quantities have been discovered on the
South side of tho James. hut mich nearer to
the Northern than the Southern end oil the
field The Goals Of the Southern portion are
cmnently valuable for the production of gas.
and As such, ten times the amount now raised
might be annually used 1t is not however,
of the most desirable kind for the production of
artificial coke for the smelling of iron ores. on
account Of its fatty or rich bitumnous quail
/ ties. Yet. rs a steam coal, it would he the
most desirable kind when compressed in solid
brick form; in which condition il woald do
much more execution than when fine. and
would not be liable to spontaneous combustion
For ocean steamers il would he the very thing
! since it would require one fourth less storage
than crude or common coal. The Goals Of the
Northern end of the field TO not generally con
( tam as much bitumcn as those Of the South
They arc also of more soft and irablc nature
particularly as far as yet developed which Is
principally about the out-cropS. This quality
renders it cmincntly tit for the production OF
artificial coke Nature seems to have pointed
ont this locality expressly for tina; purpose
! since here she made the first coke cTcr formed
/ long ages before the existence of man. ct
before We had ever seen natural coke, "ur IRON
masters had made it artiiicially, and mitch in
. the same manner no doubt, a the natural coke
was formed.
The natural coke of the Tuckahoc has long
been almost phenomena in the coal i"Tma-
ton; il is still problem to the scientific
which cannot he solved until the developments
of the miner shall penetrate deeper and more
extensively the dark regions that contain IT.
That it is the result of heat, there can be no
question. but WHY it differs so much in ap-
pcarance from the anthracite, which Is also IN
reality n mineral charcoal. and the result OF
the same processes rs far Is we are able TO COM
prchend. is 4 matter not 81 easily determined.
Rut when we consider that natural coke re-
semblcs, and is in fact, much the same is arti
fetal coke, formed from the coal of the same
field, and, perhaps rs far As effect is concerned.
nv the same process we are led to believe
that the difference mainly consists in the rca-
tive quantity of carbon they contain, and the
/ gasscs and circumstances. generally. with which
the coke and anthracite arc respectively sur
rounded.
Tho oycrlyinr measures OF this field are gcrc-
rnlly n coarse, cranitoid, intcrmXcd with fine
grained sandstones. Where this iinc-grancd
sandstone lies Immediately above the coke, the
! sandstone becomes what the miners call chm,
and the coke nothing but cinder, and valuccSS
as a fuel. The best coke. or that which is made
use Of for fuel lies Go feet below the whin, and
is separated from it by coarscr sandstone,
states, &c. In the anthracite regions. the same
/ hard, blue whin, or greensboro, is frequently
met with, particularly near the lower, or pure
white.ash Goals, the composition of which (thc
whin) appears 10 be nearly the same rs that Of
the Richmond coa-ticld
! The scam Of coke now being worked at Car
hon Hill" is between five and six feet thick,
and Yields about five thousand tons Of coke to
the acre. This fuel las long been used for
domestic or culinary purpo>cs-in CRATES.
stoves, &c.-in Richmond rs preferable To
bituminous coal or anthracite. IthaS the quail
tiles of both to recommend it to the people oi
the Fast generally. Ii ignitcs rs easily aS the
first, and can be used with as much economy
as the last, and is rs cheap as the former. and
much cheaper than the latter. We cannot SEQ
any reason why coke should not only be used
Richmond and Lynchburg where it is now
extensively uscd-but also to a great extent in
/ Petersburg and Norfolk. We should encour
age our home trade whenever it is practical,
, since it is not only the interest of the seller,
but the buyer, also, to do So whether coke,
! lime, salt. iron, or any other product OF the
State. This natural coke might also be used
/ to much advantage on ocean steamers and the
| - al, tr.lin TD
the generation Of steam, and. if we mistake
not, for the smelling OF iron, since no fair test
has vet been made.
But the chief dependence of Eastern Virr
MIA for the purposes Of smelling. will be the
bitumnous Goals on the James River. which
cuts through the coal field near its widest part
and that part which essentially contains the
best cokcing Goals. Nothing could be more
convenient than this disposition Here, that
portion Of the coal field, which we alludc TO-
differs in feature from the other districts. as
NAV be observed by the nap, where the Writ
cal sections Of the Tuckahoc display num-
Der of seams which vary in the character Of
their Goals. The same disposition is manifest
throughout this entire district and the coal
generally partakes Of the best coke producing
kind. The country, on both sides. for five or
six miles, dcsccnds towards the river, conSe.
quently the transportation of coal or coke
would have the grade in their favor
4 short distance below, where the river leaves
the coal field, commences the falls, on which
furnaces, for the smelling Of iron, could be most
avaably located Here, too. VIC have the canal,
which puts us in communication with the rich
ores Of the mountains. Under such cir
cumstanccs, the location for iron furnaces is
good or, to use a stronger word, one Of the
best in the State since the market is also near.
But to return to the production of coke as
the first preliminary. We know that the rich
Goals Of this, as well as other coal fields, can
not be produced for less than So o. per ton,
since the loss would be nearly onc.half. as we
have elsewhere stated. Yet with coal adapted
for the purpose, and made on the large scale,
with suitable appliances and careful manage
,nent, il can be made for much less or nearly
as low as the English coke. which can nc pro.
duccd at an actual cost of less than 81 30 per
ton. We can mine coal here for 81 00pcr ton,
including all expenses and contingencies. The
cost of cokcing and the consequent waste OF
the bituminous matter under proper appliances
would not be over 60 cents. We will, however,
allow for transportation TO the furnaces, and
for the waste in handling. 80 cents per ton,
which makes the total cost with every allow
ancc except profit. not more than 81 90
per ton If the iron manufacturer mined
and cooked his own coal MS lie should, it
would not cost him more than we have cSti-
mated; indeed our figures allow reasonable
margin, but if this fuel is supplied by the coal
operator. independent Of the iron master, we
must add profit to the actual cost, which would
increase il to at least 50 so, or perhaps more
Yet even estimating the cost of coke at s. on
per ton, we find that, as a fuel it could be used
with as much economy as the generality of the
anthracite in the Northern furnaces. And as
compared with charcoal. it is as to 10 under
the most favorable circumstances for the lat
ter, and most unfavorablc for the former. II