Weekly New Oregon plain dealer. (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1866-1867, 1867-01-04
Coal, its Origin and Nature.
From the Scientific American.


that Goals, bituminous and anthra-
cite, are Of vegetable origin. BY
a powerful microscope the vegetable
textures Of the mass can be distin-
guished, not onlyin softer qualities,
but even in the darkest anthracite.
We have seen specimens of indubit-
able jet yield to the power Of the
microscope and reveal the original
grain of wood or vegetable fibre.
Peat is the first combuaible form
of ccal, and if our-peat beds, now
songht after with 80 much avidity.
and judged to be such minesof wealth
were suffered TO remain undisturbed,
they would. at some future period,
become beds of coal for warming
and lighting the winters of future
generations.
| Coal is not material belonging
exclusively to past geological peri
DDS, but is in process Of. formation
now, as may be proved by an cxam-
| ination Of the "brown coal,' well
known in Europe and frequently met
with here. Thin slices, which al.
low the light to pass through them,
show to the eye the original vegeta
bic structure. It is universally ac-
knowledged that this "brown cosl,''
or Ignite, is undcvoloped coal, not
yet subjected to the change fyears
which would transform it into pure
bituminous or anthracite coal. To-
be sure, time is required to change
the disintegrated porous mass Of
vegetable fibres, roots and tendrils,
leaves and lignum to hard, brilliant,
Illuminated, or crystalized coal. But
nature works slowly. We find it
difficult to understand her process
or to comprehend her infinite pa
tience, which watches through un-
numbered years and countless ages
for the slow and gradual progression
Of her agencies. But it is certain
that her transforming processes have
not suffered abatement of their orig
inal power by the discoveries of
man. 11Iey still 60 on, and VIII ST.
long as the globe and the universe
endure.
1t is possible that the present fu-
rore about peat will lead to the dis
covery Of accelerating the action Of
unaidod natural forces, SO that this
material may be made to give out
as much heat power as the concen-
trated coal, but we much doubt it.
The principle fault with our coal is,
that it combines with it
elements deleterious to iron,
whether in state of fusion or merely
subject temporarily to it's heat.
Stoves, for instanc, which are con-
structed to burn coal only, will last
lifetime CT longer; but burn an
thracitc coal and the parts warp,
and crack and oxidize, until the
stove, or that portion exposed to
the direct action of the heat, must
be renewed yearly if not oftener.
With bituminous coal it is worse
still. The CRATE, with hot fire.
yields and falls in pellicles,s melted
from the mass, until, in short
time: the most important portions
of the contriyance are useless. 10
withstand the concentrated heat
they must be made OF extraordinary
thickness. In reducing ores, also,
and especially in fusing iron, these
components of coal are the cause of
much trouble. They are foreign
bodies, which have become incorpo-
rated with the original vegetable
mass, and hold, chemically or me,
chanically suspended, sulphur, sill
con, and other elements. which are
detrimental to the metal.
| There is 40 reason to disbelieve
/ that all varieties of coal have a
common origin. They are vegetable
masses, which, mixed with morgan.
ic PARTICLES, have undergone differ
ent degrees Of naturalization, the
more recent still retaining much OF
the volatile elements, the bitumin.
Gus less and the anthracite still
less, until this will burn with but
little fame and no smoke. E.a
| A FEELING PREAcHER.-A cler'
gyman having preached, during Lent
in small town, in which he had not