Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1867-05-04
MISCELLANEOUS.
Coal, Hts Origin amd Nature.

There can be no reasonable doubt that all
Goals, bitu2hinous and anthracite, are OF
vegetable origin. BY powerful micro
scrope the gushed, not only in softer quail
ties, but even in the hardest anthracite. We
have seen specimens of indubitable jet yield
to the power of the microscope, and reveal
the original grain of the wood or vegetable
fibre. Peat is the first combustible form of
coal, and if our peat beds, now sought after
with so much avidity, and judged to be
such mines of wealth, were suffered to re-
main undisturbed, they would, at some fu-
ture period, become beds of coal for warm
ing and lighting the winters of future gene
rations.
Coal is not material belonging exclusive
ly to past geological periods, but is in pro-
cess of formation now, as may be proved by
an examination of the Drown COAL" well
known in Europe and frequently met with
here. Thin slices, which allow the light to
pass through them, show to the naked eye
the original vegetable structure. 1t is uni
,versally acknowledged that this "brown
coal" or Ignite, is an undeveloped coal, not
yet subjected to the change of years which
would transform it into pure bitumirous or
anthracite coal To BE sure, time is re-
q,ared to change the disintegrated porous
mass of vegetable fibres, roots and tendrils,
leaves and lgnum, to hard brilliant, lami-
mated or crystallized coal. But nature works
slowly. We find it difficult to understand
her process or to comprehend her infinite
patience, which watches through unnum-
bered years and countless ages for the slow
and gradual progression of her agencies
But it is certain that her transforming pro-
cessos have not suffered an abatement of
their original power by the discoveries of
man. They still go on, and will so long as
| this globe and universe endure
1t is possible that the present furore about
peat will lead to the discovery of accelera-
ting the action of unaided natural forces, SO
that this material may be made to give out
as much heat power as the concentrated
coal, but we much doubt it. The principal
fault with our coal is, that 1t combines with
it elements deleterious to iron, whether in a
state of fusion OF merely subjected Temporal
rily to its heat. Stoves, for instance, which
are constructed to burn coal only, will last a
lifetime or longer; but burn anthracite
coal, and the parts warp and crack, and OK
idize, until the stove, or that portion ex-
posed to the direct action of the heat, must
be renewed yearly, if not oitener With the
bituminous coal it is worse still. The CRATE,
melted from the mass until, in short time,
the most important portions of the contri-
vance are useless, To withstand the con
centrated heat they must be made of extra
ordinary 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 incorporated
with the original vegetable mass, and hold
chemically or mechanically suspended, sui
phur, silicon, and other elements, which are
detrimental to the metal
There is no reason to believe that All va
rieties of coal have common origin. They
are vegetable masses, which, mixed with in
organic particles, have undergone different
degrees of naturalization, the more recent
still retaining much of the volatile elements
the bituminous less, and the anthracite still
less, until this will burn with but little lamt
and no smoke.-ScientJic american.