New-York tribune., 1871-12-20
A STATE GRUWING RICH.
WEALTH FROM BENEATH THE SOIL


ADAPTATION TO IRON-SMELTING AND BEoSE-
MER STEEL MANUFACTURES
To the Editor of The Tribune.
SIR: now propose to discuss the physical
and chemical properties of the block Goals OF Indiana ana
the If adaptation the manufacture of the higher grades
of bar iron and Bassemcr steel.
The term "block" descriptive Of peculiar claSs0
cons is an ALTERATION in the geological vocabulary but
i, has now become firmly rooted that it must here
after recognized The physical characters of the coal
are these: There two systems of joints traverg
the seam pcrpendiculary. which cut the whole mass
into quadrangular blocks two or three feet long and
foot or more broad, and the miner avang himself OF
these natural divisions, after having undermined the
base enabled to ont the blocks without resort to
gunpowder. He easily take down three tuns day
These joints appear TO have been formed after the ae
rials entering into the structure OF the coal were
deposited, and due to force acting independently
of that of consolidation Where considerable area is
laid bare by stripping the surface the seam resembles
tcssrlaed pavement Viewed in section, the appear
ancc is as though block upon block each OF uniform SIZE
had been piled up by the hands of man. In entering
tho drifts, the zigzag appearance reminds one OF
Virginia fence. The sides Of the blocks are smooth. OF
dull blush color and often stained white with fire.
clay but IL cleft longituGnaly, there is seen Of
mineral charcoal slightly ccmcntci with bncn. that
il readily crooks handling Tao blocks are splinery
| on Gro, ,ractule but lon;udinally they como out in
thin fiat sheets ike roofing slate. Such arc the external
characters OF tie coal near Brazil but further south in
Spencer County, while it has the same blocklike ar
rangemcnt it is far consolidated that breaks loni
udinaly with spliutcry fracture, and may ne rubbed
with a white handkerchief without communicating any
| crock.
This coal when thrown on a fire at once igncs with
cracking sound, and burns with bright yellow fame.
giving OF little uiSinOus matter. 1t is noncaknc or III
words does together thus aurdnS free air
passages. 1t far free from sulphur that it leaves
| i.l whit nd ed to
the strongest dranghts. it gives cnkcr Hence it is
admirable coal for locomotives by OF its rapid
combusto its freedom from clnkcr and its disposition
nO to form hollow arch which In the fatty Goals must
from time time he broken ur II afford free air pas
sagcs These qualities too, insure the utcSry OF the
gratc wherever burned 1t Ia sufficiently firm to
hold up the burden OF furnace and til" ONLY nconvcn-
icncc experienced j. in the amomt of "duSt, or fnc
particles mineral charcoal whih nearly incO nbus
tibc. This Inconvenience appeTtiinS TO the Goals at
present used in the blast furnace hut 1t would hc absent
in the more compressed Goals before referred TO. From
careful is asceraincd that this coal gives from
81 per cent of fixed carbon, small amount OF hy
gromctric moisture and small amount of a>h, whose
Whh and foccuent character wouid indicate thc COM
| parave absence of the hi->ulphuret Of iron.
The Pittsburgh Goals dfr very slightly in composition
from the block Goals of Indiana. and yet know that
they behave altogether diff renty i'll combustion.
| The latter will make iron in a crude state,
while the former require that the volatile materials
|
This difference probably results from the mechanical
texture Of the Goals. In the of the block coal there
thin partitions of cannclkc nature, which pre-
vent the cells filled with bumcn, from coalcScns and
| rendering tuinid the whole mass.
The volatile materials play an important part In the
combustion OF coal We know that the anthracitcs of
Pennsylvania, which contain eighty per cent OF
fixed carbon. i'll strong drauGht burn well. and are
highly esteemed not only household fuel but for
ttcam and iron smelling purposes; while tho Rhode
Island nnthractcs. still richer in fixed carbon will be
Consumed only IN the great day of universal c0nagraOn
50 far as relates TO the presence Of the dclctcrous
elements Of sulphur and phosphorus in the block Goals
little has been done by the chemists to estimate
quantity Iii fact this renaik will apply to most the
OF Goals in the United States requested Prof.
DelafOntainc gentleman competent to enter
upon this investigation, to apply the tests to the spint
variety OF the Brazil occurring In the western part
Of Spencer County. and specimens were selected from
what is known a. the Sasb Mine for that purpose The
assay of two specimens cf this coal 10y the ordinary
method gave the following results
voienatter..... Ash wLIe......... ESQ al
Two and onchaf ounces Of This coal submitted to
disation in closed vessel with the following result
Water do............3l
Tar approximately .5d Gas 5T
The wafer contained ammonia and other soluble chemi
GALS besides small amount OF hydrosulpdte Of am
monia The amount OF phOspboric acid 03, and the
amount q! Sulphuric acid was 90.
Compared with the EnSoh Goals Of Pontypool, Bed
Ehor Vale &C., The amOun. OF rhoporic acid in the
latter far greater in instance and while in
the English Goals there notab" percentage of sui
phuI in the Staab coal there was an entire absence.
Comparing these results with the amount of phOSphOric
acid costlEcd in the ashes of cln oak and apple tree
wood, the result Is that willie the otaab coal contains
only per cent Of this dcIetcrios Ingredient these
wood ashes all the from 3l9 to 91 per
Thus will bc that there Goals in the Indiana
nrlG which rcer from the element phosphorus,
delcerious in iron making. than charcoal Itself The
sam" rigorous tests ought to he extended tO every pOr
tum oi The Brazil seams
Irste IN blast furnace have all the qualities Of char
COAL c0iu1ed With greatd reducing power Two and
one nan nus OF coal are required to make "a tun Of irOu
ihey afe not quite as strong In fixed carbon the
Mah0hng ana Shcnango Goals where two tuns only are
i%e.uIe"w % wh, u, aE produce more highly esteemed pig
reference TO certain welsh coal Is applicable in every
respect TO the Dlotk coal Of Indiana
AND 1e p VI spnt coal It unltes all the sofness
IN the blast furnace either as 10 the onatv "r
OF that metal with charcoal" " -"S'"''
Prof. Cox. In charge of the Indiana St,s (.ol;oo,
Survey bears the following emphatic testimnnv t n
quality OF these Goals for iron nsncting: " " '"0
Without fear OF contradiction, pronounce the hloct
coal Of Indiana the best mineral fuel vel Enown y, n
world for the manufacture Of pig metal bar iron mr. s,ei
In the blast furnace Jduces metal Ia every .tct
equal 10 Tue best charcoal iron made from the same ores
ln the pudding furnace css Q'antity is reouired oi
block coal than Of the b,t ri- 'ursi Goals TO make
run OF bar or wrought iron. T." - brought OF in
shorter space OF time. ipd quality Of the iron is
better The gray pig iron. ait the block COAL
IN Clay County from mixture Of Lake Superior and
Missouri hematite ores s used with excellent results In
the manufacture OF Besseuer steel at Chicago. Mr Rob
insOn the superintendent Of the Union Rolling Mills
there writes that the Indiana coal seems TO be just tho
thing for STEEL"
II significant fact that the pudded iron made at
n Har. VI: from lloc coal !. - employed i: Pts
6arxh In forging gun barrels. J. W. FOsTEK.
1~rs A~~E, Dec. IA, ls7L I