The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-01-12
JASPER. INDIANA FRIDAY. JANUARY t2. 1879.

Anh lie ~ IA AN - AA&
the product used in the form Of coke
The difference probably results from the
mechanical texture of the Goals. Ii' the
case of block Goals there are thin partf
itions of Il camel like nature, which pre-
vent the cells flied with bitumcn from
coalcscing and rendering humid the
whole mass.
The volatile materials play an impor-
tant part in the combustion OF coal. We
know that the anthracitcs OF Pcnnsylva-
mia, which contain eighty per cent or
more of fixed carbon, in strong draught
burn well, and are highly esteemed. not
only as a household fuel, but for steam
and iron smelling purposes; while the
Rhode Island anthracitcs still richer in
fixed carbon, will be consumed only In
the great day Of universal confiagration.
So far as relates to the presence Of the
delctclious elements Of sulphur and
phosporous in the block Goals, little
has been done by the chemists to csti.
mate their quantity. In fact, this remark
will apply to most of the assays OF Goals
in the United States. required Profcs.
sor Delafontainc.a gentleman every way
competent to enter upon this invcstiga-
ton, to apply the tests to the splint va
ricty OF the Brazil seam occurring in the
western part Of Spencer county, and
specimens were selected from whot is
known as the Staab Mine Tor that pur-
pose. The assay Of two specimens OF
this coal by the ordinary method gave
the following results:
Water at 3i2s K 1.36
Fixed carbon bS.23 62.el
Volatile matter 87.ll 1881
Ash, white $50 2.4l
Two and one half ounces Of this coal
were submitted to distillation in closed
vessel, with the following result:
Cole 63.O5
Tar approximately 1880
Water ditto l5.ll
Gas 5.97
The water contained ammonia and
other soluble chemicals, besides small
amount of hydrosulphatc of ammonia.
The amount of phosphoric acid was 0 3.
and the amount Of sulphuric acid
was 90.
Compared with the English Goals Of
Pontyvillc, Bcdshaw, Ebor Wales, etc,
the amount of phosphoric acid in the
and while in the English Goals there was
notable percentage Of sulphur, In the
Siaab coal there was an entire absence.
Comparing these results with the amOunt
OF phosphoric acid contained in the
ashes of elm, oak and apple tree wood,
the result is that while the Staab coal
contains only 3 per cent of this delcter-
ious ingredient, these wood ashes con-
ceut.. titus it will be. seen that there
frecr from the element phosphorus, so
,lelc.crious to iron making. than char.
coal itself. The same rigorous tests
OF The Brazil seams.
These block Goals. we know from OK
pc,icncc, when tested in Il blast furnace,
have all the qualities of charcoal. COM
bincd with Il greater reducing power.
Two aud halt tons Of coal are rcquir-
ed 10 make Il tun Of iron. They arc not
quite as strong in fixed carbon as the
! Mahoning or or Chcnango Goals. where
two tuns only arc required, but they
produce Il more highly esteemed pig
metal. What Mushct said in his great
work on iron, in reference TO certain
Welsh coal, is applicable in every respect
to the block coal of Indiana.
40 the purity of splint coal it unites
all the sottness and cOmbustibiity Ol
wood, and the effects produced by ii in
the blast furnace, either rs TO the quality
or quantity of iron, far exceed anything
in the manufacture Of that metal with
charcoal"
i Professor Cox, in charge Of the Indi-
ana State Geological Survey. bears the
following emphatic testimony as 10 the
, quality Of these Goals for iron smelling
: "Witlout fear of contradiction. pro
[ nouncc the block coal Of Indiana the
, best mineral fuel yet known to tho
+ world for the manufacture of pig metal
+ bar iron, or steel. In the blast furnace
it produces metal in every rcspcc,
A equal TO the best charcoal iron made
I from the same ores. In the pudding
: furnace q less quantity is required o
block coal than of the best Pitsburs
I Goals to make q run Of bar or wrought
4 iron. Tho bars are brought of in {
= shorter space Of time, and the quality o
|. the iron is better. The gray pig iron
n made with the raw block coal, in Cla!
!. county, from mixture of Lake Supcri
4 or and Missouri hcmatitc ores. Is uset
1 with excellent results in the man!actur
/ Of Bcsscmcr steel nj Chicago. Mr.. Rob
i inson, the Superintendent of thio'
v Rolling Mills there. writes that the IN
n diana coal seems to be just the thin;
o for steel"
y Ii is significant fact that the puddle,
II iron made at indianapolis. from bloc
!, coal pig is employed at Pittsburg i
& forging gun barrels. j. W. FOSTER.
Y TERRE liAurE, December IL, 1871.
d O.TNoblc county. Ohio, with popt
: lation of twenty thousand peoples is we
c worthy OF the name il bears. There
Z moi a saloOn in the whole county. thcr